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She stretched her neck and showed her bottom teeth in a cringe. “I requested Titania make us roommates again next semester. I don’t know if she’ll make it happen, but I had to take a chance.”
I let my features fall on purpose but then smiled. “Of course that’s okay. I didn’t know I could request someone or I would’ve done it, too.”
“Oh, whew! You fooled me with that face. Jeez, I’ve got to keep my eyes on you.” We stood there in a few moments of silence and let reality dig into our happiness.
“I have to go.” I shrugged one shoulder.
“Yeah, go. Text me or call me, but I don’t promise to answer the calls. I’m not a fan of the phone. But maybe video chat or something. Just keep in touch. You need help getting your bags down?”
“No. I only have two. You, on the other hand, might need a dolly or a wheelbarrow…”
She laughed. “Or my mom’s driver. He’ll come up with his little hat, pretend to be pissed and clueless about how many bags I have. It’s kind of our thing.”
I waved to her and left, giving the whole suite and everything a long look before I made my way to the door.
It might be the last time I ever set foot in this magical place, depending on the decision I made.
“So soon?” Zephyr’s smooth voice washed over me.
“Seems like it,” I responded and turned to see him right behind me.
“It was a good summer.” His deep-blue eyes locked me in place. “But you will be back for the fall, right? You have to.”
“Or what?” I cocked my hip out and tried to be coy.
He bent down and whispered in my ear. That was his thing, and I would dream about it every night and maybe during the day. “I would have to hunt you down.”
I shivered. “You know, I think you would.”
He chuckled and pulled back. “Give me your phone.”
I did as he asked, mostly because I was too disarmed to tell him no. He texted himself from my phone and then typed a little more. “There. I’m keeping tabs on you since I won’t be around every corner while you’re gone. You don’t mind it, do you? Me being around?”
“Endymion, your car is waiting and it’s holding up the others.” Titania fixed me with a glare. “There’s a line of cars in front of my school, and yours is blocking all the others. Get a move on, young lady. There will be plenty of time to socialize when you get back. Now go on…scoot.”
She practically dragged me away from Zephyr, but on my way out, I turned to wave to him.
I wished I had gotten to say goodbye to Bain, but he was nowhere around.
Walking through the front gates, a sinking feeling pushed into my torso, like my organs had let go of their positions and dropped right into my gut.
I would miss this place…even if I never returned.
Epilogue
Decision-making was harder than I’d anticipated. When I disembarked from the jet, instead of Dexter following me off the plane to drive me home, my parents waited beside our family sedan at the side of the airfield. I dropped my bags and flew—not literally—into their arms. They felt amazing, smelled of home, and I cried a little at the sheer normalcy of being with them.
Dad kissed me on top of my head, gave me a squeeze then went over to the jet to grab my luggage. Dexter did come out then, and they spoke a few minutes while Mom just kept on hugging me.
“I’ve missed you so much, Endy. I want to hear all about the academy. Did you make friends? Did you like the campus? How were your classes? Who were your teachers?” She was asking a flurry of Mom questions, but now, knowing a little about their past, I heard the hunger for information. Some of the teachers might have been her classmates. The campus was her alma mater. The food, the atmosphere. The flying.
“Mom, have you flown at all since you’ve been here?”
She blanched, and I was instantly sorry I’d even asked. “No. It’s part of the agreement.” Then she brightened. “Did you get to fly? I’m sorry I won’t get to watch you. As long as you’re here, of course, you can’t do it, either. You’ll have to keep your wings tucked. But oh, isn’t it wonderful?”
Damn. What had made them give it up? It would be like losing limbs. And I hadn’t even fully gotten them yet, but even I knew that.
“No, not yet. But I think my wings were about to come, my friend kind of saw them. I hoped to practice here.”
