[Ovelia's POV]
Gale wasn't smiling—his face remained its usual mask of grumpy neutrality—but I could feel it through our bond. A warm, steady pulse of happiness radiating from him like sunlight through clouds. He was pleased. Prouder than he'd ever admit.
"That elemental mana stone," I whispered, watching the prism colors shift and flow in his palm, "it's the same colors as your wings. It's beautiful."
"The first and last time I saw an elemental mana stone was in the Atlassian Kingdom," Ace said, his silver eyes fixed on the glowing hexagon. "Even though that stone you're holding is barely the size of a baby's fist, I can sense the enormous amount of mana contained inside it." He looked up at Gale, his expression serious. "What are you planning to do with it?"
