Chapter 3

Aelia

My jaw dropped, my gaze bouncing between the glittering foreign mark that had appeared on my chest to the male's dark gaze. A male whose fingers still rested an inch from my breast, a previously unexplored area.

Impulsively, I slapped his hand away and leapt back.

Aidan and the Fae lord, Liander, gasped in nearly perfect unison, and deadly silence pervaded the chamber.

Dark and Dangerous's eyes flashed, but his mouth remained clenched in a hard line despite the blatant disrespect, as he stalked closer. Striking a Fae was a crime in Aetheria, punishable by ten lashes.

"I—I apologize," I murmured, as fear lanced through my heart. I could withstand the punishment… but I wasn't certain Aidan could.

The male's dark gaze seared to mine, and it was all I could do to keep breathing. Stars, I'd never met a more intimidating Fae. "Never apologize for defending yourself. It makes you sound weak, and if there is anything the Fae despise, it is weakness."

I swallowed hard, trapped in that hypnotic gaze.

Aidan moved between us, and I was finally freed of that all-consuming stare. "Excuse me, but who exactly are you? Unless my senses deceive me, you are not Light Fae."

The male scrutinized my adoptive father, inciting a hint of fear that had me reaching for my dagger again. I wouldn't stand by and watch Aidan get hurt because of me. "How very astute of a simple Kin." A sinister grin revealed perfect, pearly white teeth. "My name is Reign Darkthorn and I am the professor of Shadow Arts at the Conservatory of Luce. I have come to escort your daughter back to the Conservatory."

"This must be a mistake…" I blurted.

My words trailed off as, again, those midnight, starlit eyes found mine, and my insides crumbled. "It is no mistake. The goddess herself selects the chosen Fae to attend the most prestigious university in the land to train as Royal Guardians to serve the Court of Ethereal Light, and you, Aelia Ravenwood, have been chosen."

My mind spun, his words floating in the air between us and bearing down on me like lead armor. How could any of this be?

"But she's Kin." Liander voiced the thoughts I couldn't quite yet manage as he skulked into the small cottage.

"Obviously not." Reign's eyes dipped dangerously low, nearly skimming my cleavage.

"But I am." I finally found my tongue and ran my finger over my clearly rounded ears. I'd spent my entire life in Feywood, under the boot of the haughty Fae who ruled our realm. "I would have known if I had magical powers."

Reign's unfairly perfect lips screwed into a grimace. "Fae do not have magical powers." He spat the words as if they were poison. "Light Fae are imbued with the spirit of the Goddess Raysa through rais, while Shadow Fae are blessed with nox by our god, Noxus."

I barely restrained an eyeroll, forcing my gaze to remain pinned to the arrogant Fae's. "As you say…" Faery fool. "Then again, how would I know since I'm just a simple mortal Kin, as I've tried to explain. I'm not a Fae princess from childish faery tales."

Reign inched closer and every nerve in my body lit up at his sudden inescapable proximity. "So you'd prefer to remain a powerless Kin, the property of this Shadow Fae for the rest of your days than explore the possibility that Raysa has blessed you?" He cocked his head toward the male lingering a few steps behind him, then leaned in so close, his warm breath brushed the shell of my ear. "From what I hear, Lord Liander has a rather pronounced foot fetish."

A gasp caught in my throat.

The very foot-loving Fae cast his gaze in our direction, dark brows drawing together in an angry twist. "Well? Has the mortal's status been confirmed yet?" He stomped closer. "I have every intention of taking this female home with me today." His hand jutted out, reaching for my upper arm.

"Over my dead body, Liander." Reign tossed him a feral smile and stepped between us.

The lord's eyes tapered at the edges as his irritated gaze bounced between mine and my new protector's. Dark shadows swirled around Liander's form, thickening the air between the two males.

"Try me, Nightkin," Reign snarled. A curved blade appeared in his palm and was pressed to the lord's throat in the space of a heartbeat.

Despite the professor's intimidating stature and clear mastery of weapons, I couldn't help but note that for an instructor of Shadow Arts, he didn't seem to wield any. The sinister dark tendrils that coiled around my would-be owner's failed to form around Reign.

The tense set of the professor's shoulders relaxed a smidge. "Go home, Lord Nightkin. I'll speak to the Council to ensure that a new Kin is assigned to your household."

Liander's mouth twisted as he regarded the male who'd clearly bested him without even using magical powers—or rais or nox, or whatever the gods it was called. "Will that be the Light or Shadow Council?" he sneered.

With Reign's broad shoulders to me, I couldn't make out his expression, but judging by the strain of every muscle along his back through the black doublet he wore, the lord had struck a nerve. "What does it matter to you as long as you get what you want?" he countered.

"Fair enough, professor." Liander spat the word with disgust then turned to me, murky irises scrutinizing. "Good luck, girl. You'll need it with this one." He spun on his heel, muttering curses, and slammed the door behind him. The entire cottage rattled from the force.

Reign heaved out a breath, his shoulders slowly falling before he turned around. His gaze dipped to the bag at my feet, the twine on the old canvas nearly bursting from the meager contents of my most favored mortal possessions. "I take it you're ready, then?"

My spine snapped straight. "Ready for what, exactly?"

He released a frustrated sigh. "Are all of you Kin so exasperatingly slow?"

"Are all of you Fae so exasperatingly rude?" The words escaped before I could stop them. Curses, I'd never survive in the world of the Fae if I kept this up.

Reign closed the space between us in one long stride and thick fingers curled around my neck. My breath caught, my heart kicking at my ribs.

"Please, no," Aidan cried out. "She didn't mean it?—"

The professor silenced him with a biting glare before returning his attention to me. "Let me be clear about something, Aelia. You may have escaped the clutches of Lord Liander, but you are still property of the Fae. You are one of us now, and your fate will be determined at the Conservatory. You have two options: rise to the occasion and succeed or do nothing and spend the last few months of your miserable existence being tortured at the hands of Light and Shadow Fae much more powerful than you. And in case you had any grand delusions of escape, should you try to flee the confines of the academy and are caught, your life will be forfeit. More than that, your family" --his dark gaze drifted to Aidan— "will suffer the same fate. What do you say now, princess?" He hissed out my new pet name with such derision, I truly wished I were a princess so that I could strike him down with my extraordinary magical powers.

I swallowed hard, his fingers tightening so I was barely able to get the saliva down. "I. Will. Fight." I snarled.

A satisfied grin curled the corners of his lips. "Good girl."

His steel grip loosened and I took a giant step back. Eyeing the professor, I quickly assessed the likelihood of surviving an immediate escape. My daggers were strapped to my thighs, I could easily free at least one before he reached me. But then what? If I did manage to evade this Fae, what would become of Aidan?

I already knew the answer. He would be dead.

"You would never make it past the door." The lethal quiet with which Reign spoke the words had every hair on my nape rising.

"I never said?—"

"You didn't have to." His brutal gaze raked down my chest and leveled between my thighs. "My guess is you're carrying a blade or two; small, lightweight and most likely useless against Fae."

"How did you…" Heat blossomed across my cheeks.

"It's obvious in the way you walk. You need to learn to attach the sheaths at a better angle so that it doesn't interfere with your natural gait."

I caught a glimpse of Aidan over the professor's shoulder, and his mouth screwed into a frown. Realms, he'd noticed too. Damned fancy gown.

"There is no point in concealing weapons if everyone knows they're there."

"Noted," I mumbled.

"Now, say your goodbyes. This retrieval has already taken longer than it should have."

His command lanced across my heart as I lifted my gaze to Aidan. I'd barely had a moment to process what had happened. In a matter of a quarter of an hour, I'd gone from the future property of a Fae lord to the property of a Fae university and an enigmatic professor. But the bottom line remained the same, I was leaving Aidan and my home, and everything I'd ever known.

As if Aidan could feel my resolve crumbling, he stepped closer and swept me into his strong arms. Pressing his nose to my ear, he whispered, "You will not only survive this, Aelia, you will thrive. You will show those arrogant Fae who you truly are." He jabbed his thick finger to my chest, nearly skimming the glowing mark. "Do you understand?"

Realization raced through me as I peered into Aidan's pale gray eyes. "Did you know?" I murmured.

His gaze dropped to the top of my dress as if he could see the glistening symbol beneath, and his lips hardened into a thin line. Good goddess, he did know. What other secrets had he kept from me all these years?

"Aidan, please tell me?—"

"It's time to go, princess." Reign's hand curled around my upper arm and jerked me away from Aidan's embrace.

"When will I return? When will I see him again?" I cast another lingering glance over my shoulder.

"If you survive the first term, you will be granted one week leave."

If I survive…

"I love you," I mouthed to my adoptive father as hot tears gathered. I blinked them back, convincing myself I'd never let one of these monsters see me cry. Fae hated the weak, and I'd prove myself strong or die trying. Those were the comforting thoughts that swirled through my mind as the dark beast dragged me from my home.