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Chapter Fifty-Four

A elia

No, no, no ! It wasn’t possible. As I stood over the cliff listening to Reign and Kaelith, each word sliced through my chest. It had been real… all of it. I’d killed countless Fae. My stomach roiled, nausea clawing its way up my throat.

But it couldn’t be… Rue, and even Heaton, had made appearances in some of those nightmares. They hadn’t been there, had they? Was I losing my mind?

Reign’s eyes drifted upward, latching onto my own and a flood of shame rushed over me. Goddess, Helroth had turned me into a monster by unbinding my powers. He’d honed me into his own personal weapon, and now he’d set me free on innocent Fae.

The realization cut deep, igniting a storm of humiliation and fury. He was still using me, after all this time. I thought I’d escaped, but it was all a ruse. The trio of energies swelled, coursing like the mighty Luminoc, and before I blinked, shadows curled around me and the earth beneath my feet fell away.

Reign’s cry echoed in the distance, blurred by the roar of winds across my eardrums. The murky black consumed me, my head spinning. It wasn’t until a pinprick of light appeared at the end of a vast tunnel of darkness that I realized what I’d done.

Blinding light bled through the endless night, and I lifted my arm over my face and squeezed my eyes shut to combat the ethereal glow. Blinking quickly until my pupils readjusted to the brilliance, I drew in a steadying breath as the memorable scene coalesced.

Row upon row of students danced across the training field, wielding a variety of luminous weapons. Beyond the verdant grass stood the Hall of Glory, its alabaster peaks gleaming beneath the sun’s blessed rays.

“Aelia!” A familiar voice squealed. “What in the realms are you doing here?”

My head spun over my shoulder, and Liora padded closer, her light lavender eyes wide in confusion.

Certainly not the first Fae I’d hoped to see upon my return to Luce, but at least it wasn’t Belmore.

“You can’t be here,” she cried, rushing toward me. She peeled her cloak from her shoulders and tossed it over my head. “Everyone believes you’re dead.” Curling her arm around me, she ushered me toward the woods that encircled the training field. A few curious gazes whirled in our direction, but I kept my head down, praying no one would notice the dark tendrils spilling from beneath the hood.

Once we were safely concealed beneath the canopy of deep greens, Liora spun me to face her, bright pink lips pinched. “Why did you come? Has something happened? Where’s Reign?”

“Everything’s fine,” I muttered. A bigger lie had never been uttered.

“Then why are you here?”

“An attempt at shadowtraveling gone wrong,” I offered. It wasn’t a complete lie.

Her eyes grew wider still. “You can shadowtravel?”

I nodded slowly.

“So must you return right away?”

The idea of facing Reign, Aidan and the others after what they’d discovered was the last thing I wanted to do. The shame of what I’d done was a growing boulder in the pit of my stomach. “Not right away,” I murmured. A minute alone with Rue or Symon sounded like a heavenly distraction right now.

The question was, could I skulk across campus coated in shadows without being spotted?

With the comfortable feeling of nox buzzing across my skin, I was fairly certain I could. I would just have to lose Liora first. Not that I despised her quite as much as I used to—wait. Why did I dislike her?

Flickers of memories surged from the past, the sensation of overwhelming jealousy the brightest of the bunch. “Reign is your mentor, is he not?” I blurted.

Liora’s light brows furrowed as she regarded me. “Of course he is. Do you not remember? Are you not feeling well, Aelia?”

“No, not quite,” I whispered lamely. “I’m a bit lightheaded. Do you think you could find Rue and Sy and have them meet me back in my dormitory?”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright by yourself?”

I nodded quickly. That was why I hated her. I’d been jealous of her closeness to Reign. A swirl of joy seeped through the turmoil at the memory. My feelings for Reign had been real and true, and these lingering nasty sensations for the Light Fae female only served as further confirmation.

“Please hurry. I can’t stay for long.”

Liora dipped her head before she turned on her heel, winding her way back through the mass of lightwoods.

Little Kin, someone is very worried about you . Sol’s voice echoed across my skull, but before another thought snuck through my defenses, I slammed the wall down on the glistening strands that connected me to my skyrider.

Sorry, Sol, but I need a moment of privacy . I’d return to the manor soon enough to face Reign’s wrath, but right now, I needed my friends. Turning my attention to the cool shadows kissing my skin, I summoned more nox , until a thick cloak surrounded me. Remaining within the cover of the tree line, I rushed across campus toward my old dormitory.

As I crossed the threshold of my familiar chamber, a sense of calm I hadn’t felt in weeks descended over me. This. This was where I belonged. Would I ever be allowed to return here now that I was a princess? To finish my courses and become a Royal Guardian to the king… my uncle. Unlikely.

Gods, no wonder I’d felt something the very first time I’d met the male all those years ago when I was little more than a child in Feywood. Did Elian know I was alive? Or that I even existed? Had my father and uncle been close? An endless volley of questions raced through my jumbled thoughts.

It seemed as if the moment one truth was unraveled, another dozen queries appeared in its place. I crept across the quiet room and flopped down onto my bed. The tangle of curling vines overhead writhed, as if irritated at being disturbed. Releasing a sigh, I closed my eyes, exhaustion suddenly setting in.

Vivid, terrible images flooded the darkness—mangled, burned bodies, Shadow and Light Fae alike, littering a bloody field. My eyes snapped open, heart jolting up my throat. No, please, blessed Raysa. I couldn’t have been responsible for all that destruction. Could I?

The dormitory door swung open, hitting the wall with a sharp bang, and I lurched straight up.

“Aelia Ravenwood, what are you doing here?” Rue raced in, her blonde curls bouncing across her forehead.

Throwing myself at her open arms, I squeezed my friend tight. “Oh, Rue, I missed you.”

“I missed you too, A, but you can’t be here. It’s not safe.” She held me out to arm’s length, light eyes studying me.

“Who cares about safe, our little Kin is home!” Symon darted through the door, wrapping his long arms around both of us. After twirling us around in a few circles that had me dizzy, Sy released us just long enough so we could catch our breaths.

I dropped to the mattress again, my head spinning. “Realms, I needed that.” I tossed Symon a grin, then caught a glimpse of Liora standing in the corner. I couldn’t very well ask her to leave, not after she’d been kind enough to find my friends.

“Not that we’re not thrilled you’re here, A,” said Rue, lips screwing into a pout, “but why are you here?”

“I shadowtraveled!” I attempted my best smile.

“That’s incredible.” Rue folded down beside me, hand on my shoulder. “Does Reign know that?”

My lips pressed into a tight line. “Not exactly.”

Rue’s pinched expression had the dread returning in full force. “What’s happened?”

Hot tears stung my eyes, my throat tightening with every swallow. “Oh, Rue, I’ve done something terrible.” My bottom lip trembled, the reality of what I’d done now hitting me in full force with my best friend sitting beside me.

There had been so many nightmares. Many more than I’d admitted to even Reign. I’d been responsible for the deaths of more than just dozens of Fae, there could have been hundreds.

“What is it?” Her hands wrapped around mine, firm and reassuring.

Symon flopped down on the mattress beside me, on my opposite side. “You can tell us, little Kin. We’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

My gaze lifted to Liora, who still lingered in the far corner of the chamber. I hated admitting the truth in front of her, but it was only a matter of time until she learned of it anyway. Steeling my nerves, I recounted everything I’d overheard.

Once I’d finished describing every terrible detail, a heavy silence pervaded across the room. Even Liora seemed stunned at my confession. No one but Reign and Ruhl had known about my nightmares, the astral possession, any of it. Until now.

I wasn’t sure I would ever have the nerve to admit to my friend that I’d used her body to fulfill my inner desire for Reign. I’d been completely awful.

“I’m sorry,” Liora called out suddenly as she moved toward the door. “I have a private class with Professor Gleamer that I completely forgot about.” Her eyes drifted to mine before dropping between us. “I’m sure it’ll all work out, Aelia. You mustn’t lose hope.”

“Cheers,” I muttered at the fleeing female. Raysa, she’d been so horrified by what I’d done, she couldn’t even look at me.

“There must be a way to fix this, A,” said Rue, her usually bubbly tone, flat. “I have faith in you.”

“What if I can’t?”

Symon curled his arm around my shoulders and tucked me into his side. “Well, that’s simple, Aelia, we’ll just have to kill you.”

An unexpected chuckle bubbled out as my friend smirked down at me. “You promise?”

“Of course not!” His hands closed around my shoulders, and he gave me a good shake. “This isn’t your fault. Helroth did this, not you.”

“But all those Fae, their blood is on my hands.”

Rue shook her head, resolutely. “You had no idea what you were doing. And now that you do, you can stop it. I’m sure Reign is trying to figure out a way as we speak.”

My heart fluttered at the mere mention of his name. Less than an hour apart and already, I felt his absence acutely. The cuorem bond flickered impatiently, desperate to be near him once more.

Another presence stirred in my core, surges of power beating across the wall I’d erected between us. I wouldn’t be able to keep my dragon out forever. And I hated the idea of worrying him and all the others. Reign must have been losing his mind.

Slowly, I peeled back my defenses, allowing Sol’s presence back in my mind. I’m safe, Sol .

Not for long. Once Reign gets his hands on you, you’ll be spending the rest of your days locked in your chamber. And I cannot say I blame him.

I’m sorry .

You forget the torture we went through while you were missing for months, Aelia .

I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to shadowtravel. My emotions were just so out of control .

Which is exactly why you must return, so that we can work on controlling them together. Our connection is two ways. You must learn to share that overwhelming energy with me as I share mine with you.

For a moment I’d forgotten Reign wasn’t the only one I was mystically bonded to. Perhaps, I should begin siphoning some of the that explosive energy toward my skyrider. Then again?—

You weren’t exactly the picture of calm earlier today, Sol.

Fair enough, Little Kin, but you can hardly blame me after discovering the truth .

I don’t blame you. I would have done the same . I heaved out a breath, centering my thoughts. Tell Reign I’ll be back in a moment. Assuming I could figure out how to shadowtravel again, but I chose not to mention that to my overprotective skyrider. I’m just going to say goodbye to Rue and Symon .

Very well . But just know that if you do not return in the next few minutes, there will be a very angry Shadow Fae coming for you .

The connection went quiet, and I turned my focus on Rue and Symon, who still sat on either side of me. “I’m afraid I have to return to Shadowmere.”

“Already?” Symon pushed his bottom lip out into an irresistible pout.

“Unfortunately. But when can you visit again?”

“The final Infernal Trial is next week,” Rue replied. “We’ll have a week off after for the end of the term.”

Good gods, I couldn’t believe I’d missed an entire term. Would they ever allow the lost Light Princess to resume classes? If Ruhl was permitted to attend Arcanum, perhaps there was hope. If only there wasn’t the pesky prophecy to contend with. And Reign’s blood vow.

Noxus, it all seemed so hopeless.

Turning my attention to my friends, I drew in a steadying breath. Somehow, I had to stay strong. “I hope to see you both in a week then.”

Symon pressed us into a Kin sandwich, his favorite treat, and soon my heart felt lighter once again. When they released me, I offered each a quick wave and focused on summoning my shadows. The tangle of energies surged, but it only took a few moments to call upon the one I needed. The cool, dark whisps surrounded me, nox engulfing my veins. Closing my eyes, I envisioned Shadowmere, the manor, Reign, but as the darkness bled through, nightmarish images flooded in instead.

A battlefield, a chaotic blur of light and shadow, endless carnage, scorched earth and bloodshed. It was the last thing I saw before the looming shadows towed me under.