I dodged his first attempt, jumping aside. Making for a second couch pillow, my limbs an uncoordinated mess, I closed my fingers around it and hurled it in Kaden's direction.
Just then, Elliot's bedroom door opened, and his head of blond curls poked through. "What are you—Oh." A devilish grin twisted his lips, and before I knew it, he had joined in.
We fooled around for a long time, throwing cushions at each other, laughing. Our bondmates were playing together, Copper and Hope treating Scylla with care and tenderness.
I aimed my cushion at Andreas, who jumped before the cushion hit him.
It didn’t crash on the door.
Because right when I shot it, it opened. Behind it was Prince Colton with the cushion on his face.
Colton’s POV:
After dealing with troublesome problems, Key and I decided to vent out our frustration through training. Instead of trying what we always did, we did something else. We sparred together.
In the end, we both were covered with soot and cuts. Calling it a day, we decided to head back to the dorm, hoping for some peace and quiet. Key nestled in my hair, sighing happily.
We didn’t get what we wanted, because right after I opened the door, I got hit in the face with a cushion.
Everyone froze. Even the bondmates went perfectly still, barely daring to breathe. My eyes had gone round, mirroring the tense fear and apprehension that my other roommates seemed to be trapped in.
Elliot was the first to speak, barely moving from his current position. "Prince Colton? Are–Are you okay?"
Colton’s POV:
The cushion slowly peeled off of my face and I ripped it off, steam coming out of my hands.
“You guys…” I clenched my fists, eyes cast down. “What exactly are you doing?”
Andreas's POV:
Our carefree laughter had dissipated like morning fog in the summertime. I swallowed, hard, and reached instinctively for Copper, pulling him into my embrace. Beside me, Elliot did the same.
Finally, I dared to speak, my voice quaking. "We were just—We were only playing around a bit–We were going to clean up after–"
Colton’s POV:
Kaden hugged Hope close, fear plastered on his features. I raised the pillow, and though it was extremely childish of me, I threw it at him. It missed Hope and landed on Kaden’s face before I nodded in satisfaction.
“Well, that makes up for it,” I muttered, Key jumping out of my hair in order to fly towards Scylla.
Elliot and I blinked in unison, bewilderment emerging on both of our faces. Scylla, his bondmate, was the first of us to react, spreading her floppy wings and attempting to leap off the couch towards the Prince's creature.
Beside me, my roommate unfroze, a short laugh escaping his lips while I flinched away, unsurprisingly skittish.
Kaden’s POV:
The pillow fell from my face, but I remained frozen, unable to come to my senses.
“Wh…what?” I finally stammered. “Did you just—I don’t—why?”
Prince Colton raised an eyebrow.
“You threw at me,” he shrugged as if it was an obvious answer. “I’d say it’s only fair.”
“It was an accident!” I exclaimed. Princr Colton merely raised an eyebrow.
“So?” Shaking his head, he stepped inside and shut the door. “Continue what you were doing. I’m going to wash up.”
The last bit was aimed at Elliot. I finally noticed the cuts on his person, but I didn’t comment on it. He could take care of himself, right?
Slowly, I unfroze, a dazed sort of smile curving my lips.
"Well…" I said slowly, "That was…. interesting. Did anyone else's life flash before their eyes or was that just me?"
Elle's POV:
I barely heard Andreas. My brow furrowed, mild concern overtaking my expression as my eyes flickered over Colton's body, which was covered in cuts and bruises. He looked…… battered, and it admittedly worried me. I rose to my feet and crossed the room to his door. After a brief pause, I knocked softly, chewing nervously on my bottom lip. What was I doing?
Kaden’s POV:
I breathed a sigh of relief, eyes wide, body trembling.
“I thought we were going to die,” I breathed out. “It would have been so ironic! Death not by the Oath, but by Prince Colton!”
Colton’s POV:
I had just discarded my shirt when a gentle knock on the door interrupted me. I sighed heavily.
“What?” I called out irritably. “Come in.”
Elle's POV:
My heart skipped a beat as I slowly turned the handle and pushed to door open, peering in. Heat rushed to my cheeks the moment I saw Colton, bare-chested and soaked in sweat, but I did my best to collect myself. The moment my attention from her was diverted, Scylla had squeezed past me and into the Prince's room, looking around for Key, but I let her be for the moment.
"I–I just wanted to say that I have some cream. In my room, I mean. For, um, cuts and bruises. If you need any," I blurted, unable to think of another excuse.
Andreas's POV:
I watched Elliot slip into the Prince's bedroom with some curiosity. What was he doing?
But I tore my eyes away as Kaden spoke up, leaning towards him in an attempt to be comforting. "Yeah… I was fully prepared to grab you and run."
Colton’s POV:
I raised an eyebrow at him just as Key jumped up from my hair, enlargement himself a bit to wrap his paws around Scylla.
His behavior was absolutely baffling. Why was he always like this around me? Was he still afraid?
“I’m fine,” I replied, tossing my shirt in my hamper. “Were you worried about me, Elliot?”
Kaden’s POV:
“Dude, you run,” I said instead, not noticing where Elliot had gone off to. “If the Prince ever attacks me, you’d better run like Hell.”
Elle's POV:
Scylla let out a contented trill, snuggling close to Key and his warmth.
Meanwhile, I was struggling not to stare at the Prince's broad chest and sculpted muscles, my hands gripping the doorframe until the knuckles turned white.
"I'm always worried about someone," I answered eventually, trying to sidestep the question.
Andreas's POV:
I shook my head, but went still as Copper fluttered down to nest in my tangle of hair. "Nah, I'd grab you too. After all, he wouldn't—" Suddenly, I stopped dead, a curl of smoke wafting up in front of my nose. I followed it back down to its source, and to my shock and horror, I saw that my hands were glowing orange like burning metal, searing hot to the touch.
Kaden’s POV:
My eyes widened in fear, looking at Andreas’s hands. Before I knew what I was doing, I jumped back.
“Prince Colton!” I called out the name of the first person I knew could help, my voice breaking. “Shit, Andreas, are you okay? Shit.”
Colton’s POV:
I raised an eyebrow at Elliot’s words before shaking my head. I opened my mouth to answer when a yell of my name interrupted me.
Elliot and I ran out of my room and I finally realized why Kaden called for me.
Andreas’s hands were on fire.
That wasn’t supposed to happen this early.
Elle's POV:
The moment that the panicked yell reached my ears, I was sprinting after Colton, my heart pounding. We stumbled into the main room and were met with the sight of a very panicked Andreas and Kaden.
Andreas's POV:
I leapt to my feet, holding my arms as far away from my body as they would go. "K-Kaden?" My voice shook almost as much as my hands.
"What's happening to me?"
Colton’s POV:
I stood next to Andreas, furrowing my eyebrows.
“Stop panicking,” I told him. “Take a deep breath. You’re fine. You won’t get hurt. Try to control your element. It’ll be fine.”
(Andreas just stood up)
Andreas's POV:
I squeezed my eyes shut, taking in a gasping breath. Copper, seemingly unfazed, padded calmly down my and curled up on one of my smouldering fists. "C-Control?"
Suddenly, Copper's voice came to life in my head.
"Are you scared?"
My response was instant.
"Yes."
"You don't need to be. It's your power now, under your control. It's a part of you. Keep your eyes closed, focus on the heat, then try to draw it back into you."
Swallowing, I tried to do as he instructed. I imagined that my heart was a vessel, a box, meant to hold the smoke and fire. Slowly, painfully, I began to suck it back into me, drawing it to the 'box'.
(Oops. Fixed it!
Kaden’s POV:
I sighed in relief when Andreas’s hands turned back to normal, immediately running forward to hug him.
“You scared me, damn it! Don’t ever do that again, you absolute idiot!”
Andreas's POV:
I stumbled backwards, caught off guard by the force of the embrace.
"I didn't–I didn't mean to do it–" I stammered, blinking rapidly. A wave of relief crashed over me, my trembling hands slowing to a stop.
Elliot's POV:
I blew out a sigh of relief when the glow receded from Andreas's hands, each individual wisp of smoke slowly withdrawing back into his body.
"Are you alright?" I asked him gently, not noticing when my voice slipped up a note or two.
I sighed, shaking my head when Andreas seemed to have control over his abilities.
“Are you all right?” My head snapped towards Elliot, whose voice dropped. I furrowed my eyebrows. Why? Why was this boy like this? Was he too worried about Andreas that he messes up his voice?
I sighed again, and after a minute or two, decided it was safe to leave again. Why didn’t my father tell me living with juniors was going to be such a pain?
Andreas's POV:
The Prince sighed and left after he saw that I hadn't gone up in flames, and all of a sudden, my face was red from shame.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," I told Elliot, embarrassment trickling into my voice.
Kaden’s POV:
Hope hopped on top of Andreas and softly nuzzled his face, licking his cheek as if to comfort him.
”You did great,” she cooed, though I was the only one who heard it.
“Hope is right,” I murmured. “You did wonderful.”
Andreas's POV:
I laughed weakly, shaking my head. "Wonderful? Definitely not."
Still curled up in one of my palms, Copper launched into a protest.
[TIME SKIP - Elle's POV, one week later]
The last week had been amazing. The aching loss in my chest had been filled by Scylla, completing me, making me whole. After seventeen years of being alone, I had a bondmate. An actual, real live bondmate, something which had only been a far-off dream up until now. The little creature never left my side, and I never left hers. She went everywhere with me, perching on my shoulder, curling up in my unruly mess of blond hair, napping on my knee while I studied at night. I hadn't realized how alone I'd felt until I wasn't alone anymore.
I had shed the awful weighted shin guards and floated around for a few days, amazed by how light and flowy I felt. Now that the Prince was no longer obligated to train me, lessons had taken up most of my time—many of them. I already knew more than any other student, but despite that, I was constantly learning, always adding information to my mental catalogue. No powers had surfaced yet, but the thought didn't particularly bother me. I knew they would come with time, so I didn't worry about it.
But despite how golden and sunshiny everything seemed… with the removal of my loneliness came another void, and a much more confusing one. And, of all the people, Colton Miller was the cause of it. He was no longer my trainer, which meant that I barely saw him anymore. He wasn't in my year, either, and on some nights, he didn't turn up at the dormitory. But, remembering his reprimands from the night I had gone looking for him, I stayed put in my room.
Now, I sat at one of the long tables in the dining hall, my plate piled high with breakfast foods. Beside me was Andreas, and on the other side of him was Kaden. The three of us had gotten close lately, especially after Colton's repeated absences.
The past week was tough. Scratch that, it was miserable. I would barely catch any sleep at nights, and in the day I was expected to deliver news to the parents of students who passed away.
They always never went pleasantly. Each parent would yell curses, blaming the system for the loss of their child. Some would even wish for the destruction of the creatures.
That was why I refused to bring Key along with me. Why would I, so he could hear the bitterness and the resent people felt for those who bonded, especially if their male didn’t make it back home?
Along with that, I had to balance my daily training hours. I just felt incredibly useless, powerless and weak, which fueled my desires to spend my free time, and even my sleeping hours, to train. I would put Key to sleep and exercise. And on times I would pass out, Key would hold me close, protecting me, keeping me safe.
All those times, I would wonder if Elliot was doing all right. As someone who had a Type A, I knew I should be training him, but he needed to do this alone. Scylla was trained in her own way. Elliot didn’t need me, so I didn’t bother him.
My work with him was done.
I craned my head, scanning the dining room for any sign of Colton…. who was nowhere to be seen. Again. Each time I had caught a glimpse of him over the past week, he'd looked so…. exhausted. Defeated. Frustrated. It broke me a little to see him like that, despite he fact that our somewhat friendly relationship had withered away.
"Who are you looking for again?" Andreas's voice, which was muffled by the sheer amount of chocolate muffin in his mouth, cut through my drifting thoughts. "No one," I said quickly, my cheeks heating up. But my roommate was already looking away, nudging Kaden excitedly and holding his hands over the untoasted bread on his plate. "Watch this."
We did, and his hands began to glow like hot coals. Within a matter of seconds, his bread was steaming and slightly burnt.
I ate slowly, continuing to look for Cole every few minutes, but as expected, he didn't show up. Eventually, I sighed, scratching behind Scylla's ears and reaching for my avocado toast.
"𝐻𝑒𝓎 𝒦𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓃, 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓅𝒶𝓈𝓈 𝓂𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒶𝓋𝑜𝒸𝒶𝒹𝑜 𝓉𝑜𝒶𝓈𝓉?~" The words flowed from my mouth as if blown through me by the wind, and I didn't notice that I had sung them until I saw the horrified look on Kaden's face. My skin had begun to tingle, and when I stared down at Scylla in shock, two circles of light appeared on her body—my eyes were glowing gold like lamplights.
Kaden’s POV:
I froze, my eyes widening as my hands moved on their own, passing salt to Elliot.
My body had entirely frozen, my mind as if someone had a hold of it, an invisible hand pulling the strings. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead, intense fear gripping my heart.
When Elliot finally broke out of it, I gasped for air, resting my head on the table, eyes wide to the point where it felt like they would pop out of their sockets.
Finally, I looked at Elliot, panting heavily.
“What did you do?”
Colton’s POV:
”What?” I hissed, slamming my fist on the table, causing the wood to crack. “So What exactly is it that you want me to do?”
The King looked nonchalant about what he’d told me, what he wanted me to do.
“You aren’t allowed to tell this to anyone,” he said calmly. “If there’s any more case like this, I’ll send you in.”
"Shit…" I breathed, the colour draining from my face. "I—I'm so sorry—I don't know what happened—" By now, the whole table was staring at us. I pushed my trembling hands into my hair, trying and failing to stay on top of the tsunami of panic that was rearing over me.
Scylla's eyes continued to glow, her pupils shrinking to tiny dots. Fear still had me wrapped in its icy fist, but I managed to speak again, reaching out towards Kaden, who was currently being embraced fiercely by Andreas. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you??"
Kaden’s POV:
I relaxed in Andreas’s grip, fear finally untangling itself from my heart. Being in his hold felt incredibly comforting.
“I’m fine,” I panted. “Just a little—just a little shaken up. I’m fine. You’re okay. You didn’t mean it. Don’t do that again to me. For the love of God, don’t do that again.”
Scylla finally unfroze, staring up at me with huge eyes.
"Elle—Your first sign of power."
I felt like the breath was being crushed from my lungs. "I–I didn't even know that I could do that—" Pressing a hand to my mouth in case any more song slipped out, I lowered my eyes to the ground and stood. "I–I'm just going to go–To our room—"
So I don't hurt anyone.
