A new year at Nine Petal Academy means a new crop of students, including a boy who can't control his magic, a thief, an angel, and even a suit of armor? Adela, Lei, and their friends are tasked with welcoming the new class of first years and helping...
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I stepped forward and reached for Ayawamat's shirt collar but stopped myself.
"What do you mean Iah was suspended? If it's a joke, then you have to work on your comedy routine," I said, my voice dripping with venom.
Ayawamat scoffed and turned away his attention back to his boxes. "I'm not kidding. Ask Director Shin'en. He will tell you the same thing. Including why."
I turned around and stormed out of the room and the dorm.
"Lei! Where are you going?" Hikaru yelled, running after me.
"To ask the Director for some clarification," I said as I ran on ahead and leaped into the air. The winds covered me, pushing me higher. "I leave the boys to you!"
Hikaru sighed and nodded. "I was hoping to get some sleep, but fine. I'm curious to know why Iah was suspended too."
"I'll be back as soon as I can," I said, waving as I flew away.
My eyes shifted toward the school. Why did Shin'en suspend Iah?
It didn't take me long to descend in front of the main school building.
"Lei?" Nyima asked as she pushed Sarah down a ramp on the side of the stairs. "Why are you here and what's with that expression? Everything fine?"
"Ayawamat told me that Iah was suspended. I-is that true?"
She averted her gaze.
Sarah looked side to side before finally nodding.
"Thanks for responding," I said, running up the stairs.
"Hey, where are you going?" Nyima snapped.
"To talk to Shin'en. Ayawamat said he can give me answers to the suspension of Iah."
"No need to do that, I can answer them," Eien said as he walked out of the building. He had his hands in his pockets as Zafi and a boy identical to the kid followed him.
I leered at the prince. "Well? Get talking."
Eien scratched his head and sighed. "It's against the school rules to not be here on the first day of the new year."
"That's it? But he knows the situation, no?"
Eien scoffed as he walked past me. "Father can't bend the rules for one person. Doing so would be unfair to the rest of the student body."
I clenched my teeth. He had a point, but I didn't like it.
"Iah knew about it," Nyima said, taking a deep breath. "Despite that, he made his choice. It's no use getting mad over it when he didn't care enough about it himself."
I turned around and jumped back into the air.
Nyima was right, Iah didn't care enough about the things he was giving up nor the people he was leaving behind to stay. Still, thinking about it made me feel a pit open up in my chest.
