Tangled

224 Ava The Fae Ward (V

224 Ava: The Fae Ward (VI)

"Magister Orion." A little concerned at how the strange man who claims to be my teacher will respond to my next words, I brace myself once more for the flood of emo..ons that might roll off him. *I understand your wish for me to stay here and learn from you, but it is impossible for me to stay here for as long as you wish. And with my wolf unable to tolerate your wards, it makes it even more impractical."

Wiw be fwine.

"No, it won't be."-

Magister Orion's brow furrows as he scrutinizes Selene, his gaze sharp and assessing. The air thickens with tension.

Finally, he turns to me, his expression unreadable.

"If you cannot remain here in the Fae Ward, Ava Grey, then it is my duty as your mentor to go where you go."

Layla and Tinker erupt into a chorus of protests, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of disbelief.

"Magister Orion, you can't be serious!" Layla exclaims, her eyes wide with shock. "Leaving the Fae Ward? Impossible. Your request would be rejected on the spot!"

Tinker nods vigorously, her mechanical wings fluttering in

agitation. "She's right, Magister. The Fae Ward is your domain. To leave its sanctuary is little better than," and her voice lowers to a whisper, "suicide!"

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224 Ava: The Fae Ward (VI)

But Magister Orion is unmoved by their objections. He rises to his full, imposing height, his voice booming like thunder. "Enough! This goes beyond convention. I will not leave my chance at a student behind." Watching the argument unfold, my stomach twists with unease. The idea of Magister Orion accompanying me back to the pack

lands fills me with dread.

He's already proven animosity toward the wolves. If an incident were to occur, would we be able to handle the consequences?

Vanessa and Marcus exchange worried glances, their postures tense and alert. I can feel their apprehension radiating off them in waves, mingling with my own growing anxiety.

Taking a deep breath, I turn to Magister Orion, my voice carefully measured. "Magister Orion, forgive me for asking, but how can you handle being on pack lands when you hold such disdain for

wolves?"

His eyes flash with an emotion I can't quite decipher-anger? Resentment? Something else entirely? "My personal feelings are irrelevant," he says, his tone clipped. "What matters is the greater purpose. If teaching you requires me to endure the presence of wolves, then so be it."

I nod slowly, trying to process his words. Having to use the word endure when thinking about spending time with a pack doesn't sound like a great idea.

"Can I simply travel to see you from time to time? Once a week?" The horror on his face has me scrambling. "Twice?"

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224 Ava: The Fae Ward (VI)

Selene shifts restlessly at my feet, her discomfort palpable as she

sneezes once more.

"Three times?"

"Magic isn't something so easily taught, child. It's a daily exercise." He rubs between his eyebrows with a sigh. "If only the Crone's teachings weren't lost to us." "Crone's?" This is a new word, but something deep within me stirs,

as if trying to warn me of the importance of it.

"A human affectation of the blessing of the gods. The witches of old." His voice resonates through the room, taking on the cadence of a professor in a lecture hall. "They carried great weight on the shoulders of three priestesses who stood with the Goddess of Life, who gifted her believers with magic."

Magister Orion's words settle in the air, heavy with the weight of lost knowledge.

The Goddess of Life is someone I've never heard of; as wolves, we

are raised with the Moon Goddess. And for humans, it's usually God. Some few in the area even speak of Allah, but my father forbade me from learning more about the religion.

"The Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone were the names given to each priestess," Magister Orion continues, a hint of amusement creeping into his tone, "though none of them were mothers, and none of them were old enough to be a crone."

Tinker sighs. "Magister, you're too boring. Let me explain it to her."

She turns to me, her lilac eyes sparkling. "You see, Ava, the Crone was the one to record the teachings and knowledge of the witches

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994 as thetsVard (V)

in this ancient book passed down through the ages to their human successors. But the Crone disappeared from the earthly realm when all the gods did, which is considered the beginning of the downfall of magic" The doom resonating in her last few words has me shuddering,

It sounds ominous, which is absolutely what she's going for.

Tinker leans in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Some say the Crone's book is still out there, hidden away, waiting for the right person to find it. Others believe it was destroyed, lost forever. And then there are those who think-'

"Tinker!" Magister Orion's voice cracks like a whip, cutting off her rambling, "Go do something helpful, would you?"

The little woman pouts. "But Magister, your lecture are so dry! Nobody wants to listen to them"

"I actually found it quite interesting-"

"Hush, you miserable little sprite. Some of us enjoy the pursuit of knowledge." Waving her off with one massive hand, he ignores her scowl as she scurries away, her wings whirring. "Pay no mind to the vapid gnome, Ava Grey. Her conspiracies are nothing more than idle chatter through the ages."

But his words barely register. My mind is racing, pieces of a puzzle clicking into place. The book Mrs. Elkins gave me, the strange symbols that vanished, the power thrumming beneath my skin...

It's all very, very magical. It was passed down for a long time. It holds secrets. And it makes Selene sneeze, much like these wards that have her sneezing even now, rubbing her nose with her paws

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224 Ava: The Fae Ward (VI)

in a desperate attempt at gaining even a little bit of relief.

Can it be?

It has to be.

There's no other way, right?

"Magister Orion," I say slowly, my heart pounding, "I've come into possession of a magical book. It's written in odd symbols that disappear, even when I try to copy them."

He leans forward with such velocity that his chair nearly tips over 'with his weight. Marcus steps between us once again, and I shove the overprotective wolf to the side as Magister Orions eyes bore into mine. "A book with vanishing symbols? Do they look something

like this?"

With a flourish of his index finger, Magister Orion traces symbols in the air. Thin, blazing lines of fire follow his movements, hanging suspended for a moment before fading away. I squint, trying to make sense of the strange script. It takes me a moment to realize they're written backward, like a mirror image.

Excitement stirs.

"Yes. They look similar, though I can't read them."

Magister Orion's face splits into a wide, beaming grin. His eyes sparkle, and I can feel the enthusiasm radiating off him in waves. It's almost contagious, and I find myself smiling back-

Ava. Selene's voice whispers in my mind, cutting through my thoughts like a knife. If Magister Orion didn't know you had the book, how was there a message in there telling you to come here?