Chapter 24

Aelia

The fire in Reign's words kindled something deep inside. Once again, that long-buried power ignited, warming my icy bones. A sliver of moonlight slipped between the thick copse of trees overhead, illuminating the necklace Aidan had given me. It seemed like years had passed since my birthday. I thumbed the warm metal, the slow circles an anchor in the storm of poison ravaging my body. Exhaustion's feral claws wrapped around my chest, again threatening to pull me beneath its dark depths, but I refused to surrender. Reign was right. I'd come this far, and I would not die like this.

Reign's frantic footfalls began to slow, and I tore my gaze from the medallion. The twisted oaks and gnarled banyans of the forest gave way to a lush moonlit garden where the rainbow of flowers defied the sun, unfurling their petals under the caress of moonlight. Midnight roses with velvet petals as deep and dark as the night sky, ethereal moonflowers glowing with a luminescent sheen, casting a soft, silvery light that illuminated the winding paths. The elusive shadow orchids thrived in the muted light, their black and purple hues a vibrant contrast against the dark foliage.

Despite the anguish tearing through my veins, I couldn't help but gawk at the nocturnal splendor. Twisting vines adorned with star-shaped blossoms climbed over elegant arches and trellises, creating quiet nooks. At the heart of the garden lay a tranquil pond, its surface still and reflective as obsidian glass.

"Is that it?" I whispered, my voice oddly hollow given the beauty surrounding me.

"Yes." Reign gently lowered me onto the silky blades of grass beside the pond, removed my torn jacket, and began unlacing my nightgown from behind.

It took my foggy brain a moment to process what was happening. "What are you doing?" I squeaked, fumbling to keep the shreds of fabric across my breasts.

"The waters must have direct skin contact in order for the healing to occur."

"If it works at all…"

"Would you truly risk your life rather than allow me to see your bare form?" He dragged his hand through his unruly midnight hair, and it occurred to me that I'd never seen the perfect professor so disheveled. Sweat beaded across his brow and a thin layer of dirt darkened his cheeks. But that wild look in his eyes… I'd never seen anything like it. "We don't have time to argue about this."

I pinned my good arm across my chest, using what little energy I had, despite knowing how foolishly I was behaving. "Well, you said yourself the likelihood of this pond healing me is slim."

"Aelia," he growled, those fathomless orbs lancing into me and broaching no further argument.

"Fine," I grumbled.

He kneeled behind me, untying the final laces. As the light linen fell to the grass, I kept my arm tight across my chest. My breathing grew haggard, coming faster, each inhale more of a struggle as he crawled around me and began to unlace my boots. He kept his head down, his eyes intent on the dark thread weaving through the leather.

My shoulder throbbed and the piercing ache now climbed higher, up to my neck, then doubled back down through my fingertips. I hazarded a quick glance and found that dark vines of pure black now crisscrossed my pale skin. Not only could I see the poison spreading, I could feel it, numbing every inch as it surged through my veins.

Once he finished with my boots, those starlit irises lifted to mine. Despite the tangle of fiery pain and icy numbness, an uncontrollable flutter battered my chest when those eyes locked on my own. "Can you manage with the leathers?" he rasped. The rough edge to his tone stoking the burning embers in my core.

Tearing my eyes away from his, I glanced down at the laces and groaned. I could untie them, but that would likely be the most I could accomplish with one hand. I'd never be able to shimmy the wet leathers down my hips unassisted. Slowly, I shook my head.

A feral smile carved across his face, lifting the corners of his mouth into a wicked promise, and with the moonlight glistening across those midnight orbs, his eyes sparkled like a glittering night sky. Gods, I should not be this aroused so close to the brink of death.

Reign's fingers slid beneath my waistband as I undid the ties, revealing my damp undergarments. Heat traveled up and down my core, scorching my lower half before traveling back up and burning my cheeks. As he slid my leathers down my body, he kept his eyes pinned to mine.

I inhaled a ragged breath when nothing but my scant underclothes remained between us.

Reign abruptly stood and tore his tunic over his head, then shimmied out of his pants. The flimsy linen underdrawers he wore beneath left little to the imagination. I swallowed hard and tore my gaze away from the clear outline of his arousal.

"What are you doing?" I breathed.

"Damn it, Aelia, we don't have time to argue logistics. The pond is deep and the mystical current strong. In your condition, I doubt you'll be able to stand, much less swim. I'll have to hold you, and I'd rather not have to suffer wet clothes the entire flight home."

If my damned rais would simply cooperate, I would be able to dry him. At this rate, I might be dead by the time we've finished here, so this entire internal conversation was moot.

"I'll get in first, then I'll help you. Once you're beneath the water, you can remove your underthings."

I squeezed my eyes closed and nodded, muffling the faint gasp that threatened to erupt at mention of my most personal articles of clothing. At least he didn't mock my delicate mortal sensibilities this time. A faint splash encouraged my eyes to open, and I caught a glimpse of Reign sliding into the pond, his agile movements barely disrupting the dark ripples. Once he was immersed up to his neck, he held his hand out. I scooted to the edge of the pond, the subtle movement sending searing pain up my shoulder.

I must have winced, because without uttering a word, Reign's arms weaved around my waist. His fingers dug into my hips and pops of energy skimmed across my bare flesh as he lifted me for an instant before lowering me into the surprisingly heated water and positioning me in front of him, chest to chest. I could barely muster the strength to look him in the eye at this close proximity.

A groan escaped as the warmth enveloped me, the combination of the tepid waters and the heat of Reign's body chasing away the chill that had pervaded my bones.

"Now take off your undergarments."

Suddenly, the lack of heat was no longer an issue. That jagged edge to his voice had fire burning through every inch of me. I opened my mouth to object—surely, it couldn't have been that important to be completely naked—but Reign's murderous glare cut me off.

"Must I do it for you in order to ensure compliance?"

"No," I murmured as I reached around my back with my good arm to unhook the fastener. The brassiere sloughed off before floating between us for an agonizing moment. Plowing through the embarrassment, I tossed it to the lawn along with my other discarded clothing before reaching beneath the waters for my final undergarment, the delicate lace that covered my most private area nothing more than a scrap.

Reign's nostrils flared as I revealed the lacy fabric and lobbed it beside the other garments on the dark earth. A sparkle of mischief lit up those fathomless orbs, and a shudder raced up my spine as he held me against his unyielding chest. His legs kicked beneath the murky waves, keeping us both afloat.

"How long should this healing take?" I stammered, trying my damnedest to keep my eyes averted from his piercing ones. The current was strong, abnormally so for a pond. I'd greatly underestimated its power beneath the smooth glass fa?ade. It only served to remind me of the perilous nature of all things Shadow Fae. I did my best to attempt to flutter my feet to keep from relying completely on Reign, but I could barely keep my head above water. If it wasn't for his solid hold, I'd be clinging onto the edge with one arm for dear life.

"For Shadow Fae, not long at all, but for you, I have no idea." His eyes drifted to my shoulder, and his mouth twisted into a frown.

"Not good?" I whispered. I was having a harder time keeping my eyes open, let alone forming words.

He released a noncommittal grunt and his arms tightened around my middle, pressing me even more firmly against the hard planes of his torso. His musky, frosty scent filled my nostrils, wrapping me in a soothing cocoon. I must have been near delirium because I'd nearly forgotten I was completely naked, flush against my moody professor. It felt oddly comfortable—natural, even. It was entirely not what I'd expected for my first time bared before a male.

"Now what?" I murmured.

"Fuck, Aelia, I don't know." His harsh tone snapped my gaze up to meet his. Those pitch globes were completely unreadable, a dark tunnel of endless night. His mouth quivered, then it flattened into a tight line. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to shout; I simply do not have an answer, and I'm not accustomed to this feeling of utter loss of control. I despise it."

The surprising confession, not to mention the apology, was enough to momentarily clear my foggy mind. I truly must have been moments away from Noxus's waiting arms for Reign to be acting in this manner. "You did all that you could. You went above and beyond, really." I lifted my good shoulder. "You definitely deserve the prize."

"Damn it, Aelia, it isn't simply about the prize," he gritted out, his expression savage. His dark brows pinched as his heated gaze razed over me.

"It isn't?" Goddess, I hated how weak I sounded.

A heavy silence descended over us as Reign contemplated his answer for an endless moment. "No," he finally whispered. "I'm impressed by how far you've come. You've outlasted dozens of other Light Fae students with years of rais training, and tonight, you finally summoned your own power. As your professor, I'm proud of you."

Right, of course. As my professor. What had I expected him to say?

"I'm dying, aren't I?" I fixed my eyes to his luminous ones. "That's why you are suddenly being kind to me."

A rueful smile slid across his lips, and his head tipped forward so that our mouths were a mere heartbeat away. "Maybe," he sighed. His cool breath sailed across my lips, and my pulse thumped more quickly. "You have no idea the immense amount of willpower this is requiring of me, princess…"

My brows knitted as I lifted my eyes to his. "Willpower?" I'd assumed this was taxing on his nox, but his will?

"To be completely naked and wet in the cover of darkness with a beautiful female? I deserve a direct pass from Noxus straight to the heavenly afterlife."

My cheeks burned beneath that heated stare, a look that had likely done in dozens of females before me. My mouth curved to form a reply, but not a single word took shape.

A long minute later, he unraveled one arm from my waist and brushed a finger across my shoulder. His brows furrowed as he traced a path along my skin. "Does this hurt?"

I slowly shook my head to keep it from spinning. Wrapped in his arms, I'd momentarily forgotten all about the pain.

His dark gaze traveled up my neck, then down along my collarbone. He traced the invisible line his eyes had drawn with his finger, and goose bumps exploded across my flesh.

"Hmm," he murmured.

"What?"

I dipped my chin to survey the damage at the same time Reign's head dropped. Our noses brushed, and my breath hitched, the sharp intake of air vibrating the dense air between us. He licked his bottom lip and slanted his mouth toward mine. My entire body clenched in anticipation.

"Oh princess…" A low growl rumbled his chest, the vibrations echoing through my ribcage. "If you really were dying and these truly were the final moments between us, the things I'd do to you…"

My chest heaved, and my bare breasts nearly popped up above the surface as my body propelled me closer to his. I stared up at Reign, each inhale more difficult than the last as he trapped me in that mesmerizing gaze, drawing me further into the abyss.

He shifted and his now hard as steel arousal pressed against my belly through the thin linen of his underdrawers. Heat pooled between my thighs and I was certain I'd combust if he didn't release me at once.

"But alas," he murmured, his lips brushing mine. The touch so faint it was no more than the delicate flutter of pixie wings and, still, it set my heart galloping. "I believe the poison has stopped spreading."

"It has?" I squeaked. Following his line of sight, I trailed the inky tendrils that had spread across my flesh and now halted at my elbow.

"You see?"

I nodded, then Reign clasped my chin and tipped it up before trailing his finger down my neck and pausing at the sensitive skin of my collarbone. "And it's stopped here too."

"That's fantastic news." Then why did I sound so dejected? Was the idea of his heated promise worth more than my life? Raysa, the toxins surely must have spread to my brain. "So now what? Do we have to stay in this pool forever?" Please say yes— No!

"Elisa should have an antidote among her potions at the Conservatory. Now that the immediate threat has passed, we should have enough time to get you to her."

Ah, yes, the healer.

I waited for an endless moment as he watched me, willing words to spring free from his bowed lips. The almost kiss? His wicked desires? Was he simply going to pretend none of it happened?

I pushed back an inch, putting some much-needed space between our heated bodies when no further explanation came and breathed in a breath of air not tainted in Reign's heady scent. I supposed he would pretend. Then so would I. Clearing my scrambled thoughts, my mind instantly jumped to a startling conclusion. "If I were full Light Fae, I would be dead right now."

"Mmm." He nodded slowly. "Perhaps there truly is some Kin in you. It would explain the ears and the latent development of rais."

"So this toxin isn't lethal to Kin?" He could have led with that to begin with.

"I'm not certain of its effects on non-Fae, Aelia. To my knowledge, none have been exposed to it before today." He shrugged. "I don't claim to be the expert on the subject, but in my time at the Citadel, it had never been documented."

"You attended Arcanum Citadel?" I didn't know why it was such a difficult fact to swallow. He was Shadow Fae, after all, and clearly powerful. I'd already considered it more than once.

Again, his head dipped.

"Is that why you came tonight?" All the questions I'd wanted to ask before encountering that damned gloomwhisper pushed to the front of my mind. "And why did you bring my dagger?"

Reign pressed a finger against my lips, scrambling every thought fighting for dominance. "Not that I mind spending the evening with you in the nude, but you may want to save your questions for later, once we are safely back on Conservatory grounds."

My entire body stiffened as those scrutinizing eyes lanced over me, crawling beneath the dark surface of the pond. His hands were still molded to my hips, his grip like steel. How had I forgotten I was naked again? "Right, yes, of course." I attempted to cross my arms over my chest and this time succeeded without much pain. He was right, the mystical pool had helped.

"Shall I help you out?" Those midnight orbs glittered in amusement.

"No, thank you. I'll be just fine getting out on my own."

Reign swam me right up to the ledge. Once I had a solid grip on the earth, his hands unraveled from my waist. My body immediately reacted to the loss of his, that unearthly chill ravaging my bones. What in all the realms?

Twisting my head over my shoulder, I met a pair of lively, expectant orbs. "Close your eyes until I'm dressed."

"You must be joking," he growled.

"I am not."

"But I've already seen you?—"

"No, you haven't," I gritted out.

"For the love of Noxus…"

"Just do it, Reign."

"Fine," he grumbled. "You know, you're not fully healed yet. If you collapse from the effort it takes you to get dressed, it will be your own fault."

"I think I'll take the chance."

"Insufferable, modest Kin," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Insufferable, arrogant Fae," I muttered right back as I heaved myself out of the pond. My head spun from the exertion, so instead of standing once I reached solid ground, I crawled to my damp clothes. He wasn't wrong, simply getting out of the water had taken a lot out of me. I hated when he was right.

Once I was fully clothed, I slowly pivoted to face him. To my surprise, he still remained in the pond with his eyes closed. "You can come out now."

"Thank the gods. I thought I'd shrivel up and die in here."

"Very funny, professor."

He planted his palms on the lawn and heaved himself out of the mystical pool. Water sluiced down his perfectly sculpted torso, droplets collecting along the defined ridges of his abdomen. I'd been so preoccupied with nearly dying earlier, I hadn't noticed the symbol carved into the flesh right above his heart. The mark of the banished. I only recognized it because I'd done copious research at the library once I'd heard about Reign's predicament. It was a crude design of slashes and swirls puckering his skin. Gods, it looked horribly painful.

He loomed closer as I stared, unable to tear my gaze away from the dark symbol. "You know," he whispered, when he stood only inches away, "I could have had you back in those clothes and out again in half the time."

My eyes snapped up to meet his, and his lips curved into a devious smile.

"Too bad you'll never have the opportunity to test that theory," I bit back.

He dragged his sodden underdrawers down his muscled legs, and a gasp squeezed through the hard line of my lips as I diverted my gaze. A deep chuckle rumbled his broad chest, lifting his shoulders. "Oh, princess, if only we'd met under different circumstances…" He let the end of the sentence hang in the air between us, and I was oddly thankful for it.

I whirled around to face the towering Citadel as he dressed. This thing growing between Reign and me could go no further. Besides despising him most of the time, he was my professor and, per the Conservatory's rules, there was no fraternizing permitted between students and staff. It was a directive I'd quickly skimmed over upon my first perusal of the rules of conduct, as it had no bearing on my tenure at the academy.

"I'm finished dressing, you can turn around now."

Slowly, I rotated my body, and as I glanced up at Reign watching me, I convinced myself it still didn't.

"Now what?" I finally asked.

"Now we go home, princess."