Magister Orion clasps his hands in front of him and beams in my direction. "And now, we have you, Ava Grey. The first wizard in a very long time."


    Feeling the intensity of his gaze, I shift my weight, settling a little deeper into my chair as though that will somehow shield me from his excitement. "I don''t want you to see me as something special. I''m just me."


    "You can''t get away from being special, Ava Grey." He sighs. "It''s unfortunate, but you''ll never be able to escape that. Even without your magic, you''re mated to an alpha, correct?"


    I nod.


    "Then you were already special to begin with." He spreads his hands with a little shrug. "Your magic is like confetti on a cake."


    Confetti?


    Oh. He must mean sprinkles.


    "Sprinkles are disgusting," I point out.


    They are not. I like them. Selene''s little whisper in my mind has my nose wrinkling.


    Sprinkles are just crunchy wax covering delicious icing. They have no business being within a mile of a decent cake.


    "Yes, well, there are those who love their sprinkles." Magister Orion claps his hands. "So. Fire was your first element. I''m a little surprised. I thought it would be water."


    Tilting my head, I ask, "Does it matter?"


    "Matter? No. It''s a simple bit of curiosity. A personal theory, I suppose. Have you had any success with other elements?"


    "Water," Vanessa offers.


    "Oh?" That sparkling look in his eyes is back. "You touched water?"


    Shaking my head, I admit, "Not exactly. Nothing happened, but I could feel something inside. Something that felt refreshing and cool, when I finally stopped trying to force it."


    "Interesting," Magister Orion murmurs. "And were you having memories again, when you felt it?"


    "Not like with fire." Squinting, I think back. "I did think about water and its properties, but it felt like something was missing. Like it wasn''t enough. Then Selene told me to stop trying to force it, and I tried to relax. Once I finally did, it came to me. It doesn''t really feel like I''m in control of it, but that it''s coming up to me on its own."


    I spin in a slow circle, taking it all in. The level of magic surrounding us is staggering. It makes the hair on my arms stand up, sends a tingle down my spine.


    "In this room, you should be safe to practice your magic," Magister Orion says.


    Marcus, ever vigilant, latches onto one word. "Should?"


    Magister Orion nods, his expression grave. "It is possible to break through the wards of this place, given enough raw magic. But it would take an immense amount of power."


    I''m still reeling from the room''s transformation when Magister Orion drops another bombshell.


    "Time flows differently here," he says. "An hour here can be a minute in the Fae Ward, or ten. It changes, and even I can''t always predict it."


    My mind struggles to wrap around this concept. How is that possible? And then, suddenly, I''m aware of something else. An absence. A blankness in my head where Selene''s presence should be. This is worse than when we''re separated by distance.


    I can''t feel her in my head then, but this emptiness is different somehow. Deeper. More profound.


    Panic rises in my chest, sharp and suffocating. I reach out mentally, searching for that familiar connection. Nothing. It''s like shouting into a void.


    "Selene''s gone," I whisper, my voice trembling.


    Magister Orion''s face falls as he sees my expression. "I apologize," he says quickly. "I should have thought of that before bringing you in here. This place is not within the same plane as the Fae Ward. It interrupts your link with your wolf, since we didn''t bring her with us."


    The panic doesn''t subside. If anything, it intensifies.


    "I need to go back," I say, my words coming out in a rush. "I need to be able to reach her. She doesn''t know what''s going on."


    Magister Orion holds up his hands in a placating gesture. "Of course. We can leave immediately if you wish. But please, consider staying for a moment. This room offers unparalleled protection and privacy for your training. It could be invaluable."


    I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. He''s right, I know he''s right, but the absence of Selene feels like a physical ache. Oddly, my mate bond is quiet in my chest. Not painful like the loss of Selene, like it still exists.


    How can that be?


    "How long will I be in here?" I ask, my voice still shaky.


    "That''s up to you," Magister Orion says. "We can start with short sessions if you prefer. An hour here might only be a few minutes outside."