Chapter 27

Aelia

My fingers squeezed around the dagger's hilt, trembling from the strain, the muscles in my back screaming in agony, but I widened my stance and prepared for the onslaught of shadows, all the same.

Reign had been relentless for the past two hours, battering me with wave after wave of his unstoppable nox. But I'd held my own. Even my radiant shield had made a reluctant appearance. Currently the only thing that kept me from keeling over was the satisfaction of seeing his fatigued expression. Wild strands of dark hair tumbled over his brow, and a mixture of sweat and dirt darkened his features. On any other male, it would have been repulsive, but on him, that unkempt state only accentuated his brutal beauty.

Half a dozen umbral knives whizzed toward me, and with the exhaustion bone deep, I couldn't summon my shield fast enough. Relying on my dagger instead, I arced my blade across the air, slicing through two of the spectral weapons before dropping to the ground to evade the remaining ones.

"Again," Reign barked from a few yards away.

To my relief, he'd kept the hand-to-hand combat at a minimum today, relying almost entirely on the use of our mystical powers, which thankfully left us at a safe distance from one another.

Pushing myself off the grass, I tried to lift my weary bones, but only made it up to my knees before I fell back on my haunches. "I need a break," I complained.

"Breaks are for formidable Light Fae, and you have yet to prove yourself as one."

"Fae you." I lifted my index finger in a foul gesture, because apparently, I'd lost my mind.

Reign stomped toward me, erasing the distance between us in two long strides. His tunic flapped on a light breeze, dark shadows melding to his intimidating form. "If you could produce flames at will like other Light Fae, I would be more than happy to give you a rest, but since you cannot, and the Choosing Ceremony is only a few days away, we shall continue."

I glared up at the infuriating male looming over me. "If I die from exertion, it won't really matter now, will it?"

"Don't be so exaggerative."

"I'm not," I whined, the embarrassing sound squeezing out.

Reign crouched in front of me, balancing on the balls of his feet as he dragged a hand through his untamed locks. "Aelia, I am going to be perfectly honest with you. You have been here for over three months, and you are the only student of your year who can barely summon a radiant shield. I've seen tiny tots barely weaned from their mother's breast do it with less issue."

Something snapped as the arrogant bastard stared down at me. "I never asked to be here, gods' damn it," I hissed. "I was perfectly content living my quiet life on the farm as a Kin. I didn't request to have my life turned upside down, or to be honed into a warrior to serve the Crown. I didn't want any of this."

His dark brow arched, midnight eyes flashing, and a deep rumble vibrated his thick chest.

Perhaps, I'd gone too far. At times, I forgot Reign was a professor, a person of authority at the Conservatory, and not merely one of my difficult peers.

"You are a liar," he snarled. "I saw you in that miserable cottage, a second away from being hauled away by that Shadow Fae lord. You cannot tell me you would have been happier occupying his bed."

Heat flushed my cheeks, indignation sending my pulse skipping. "Who are you to judge? You have no idea what I truly desire. You know nothing about me." Goddess, I wished I could storm off, but my legs jiggled like jelly, and I was fairly certain if I attempted to stand, I'd end up flat on my face.

"That's entirely untrue, princess. I've seen you fight; I've witnessed the fire in your eyes and that indomitable will to survive." Reign's hand stretched out, fingers lifting my chin so I could feel the burn of his gaze. "You may not have chosen this destiny, but Raysa set you upon this path, nonetheless. You have the heart of a warrior, Aelia, and the spirit of the phoenix who rises anew from ash and flame. The trials you"ve overcome are merely the forging of your soul, sculpting you into the champion you are destined to become. Trust not in the fate that was given, but in the fate you will shape, with iron will and a courage that even the stars shall envy."

All the air fled my lungs, stolen by the force of his words. Gods, did he truly think so highly of me?

His fingers fell away, but that piercing gaze lingered for an interminable moment longer. Drawing on strength I was certain I did not possess, I forced myself to stand. Once I was certain I was steady, I lifted my chin to my enigmatic professor, matching the intensity I saw in his eyes.

"Okay, I'm ready."

"Good girl." His savage expression softened into a smile. "Because we have yet to test that theory I mentioned earlier."

Right. "How could I have forgotten?"

The storm of darkness curled around his shoulders until massive wings unfurled. He held out his arms and eyed me expectantly.

"Where are we going?"

His gaze lifted over my head to the dark waters swirling between the two rival academies. "Just across the river."

"Again?" I squealed, my head whipping back and forth.

"Only to the edge of Shadow Fae territory. Trust me, it will be quick, and we will go unnoticed."

"I don't know…"

"I will be retrieving your dagger."

A twitch of excitement curled the corners of my lips. "Well, why didn't you say that in the first place?" Before he could answer, I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and leapt into his arms.

Reign grunted, staggering back. "A little warning would have been nice, princess."

"Surely, with those impressive muscles, carrying me should be no more trying than lifting a feather."

A deep chuckle bubbled up from his throat, the smooth, melodious sound like a warm caress. "Why, princess, are you trying to stroke my ego?" A devious smirk lit up the deep pools of darkness. "Not that I mind, but there are other parts I'd prefer stroked?—"

A gasp cut off his wicked words as scorching heat descended over my face.

Another howl of laughter echoed between us as he pushed off the earth and his wings propelled us skyward. With my stomach plummeting, all thoughts of his mischievous humor vanished as I clung on for dear life.

We soared over the veranda separating the campus from the Luminoc River below and floated over the choppy waters. From this point along the bank, the distance to the Court of Umbral Shadows was minimal; it was exactly where I'd chosen to jump from that ill-fated night.

A few powerful thrusts of his wings and we crossed the expanse. As we hovered between both courts, the brilliant light gave way to shimmery night. I'd hoped for a moment to pry more information out of my reticent professor, but before I could gather the courage, his wings angled downward, and we began our descent into darkness.

Reign's boots hit the soft earth with surprising grace for such an immense male, his wings almost immediately evaporating into the night. I wondered how difficult it was to fight the effects of the manacles. Gently, he lowered me to the ground, keeping one hand on my waist until I proved steady.

My thoughts darted back in time to our conversation the last time we were here. "How is it possible for you to stand on Shadow Fae soil with that mark on your chest?" It was my understanding that a symbol such as that was carved to prevent the traitor from returning to their homeland.

The sloping curve of his lips screwed into a distasteful pucker. He remained silent for a long moment before his Adam's apple jogged down his throat, and his quiet reply filled the air between us. "It's much like these cuffs. I can fight its effects for short periods of time."

Goddess, he must have been inhumanly strong.

"Which is why it's necessary we make this quick." He ticked his head to a swathe of nightbloom bushes along the bank, its deep lavender blossoms glistening beneath the moonlight. "We should find your dagger there."

Before the last word was out, I darted toward the lush hedges. A white bundle caught my eye about a yard away from where we stood. My pulse quickened as I hurried forward, the medallion of the necklace Aidan had given me bouncing on my chest.

"There!" I dropped to my knees and reached for the package beneath the lush vegetation. Despite the bulky cloth wrapped around it, a familiar pulse called to me. Clearly, Reign had pushed me too hard at training because I was nearly delusional.

He appeared beside me a moment later as I ripped open the bundle. Nestled in the center was my dagger, a brilliant sheen coating the blade and the hilt more lustrous than I'd ever seen it.

"Well, that was kind of Gideon to give it a polish." Reign eyed my favorite weapon from over my shoulder.

"Who is Gideon?"

"A good friend."

"I still can't believe you left my dagger in the hands of the enemy," I grumbled.

"I told you he is a friend, and I can count my true friends on one hand. Your precious weapon was never in any danger, princess."

As I fondled my dagger, Reign reached for the slip of parchment I'd missed in my eagerness. His brows furrowed as he read over the dark scrawling.

I whirled around and stood on my tiptoes, trying to see over him. "What does it say?"

"Give me a second to read it."

From what I could see, it was only a few sentences. How long could it possibly take to read? With every second that passed, Reign's expression grew darker.

"Reign!" I hissed and snatched the note from his hand.

I scanned the neat penmanship before releasing a groan. "I can't read this."

"That's exactly the point, princess."

"Well, what does it say?"

He released a breath, a tendon fluttering like mad across his clenched jaw. "Gideon believes the blade is crafted from infernium vein."

"What in the realms is that?"

"A metal mined only within the Court of Infernal Night, the former third Fae court, which to our best knowledge, should no longer exist."