Chapter 224: A Dangerous Theory (II)

Elara:

Unable to think of anything remotely sensible to say, I remained silent and let him work his brain cells.

The possibility he was suggesting sounded utterly ridiculous. Was I somehow capable of absorbing the elemental magic of anyone I became intimate with? And if so, how exactly did that work? Did my body absorb a portion of their elemental energy during physical contact, or was there something deeper connecting our magical signatures?

The thought was as fascinating as it was alarming. If intimacy really allowed me to acquire traces of another person’s element without them deliberately transferring it, then this wasn’t merely an unusual magical phenomenon. It could be an extraordinary ability, perhaps even something powerful enough to change the balance of power around me.

But it could also become a dangerous weakness if the wrong people discovered it. I had spent twenty years living as an ordinary human, and now my own body seemed determined to surprise me with a new mystery every few days.

Finally, Lorien broke the silence. "There’s something you need to do from now on. The next time you kiss someone or become intimate with them, you must have your elemental energy signature checked as soon as possible. We need to monitor any changes and record exactly which elements appear, along with their strength."

My mouth opened immediately, but he raised a hand before I could get a word out.

"I know how that sounds, Elara. And I understand that you may consider it an invasion of your privacy, but you need to look at the bigger picture. This is far too serious to ignore simply because the circumstances are uncomfortable. We need to test the theory quickly and determine whether intimacy is indeed responsible for these foreign elemental signatures."

I pressed my lips together, struggling to accept the fact that my future romantic encounters might now require a magical assessment afterward. It was absurd. Completely absurd.

I could already imagine how ridiculous it would sound if someone asked me why I needed another elemental examination. Still, I couldn’t deny that Lorien was right. If this ability existed, I needed to understand its limits.

I was about to tell him that I understood when he released a quiet sigh and added, "Unfortunately, I can’t offer myself as a test subject. You already possess Wind magic."

For a second, I simply stared at him. Then his gaze locked onto mine, and something about its intensity made me forget how to breathe. It took my brain a moment to understand the implication behind his words, but my heart needed considerably less time to react. That stupid, traitorous organ gave a ridiculous flutter inside my chest, and I suddenly found myself realizing the headmaster had finally decided to say something I actually wanted to hear.

"That really is unfortunate," I replied before I could stop myself.

The words had barely left my mouth when Lorien chuckled, clearly amused by my response. Then he leaned closer, slowly enough that I could have moved away if I wanted to, until his face was right in front of mine. His blue eyes held mine with an ease that made it difficult to look anywhere else.

"You don’t need to feel bad about it, Starlight," he murmured. "I’m more than happy to offer myself to you anytime and anywhere you need."

My cheeks warmed instantly. Before he could get any closer, I lifted my hand and pressed the tip of my index finger against his forehead, gently pushing him away. "Stop flirting and focus on the important matter at hand, Headmaster." I tried to sound stern, but I was far too conscious of how rapidly my heart was beating. The last thing I needed was for him to notice that his ridiculous offer had affected me more than I wanted to admit.

Fortunately, Lorien didn’t push the teasing any further. He straightened and returned to the matter at hand, reminding me that I needed to find him as soon as I became intimate with someone possessing an element I didn’t already have.

No matter how uncomfortable or ridiculous the arrangement sounded, I nodded in understanding. I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about having my private life monitored like some ongoing magical experiment, but I knew there was no sensible alternative. "Is there anything else you want me to do?" I asked, looking at him.

He shook his head. "Not yet. We need to confirm two things before we can decide what comes next. First, whether intimacy is actually responsible for the sudden appearance of foreign elemental signatures in your body. Second, whether you are capable of using the magic you have absorbed to cast spells of your own."

His expression grew thoughtful again. "The presence of an elemental signature doesn’t necessarily mean you can wield that element. We need to establish whether the energy is merely lingering inside you or whether your body has somehow managed to incorporate it into your own magical abilities. Only after we have answers to both questions can we plan our next move."

I nodded slowly, absorbing his explanation before another question occurred to me. "But how is something like this even possible? I mean, I have never heard of anyone acquiring someone else’s elemental magic just by being intimate with them."

It was one thing to discover that I possessed an unusual ability, but quite another to understand how such an ability could exist in the first place. If this had happened before, surely someone would have documented it. Lorien considered my question, but for once, the usually knowledgeable headmaster didn’t have an immediate answer.

"I don’t know," he admitted. "I’ll look into the historical records and see whether there’s anything related to this phenomenon. Perhaps there are accounts of similar occurrences that were never properly understood or recorded. But I haven’t heard of anything remotely like this in the twenty-eight years I have been alive."

His answer wasn’t particularly reassuring, but at least he wasn’t pretending to know something he didn’t. I appreciated that more than I cared to admit.

Then his expression turned serious. "There’s one more thing, Elara. Since you understand how important this matter is, I need you to keep it confidential. No one else should know about this until we have a clearer understanding of what’s happening."

He paused, studying my face before continuing. "I know you trust Jasper, and I have no objection to you discussing it with him. He’s your blood knight, and I understand the relationship you share. But other than Jasper, you mustn’t tell anyone. Not your friends, not the people you consider loyal to you, and certainly not the heirs. We don’t know what this ability means yet, and allowing the information to spread before we understand it could put you in unnecessary danger."

I nodded again, this time without hesitation. I didn’t like keeping secrets from people I trusted, but Lorien was right. Until we knew whether this was an ability, a magical anomaly, or something connected to the seal protecting me, there was no reason to let anyone else become involved. Besides, I had no intention of handing someone another piece of information they could use against me.

"I understand," I assured him.

With the matter finally settled, Lorien gave a small nod and gestured toward the door. "You should head to Professor Fenrith’s office now. He’s waiting for you."