Page 14

Chapter Fourteen

A elia

Of course it was. My hand closed around the medallion, the warmth of the worn metal seeping into my palm. How could I have not realized it sooner? There had been so many instances it had acted oddly, so many occasions where I’d felt power oozing from my beloved gift. Aidan must have known all along…

And yet, he’d only gifted me the necklace on my twentieth birthday. Why?

“This belonged to my parents?” The question came out shaky, my voice trembling, and I hated how weak I sounded.

“Your mother chose it for you.”

Tharos’s hand inched closer to the medallion and every instinct screamed at me not to allow him to remove it. Aidan had given it to me for a reason. Had he kept it hidden all those years until he knew I’d need it?

“No.” I was impressed with the calmness in my tone.

“Aelia…” the king’s growl was deep and ominous.

“No, he cannot touch it.”

Helroth heaved out a frustrated breath, those broad shoulders rounding as he approached me. “Tharos cannot break the spell unless the necklace is removed.”

“How does it work exactly?” Anything to buy myself some time. I just needed time… I couldn’t understand it, but I felt it without a doubt all the same: I must not allow this male to have my necklace.

Tharos exchanged a glance with the king, and after a faint dip of his chin, he pivoted his gaze in my direction. “The anchor is imbued with both emotional and mystical resonance, used to stabilize and amplify the spell's potency. It serves as a conduit between my will and the intended effect, binding the combined energy of zar , nox and rais to a tangible focus. Without the anchor, the spell becomes unstable, allowing the incantation to be easily unraveled.”

“So what will you do with it once you remove it?”

“It must be destroyed.”

Destroying my heart along with it. “No,” I hissed, clutching onto the medallion. It was the only thing that remained of my parents, not to mention Aidan.

“Oh, for Zaroth’s sake,” Helroth muttered. “Is there no other way, Tharos?”

The Spellbinder scratched at his chin. “I may be able to siphon the energy from the medallion without destroying it, but it will be tricky.”

“Then do it.”

“Th—Cheers.” I dipped my head at the male and tucked my beloved necklace beneath my tunic.

“Now, may we continue?” Helroth’s bloodred eyes razed over me.

Gulping down the anxiety I felt bubbling just under the surface, I nodded. This was what I wanted all along, right? With my powers unbound, I’d finally understand the full breadth of my abilities. And if I could, in fact, summon all three powers of the gods, I should in theory, become quite a weapon. One in which my grandfather undoubtedly sought to exploit.

Luckily, my blood vow would expire once the spell was broken, and then I’d be free to plot my escape at my earliest chance.

“Tharos, proceed,” Helroth commanded.

The dark Spellbinder dipped his head, slivers of dark hair interspersed with silver falling across his brow.

The air in the grand chamber suddenly grew thick, oppressive, like an invisible hand pressing against my chest with every shallow breath I managed to take. Shadows danced wildly across the jagged walls, cast by the faint, flickering light of Tharos's staff. The dark Spellbinder stood in the center of the room, his small, hunched frame somehow commanding, his presence radiating menace. His eyes, black pools of void, seemed to peer through me, seeing everything I tried to keep hidden—every fear, every vulnerability.

“You’re afraid,” he rasped, his voice grating like dry leaves. “Good. Fear will make it easier to find the chains I must break.”

I took another step back, unable to go far with Kae still standing behind me, clutching my arms across my chest as if it might somehow shield me from his probing gaze. “I’m not afraid. It’s only that I’m not sure I want this,” I hissed. “Perhaps there was a reason my mother chose to bind my powers. Maybe there is another way.”

“There isn’t,” he said simply, his bony hand gesturing to the circle he’d inscribed on the floor, the one I hadn’t even noticed him making. Its lines pulsed faintly with a sickly green glow, ancient runes that seemed alive, twisting and writhing like worms. “The powers you were born with are shackled by the combined forces of the gods. It was done to protect you, but now that time has passed. If you want to truly know who are you, you must free them and endure the pain of unbinding.”

Pain . The word hung between us, heavy and inevitable.

I swallowed hard, bile rising in my throat. My gaze flickered to the king, who once again sat atop his throne, apparently unconcerned with my impending torment. “And if I say no?”

Helroth tilted his head, his lips curling into a cruel smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Then you will remain caged, powerless when it matters most. Do you think you can face what lies ahead without the strength I offer you now? Do you think you can save any of them?”

Aidan. My friends. Reign. Their names didn’t need to be spoken. They were there in the cold accusation of the king’s words, in the unrelenting truth they carried. I hated him for being right. I hated myself for needing this even more. Gritting my teeth, I straightened and stepped into the circle, my boots scraping against the obsidian stone as I crossed into the glowing runes.

Tharos’s smile widened, revealing sharp, yellowed teeth. “Good. Now, kneel.”

Everything in me rebelled at the command, but I forced myself down, the cold stone biting into my knees. Tharos moved closer, the shadows seeming to fold around him like an oily cloak, and raised his staff. The light from its tip brightened, illuminating the jagged veins of black crystal I hadn’t noticed embedded in its surface.

“This will hurt.” There wasn’t a shred of sympathy in his tone. “Try not to scream too much. It distracts me.”

Before I could retort, he slammed the base of the staff into the ground. The runes ignited, flaring to life with a ghastly light that bathed the throne room in green fire. I felt it immediately—a searing heat tearing through my veins, racing up my spine and branching out into every limb. It was as if my blood had turned molten, setting fire to everything it touched.

I screamed. I couldn’t help the gruesome shriek from tearing loose.

There was nothing, no one else, as Tharos’s voice rose above the sound, chanting in a guttural language that scratched at the edges of my mind, clawing its way in. The words wrapped around me like chains, dragging me deeper into the ritual. The heat in my veins shifted, turning cold, then colder still, an icy grip that froze the breath in my lungs. I felt the necklace around my throat, my anchor, grow unbearably heavy, as if it were trying to pull me down into the stone itself.

Memories of the day in Melisara’s cottage surged to the surface, of Reign’s comforting touch and soothing words. There was none of that here. Today, I was alone, battling an internal enemy threatening to ravage my insides, while the external enemy watched, emotionless, uncaring.

“Do not fight it,” Tharos snapped, his voice sharp and commanding. “Let the lys consume you, or it will destroy you.”

I tried. Stars, I tried. But the pain was relentless, unbearable. The icy grip in my chest turned into a vice, and I gasped for air that wouldn’t come. My vision blurred, the edges of the chamber melting into darkness, and still, Tharos chanted.

And then I felt it. A snap.

Not in my body, but somewhere deeper, as though a lock had been broken inside me, the chains Tharos had spoken of shattering. Power rushed through me like a tidal wave, raw and untamed, threatening to drown me in its intensity. A heady mix of rais , nox and zar ravaged my system, reminiscent of the time Ruhl and I had combined our energies in the Veil of Echoes trial. My chest expanded, the warring powers thrashing at my ribs and fighting for dominance.

Reign, it hurts. It hurts so badly .

Oh, gods, I would never survive this.

Where are you, Reign ?

The cuorem pounded, suddenly awake and furious, invisible tethers constricting my heart and only intensifying the chaos caged within my skeletal form.

I’m right here, Aelia. I’m always with you, however far apart it may seem . You can do this; now fight, princess.

Reign ? Hot tears blurred my vision until nothing remained around me but him, his essence , pulsing through our bond. For weeks I’d dreamed of hearing his voice, but only Ruhl and Lucian accompanied my addled mind.

Reign’s strong arms wrapped around me, enveloping me in the safety of the hard planes of his chest. His scent, that all-consuming, familiar musky, frosty fragrance filled my nostrils, calming the mad thundering of my pulse.

I could almost feel him wrapped around me, his faint whispers at my ear, his strong hands cradling my face, his shadows’ icy touch bringing me solace from the blazing inferno assaulting my body.

I love you, Aelia. Fight, princess, and never give up. I’m coming for you .

A sob built in my throat, the ache of his bittersweet words momentarily overcoming the physical pain surging through every inch of my body. I love you, Reign. And I will fight—for you, for us, and for everyone I left at home .

Good girl .

The green light of the runes flared again, and I blinked quickly as Reign’s spectral form vanished, leaving nothing behind but that abysmal void. No… The mystical symbols blazed in earnest one last time before shattering into a thousand shards of darkness.

I collapsed forward, my hands scraping against the polished stone floor as I gasped for breath. My entire body trembled, the echoes of pain still pulsing in my limbs and the fresh ache in my heart threatening to swallow me whole. Tharos stood above me, his staff dim now, but his eyes glinting with triumph.

“It is done,” he whispered, his voice low and reverent. “Your power is your own now. What you do with it… that is up to you.”

I looked up at him, hatred and gratitude sparring in my chest. My throat burned, but I managed to croak out a single word. “Cheers.”

Tharos chuckled, stepping back into the shadows. “Same to you, princess.”

And then the grand throne room began to spin, the jagged black crystals along the walls blurring, the massive throne twirling along the edges of my vision.

Sleep, princess . Reign’s final words eased the panic setting in, and my weary lids began to droop. Rest now, starlight. Tomorrow, you will fight again, just as I will continue fighting to reach you. We will be together again soon .

With vivid memories of his solid hold and unflinching gaze filling the cavernous void in my chest, I surrendered to the cool darkness of Noxus’s embrace.