Chapter 47

Aelia

Drawing in a breath of much-needed air, I dropped the broadsword and gripped the railing to stare down into the dark, swirling waters. Lucian's blonde head bobbed along the rippling current, his muttered curses reaching all the way to my sensitive ears. Before he turned toward the riverbank, those icy blue eyes met mine. A chill surged up my spine at the depth of hatred in his gaze.

The Light Fae would not take that loss well. Losing against a powerless Kin would be unacceptable.

"Woohoo, Aelia!"

"You did it!"

The whoops and claps of my small but fervent personal cheering section drowned out the dread pooling in my gut. I turned to my friends and was surprised to find not only Rue and Symon cheering, but also a few of the other members of my team, and Heaton, of course.

I rushed down the ramp of the glittering bridge, its constant movement now halted, and leapt into Rue's waiting arms. Symon joined in next, then Zephyr and Silvan. Even Belmore and Ariadne offered curt remarks of congratulations.

"I'm so proud of you!" Rue crooned as she spun us around in a circle. "Not only did you best Lucian, you tossed his arrogant ass into the river." A burst of laughter pealed out, and I couldn't help but join my friend.

"You did very well, Aelia." Heaton patted me on the shoulder and offered a tight smile once I'd come to a stop.

I hated that things were strained between us. I only hoped in time it would pass. Heaton was an amazing team leader, one of the best on campus from what I'd seen—and not only that, he was also one of the few Fae here with a heart. "Thank you, Heaton," I whispered, as if I were saying something truly naughty. "I never could've done it without your unfaltering leadership."

A faint smile pulled at his lips. "I'm not sure I had much to do with it."

"You were kind to me from the start when others were not. That alone is worth my gratitude."

"It's a little early for celebrations…" That deep timbre snapped my spine straight. I whirled around to find Reign's smoldering gaze. "You've only passed three of the six trials."

"Arguably some of the hardest ones," Heaton interjected, taking a step in front of me.

Reign inched closer and his ever-present darkness blanketed my skin in his frosty touch. "The Shadows Whisper will be the most difficult, by far."

"And she will be ready for it." Heaton knotted his arms across his chest, throwing his shoulders back.

"Because of my help," Reign snarled.

I spun at my professor, suddenly feeling like a dragon chew toy caught between the two blustering males. "Because of both of you, but most of all, because of me."

Rue released a cackle and wound her arm around mine. "She's right, you know. I've never seen anyone more determined to succeed than this little Kin."

I smiled down at my petite friend, but kept my eyes locked on Reign as I said, "Thank you, Rue." I purposefully uttered the words he'd fought so hard to banish from my vocabulary.

The buzzer rang out, stealing the smile right off my face. Only one battle had been won today, and the rest of my team still had duels to endure.

Symon slid his arm around Rue's slim shoulders and steered her back toward the left bank where all the first-years waited. "We'll see you later, my little round-eared friend." He shot me a wink and traipsed off with Rue at his side. Heaton and the remaining members of Flare Squad followed after them.

Which left only me and my broody professor.

And silence.

A loud grunt and a splash turned my attention to the murky river. Lucian hauled himself from the water, then climbed over the balustrade, his sodden clothes clinging to him like second skin. I couldn't help the grin of satisfaction as he hit the ground, muttered a curse and stomped back toward the Hall of Glory.

"I wouldn't get quite so cocky, princess," Reign mumbled, following my line of sight. "You still have the remaining trials and the final battle. There are plenty of opportunities for Lucian to slip a blade between your ribs." He tapped the soft suede of my tunic just below my breast.

An embarrassing gasp escaped at the all too vivid picture he painted—and maybe a little bit because of the unexpected touch. "You seem a little too enthusiastic about the possibility."

He turned to me with a rueful smile. "Is that really what you think?"

I slowly shook my head.

"There is a reason behind my mentioning it, princess. It wasn't simply to frighten you."

"Then why?"

"With the trials reaching their pinnacle and the final battle so close, not to mention your dazzling display at the luminous maze, and now your victory today, I fear your enemies may not keep their distance much longer."

"My enemies?"

"The other jealous first-years." He raked his hand over his face then dragged it through his hair, yanking at the tips, as if I were the most frustrating thing in the world. "As the end nears, tensions rise. There's more to lose and, thus, higher risk becomes more acceptable. Like enduring my wrath…" His dark gaze flickered to Lucian as he disappeared up the steps into the grand hall.

My jaw nearly unhinged as I processed his words. "You threatened Lucian to stay away from me?" Then my thoughts flickered back in time to Kian and that alleged assault in the dormitories that had left him in the hands of the healer for nearly a week. "And you attacked Kian?" Though I phrased them as questions, not a doubt remained in my mind. "But why? Why would you risk your position at the Conservatory for me?"

"I didn't risk anything," he snarled and tugged me to a small alcove of trees along the river. "Do you truly believe Draven cares who I torment? Who I kill? Do you not remember the first day you arrived? Or how about on orientation day? Fae do not value life like you do, princess. The sooner you understand that the safer you will be."

Images of the dead Light Fae flashed across my mind and my gut twisted. I nearly fell for his distraction. "But why do it for me?"

His eyes flashed and those shadows whirled to life, a tempest of emotion in wraith-like form.

"You didn't even know me then," I pressed. I was fairly certain I meant something to him now—what exactly, I had no idea—but back then? I was no one of importance.

"Noxus, you can be nosy! Why does it matter? Perhaps, you caught my eye from the beginning… maybe, I cared what happened to you."

"Dragonshit!" I glared up at the liar, his aura darkening with each lie spilling from his perfect lips. Well, that's a new development.

He threw his hands up with an exasperated sigh. "Fine, you want the truth?"

"Please!"

"The headmaster tasked me with the duty of watching you."

The confession was more jarring than an icy dip in the Luminoc. All the air whooshed from my lungs and a pang lanced across my chest. That was why he'd shown so much interest in me from the start. "But why?" I finally managed.

"I honestly have no idea. Draven did not explain. He only said I was to keep an eye on you and report back."

"So, you've been spying on me all these months?" All the times Reign appeared when I needed him flashed across my mind. Gods, I was so stupid to think he might have actually cared. I was nothing but a troublesome task assigned by the headmaster.

"Clearly not well," he hissed. "Otherwise, Draven would have long ago found out about your daggers and our late night visits to the Court of Umbral Shadows. I've given him bits of information, only enough to keep his curiosity sated, but all of that went to shit when you blew up the luminous maze."

I attempted to focus on his explanation, but only one word of that entire monologue drilled into my head. Daggers. Plural. "Did you just say daggers?"

"Excuse me?"

"You said you hadn't told Draven about my daggers, plural, with an ‘s'. I only have one dagger." I tapped the sheath strapped to my thigh.

"Slip of the tongue." The dark aura evaporated, and I couldn't make out a thing. Had he lied again? Was he simply shielding his aura from me?

Raysa, I hated this male. I couldn't decide what I should be more upset about: the fact that he'd been spying on me for months, or that he was possibly lying to me again. Could I have had more than one dagger? How would I forget something like that?

My thoughts retreated to Rue, and of how easily he'd wiped her memory of my dagger clean. He could have done the same to me…

Reign stepped closer, drawing me from my internal musings. I staggered back and hit the pale white trunk of one of the trees of the small copse encircling us. "It's better that you know the truth about Draven anyway. It will make what I'm about to tell you easier."

"Tell me what?"

"That you have a new bodyguard, princess. Per Draven, I am to stay by your side from sun-up to sunset."

"But the sun never sets."

A wicked grin parted his lips. "Exactly."