She turned to leave, the folds of her cloak catching the wind.
Just before she reached the stairs, she added, "Vivienne will test your limits again soon. I advised her not to. She didn't listen."
Then she was gone.
Merlin stayed there a while, the wind brushing through his hair, the sun glinting off the metal of his cufflinks, the only trace of his time in the world beyond these walls.
When he finally descended, Elara was waiting near the base of the stairway, arms folded. "What did she want?"
"Advice," he said simply.
"Good or bad?"
"I'll let you know."
She gave him a long look, one corner of her mouth curving faintly. "You really are terrible at answering questions."
"I learned from the best."
She rolled her eyes. "Flattery doesn't work on me."
"It's not flattery if it's true."
For the first time that morning, her composure cracked, a faint flush touching her ears before she turned sharply away. "Come on," she said, voice clipped. "We're late for class."
