Chapter 55

Aelia

"We must be close to the end now." Rue signaled us forward as muffled voices filled in around us.

We'd only run into a few other first-years so far, but now they seemed to be everywhere. Or was it only the shadows' whispers?

"Child of twilight you will not succeed. You will perish like all who tried before you…" The ominous whispers continued, a deafening song with an endless tune. "Princess, they are coming for you…"

Every hair on my nape stood at attention, and the burgeoning power in my core grew more restless.

"You cannot hide in the shadows for much longer, princess. They will find you…"

"Ugh, just shut up!" I clapped my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes closed. When I finally reopened them, the voices had stopped, and two pairs of wary eyes stared back at me.

"Are you okay, Aelia?" Rue's bright irises twinkled with the faint moonlight, highlighting the concern in her eyes.

"Yes, sorry, it's the shadows, they simply haven't stopped since I set foot on this Raysa forsaken land."

Her hand clasped around mine and she tugged me forward. "Come on, we're almost there, I can feel it."

A sharp crack resounded, sending goosebumps up and down my spine, and Kian and Lucian dropped from the sky. Or rather, from an enormous tree.

"This is the end for you, Kin," Kian snarled, the sliver of moonlight catching on the grisly scar across his face. "We will not have the likes of you sullying our great academy for a single day longer."

"Oh, get out of our way, you imbecile," Rue growled right back.

"Why must we fight each other?" Symon added. "In a few days' time, we'll be pitted against the Shadow Fae. Can't you save your damned energy?"

"You know that's not how it works, Lightspire," Lucian hissed. "You're an embarrassment to your family, associating with the likes of her."

"Oh, fuck off, Lucian," Sy barked, and flames flickered across his fingertips. "Or I'll shove my light up your ass. Maybe it'll loosen you up a bit."

"Please, let's not fight," I hissed. "We're nearly at the end, and all of this can be over."

Kian shook his head. "It will never be over until you've been banished from Conservatory grounds. You do not deserve the title of Royal Guardian, even if you end up patrolling the border of the Wilds to protect your precious Kin."

I'd had about enough of this arrogant male. I'd tried to reason with him, attempted to understand his closed-minded ways. Clearly, the time for playing nicely was over.

I drew my dagger in one hand and summoned the swirling energy, the power begging to burst free. A light flare exploded from my palm, sending Kian and Lucian hurtling back. If I hadn't enclosed Rue and Symon in a glittering orb an instant before, they would have suffered a similar fate.

The males landed on their behinds across the small clearing, both muttering curses.

"I am not a lowly Kin," I growled. "I deserve to be here as much as the rest of you. You can accept that or die trying to kill me."

Kian and Lucian pushed themselves off the ground and exchanged a dark glance. My power blossomed, fiery rais filling my core. Before the light daggers sailed from their palms, I expanded the radiant shield around all three of us. Their weapons bounced off the glittering orb and disintegrated within the murky earth.

A sharp hiss ricocheted through the forest and the tiny hairs along my arms rose. Oh, no. Heavy footfalls crashed through the trees an instant before the gloomwhisper appeared. The massive beast, its monstrous body ethereal and shifting, emerged from the darkness.

"What in all the realms?" Symon shrieked as the monster stalked toward us.

"Gloomwhisper!" I cried as I shoved my friends back. "Don't let its talons touch you, they're poison."

Rue and Symon wore matching questioning expressions, but they nodded all the same as we staggered back toward the ring of trees. My fingers tightened around the hilt of my dagger and the crystal grew warm against my palm. The Shadow Fae creature loomed between us and Kian and Lucian. From between its shadowy form, I could just make out the terror carved into the males' faces before they darted between the trees.

Cowards.

"Get out of my home, Light Fae," it hissed.

"Happy to," Sy replied. "We were just leaving, actually."

Its shadowy talons shot out, the wraithlike appendages solidifying as it struck out at Rue.

"No!" I charged and sliced my dagger through its arm.

The ghostly limb disintegrated beneath my blade, a screech ripping from the creature's mouth.

Symon summoned his light and tossed a volley of glowing orbs in rapid fire.

The gloomwhisper hissed and shrieked as the light pierced his smokey form, but he continued toward us all the same. His clawed hand reached for us again, and I arced my dagger for another attack. The blade cut through its smoky torso, and its screams echoed through the thickening tension of the forest.

"How is that working?" Rue cried out.

"No idea." Ignoring my friend, I continued battling the twisted tendrils as Sy and Rue launched waves of luminous energy at the creature.

Though my blade clearly affected the monster, they didn't stop him. With every limb severed, another grew in its place.

"Try its eyes," Rue shouted over the cacophony of hissing.

Now, how would I reach its eyes? The beast stood over ten feet tall. Gods, I wished I had wings like Reign. Scanning the clearing, I found a massive tree at the edge of the circle. If I could lure it closer, climb the trunk and jump down like Kian and Lucian had done, I could, in theory, strike with enough force to reach its head.

"Rue, Sy, this way!" I motioned toward the giant tree, and the three of us sprinted toward it with the gloomwhisper on our heels.

As if my teammates had read my mind, they began their assault, waves of rais flowing from their outstretched hands as I shimmied up the tree.

"Hurry, Aelia," Rue called out. "It's difficult to sustain our rais without the sun."

Of course, I knew that. As Light Fae, we should all experience that dampening of our powers.

Only, I did not.

Once I reached a sturdy branch, I crawled to the edge with my dagger between my teeth. Just below, the enormous creature made of unearthly shadowstuff writhed and clawed at my friends. Smoke and solid darkness coiled around Rue, as it pulled her into its deadly embrace.

"Rue!" Symon cried out, reaching for her as she disappeared into the beast's shadows.

With a quick prayer to Raysa and Noxus, I leapt from the tallest branch with my dagger poised to strike. The gloomwhisper's luminous eyes lifted as I sailed through the air, an instant before I struck. It let out an unearthly howl and swiped at my torso with a jagged claw.

Its talon ripped through my leather armor, and I bit back a squeal as it sliced through the flesh beneath. Arcing my arm in a furious strike, I jabbed my blade between its glowing eyes.

Another shriek pierced the chaos of my thundering heartbeats, and the gloomwhisper disintegrated beneath me.