The Serpent’s Choice

When Elias finds an injured serpent beside the academy aqueduct, he offers her healing—and a place beside him. But the academy refuses to assess a serpent partnership, and Lucan turns Elias’s choice into a public humiliation. Elias tries to leave with his new companion, only to find their path blocked by Lucan and his summoned drake. With his strength already fading, protecting her means risking everything he has left. Yet the serpent refuses to leave him fighting alone. As their fragile trust faces its first real test, Elias has no idea how much she understands—or what she is still afraid to reveal.