Leo sported the same color slacks—the only uniform requirement working for the Guild—and chose a white dress shirt and blue tie that matched the brilliance in his eyes. He’d cut his hair short, which was the only way to tame those wild curls. I missed them, missed running my fingers through them.
To honor Lulu and her eccentricity, Clay had turned to the wild side with his wardrobe. Every day was something different, something fun and crazy. Yesterday was a blazer that literally caught fire on command. It was very cool—until he unfortunately set the new curtains on fire in the main office. Today, he had on a blazer of house colors, four colors for four houses. At least this one wouldn’t get him in trouble with the new headmaster.
Dean Xye.
The pixie leader graciously accepted the post and had been instrumental in building the student body to the biggest in the history of the academy. All were welcome, even Nelems learning how to perform magic in the form of alchemy.
My earth elemental fidgeted in his black robes, pulling at the neck and working his shoulders. He hated the professor robes, but since he was a professor at the academy, he had to wear them now that he taught alchemy and shop. Although he made the robes look good, I preferred what he looked like without them on.
I snorted. That didn’t come out right.
“What’s got you all smiles?” he asked as he took my hand and kissed my cheek. His hazel eyes danced when he smiled, showing off that adorable dimple.
I swept my gaze across my four guys, each one of them heating me up in different ways. Rob and his dominance. Clay and his playful nature. Leo and him being so easy going. Bryan and his ability to curl my toes with nothing more than a smile. “One guess.”
“I love this suit on you.” Rob reached for me, pulling me into his arms.
I hated the Cat Woman suit, and it was completely unnecessary, but it was tradition at tribunal, and I wanted to keep it. “I was just about to pop over for a visit. Would you guys care to join me?”
We huddled in and teleported out together, landing at the sight of where the ruins used to stand. We decided not to rebuild the tower since the founder of the academy no longer resided inside it. A tinge of regret tightened my midsection. I missed Cressida Clearwater every day.
In place of the tower, we’d created a memorial to all those who’d lost their lives in the battle to end all battles.
Trevor Carson, gone too soon, undeserving of any of the torture he’d had to endure in his short life. Tiny Tabitha, the little witch who’d created Sentry’s logo and had helped me sketch out the messages in the webcomic, even younger than Trevor. Lulu, who’d died protecting MEs the Council members had cornered and were about to kill. Merle, who I hadn’t realized joined the battle, lost his life to a dark sorcerer, but not before he’d taken out several leechers. The Barbie twins, Jessica and Julie Bailey, had both died trying to flee the battle, only to be attacked from behind by the one man they’d pledged to follow. So many other elementals, each one forever in my heart.
Serenity, whose coven had given a proper burial, elevating her on a bed of Palo Santo logs and setting it on fire. It’d been a beautiful ceremony, the color of the flames magnificent. I’d held her crystal in my hand the entire time and recalled how it strengthened as the flames had died down. She’d be with me. Always.
No names of those who’d fought to destroy our world would ever be on this memorial. Spencer’s name didn’t make the cut for obvious reasons. He’d surrendered after I killed Alec and didn’t fare well with his colony. He’d promised them prosperity, endless supplies of food and powers to leech. When he’d failed to come through, they’d leeched his powers until it’d drained him of life. They’d then turned on each other and annihilated their own kind.
Renee had died taking on three dark elementals who’d attacked her coven. The witches never would say what they’d done with their bodies. I didn’t want to know and never pushed the issue.
I ran my fingers across all the names. So much loss. While I mourned them all, none of their deaths gutted me like losing Stacey Layden. I stopped at her name, tracing it. Aside from the guys, she’d been my best friend. My confidante. My mentor. She’d saved us. All of us. I hated losing her the way we did.
“She’s here.” Clay’s announcement turned me around.
“Hello, Katy.” Stace’s warm smile greeted me. She’d manifested for us. Her long dark hair flowed down her back. She had on a loose green dress and robe that practically swallowed her dainty frame.
I ran into her arms and held her tight, missing her so much, it hurt to breathe. “I was hoping you’d be here.”
“I’m always here. Whether I’m in this form or not, I’ll never leave the academy. It’s my job now to protect it.”
I’d first sensed her shortly after we started the reconstruction process. Just as with Cressida, Stace’s presence had been strongest at the ruins, which was why we’d chosen this spot for her statue at the top of the memorial, a beautiful bronze representation of the petite professor in her robes, her hair pulled back in a smooth bun, the way most of us remember her. The statue stared off over the cliff to the
