The Council wants to see you," Headmistress Nyx announced as she entered the common room where all eight of us had been studying.
Three weeks had passed since we'd formed the spirit network, and life at the Academy had settled into something resembling normal—if normal included daily training sessions with four spirit elementals and their increasingly protective supernatural bondmates.
"All of us?" I asked.
"All of you," she confirmed grimly. "They're… concerned about recent developments."
Through the pentad bond, I felt my guys' instant wariness. The supernatural Council was the governing body for all non-human factions, and they weren't known for their progressive attitudes toward change.
"Concerned how?" Zephyr asked, electricity flickering around his clenched fists.
"Four spirit elementals working in harmony was never part of any prophecy," Nyx explained. "Some Council members view it as a potential threat."
"We're not threatening anyone," Yuki protested softly.
"Your very existence threatens the established order," Nyx said. "The Council has maintained peace between supernatural factions for centuries through careful balance and strict separation. Your network changes everything."
Arabella's silver flames flared. "So they want to what, separate us? Lock us away?"
"Some of them do," Nyx admitted. "Others want to study you. And a few want to… eliminate the perceived threat entirely."
Magnus's temperature plummeted, ice forming on every surface in the room. "They want to kill them."
"They want to kill us," I corrected, spirit magic rising in response to the threat. "The pentad bond makes us a package deal, remember?"
"Over my dead body," Kai snarled, shadows writhing with violent intent.
"That can be arranged," came a new voice from the doorway.
We all spun to see a tall, imposing figure entering the room. He was classically handsome in an ageless way, with silver hair and golden eyes that held the weight of centuries. Power radiated from him like heat from a forge.
"Councilor Aurelius," Nyx said carefully. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."
"Plans change," he replied smoothly, his gaze sweeping over all of us before settling on me. "Miss Pierce. You're causing quite a stir in supernatural circles."
"Apparently that's my specialty," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the obvious threat he represented.
"Indeed. Four spirit elementals working in harmony, supported by an unprecedented pentad bond. It's either the greatest miracle our world has seen in a thousand years, or the beginning of its end."
"Which do you think it is?" I asked.
His golden eyes studied me intently. "That remains to be seen. The Council has decided to accelerate your evaluation."
"What does that mean?" Isabella demanded, golden butterflies forming an agitated cloud around her.
"It means," Aurelius said with a cold smile, "that you'll be demonstrating your abilities before the full Council tomorrow night. All of you."
"And if we refuse?" Arabella asked with typical defiance.
"Then you'll be classified as rogue elementals and dealt with accordingly."
The threat was clear. Cooperate or be eliminated.
"We'll be there," I said before any of my bondmates could start a war with the Councilor.
"Excellent." Aurelius's smile didn't reach his eyes. "I do so hope you'll prove to be the miracle, Miss Pierce. The alternative would be… unfortunate."
After he left, silence fell over the room like a funeral shroud.
"Well," Yuki said finally. "This is terrifying."
"This is politics," Magnus corrected grimly. "And it's about to get much worse."
Through the pentad bond, I felt my guys' determination hardening into something unbreakable. They would protect the spirit network and our sister elementals with their lives if necessary.
The thought should have comforted me.
Instead, it terrified me, because I was beginning to understand what the Void Hunters had meant about taking what belonged to them.
They weren't after the spirit elementals.
They were after the bonds themselves.
And tomorrow night, we were walking straight into the perfect trap