Song of Blood and Reign

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Jai was looking over at Lyv, his hand wrapped around hers, as she stared up at the multiple buildings on the university campus. The dormitories circled to the left while the class buildings were to the right and in the center stood the main building that housed all of the professor offices, administration, and the headmistress's office. More importantly, though, it was the building where the university library was as well, spanning the expanse of the back half of all four floors, which was where they were heading to then.

The university buildings themselves were centuries old, being maintained with love and magic since almost everyone in Dalcaine found themselves studying there at some point in their lives. Every building was several stories tall and the spring bloom was just beginning, bringing another sort of life back to the campus now that the snows had melted. What also helped melt that snow were the dragon quarters that were the back of the campus for the sorcerer and sorceress students to keep their dragons.

Elys was already running around, looking at everything he could with Posy fluttering excitedly around him. Every passing student, all in their uniforms of white shirts and navy pants or skirts, smiled as they watched him. He wasn't afraid to go up to several, stopping to talk to a Fae male from Asturia who was working on healing tonics, several others studying on the grass out of texts, or the female fairy who was working with the groundskeepers to help restore plant growth in several flower beds.

"Don't get too far away, Elys," Jai called out to the little boy, pulling Lyv forward out of her amazement.

Still, she walked slowly, taking everything in. "Remind me why you haven't taken me here before?" she asked.

"Well, I've been wanting to bring you to the university library for a while, but we've just never really had the time," he smiled over at her, pulling her hand up to kiss her knuckles. "What do you think of it all?"

Keeping hold of his hand, she turned slowly, walking backward so she could look at everything again. "I kind of want to come here now. You came here, right? What all did you study? 'How to Rule a Country'?"

He snorted out a laugh, rolling his eyes. "Of course, though the class had a different name than that. I actually studied pretty much everything, including dragon etiquette. Thia still teases me about the first time we met and she had to teach me again since I forgot when meeting Erly."

"I think she likes teasing you in general, you know."

"Oh, I know. She and Gideon both. The bad thing is, Allel starting to also."

As they walked down the stone pathway toward the main university building, Elys bolted across the grass back to them, a grin spread across his face, with Posy sitting on top of his head. Launching himself into the air, it only took Jai a split second to lean down with one arm wide and ready to catch him. Elys's giggles sounded in his ear, making him smile, too. Jai still couldn't get over how different the little boy had been over the last couple of weeks with Lyv back.

"What's so funny?" Lyv asked him, poking a finger to Elys's stomach.

"Nothing," the little boy grinned, but leaned over Jai's shoulder to wave.

Both Jai and Lyv looked back at who he was waving to, which just happened to be the five female students he'd been talking to as they studied on a thick blanket laid out on the grass. All of them were smiling and waved back.

"Oh, no, you don't," Jai told him with a shake of his head. "Don't you start that right now, flirting with all the females. Especially when you're only six. I'm going to have to keep you away from Gideon if that's the case. He's a bad influence."