Blazing Academy: Semester One (Academy For All Things Scorching #1) - Avery Song Page 0,69

fluffy rug on the floor right before the couch, crossing my legs and placing the plate in the middle as I enjoyed a moment of inspecting its sweet contents.

"Why is this your favorite dessert?" I asked.

"My mom would treat me to it whenever it was a special occasion," he revealed. It was a little unexpected for him to answer truthfully, and my eyes lifted to see him staring at the dessert with a longing expression.

"Do you get to see your mom often?" I inquired. "You don't need to answer if it makes you uncomfortable."

He shrugged as if it didn't bother him and answered, "Nah. Once I reached a certain age, she had to prioritize her work. Don't blame her or my dad. That's just life. They're doing their roles in this world, helping others and spreading goodness, getting rid of evil."

He used the small spoon to take a tiny portion of the dessert, placing it in his mouth with precision and grace. I was compelled to stare at him, almost as though I'd actually made the dessert and not gotten Keru to order it with the tablet.

Those gold orbs softened as a smile took over his entire expression, lightening up his eyes, filling his cheeks, and letting me see his pure white teeth.

"Best combination," he whispered to himself, eyeing the dessert with immense love. He then turned my way, his smile falling when he noticed my observant stare.

"What?"

"Uh." I nervously looked away and covered up with, "I was just randomly thinking about why Cyrus hasn't switched to that little girl form."

Changing the subject would be the safest method of not being scolded by him. It was three in the morning and I really wasn't going to argue or deal with insults so early in the morning.

"Ah." He paused in taking another bite of his dessert to answer. "Due to the breaking seal you were experiencing, there were high and low spikes to your flame. We believe your high spikes were what gave Cyrus enough of a boost to unlock her human form. It takes a good while and a strong connection between master and familiar for them to take on a human form."

Enjoying another bite of his dessert, he finished chewing before he carried on.

"Familiars need to have both a strong magical and emotional connection with their owner to take a human form. From my perspective, your emotional bond is pretty tight, even if you mentioned not being with her for long. She considers you to be her mistress, which is one of the reasons she able to retrieve and shift into human form by using some of your flame at its peak levels. Now that the seal is gone and you're well balanced, you'll have to work on learning how to unlock that aspect," he explained. "In rare, life-threatening occasions she can shift into her human form. That occurs due to the sudden spike in protective magic that soars through any individual when danger is unavoidable."

"Thanks for the explanation," I praised. "I wanted to ask Mrs. CloverSpell but the conversation was long enough I felt it was unnecessary."

"Nothing is unnecessary," Gabriel corrected. "If you have questions, ask. That's how you're going to learn and not look like an idiot when suddenly presented with a challenge or dilemma."

"Even if it’s a hassle for you?"

"I never once said it was," he defended. "You're merely assuming that."

"I'll admit that I am," I confessed. "It's a bit of a habit seeing as at my other schools, asking questions seemed odd for a smartass."

He paused from taking another bite to look over to me.

"Who said it was odd? And in order to be a smartass, you have to study and learn. Sometimes that requires you getting your questions answered, that way, you understand the information being presented and can absorb it better. That's not something to be ashamed about, and questions are highly encouraged at Blazing Academy. It's why many people like the school."

"Really?"

"Remember, two-thirds of the student body is brand new. Individuals that know nothing about this world or the existence of magic. Many of them have never even thought of themselves as a powerful individual. Knowledge is key in magic schools. That’s why it's heavily emphasized in the first semester. You won't be mocked for asking many questions, even when it may sound stupid to some."

"You're pretty confident when this is your first time attending Blazing Academy," I noted.

"My parents helped establish BA's student network," he admitted. "They hate inequity in a