– Jasper –
We were still lounging by the food truck, the smell of fried spices hanging heavy under the late morning sun. Alexia had wandered off, shoulders tense, and Finn kept shooting glances down the path, jaw working like he was trying not to run after her.
"Think she's mad at us?" Soren asked, biting into his taco, deadpan.
"Or just you," I smirked at Finn.
He shrugged, not denying it.
"She's not mad," Finn said. "She's just... complicated."
Soren lifted a brow. "That's one word for it."
Asher dropped onto the bench, scowl already in place. He didn't speak, just crossed his arms, letting the silence say everything.
Finn didn't let it last. "She's my mate. I know it. It's like everything clicked the moment she showed up."
Asher snorted. "You're too eager to claim her, like a lovesick pup."
"I'm not wrong," Finn shot back. "You're just bitter."
"I'm cautious," Asher said, voice low. "This isn't a fairytale."
Finn leaned forward, eyes blazing. "Neither is this. She's not just anyone, and we all feel it."
Soren raised his brows, but his gaze flicked over my shoulder. "Incoming."
We turned as three students approached—laughing, too loud, too casual.
The girl with the sharp bob smiled, bright and false. "Beautiful day, isn't it? Thought we'd come say hello."
The tall boy leaned against the wall, grin thin. "We've been hearing things... about your new friend."
The girl with braids tucked them behind her ear, eyes glinting. "Just making sure she's settling in. You know how it is."
Soren's eyes were ice. "Friendly visits usually come with a price."
"Lighten up," the bob-haired girl laughed, bitterness under the sweetness. "We're just curious."
Finn's stance shifted, his tone flat. "She's not a topic. She's ours."
The boy's smile sharpened. "Ours, huh? New girl, new rules."
Asher's arms tightened. "Don't mistake patience for weakness."
The braided girl's smile never faltered. "We're all trying to find our place. Wouldn't want anyone stepping out of line."
The bob-haired girl stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Tell her to remember who holds power here. The Royals may be impressive, but power comes in many forms."
Finn's jaw ticked. "She knows exactly where she stands."
The tall boy shrugged. "We'll see."
They turned, laughter trailing behind them like smoke.
Finn's eyes didn't leave the path Alexia had taken. "I'm going after her."
Soren met Asher's gaze, then mine. "We're coming."
Asher stood, rolling his shoulders, storm brewing under his calm. We fell in behind Finn as he strode toward the garden entrance, ancient arches wrapped in vines shimmering faintly under the midday sun. The air thickened, smelling of wet stone and wildflowers, a hum of old magic vibrating under our feet.
Finn reached out, confident—then jerked his hand back like he'd touched flame. "It's not letting me in."
Soren stepped forward, shadows curling around him, but the barrier pressed him back. "This isn't just a ward. It's alive."
Asher's eyes flicked around, fists clenched. "Morigan's garden. Her magic."
I crouched, reaching for a vine, coaxing softly. The leaves shimmered, but the barrier held, patient and unyielding.
Then the leaves rustled.
Alexia stepped through the archway, the garden parting around her, light catching in her hair. Flowers leaned toward her like they recognized her. Zeus padded at her side, watchful.
"It won't let you in," she called. "This is Headmistress Shade's garden. It let me in."
Finn's voice was rough. "Why only you?"
Alexia glanced at the vines, confusion crossing her face. "It feels like it knows me."
Soren's eyes flicked to the ward. "Morigan's magic is discerning. The garden is a ward keyed to her. And now... you."
Asher's growl rumbled. "That's a problem."
Finn's eyes burned. "We're not leaving without her."
Inside the garden, Alexia turned as Morigan Shade stepped out from the shadows, robes whispering over the grass, gray eyes sharp.
"You found your way here," Shade said.
"I didn't mean to trespass," Alexia said, voice low. "It just... opened."
Shade's gaze softened, a breath of warmth breaking through her steel. "The garden opens for those it chooses."
Alexia swallowed. "Why me?"
Shade glanced at the vines curling around the bench. "Because Whisperwind did not call you by mistake."
She turned, pausing at the gate. "And because someone is watching, hoping you fail."
For a moment, something like regret flickered in her eyes before she stepped back into the shadows, the garden sealing shut behind her. Alexia stood there, Zeus pressing against her leg, while the vines shifted quietly around them, alive with old magic and promises she didn't yet understand.