Page 11

Chapter Eleven

R eign

“Just keep quiet, as discussed,” I hissed at Ruhl as the entourage of white-cloaked Royal Guardians escorted us through the arched entryway of the castle.

“Of course, dear brother.”

The grand hall of King Elian’s home was an overwhelming display of brilliance, a stark contrast to the somber shadows I was accustomed to. As we stepped through and into the grand hall, the sheer magnitude of light was enough to make my vision swim for a moment, as if the very air shimmered with ethereal energy.

I hazarded a peek at my brother, and his eyes, too, were glazing over from the intensity.

The walls, towering and arched, were forged from what appeared to be translucent marble, veins of gold coursing through them like liquid sunlight. Columns as tall as ancient trees lined the hall, their bases wrapped in cascading vines of luminescent flowers that emitted a soft, golden glow.

“Well, it’s certainly as over the top as I remembered it,” he whispered.

“Quiet,” I snapped.

I clenched my fists to keep from pummeling the interloper as I strode forward behind the guards, the sound of my boots against the polished floor barely a whisper against the symphony of light. This place was the king’s heart, his haven, but to me, it was a battlefield. And every beam of light, every glowing surface, felt like a weapon aimed directly at me.

The Royal Guardians finally stopped in front of a gilded door, the polished mirror-like finish reflecting the golden hues of the walls and the light from the countless floating orbs suspended in mid-air. With a sharp squeal, the door slowly opened, revealing the even grander throne room.

We were escorted beneath a vast dome of crystalline glass painted with vivid depictions of the Light Fae’s victories during the Two Hundred Years’ War. The sunlight streaming through refracted into countless colors, casting radiant patterns across the floor in a kaleidoscope of light. Even the air felt alive, humming softly with powerful rais that made my skin prickle.

At the end of the room, King Elian, in all his radiant splendor, sat atop his throne. Carved from a single massive block of radiant white crystal, the throne shimmered with light, creating an ever-shifting halo of golden hues around it. It stood elevated on a dais of translucent glass-like stone, etched with intricate runes of old Faerish. The king’s turquoise gaze chased to meet mine, then held for an endless moment before pivoting to my brother, the prince.

“Two visitors in one day. How unusual.” The king’s eyes narrowed as he regarded us, his platinum hair cascading over his shoulders like molten silver. “And both on dragonback, even more rare.” His eyes blazed, green with envy. “Draven sent word of your visit, professor, but you are certainly a surprise, young prince.”

“I would appreciate a private audience, King Elian. I have come to discuss important Conservatory matters.” I fixed my gaze to his, steady and unwavering.

“Nonsense, aren’t we all working together after all?” Ruhl grinned, mischief illuminating his dark orbs.

“I’m afraid the professor is right, Prince Ruhl. Matters of the Conservatory are of the utmost importance to the Court of Ethereal Light; therefore, I must insist they remain in the strictest of confidences. Then there is the matter of the professor’s dragon…” He arched a curious brow.

“I would be happy to clarify all of it once we are alone.”

My idiotic brother shrugged. “Very well, then. I shall eagerly await my turn for an audience.” A couple of Royal Guardians escorted him through another pair of doors at the end of the hall.

The moment the doors were closed, I drew in a breath of relief. Ruhl was nothing but a liability. How dare he imply I was the one who couldn’t be trusted with this mission?

“You may approach, professor.” King Elian gestured toward the dais, and I drew closer with measured steps, carefully scanning the chamber. Six Royal Guardians were stationed across the space, plus the two who remained with Ruhl on the other side of those double doors.

Should the need arise, I would have to work silently so as not to alert more guards.

“Now, about that dragon?—”

“We’ll get to her soon enough,” I interjected. “There is a more important matter I came to discuss today.”

“Oh, really?” The king’s wizened eyes drifted to my wrists, to the pale, scarred skin where the cuffs had eaten at my flesh for years. “I thought there was something different about you.”

“Yes, I am no longer a prisoner to Draven’s whims.” A swell of shadows curled around me, towering well over my head, unbidden, as if they wanted to prove just how free they now were.

Elian’s eyes widened; the turquoise so vivid they mirrored the endless depths of a summer sky.

“I mean you no harm, Your Ethereal Highness.” I raised my hands in surrender. “I’ve only come for answers Draven cannot provide.”

“Answers regarding?”

Powerful nox skimmed across my skin, whirling my shadows into a rage of darkness. I could feel the coils of night wrapping me in their cool, invisible embrace. The two Royal Guardians closest to the king shifted uneasily. I heaved in a breath, and it took everything I had to tamp down on the burgeoning power, fully aware it was essential to tread lightly.

“King Helroth of the Night Fae.” I willed the words out quickly but evenly.

A sharp chuckle expelled from his lips, his ageless, expressionless countenance suddenly darkening. “Do you plan on joining him in the icy embrace of Noxus’s arms?”

“I wish it were that easy. I would gladly give my life if that’s what it took to find him.”

The king slowly rose, a deafening silence resonating across the massive chamber as suffocating rais infiltrated my pores. “I suggest you hold your tongue, professor, before I am forced to still it personally. What you speak of is treason.” His sly gaze slid over the half dozen Royal Guardians, who suddenly tightened the circle around us.

“I know he’s alive, Your Ethereal Highness. Now, I am here to offer my help, along with that of my dragon, in defeating the Night King and the remaining Demon Fae, but I cannot do that until I find him. With the bevy of troops you’ve sent across the border to the Wilds, my guess is you’ve known of their existence for some time now. Can you offer any guidance as to their exact whereabouts?”

He lunged forward, a wave of rais bowling over me. My head snapped back, dark hair lashing across my face. But it was nothing more than a bothersome breeze now that my full power had been unleashed. The laces twined around my heart constricted, the bond amplifying the energy coursing through my veins. My nox surged to life battering the weak show of power.

“You do not want me as an enemy,” I hissed through the tangle of nox and rais . “But I will do whatever necessary to get the answers I need.” Before the Royal Guardians took another step, I unleashed a torrent of shadows, inky coils of darkness streaking toward his guards like ravenous wraiths. They moved like living creatures, dark tendrils twisting and writhing with a serpentine grace as they slithered across the chamber and curled around their mouths. Before a single guard could summon an ounce of rais , or even a weapon, my dark minions had each pinned to the gleaming walls, immobilized.

“I will say it once again, King Elian, I am not your enemy. I came here only to find King Helroth. Now, will you help me?”

The king’s cheeks burned a deep crimson, his practiced perfection crumbling. His rais blossomed, thickening the air between us, but even from a distance I could feel it. I was stronger than the mighty royal. A new development—and an oddly satisfying one. Perhaps it was the years of bottled up nox , only amplified now; I suppose the old headmaster had done me a favor, after all.

“Where is Helroth?” I shouted, returning my focus to the matter at hand.

The double doors across the chamber whipped open, and an onslaught of Royal Guardians surged toward me. Curses . I released another torrent of shadows, the air growing colder, heavier, as the inky blackness spilled forth, casting the great hall into a deep, unnatural twilight. The guards barely had time to react before my shadows struck.

One tendril whipped toward the first guardian, coiling around his wrist like a sentient rope. The man struggled, his radiant blade flaring in a desperate attempt to sever the darkness, but the shadow tightened, yanking him to the ground with unforgiving force. His cry was cut short as a second tendril lashed out, wrapping around his throat, squeezing until he fell unconscious—unconscious, not dead, as I was not here to create more enemies.

Another guardian swung his spear, its glowing edge blazing with rais , but my shadows moved faster. They snaked along the ground, splitting and multiplying, weaving a net of pure darkness that ensnared the weapon mid-swing. The spear fell to the ground with a hollow clatter as my minions surged upward, gripping the guardian’s arms and legs, immobilizing him in place. He was left gasping, helpless as his luminous armor dimmed against the oppressive black.

“Behind you!” A familiar voice echoed across the ensuing chaos.

Ruhl appeared, pursued by the two Royal Guardians who’d escorted him out earlier. Let him deal with his own mess .

I spun around to face yet another guard. His face paled as my shadows curled across my back, forming enormous wings dwarfing his own luminescent ones. He attempted to retreat, his wings flaring as he leapt into the air, but my shadows were relentless. They arced upward, twisting into a jagged lance that pierced through the light surrounding the guardian. With a pained grunt, the man plummeted back to the earth, his wings tangled in a cocoon of shadow that bound him to the ground.

Across the room, Ruhl battled the final remaining Royal Guardian while his shadows barred the door. The steady pounding of fists echoed across the soaring chamber, and I only hoped the dark barrier would hold.

Stalking toward the king once again, I attempted an agreeable smile. “One final time, King Elian: Tell me all that you know of King Helroth, or I will be forced to make things unpleasant.”

“Who are you?” His light brows furrowed as they regarded me, a mixture of fear and curiosity. “I’ve never seen such power from a common Shadow Fae.”

For some reason, his words struck me. I’d attributed the rapid influx of power from the years of containment, or maybe even the new cuorem bond, but the king was right in his own way. I was only half-royal… When had I become stronger than a king?

“Finish this, Reign,” Ruhl barked from across the room.

Burying the thoughts for now, I pushed closer to the dais, my shadow wings flaring. They flapped leisurely, bringing me eyelevel with the king. “How can I find King Helroth?” I growled, low and deep.

“The Ebonshard Compass. It’s the only sure-fire method. It’s been lost since the war ended, but if you can find it, according to legend, it resonates with the king's infernal energy and will point unerringly to his location.”