Neph leaned into me on the other side. She felt amused again. And relieved. So relieved. I squeezed her hand. Will was windswept and elated on her other side. Guard Rock, hidden from prying eyes, prodded me from inside my cloak. I'd recovered him from the vent I'd stashed him within before going to meet Stavros.
I looked back to the podium. To where Julian Dare's gaze was plotting, even as he said all the right things. The vacuum left by Stavros wouldn't go unfilled for even a day. But it was enough that people would be more wary, would watch all those jockeying for position—might see them with eyes that were predisposed to find ulterior motives.
Julian would not be exempt from scrutiny. Even from us. Maybe especially from us.
Being for the “good” was all well and great, but power is might still rang true. And we'd be watching.
Make new friends, stand up for yourself, be the best Ren you could be. Christian would be pleased.
I touched the bracelet around my wrist. I love you, always. Thank you.
Chapter Thirty-four: Home
My real parents were back home, wards reengaged—and strengthened. Safe and sound after their adventure in the safehouse Marsgrove had tucked them into. They had asked if I wanted to stay. Stay home with them.
Home.
I looked at all the threads flowing in and out of me. The red ones of my family were as strong as ever. And even with the wish for Christian to be intertwined there, we were healing, each day. All of us.
I had promised I'd be back for the weekend. Maybe with some additions who could use a good home visit too.
Home. I looked up. I had more than one home.
“Give me your finger,” Marsgrove said.
I held it out, the butterflies in my stomach fluttering in anticipation, and looked up.
The atrium was wide and open, and a long ramp spiraled upward along the rectangular edges of the walls. Doorways dotted the sides of the wall to my right.
Hanging in the middle of the atrium was a giant compass surrounded by five concentric silver rings, each rotating in various directions around the ones inside it. The edges of the rings were rippling in an asynchronous, nonuniform pattern as well. The inmost ring lay mostly flat, with just a bit of a slow ripple. The outermost one was wildly changing, even in its thickness.
A smile spread my lips at the thoughts. The past. The present. My future.
On the floor, directly beneath the enchanted gyroscope, was a large stone with Rosetta-styled carved markings. The view through the windows showed the building edged a large circular grassy space. Thousands of students stood on the grass. Endless sky appeared through spaces between the buildings across the grass circle.
“Well, go on Crown, hug the Shinar Stone, we haven't all day. I need to write over a dozen acceptance letters for your new feral friends.”
I looked up at Marsgrove and couldn't contain my smile. “Yeah, okay.”
I wrapped my arms around the stone, bloody finger pressing into its surface, and closed my eyes. The campus magic immediately wrapped around me, like it was welcoming back a lost beloved child. A silver and gold tear escaped, dropping onto the stone, and as I let go, the writing on the stone grew brighter, shimmering, and a nearly invisible layer of something pulled away with my movement, then snapped from the rock and settled on me.
There was a rumbling, then a golden light whooshed and sprung into place.
Marsgrove sighed. I grinned.
“Go on then.” He motioned tiredly, though he couldn't hide a small smile. “I need a drink.”
Not being able to stand it any longer, I ran to the glass door and threw it open. Top Circle spread out before me, overflowing with mages.
I couldn't see the Magiaduct, but I knew what I'd see when I walked there—a golden net spreading across the entire complex. The Bandits, the Combat Squad, the Justice Squad, Bess, Sari, Isaiah, and all those who had ties to me—even Bellacia and Peters, individually—had volunteered to be linked in through ties that bridged the entire superstructure.
On the steps in front of the Administration Building, Constantine was leaning back against the nearest column, brow raised, the end of a purple and blue tail sticking out of his pocket. Axer was leaning on the column at his side. The combat mages were in a combined group behind him.
Olivia was standing a step away with her hands on her hips—telling me in no uncertain terms that I was taking too long. Neph was standing calmly next to her, Guard Friend waiting patiently on her foot. Guard Rock jumped from my pocket and sprinted over, pencil waving in the air with all the news he had to tell as he ran into an eager embrace. I could feel Neph's anticipation to sweep me up the moment I stepped past the threshold. Will bounced on his feet next to her, Justice Toad in his hands.
Delia, Mike, Patrick, Asafa, Dagfinn, Loudon, Kita, Lifen, Adrabi, Sari, Bess, Peters, Isaiah, and all the others stood arrayed around them. Bellacia smirked on the other side of the steps, recording it all.
The professors—Stevens, Mbozi, Greyskull, Harrow, Wellingham, and all the rest—stood to the right.
I looked behind all of them and saw the faces of the student body—most anticipatory, most open and welcome. Welcoming a student back—one they wanted on campus.
I looked up to the dragon-filled sky. Ori, patched and free, winged through the air currents. Magical creatures surrounded him, along with five other flying tomes and the dragons and phoenixes I'd made for Axer.
I put my hand on the side of the doorframe. Magic lit and spread down the steps, along the grass, shooting tendrils out in every direction. The mountain lit up from the inside, hastening the spread.
Shouts combined with cheers, and I could feel the community magic accepting this new golden rush, could feel it seeping into me beneath the relit administration magic. I looked at the threads of color and love connecting us.
Constantine winked at me and surreptitiously twirled some bit of golden residue that would undoubtedly be used questionably at some point in the future. Axer sighed. Olivia glared.
I grinned and stepped outside.
Notes
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