Chapter 1

Aelia

I pray to the goddess that the Fae lord who comes for me will be weak.

It was a silly prayer, but one that I'd repeated daily since the moment I discovered my inescapable fate as a magicless female Kin. I was destined to become the lifelong servant to a high Fae from one of the feuding courts upon my twentieth birthday. Tomorrow.

The setting sun crept across my bare shoulders, seeping into the light tunic from which I'd ripped the sleeves. I preferred to train in my leathers and the light frock, as opposed to the unwieldy sack-like dresses female Kin were supposed to wear. Balancing the worn hilt of the dagger Aidan had gifted me on my fifteenth birthday on my finger, I focused on keeping it upright with just the slightest movement of my hand. Only a few more seconds… Sweat beaded along my brow as I concentrated, my muscles tense from the strain. A strand of platinum hair fell across my forehead. Cursing, I blew it out of my face, and it settled atop my midnight locks. I'd been born with the strange white-blonde streak, and despite numerous attempts at tinting it with herbs of every shade of the rainbow, it refused to absorb color.

"Focus, Aelia." That gentle, sobering timbre centered my scattered thoughts.

For as long as I could remember, Aidan had drilled into my head the importance of not only brute strength, but also patience and control. I tended to ignore the latter. If I could simply outmaneuver my opponent with my sword or stealthy daggers, I could gain the upper hand. Which was exactly why I hoped for a weak Fae from whose clutches I could escape.

Beyond that, my plan was to return for Aidan, then travel to the Wilds, the desolate lands that stretched south of the courts of Aetheria. Surely, the mythical monsters that roamed the cursed territory would be preferable to returning to my home in Feywood and facing certain death. I didn't fear death, nor the god of eternal darkness, Noxus, but I would never risk Aidan's life, the man who selflessly raised me all these years.

"Very good, Aelia, and release." Aidan's voice drew me back to the present and the dagger I still precariously balanced. With a quick flip of my wrist, I sent it skyward, snatched it mid-air, and tossed it toward the target ten yards away. I watched as it sailed end-over-end before sinking into the straw figure across the field with a satisfying thwack.

"Always showing off." A moment later, Aidan appeared by my side with my dagger in his hand and a grin pulling at his chapped lips. His silver hair was neatly secured at his nape, despite the beads of sweat on his brow. Wisps of white hair mottled his upper lip and strong jawline, betraying his age.

A couple years ago, Aidan had confided he was nearing seventy years old. The confession had sent me reeling. Kin, like us, only lived to a hundred seasons—at most—unlike the Fae who could easily survive to three times that. It was the only moment in my life when I wished him to be one of them.

It was silly, much like the mantra I repeated daily. Fae were never weak; and powerless Kin did not become Fae. We lived only to serve the highborn, to toil at their fields or exist at their beck and call. Each of us served a purpose, our calling determined at birth. I would serve a Fae lord while Aidan would spend the rest of his existence working the fields. If we refused our caste in life, we would be killed along with every member of our family. The choice was simple really. In return for our obedience, the Fae protected us from the nightmarish beasts in the Wilds to our south.

Aidan handed me the dagger, patted me on the shoulder and directed me toward the small cottage I'd grown up in. I eyed my favorite weapon with its lethal blade and the once shimmery crystal encrusted in the ornate hilt, now dull from my incessant rubbing. It was one of a pair Aidan had given me. I rarely left home without one of them sheathed at my waist. Our cottage stood at the foot of the lush Feywood Forest which separated us from them, the two dueling courts that ruled our land.

An insect chirped in the distance and a few birds scattered overhead, signaling the onset of twilight. Not even the creatures of the woods lingered long once darkness fell. No one dared wander into Feywood Forest at night—especially not on a full moon.

This would be the last night I'd spend in the only home I had ever known; my final evening on the lumpy straw mattress with my feet hanging over the wooden footboard of the tiny bed. Tomorrow, one of the Fae lords would come for me, and I'd likely spend the following night in the kind of luxury I'd only ever dreamed of. Only, I wouldn't be basking in delight, because it wouldn't be mine to revel in, but rather mine to clean and keep tidy, to cater to every whim of the Fae to whom I would now belong.

I'd heard tales from females whose elder sisters had been chosen. They were required not only to tend to the Fae lord's bed, but also frequently to warm it. The idea of giving my body to one of them… A bout of nausea crawled its way up my esophagus. I'd rather die. My fingers curled around the hilt of the dagger. Or kill him first.

"Do you think I'll end up in the Court of Ethereal Light or the Court of Umbral Shadows?" The question popped out as I followed Aidan to the front door of our old wooden hut. One would assume I'd be safer within the alabaster walls of the Light Court, but in truth, Light Fae were just as vicious as their dark counterparts.

Aidan's mouth twisted before it settled into a hard line. "I wish I knew, estellira." Despite the unsettling feeling in my chest, the hint of a smile tugged at my lips. Estellira. Aidan had called me that since I was a child, and somehow, it always settled the unease. He'd told me it was a word from the old Fae tongue of Faerish, meaning "little star." A distant memory scratched at the surface, a sweet, melodious voice singing. Estellira. It was as if that name had been a part of me all along. But it was impossible.

My mother had died at childbirth and my father had never come forward to claim me. Why Aidan had rescued me from a far darker fate in the hands of the local orphanage, I still didn't quite understand. He'd never given me a satisfactory answer other than "the goddess sent me to you." I supposed I'd done something incredible in a previous life to earn Raysa's favor. The goddess of light was clearly a kind and merciful one.

"Come, supper is waiting on the stove." He placed his hand on the small of my back and ushered me inside.

The savory scent of vegetable stew filled the small cabin and my stomach rumbled. I'd dug up the assortment of starchy tubers from our backyard this morning. Who would do that when I was gone? How would Aidan survive without me? The dismal thought incited the sting of hot tears.

Blinking quickly to keep them from rolling over, I slumped into my seat at the small square table in the center of the cottage which served as our dining table, desk, workstation, and depository for miscellaneous items. I pushed aside a wooden carving of a dragon, the magnificent creatures now nearly extinct thanks to the ill-fated war. Aidan had been toiling over the little sculpture for days. I glanced at it fondly before spreading the two saucers on the table as he shuffled over, carrying the cast iron pot.

Aidan ladled a heaping portion into my bowl, but that unease simmering in my stomach made it impossible for me to lift the spoon to my mouth.

"What will you do when I'm gone?" I blurted once he was seated.

"Oh, I don't know, but I'm certain I'll manage somehow." He dipped his spoon into the bowl and twirled its contents around before his pale gray eyes lifted to meet mine. "You know, I was alive long before you came into my life, Aelia. I will not lie and say it will be easy without you, but please do not worry for me. I am not completely useless, just yet." He smirked and shoveled a heaping spoonful into his mouth.

"I know… and I'll come back to see you as soon as I can."

He nodded slowly, an unreadable expression on his face. "I'm certain you will." Dropping the spoon, he took my hand and squeezed. "Promise me you'll do as the Fae lord says. I know you have it in your head to escape, but trust me, there is no way out."

My stomach twisted. I hated lying to Aidan, but I would never succumb to the wishes of an arrogant Fae lord. I simply couldn't. Crossing my fingers like I did when I was a silly child, I dipped my head. "I promise." The old tales claimed the Fae couldn't lie and I thanked my lucky stars I wasn't born one of them. According to Aidan, it was a complete fabrication, but I hoped, regardless.

The remainder of dinner passed in a weighty silence. A tangle of spiraling thoughts was more than enough company for me, and Aidan, too, seemed preoccupied with his own demons. Two years ago, word came that Elian of Ether, the King of the Court of Ethereal Light, would be flying through our tiny corner of Feywood. As a na?ve eighteen-year-old, I'd been thrilled with the chance to finally see one of the great kings of Aetheria. Aidan had refused to let me out of the cottage, but I managed to escape and steal a quick glance at the royal anyway. The following day, when I asked him why I had to hide, he went incredibly still and refused to say another word. It was the exact expression he wore now.

If a Light Fae appeared at our doorstep tomorrow to claim me, perhaps, I'd finally have the chance to have a better look at their king. There had been something about the royal that had called to me that day…

If not a Light Fae, I'd fall under the jurisdiction of Tenebris of Umbra, the King of the Court of Umbral Shadows. I wasn't sure which would be worse.

The pitter-patter of raindrops pivoted my gaze to the small square window above the stove. "Oh, the chickens!" I'd completely forgotten to cover their pen for the night. Despite the temperate spring weather, the rain was always icy in Feywood. "I'll be right back." I leapt to my feet, grabbed Aidan's cloak from the hook by the door and raced outside.

The last rays of sunlight dipped behind the forest as I rushed into the yard, illuminating the deep greens of the woods in a delicate glow. Racing around the back of the cottage with the dark hood over my head, I passed the small garden and found the hens and baby chicks huddled in the back of their pen.

Crouching in front of the wire enclosure, I squeezed a finger through the grating. "Sorry, little ones. I hope you didn't get too wet." I reached for the slabs of wood we kept behind the pen and positioned them over their home. "There, that should help keep you warm and dry."

When I was young, Aidan had never told me where the roasted chicken on our plates had come from. The moment I learned the truth, I'd vowed never to eat meat again and I'd forced Aidan to become a vegetarian. Now, we had dozens of chickens and more eggs than we knew what to do with, but at least I could sleep with a clear conscience.

A flash of light streaked across my peripheral vision and I whipped my head around. "What the blazes?" Rising, I tiptoed around the corner of the hut, the crunch of grass beneath my boots suddenly deafening. I paused at the edge of the structure and peered around to the front yard.

A swirl of light hovered just beyond the front door. It danced through the dribble of rain and encroaching darkness in an ethereal display, like a thousand stars snaking through the sky. The hair on my nape rose as my heart picked up a manic rhythm. I'd never seen anything like it—and yet, still, I knew. There was something in the air, a distinctive scent that had my nostrils flaring. It was magic. Light magic.

My feet moved instinctively toward it, despite my brain urging me to stay far away. Nothing good comes from Fae magic. Aidan had drilled the refrain into my head since I was a child. And still, I couldn't help myself.

I reached for the sparkling light, my fingers wrapping around the glowing luminescence. It tickled, and a surprising giggle parted my lips. It swirled around my body, reaching up around my midnight locks and lifting them off my neck. Then it curled downward, illuminating my tattered tunic and umber pants. It crawled beneath my clothing causing tiny sparks to wriggle across my flesh.

Goddess, what was this?

The slight tickle became more insistent, until the prickle morphed into discomfort, and then, intense pain. I gritted my teeth, but in spite of my best efforts, a scream tore through my clenched lips.

Hot, fiery pain scorched my skin, despite the icy rain, racing across every inch of me. Liquid lightning surged through my veins and blinding light consumed the edges of my vision. Oh, Goddess, it hurt. I wanted to scream, I wanted to die, but only a wordless cry curved my mouth as my knees gave way and I collapsed onto the cold, wet earth.

My mind spun, the lawn blurring in a haze of green when I hit the ground. My cheek brushed the damp blades of grass, my entire body convulsing as a piercing ghostly blade carved into my heart. Steel bands wrapped around my failing organ, and I wasn't sure how it was possible, but I was certain I was having a heart attack. My chest was so tight, my lungs couldn't inflate properly. I drew in a desperate breath, then another, but my thoughts grew more foggy.

That fiery agony surged on, relentless as it consumed every inch of my being. Just when I was certain Noxus would appear to drag me to eternal slumber, the intense light finally began to fade, giving way to icy darkness. It crept into the corners of my vision until it annihilated the blinding light.

I should have fought harder, I shouldn't have given in—but in that moment, all I wanted was to disappear into the cold arms of murky oblivion.

So, I did…