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the infamous Water Guardian had returned to them! He remembered hearing the whispers from the scribes in the library, but seeing the man in the flesh was an overwhelming experience. He had been myth for so long, Corin almost thought he didn’t exist.
    Selena crossed her arms over her chest. “You shouldn’t. He doesn’t need a distraction—I’m just about to teach him a new spell…. By Alvah, Corin! Go back to training—do you want to run laps?”
    Piers rolled his eyes at her antics, yawning. “Corin, a direct order from Master Corona, turn around and greet the Guardian of Serac immediately.”
    Corin turned around, and his eyes immediately widened as he glanced between Master Selena and Master Piers. He was disobeying a guardian no matter what he did, and while he was curious about the Guardian of Serac, he really didn’t want to have to run laps around the monastery.
    “Poor kid looks like he might explode, Lena. You should probably make your decision quickly.”
    Corin bit his lip, bowing his head and turning between his exercise and the guardians. Selena finally sighed. “Fine. Come say hello to Master Serac, Corin.”
    Corin immediately stepped forward, staring directly at the Guardian of Serac. He had been close to the back of the room while Master Serac had been introduced earlier, and even then he could see the man was beautiful. He stood taller than Corin himself, but shorter than Master Corona, whom Corin was always uncomfortable around for that exact reason. Bright-blue marks stood out on tanned skin, giving the man an interesting look, complemented by his bright-blue eyes.
    Corin bowed immediately, crouching down and lowering his head. “It is an honor to be in your presence, Master.”
    “Please rise, apprentice,” Aless commanded, smooth voice making Corin’s stomach fill with butterflies. The fact that this guardian, on his first day back, had voluntarily sought him out was extraordinary and flattering. He couldn’t begin to hide the blush covering his face.
    Corin stood up, doing his best to look Aless in the eyes. He bowed again. “Uh… my name is Corin, Master Serac. I am a student of Zephyr.”
    “You need not concern yourself with formalities. Aless is fine, apprentice. May I call you Corin?” he asked, offering his hand.
    Corin reached forward, enthusiastically shaking Aless’s hand. “Thank you for this honor, Master Aless.”
    “Pleasure’s all mine, I assure you of this,” Aless replied, drawing his hand to his side and giving Corin a large smile.
    Corin felt his heart drop low in his chest. Master Aless was being so polite, especially compared to the casual nature the other guardians now greeted him with. And those eyes—Corin couldn’t describe it, but he felt as though they were drawing him in, and suddenly he couldn’t look away. His throat dried, and he tried desperately to form words.
    Selena glared at Aless. “Can you stop trying to hypnotize my student?” she snapped, pulling Corin back and placing herself between them.
    “I apologize, Master Zephyr,” he answered. “It’s been a while since I had a chance to communicate with people.”
    “If that’s everything, we really need to go back to training,” Selena replied, gesturing for Corin to return to his exercises.
    “Oh come on, Lena. He just wants to get to know the kid. That mana would stand out in any room,” Piers pleaded. Aless suddenly felt very grateful for his friend’s ability to cope with Selena’s attitude.
    “Even if that is true, Piers, I still need to continue my training. If he really wants to meet Corin he can do it on his time, not mine,” Selena stated.
    Piers grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it and giving her a wink. “As you wish, my lady. You win,” he teased, grabbing Aless’s shoulder and pulling him away. “We’ll leave you and your dear apprentice to your training. We’re gonna be sparring pretty soon, though. You and Corin should take a break to watch. I promise