Page 62

Chapter Sixty-Two

A elia

After one incredible night in Reign’s arms, and two glorious days spent within the safety of the gilded walls of the castle, watching my parents’ home fade into the distance was more difficult than I’d expected. The past few days had been an escape from reality, but that grim reality grew ever closer. It was easy to forget the turmoil that went on just beyond our borders, that Heaton was still out there fighting and countless others were dying as we sat idly by.

Now that we’d secured the alliance with King Elian, our brief respite was over. It was time to let in the others on our plan. A tangle of nerves battled in my gut as I soared atop Sol over the familiar halls of the Conservatory. Today, I would be forced to tell Rue her brother was still alive, but possibly irreparably damaged by none other than my grandsire. More than that, I’d have to resurrect a ghost. Me.

All my fellow classmates, the headmaster, everyone believed me to be dead.

How would they take the news? And more importantly, would they be prepared to fight the Night Fae?

Everything will be fine, my love. I promise you . Reign’s words were like a caress to my weary soul. He flew aboard Phantom beside me, his dragon’s wingbeats echoing those of my own and nearly close enough to reach out and touch. A tranquil stream flowed through all four of us, as if the bond between us had strengthened somehow. Sometimes, I was certain I could feel Phantom’s presence through Reign.

Was it simply a side effect of our cuorem, or was it an echo of the ancient mate bond between our dragons?

Sol angled his wings toward the ground, drawing me from the dismal musings, and my stomach lurched up into my throat. A part of me couldn’t wait to share the news of our newly minted bond with Rue and Sy, but the other part dreaded facing Ruhl. Reign had summoned both his brother and his best friend, Gideon, to discuss the current state of affairs. If our plan to defeat the Night Fae was to work, it would require a joint effort.

Solanthus and Phantom alighted along the edge of campus, within the shade of the encroaching forest. Even from this distance, I could already make out the familiar forms of my teammates wielding ethereal weapons along the training field.

Goddess, I never thought I’d miss the normalcy of Combat class.

I slid down Sol’s leg, careful to avoid the spikey protrusions, then tipped my head back to smile up at my skyrider.

I’ll be nearby. Phantom and I will indulge in a quick hunt until you’re ready to return to Shadowmere .

Enjoy ! I wanted to add more, to ask how things were going with Phantom, but Reign’s heavy gaze from across the way jerked my attention to the matter at hand. Besides, I assumed Sol would tell me when the time was right.

With their thunderous flapping beating the air into a frenzy, I watched as the two enormous beasts took off into the endless blue. Reign appeared at my side an instant later, his gaze following their trail.

“Has Phantom mentioned anything to you about their mate bond?”

“No, but I believe they’re trying to find their way back to each other, much like we have.” He reached for my hand, firm fingers weaving through mine, and just like that, some of the turmoil quieted.

We barely made it halfway across the field before two familiar forms bounded toward us.

“Aelia, is that you?” Rue shouted as she raced in our direction.

“What are you doing out here in the open?” Symon glanced around the verdant lawn, teeming with Light Fae students. More than a few curious gazes lanced in our direction. Then came the murmurs and hissed whispers.

With the chatty Fae, news of my return would spread across campus like wildfire.

My friends and I collided in a tangle of limbs and happy laughter in the middle of the field. Symon spun us in a circle, ripping my hand free of Reign’s. I didn’t need the bond to sense his displeasure, but he remained silent all the same.

“Holding hands with the professor in public, have you both gone mad?” Rue hissed.

A silly grin stretched across my face, and I couldn’t hold in the good news for a moment longer. I’d debated starting with the information about Heaton, but somehow, I couldn’t force the words from my mouth.

“Reign and I are mated; we completed the cuorem bond,” I blurted, heat ravaging my cheeks.

“Oh, Aelia!” Rue squealed before Symon joined in on the merriment.

“Finally!” he exclaimed, pulling me into another hug. His fingers hovered an inch from my ear, but he pulled them back as Reign’s murderous glare razed over him. “Very happy for you, professor,” he gritted out instead.

“Mmm,” Reign grumbled.

“Yes, so happy!” Rue released me and wrapped her arms around Reign pulling him into a rowdy embrace.

I couldn’t keep the cackle from bursting free at his horrified expression as she bounced up and down, taking him with her.

“Right, right, enough of that,” he groused, pulling free of her hold. “As happy as we both are about this, I’m afraid we have some less wonderful news.”

That pit of dread I’d managed to dislodge returned in full force. Where would I start? With the fact that I’d encountered Heaton on the battlefield, or that I was still possessing bodies and waging war in my sleep?

Oddly enough, I hadn’t experienced a single nightmare since Reign and I had completed the bond. I prayed to all the gods it was a permanent remedy, but Reign wasn’t convinced.

“Come, let’s go speak in my chamber, away from prying eyes.” Reign ticked his head toward the Hall of Rais which housed the faculty quarters, and we all fell into step behind him. Once a professor, always a professor, I supposed.

As we meandered through the familiar campus, that longing returned once again. I was certain, now, I would never return to these hallowed halls as a student. With the war upon us, there was no longer time for classes or trials, the true final battle had arrived. We would no longer be mere students but be forced to graduate to warriors.

The depressing thought infiltrated my mind. How many of my classmates would die? How many of my teammates?

“Tell me everything about the bonding ritual,” Rue whisper-hissed in my ear, drawing me from my dark thoughts. “Is it truly as incredible as the ancient tomes describe?”

A smile slid across my lips unbidden as I allowed myself a moment to recall the amazing moment in the glittering cavern. “It’s all that and more.”

“Oh, Raysa,” Sy squealed in excitement. “We need all the details, my little Kin.”

Reign swung his head over his shoulder scowling. “Please, not in front of me.”

“Oh, professor!” Rue cried. “Has your mystical bonding transferred some of Aelia’s mortal sensibilities?”

Another cackle erupted, my head falling back.

“No,” he snapped, “I simply don’t see how any of it is your business.”

“Clearly, you know nothing about females.” She grinned mischievously.

As much as I enjoyed the light-hearted banter and watching Reign squirm, I had to prepare Rue for the information to come. Heaving in a breath, I speared my arm through hers, holding her tight against me as she’d often done when offering support upon my initial arrival at the academy.

“It’s about Heaton,” I murmured.

Her wide eyes swung at me, mouth curved into a capital O. “What?”

“I saw him, Rue. He’s alive.”

“Oh, blessed Raysa, thank you!”

“There’s more…”

Reign fell back, moving between my friends and me. “Wait until we’re within the warded walls of my chamber, Aelia.”

I nodded quickly before turning to my best friend once more. “We’ll get him back, Rue, I promise.”

* * *

A tense silence hovered across the expanse of Reign’s room once we had explained everything that had happened in the last several days. Rue and Symon sat perched on the settee by the hearth, while Reign circled his chamber in a frenzied pace. I lingered beside my friends, nerves too rattled to sit. Between the toxic mix of Reign’s state of mind and my own, a swell of anxiety bloated my chest.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to reverse whatever lies Helroth has planted in Heaton’s mind. Look how well I’m doing.” I offered a reassuring smile.

“No offense, little Kin,” Sy interjected, “but didn’t you just tell us you’ve been slaying Light and Shadow Fae in your sleep?”

“But I’ve been better now…” Probably because every night I’ve spent with Reign since we completed the bond, there’s been little sleep, if any.

“We are handling it,” Reign barked. “Now that we are bonded, there must be a way for me to draw the zar out of her.”

“And pollute yourself with that venomous energy instead?” I blurted.

“I can handle it.”

The door to Reign’s chamber whipped open and a torrent of his shadow minions raced across the room.

“It’s just Ruhl!” I shouted before Reign’s dark guards curled around his throat.

The smoky, slithering wraiths returned to their master, diving within the depths of his cloak. “What took you so long?”

Ruhl stalked closer, a guarded look in his eyes as he regarded me for a long moment before swinging his glare toward his brother, nostrils flared. “For Noxus’s sake, Reign. What have you done?” he growled, eyes flashing. “I can scent you all over her. You’ve ruined everything.”

“I never agreed to your inane plot to betroth yourself to my cuoré!” Shadows streaked from his form, bathing the room in pure night.

“What?” I gasped, eyes darting between both males.

“Don’t look at me,” Reign growled. “This was the grand plan concocted by my half-brother and Aidan.”

“That’s why you took me away the other night?” My brows furrowed, realization slamming into me, then a trickle of annoyance seeped through. You should have told me . I sent the thought through the sparkling tether that united our minds.

I wanted us to be alone .

“You wanted to keep her away from us,” Ruhl snarled. “So that she wouldn’t have the chance to listen to logic. Did you force her to complete the bond just to spite me?”

“Of course not,” Reign hissed, erasing the distance between him and his sibling. “How dare you say that?” His hands curled around the collar of Ruhl’s tunic. “I would never force her to do anything.”

“It was my idea,” I cried out before the two jealous idiots destroyed each other. “I wanted to complete the bond because I love him.”

Ruhl’s expression faltered, the venom in his gaze waning. He expelled a breath, shoulders rounding. With the cuorem finally satiated, he should no longer have felt any of the lingering side effects. Then why was he looking at me like it was impossible to breathe?

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Reign gritted out, uncurling his hands from his brother’s throat. “I’ve secured Elian to our side and ensured Aelia’s safety. She’s my cuoré, and I will see to it that her best interests are considered.”

“I’m standing right here,” I shouted. “Neither of you should be plotting anything behind my back, and that includes Aidan.”

From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Rue and Symon. They watched the exchange silently, gazes darting back and forth between each of us. Oh, gods, how embarrassing.

“Reign is right.” I drew in a steadying breath and moved toward the Shadow Prince. “What is done is done. And I am happy, Ruhl. Can you understand that?”

His lips pressed into a hard line, but his head dipped all the same. “As long as it is what you wanted.”

“It’s more than I ever could have dreamed of.” I laced my fingers through Ruhl’s and squeezed. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been forced to endure at the hands of the finicky bond.” At the faint touch, a surge of jealousy streamed through the cuorem. Releasing his hand, I took a measured step back and staggered straight into Reign’s unyielding torso.

“Now that that’s been settled, there is much more to discuss.” Reign motioned toward the sitting area by the hearth. “Where is Gideon, anyway?”

“He’ll be here shortly.” Ruhl shrugged. “Something about dealing with Malakar.”

“Fine, then, we wait.”

Ruhl marched to the door, eyes avoiding mine. “If it’s all the same to you, brother, I’d prefer to get some fresh air and sunshine while I wait.”

“You, bask in the sun, since when?”

His gaze chased to mine for an instant before falling away. “Since I’ve suddenly found myself drowning in endless night.”