Asher opens his eyes. He looks at the children, his mismatched eyes bright, entirely focused. It’s quiet, he whispers. The math is quiet.
The children smile, their golden and amber eyes bright. They did it. They held the line.
I pull Asher into a fierce, crushing hug, burying my face in his hair. Kade is right beside me, his right arm wrapping around both of us, his physical presence a solid, unyielding wall of heat and muscle.
You did it, little wolf, Kade projects, his mental voice thick with profound, overwhelming pride. You held the line.
We held the line, I agree, closing my eyes, letting the warmth of my family seep into my bones.
Dusk falls over the Academy.
The physical scars of the day have been integrated into the architecture. The cracked ceramic pots in the classroom have
