Asher placed his small hand on Leo’s shoulder. He didn't push genesis energy into the boy. He didn't try to rewrite his biology. He just grounded him. He anchored Leo to the physical reality of the classroom, to the messy, inefficient, entirely human reality of the moment.
The golden veins on Leo’s arms slowly dimmed. The hyper-accelerating ferns stopped growing, their fronds settling into a natural, relaxed posture.
Leo took a deep, shuddering breath. It’s quiet, he whispered. The math is quiet.
Asher smiled, a small, fragile, entirely human smile. You did good. Now, let’s try the Root and Stone exercise again.
I looked at Kade. Through the mate bond, I felt his sharp, sudden spike of awe.
He’s not just a gardener anymore, Kade projected, his mental voice thick with emotion. He’s a t
