The Devoted: A Reverse Harem Omnibus (The Devoted Season Book 1)(4)

The telltale hiss of a rune powering down whispers through his office. I go still against the wall as the floor moans, his footsteps coming closer and closer. My spine goes ramrod straight as he pokes his head out of his office door.

Don’t see me. Don’t see me.

He slams the door shut and the walls shake.

Thank the gods. I slump onto the floor and soften the noise with my hands. From the office, a long-suffering sigh rasps across the room.

My chin meets my chest. It’s like all of his worries drift from his breath and flows right into me, making my teeth chatter. Making that soul-crushing feeling come back all over again. Your magic is dangerous. You’ll never be accepted into an academy. You’ll never get certified. You’ll never be anything.

I bite my lower lip.

Firedrake accepted me.

Maybe if I told him that he’d at least try to smile. He’d have a little more hope for me.

At least, until Firedrake sends me packing.

I stand and rap my knuckles against the door.

“Lilac,” he murmurs, “I know you’re out there. Come in,”

I push open the door, swallowing at the growing stone in my throat, “I got an acceptance letter from Firedrake,”

Dad’s slumped in his ratty leather chair. His bare feet are propped on the face of his wide mahogany desk, “I know.”

The room usually smells like mothballs and old cologne, but tonight it smells like sandalwood. A stick of incense sits on top of his desk, white smoke wafting from its skinny stick.

I stand before his desk, “What was that about?”

Dad shakes his head and avoids my gaze, preferring to stare out the window near his chair instead, “Nothings the matter, Lila. A better question would be, why were you eavesdropping?”

“Because I...” I sniff, “you don’t normally burn incense in your office,” I cross my arms and stare at my feet, “I thought something was on fire.” And I hate fire.

There’s no point in lying to Da, but the effort makes him chuckle.

Or, maybe it’s the strong scent of sandalwood.

“What was that about me and my...certification?”

“What was that about you and Firedrake Academy?”

I flinch. Pretty much walked right into that one. “I got an acceptance letter,” I grumble, “And I think you’re right. I should go.”

“No, no, no. You’re basing that on the conversation you so rudely listened to. I don’t need you to do anything, Lila. I’ve got everything under control,”

“They’re breathing down your neck for money. And if I don’t do something...”

Da stops me with a hand, “I’m not making you do anything—”

“Then, let me help!” I slap my hands on his desk, “Please. I know it’s my fault you lost your job, Da, you don’t have to pretend. I know what this town thinks of me, so let me prove them wrong,”

“Lila...” he growls.

“Just hours ago, you were telling me to move on. Well, I don’t want to! I want to help you.” I drop my chin to my chest, nostrils flaring, “I owe you.”

Dad sighs too. His feet slide off the desk and he comes around to wrap me in a hug.

There’s so much this man has done for me. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be free. I would be in a magedust mine somewhere working for the lives I took.

But Da stuck his neck out for me. Protected me when I’m not even his blood kin.

“No,” he separates us, “You don’t owe me anything, Lila.” But I see it in his eyes. He’s worried. Worried about his wandshop. About his livelihood and home.

I press my lips together and nod. His expression makes me tear up. Makes me want to break down and cry into his hug, but I don’t. It’s about time I stood up for him now. Helped him as much as he has helped me in the past.

I think it’s about time I grew up.

Da ushers me out and escorts me back to my room. Mr. Kitty prowls out and Da coos to him, ruffling his soft orange fur. With one final hug, we bid each other goodnight and go our separate ways.

When the morning comes, I hope he’ll understand why I did it.





Firedrake Academy





My hip bones are jolted with each stone the carriage rolls over. In my hand is Firedrake’s acceptance letter and the little map that slid out of the envelope after it.

“Miss Heart,”

With his pockmark riddled hands choking the horse’s reigns, the carriage driver motions with his chin where I should look.

I crinkle the paper to my chest.

Tulsdale was home to ancient buildings built well before the Great Dark and the war that followed. Pastel plaster crumbled. Stucco roofing glittered in the sunrise and sunset. Flagstone streets denoted the town as old, but not decrepit. Where Tulsdale is ancient, Firedrake is a symbol of the impending future.

A colossal stone dragon coils around the cathedral-sized structure. As the sun rises, the academy’s highest tower pierces through the mist and sky, rising its way to heaven. The closer our carriage comes, the more I shrink against the size of the huge stone dragon. Mr. Kitty yowls in my messenger bag, poking his head out as I bring him closer to my chest.

The carriage clambers over polished stone and comes to a halt beneath the massive dragon-binded structure. The salty taste of brine travels in the air. In the distance, waves from the East Sea grind and crash against the base of the mountainous precipice the academy is perched on. Despite its astute size, it still gives space to nature. To rolling knolls and copses of evergreen pine trees.