Rejecting the ungrateful mud lizard

At Spirit Pact Academy, every mage must choose a Familiar—and live with that choice forever. Given a second chance, gifted student Isolde rejects the dying lizard she once saved and chooses a mysterious golden eagle no one else seems to notice. But the past refuses to stay buried. As ancient bloodlines stir and forbidden magic closes in, can her new bond rewrite fate—or doom the Academy once more?