Page 200 of Axis of Fire

“If I were you, I’d agree,” Aars advised. “Lower his guard.”

“Fine. I’ll train with Tarven and Stasia,” I said, praying I sounded convincing.

Airis frowned immediately.

“What made you change your mind so suddenly?”

Damn it.

Now he was suspicious.

Had I agreed too quickly?

“And what exactly is your problem with that?” I shot back, crossing my arms over my chest and narrowing my eyes.

Strike first.

“You wanted me to agree. So what’s the problem now?”

“It’s just...” Airis began.

A loud knock at the door interrupted him before he could finish.

With a casual flick of his hand, the door swung open, and Anastasia stepped inside.

Without her uniform and with her hair falling freely around her shoulders, she looked completely different.

Now she looked like the kind of breathtaking blonde half the university would fall hopelessly in love with.

“Saying your goodbyes already?” she asked with a smile, her gaze wandering around Airis’s room before finally settling on me.

“I came for Ria.”

“I don’t trust her,” Aars huffed. “She’s trying to ruin my plan.”

“What?” I ignored the spirits completely, trying to figure out how exactly I was supposed to escape Anastasia’s supervision now.

“Why?”

“Tarven came up with a training exercise to synchronize our abilities,” Stasia explained.

My brows shot up immediately, and my gaze darted toward Airis.

His expression had grown even more suspicious.

“That doesn’t sound like Tarven at all,” Airis said flatly. “Especially considering Ria is still learning to control her magic.”

“You’re right,” Stasia said thoughtfully, tapping her chin with one finger as though she were genuinely considering it.

“That really doesn’t sound like Tarven.”

Then her warm smile returned.

“But it does sound like me.”

She tilted her head ever so slightly.

“And we both know Tarven.”