Three months had passed since the claiming ritual, and I was still getting used to the constant hum of connection that linked me to Kai, Asher, Zephyr, and Magnus. The pentad bond was stronger than anything I could have imagined—I could sense their emotions, their locations, even their dreams when they were particularly vivid.
Right now, all four of them were radiating tension as we sat in Headmistress Nyx's office, waiting to hear why she'd summoned us so urgently.
"There's been an incident," she said without preamble, her violet eyes grave. "Three spirit elementals have awakened simultaneously across the globe."
My blood ran cold. "I thought I was the only one."
"So did we." Nyx's expression was troubled. "But yesterday, a girl in Tokyo started manifesting spirit powers. This morning, another in London. And an hour ago, we detected a third awakening in São Paulo."
"That's impossible," Magnus said, ice crystals forming around his clenched fists. "The bloodline was thought to be extinct."
"Apparently not," Nyx replied grimly. "And that's not the worst part."
"There's worse?" I asked weakly.
"The Void Hunters have returned."
The temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees, and it wasn't because of Magnus. Pure, supernatural fear emanated from all four of my bondmates.
"What are Void Hunters?" I asked, though their terror was answer enough.
"Ancient beings that feed on spirit magic," Asher said quietly. "They're the reason spirit elementals disappeared in the first place."
"They hunt in packs," Zephyr added, electricity crackling nervously around his hands. "And they're drawn to awakening power like sharks to blood."
"Which means," Kai said grimly, "all three new spirit elementals are in mortal danger."
"As are you," Nyx said, her gaze fixed on me. "Your power is the strongest, which makes you their primary target."
The bond thrummed with protective fury from my guys, so intense it nearly knocked me over.
"What do we do?" I asked.
"We're going to retrieve the other spirit elementals," Nyx announced. "Bring them here where our wards can protect them while they learn to control their abilities."
"We?" Magnus raised an eyebrow.
"Luna will be going with extraction teams to each location," Nyx explained. "Her presence will help calm their awakening magic and prevent them from losing control."
"Absolutely not," came a chorus of four male voices.
Nyx's expression didn't change. "It wasn't a request."
"She's not ready," Zephyr protested. "Her powers are still unstable."
"Which is exactly why she needs field experience," Nyx countered. "And why each of you will be accompanying her on these missions."
"All of us?" Asher asked.
"The pentad bond makes separation dangerous for extended periods," Nyx confirmed. "You'll work in pairs—two with Luna, two protecting the Academy."
I could feel the guys' reluctance and fear through the bond, but underneath it was something else: excitement. We'd been cooped up at the Academy for months, and part of me was eager to see more of the supernatural world.
"When do we leave?" I asked.
"Tomorrow morning for Tokyo," Nyx said. "Kai and Magnus will accompany you. Asher and Zephyr will remain here to strengthen our defenses."
The thought of being separated from half my bondmates made my chest ache, but I could sense that Asher and Zephyr felt the same way. The bond would hold across the distance, but it wouldn't be comfortable.
"How long will we be gone?" I asked.
"A week, maybe two. It depends on how quickly you can help the new elemental gain control."
After we left Nyx's office, we walked in silence back to my dorm room. The bond was practically singing with conflicted emotions—excitement, fear, protectiveness, and underneath it all, the steady pulse of love that had grown stronger every day since the claiming.
"I can do this," I said once we were alone in my room.
"We know you can," Asher said, pulling me into a gentle embrace. "That doesn't make it less terrifying."
"The Void Hunters haven't been seen in centuries," Zephyr said, running an agitated hand through his hair. "We don't know what they're capable of now."
"We know they're drawn to spirit magic," Magnus said grimly. "Which means Luna will be a beacon to them."
"So we make sure they never get close enough to matter," Kai said, shadows deepening around him.
I felt a rush of love for all of them—my protectors, my partners, my everything.
"Come here," I said softly.
They gathered around me on the bed, and I closed my eyes, letting spirit magic flow through the bonds. It was something I'd learned to do over the past months—sharing calm and strength with all of them at once.
"Whatever happens," I said as power hummed between us, "we face it together."
"Always," they said in unison.
But as I drifted off to sleep surrounded by my bondmates, I couldn't shake the feeling that our real trials were just beginning.