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Riggs bobs his head, excitement dancing across his face. "Quite right! Accounts of Rafe Harland's many victories in the Great War are well documented. His Transcendent state is fire breathing."
I sit up straight, smacking my knee underneath the desk. "Like a dragon!?"
He matches my tone, "Yes! Just like a dragon!"
"And their mother?"
"Soraya Delaney is unquestionably the most dangerous of the three. She was denied the chance to fight in the Great War because she was pregnant with Nyx at the time, but if she had been able to go, I think she would have turned the tide of the war and aided the kingdoms to a swift victory."
"What do you mean?"
"She is an Incinerator," he says reverently. "Her Transcendent state is called Hellfire, meaning she can rain down balls of flame from the heavens, turning a fleet of ships into ash, or leveling an entire city, if she felt so compelled. "
If I wasn't nervous about her before, I'm terrified of her now. "The most dangerous of the three, you said?"
"Without question."
As the bell chimes, signaling the end of our session together, I gather my bookbag, the one Nyx normally carries for me, and make my way toward the door. The second my fingers graze the brass doorknob, I whip around, capturing Riggs' attention.
"Is there something wrong, Princess?"
I meet his concerned hazel eyes and open my mouth once, twice, thrice before I muster the courage to say, "I looked for information about Tethering at Calmara a few days ago."
"And?" By the look on his face, he already knows the answer.
"There was only one book that retold the story of Oryn and Naya. Nothing else."
He nods, politely. "Can I be perfectly candid with you?"
"Of course," I square my shoulders to his and listen.
"Tethering is still uncharted territory," he slips his reading glasses off and sets them on his desk. "I wish we had more information about the phenomena to study and subsequently teach, but the truth is, Oryn and Naya are the only ones we are aware of ever Tethering. By my estimation, Tethering is only possible for the Light and Shadow affinities."
"And why do you think that?" I question. "Is it just because that's what Oryn and Naya's affinities were?"
"It's the ultimate balance. You cannot have light without the darkness and vice versa. They are two pieces to one puzzle."
"So," I take a hesitant step forward and lower my voice, "by your estimation, you don't think Tethering is possible for a water wielder and fire wielder, for example?"
Slowly, he shakes his head. "No, I don't. There are plenty of other scholars who would disagree with me, but the elements work in harmony with one another. All four – air, fire, water and earth – are the cornerstones of our world. But at the heart and soul, the core of the four elements, light and darkness have a home." He rolls out from behind his desk and meets me by the door. "I am of the opinion that the reason Light and Shadow magic is so rare in the mortal realm is because they only appear when the balance has shifted, and it needs to be restored. The Great Balance, if you will."
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
"You and Professor Harland are a few years apart, correct?"
"I believe so," I quirk an eyebrow, wondering where this is going.
"You were born one after the other because the magic – your magic – was needed. Oryn and Naya were also born a couple of years apart, she being the older of the two."
I mull over that morsel of information, but I'm honestly not sure what else to say. If Atlas and I are here because we're supposed to bring balance to our realm then that might mean everything the Tronovians believe about Bastian is true. I have no idea how long we have to stop him from finding and repairing the broken portal to the Underworld, but I have a feeling it won't be as much time as I need. The nightmares of Bastian and Vesper getting their hands on Atlas and torturing him flash in my mind and a small cry escapes my lips.
"Does that happen often?" Professor Riggs' voice rings out, tearing me from the gruesome images.
"What?"
"Your hands." He points. "I heard rumor that it happens, but it's intriguing to see for myself."
For a split second, I wish Nyx were here with me, to gruffly tell the professor we were leaving and usher me to safety because I'm uncomfortable. However, Professor Riggs went out on a limb and offered me his trust in revealing all he knows about fire wielders and their power, so I'll reciprocate and answer his questions. "It's been happening more frequently."
