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Chapter Sixty-Three

A elia

Perched atop the stone wall that surrounded the courtyard and jutted out into the Shadowmere Sea, I stared across the dark horizon. An entire day had passed, we were back within the ebony walls of Duskridge Manor and still, I couldn’t get Ruhl’s words or that look of utter devastation out of my mind. I should have been angry at him and Aidan for attempting to arrange yet another betrothal for me—this time, a real one—but instead, I only felt pity for Reign’s half-brother. Perhaps it was the lingering memories Helroth had implanted, or maybe I’d grown to truly care for him over the past few months.

Either way, the guilt still ate at me.

A breeze lifted strands of platinum hair off my brow and sent them lashing across my face. As I swept them behind my ear, the shuffle of approaching footsteps turned my head over my shoulder.

Aidan.

I hadn’t spoken more than a few words to my adoptive father since my return. He hadn’t seemed pleased about the news of our mated status, and it irked me, more than I cared to admit. After having waited so long, I’d hoped my friends and family would have been more supportive of the development.

“ Estellira ,” he whispered, his voice so quiet it was nearly lost on the breeze.

I canted my head back, legs still dangling off the precipice. “Yes?”

“It has occurred to me that I may owe you an apology.”

That had my attention. I whirled completely around to face the male who’d raised me.

He shifted his weight, running a hand across his nape. “Or, rather, Reign made it apparent. I ran into him in the kitchen, and he directed me out here to find you.”

Of course, he knew where I was.

“He made me realize that I hadn’t reacted to your news in the appropriate way, and I explained why, which then prompted me to find you so that I may explain myself.”

“Why, then?”

“It wasn’t that I don’t approve of Reign or wished you to marry Ruhl instead. I feared your attachment to Reign and the blood vow he owed his father. I only wish to protect you, and I truly want you to be happy, estellira . It was what your parents would have wanted too. Your cuoré has assured me that he has taken the necessary steps to ensure your safety, and I believe him. Besides, the true reason for my bad temper was not the mating at all, but rather, the news of your visit to King Elian.”

My brows drew together as I regarded him. “But why?”

“Don’t you find it odd that given the choice of his brother, a direct blood relative, or his general, that your father chose me to raise you? He could have just as easily named Elian to care for you, to keep your secret.”

I chewed on my bottom lip, considering. “But then who would have ruled the Ethereal Court?”

A wry smile curved his lips. “That was exactly what Reign said.” He reached out for me, cupping my cheek. “My estellira , if you had been my child, and I had the choice between choosing the best person to care for you or the best person to rule our kingdom, the decision would have been a simple one. I knew your father well, and I am certain he felt the same.”

“So, he didn’t trust his own brother?”

His shoulders slowly lifted. “Not enough to entrust him with his most prized possession.”

Warmth flooded my chest as Aidan’s pale gray eyes seared to mine. “Your parents both loved you so much. You meant the world to them. They would have given up everything to ensure your safety, and they did.”

Despite having searched his memories myself, there was still vital information I lacked. I paused, wording my question carefully, knowing that the blood vow Aidan took would prevent him from divulging the truth. “How did King Alaric die?”

“According to history,” he began, a vein across his forehead pulsing, “the king suffered a severe wound in battle and died less than a fortnight after. Some say it was the death of his dragon…”

“But that isn’t the truth?”

Again, that vein pulsed, and his lips strained as if desperate to pry loose words that were locked up tight.

“Clearly, there’s more to this story.”

He nodded ever so faintly.

“And my mother?”

Not a syllable broke free through his tense jaw. According to Phantom, my mother’s bonded skyrider, it had been the cuorem bond. She’d been so distraught by the death of my father, she’d perished right after him.

“Is there anyone alive besides you who knows what truly happened to my parents?”

Again, the faint dip. “There must be, but I am not certain.”

“It’s Helroth, isn’t it? He knows more than what he’s letting on. I assumed he was lying when he said Elian killed my mother, but what if he wasn’t?” What if that was the one thing my grandsire had actually been truthful about? The terrible possibility stole the air from my lungs. Oh gods, and I’d just allied myself with the Light King. We had shared vital details with him.

Maybe Reign had been right not to trust him. I’d been such a fool, blinded by the hope of finally finding a link to my past, to my family.

* * *

“What if aligning ourselves with Elian was a terrible mistake?” Clutching one of my daggers in my hand, I paced the length of my chamber, a storm of energy churning in my core.

Reign stood by the window, the moonlight framing his imposing form in a pale blue glow. “Aelia, we knew trusting the king would be a gamble, but he is our best hope of defeating Helroth.”

“And if he turns on us instead? Like he might have done to my mother?” A sob worked its way up my chest, but I swallowed hard, forcing it down.

Reign erased the space between us, his firm, reassuring hands closing around my shoulders and halting my manic movements. “We don’t know for certain that what Helroth claimed is true. He also said you held no Light Fae blood in your veins and that your father abandoned you and your mother. We know for certain that none of that is true.” He paused, his hands sliding up my neck and settling on my cheeks. “And even if it were the truth, I have given Elian more than enough of an incentive to keep his word to protect you.”

My brows furrowed as I regarded him, a whisper of fear lancing through my insides. “What do you mean? What did you do, Reign?”

He loosed a breath, the taut set of his shoulders softening. “I didn’t want to tell you because I feared you’d try to talk me out of it.”

My entire body stiffened before I staggered back a step. “Talk you out of what?”

“In exchange for his protection and that of his entire troop of Royal Guardians, I vowed to deliver Tenebris.”

“Reign!” My eyes widened in horror. “No, you can’t… He’s still your father.”

Raw fury, pure and undiluted streamed through our bond. “He’s nothing to me,” he growled. “My entire life I was only a weapon to him, a blade to be brutally honed to destroy his greatest enemy. You.” He reached for me again, and this time, I didn’t fight it as his hands cradled my face. “You are my cuoré, and you come before anything and everyone else. Delivering my father to Elian means the protection of the Court of Light and the answer to my blood vow.”

A gasp escaped despite my best efforts. Reign was willing to send his own father to certain death to protect me from himself. “Oh, Reign…” A sliver of my heart fractured. How could he think I would expect that of him? Placing my hand on his chest, just over his heart and our new mate mark, I pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “The sacrifice is too much.”

“It is not.” He kissed me back, harder, as if was trying to sear the truth into my very soul. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe, Aelia. Not a line I wouldn’t cross. Not a shadow I wouldn’t command. I would raze kingdoms, tear through realms, and defy the gods themselves if it meant shielding you from even a whisper of pain.”

His breath mingled with mine, his forehead pressed to my own. “You are my purpose. My cuoré. And I will fight until my last breath to make sure you survive whatever comes.”

My heart stuttered at the intensity of his words and the stream of emotions rocketing through our bond. Releasing a shaky breath, I seared my mouth to his. “I love you so much, Reign,” I whispered against his lips.

Those midnight orbs locked onto mine, and the flurry of sensations surging between us stole the breath from my lungs. “Not more than I love you.” He captured my lips with a hunger that shattered the last of my restraint. His kiss was fierce, reverent, as if he were trying to imprint his soul to mine all over again. Heat spiraled between us, igniting something ancient and irrevocable in my core. The cuorem pulsed, a living, breathing thing between us. His hands framed my face like I was something fragile, yet sacred, a treasure he'd spent lifetimes searching for.

When we finally broke apart, his forehead rested against mine, our breaths tangled. “You are etched into every piece of me, Aelia. You always have been. And no power in this realm or the next will ever change that.” He walked me back toward the massive bed, and a smile stretched across my face. “Now let me show you.”

Fiery anticipation coiled low in my belly as he stretched me across the mattress. With those smoldering midnight irises fixed to mine, he crawled over me, fitting himself between my thighs. Scorching need crowded every inch of my being, and not for the first time, I thanked the gods for that contraceptive potion Elisa had whipped up. With how often we made love, the results would have been disastrous otherwise.

A whirlwind of shadows danced around our bodies, and within seconds, every shred of clothing between us vanished. A giggle pursed my lips at their icy touch, goose bumps rippling across my exposed flesh. Reign must have sensed the chill because he moved over me, fully blanketing me in his warmth. Already, I could feel him heavy against my thigh, and heady excitement thrummed through my veins, pooling at my core.

“Your shadows are becoming much too proficient with that little trick.”

He grinned wickedly. “They have been getting a lot of practice.”

“They certainly have.” I was sure my smile could grow no wider. Being with Reign, feeling the warmth of his arms around me, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against mine, was everything I hadn’t known I was missing. I may have never known the love of my parents, but Reign’s more than made up for it. His love wrapped around me like a second skin, shielding every broken, bruised part of me and replacing it with something whole.

Sliding my hands down his back, I parted my legs, urging him closer. I needed him inside me, the feel of our bodies moving as one. With a groan, he complied, filling me so deeply my heart soared. “Reign…” I rasped out, the onslaught of sensations nearly overpowering.

His arms curled around me, chests pressed together so that our flesh was joined in a fiery tangle. “I’ve got you, my love.”

Every brush of his fingers, every whispered word against my skin, tethered me more deeply to him. As our hips rocked against each other, the bond between us pulsed with quiet reverence, something ageless and sacred. In his embrace, I didn’t feel just powerful, I felt complete. And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t fear what tomorrow might bring. Because with Reign by my side, I could face anything.