RECEPTION

14

Aria woke late the next morning to a light knock on her door. She cleared her throat and called for the visitor to enter.

"Good morning, Princess," a lanky, older fae man held a tray of food. "I saw you didn't eat your dinner last night, so I wanted to make sure you got breakfast." He set the buttered toast and fruit on her desk.

"Thank you, Wyan," she smiled sleepily as he gave her a nod and retreated. The note to Lemira no longer sat in the hall, which meant it was probably taken away when someone had brought dinner to her last night. Her muscles groaned as she sat up and she stopped him before he could shut the door. "Could I bother you for a hot bath?"

Wyan offered a slight bow. "Of course, Princess. I'll return shortly."

Aria rolled out of bed and trudged over to her desk. She picked at the fruit as she flipped through Amyr's journal again, making sure she hadn't missed anything, before tucking the journal between two other books on her desk. She pulled an old tunic from her drawers to cover the stack. While she had informed the staff not to bother with her room while she was away, she didn't want to take the chance someone might search through her things. At least this way, she would notice if the shirt was out of place when she returned. Although, she supposed she wasn't really sure when that might be.

After brushing the crumbs off her fingers, she started pulling clothes out of her closet, tossing them onto the bed to determine what she needed to pack. Obviously, her flight and combat leathers, but what else?

Rummaging through her seemingly endless closet, she settled on two tunics, two pairs of pants, and eventually decided at the last minute to include one of her dresses in case there was something more formal she needed to attend before coming home.

Aria folded each item neatly and tucked them into her pack, followed by her other essentials. Sadly, those essentials did not include her romance books. It's not like she'd have much time for leisure, anyway. And she certainly didn't want to invite more criticism from Luka. Her body tensed at the thought.

By the time she was done, Wyan was replaced by three different staff hauling large buckets of heated water through her door. She was grateful she still had enough time for one last bath in her own tub before meeting Taren to depart for their rendezvous point. Aria shed the short nightgown she wore and steeped herself in the deliciously warm water.

When the water grew cool, she lifted herself out and left wet prints across the floor to her vanity. She ran a brush through her hair before braiding the front strands out of her face in preparation for the long flight. Despite sleeping for nearly half a day, the dark circles under her eyes stared back at her as she tucked and weaved the threads.

Aria pulled on her flight leathers and gave her room one last look—making sure to lock her balcony door this time—and left to meet Taren outside the castle gates, not bothering to tell her parents goodbye.

***

By the time Taren and Aria found where Luka waited for them—and was that someone else? Aria couldn't tell who stood next to him from the sky—the sunset was already looming. The two fae landed with their wings tucked a short distance from Luka and the other shifter Aria didn't recognize.

The shifters were mid-conversation and barely seemed to notice the fae's arrival.

"Sorry for the delay, we…" Aria started to explain that they had to circle a few times before spotting them, but suddenly lost her train of thought when the mystery shifter turned to face her. Aria's mouth went dry at the sight of the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. Of course, she would never admit that thought out loud. Her face reddened against her will.

The woman's fierce gold eyes met hers as the shifter cocked her head, as if encouraging Aria to continue her explanation, but Aria couldn't possibly gather her words right now. Never mind that the woman was looking at her like prey. Aria was far too enamored by the confidence radiating from every pore, her broad curves that filled her leathers, the silky black waves that framed her face. Her flawless porcelain skin was—

Taren nudged Aria in the arm, waking her out of her daze.

"I'm Aria," she reached her hand out to the woman who remained stiff, her hands placed firmly on those swelled hips.

"Oh, I know who you are, Princess . I know all about you," the woman growled, not breaking eye contact with Aria.

Luka looked at the shifter in warning. "This is Evelyn, my second," Luka said, completing the introduction for her. "She'll warm up eventually." Evelyn did not acknowledge his existence, let alone his claim that she would do any such thing. "Evelyn, this is Taren, Aria's…?"

"Second," Aria finished for him, finally breaking Evelyn's gaze to look at Taren. "They're my second." It wasn't wrong, necessarily. Taren was her trainer, her friend, her mentor and confidante. But when it came to dealing with shifter relations, calling Taren her second in command seemed to make the most sense.

The pride that settled across Taren's face told her she'd made the right choice. Luka nodded. "Okay then, now that everyone is acquainted, we need to head back before we lose daylight. We're traveling directly southwest," he gestured in the direction. "I'll go slow but I don't expect you to keep up with me the entire way, so if I get too far ahead, just follow Evelyn. She'll be running below us."

Evelyn still glared openly at Aria, who refused to meet her eyes again. Coward , she thought to herself. She could stand up against Luka, but not this random—albeit intimidatingly beautiful—shifter woman? Get it together.

As Luka finished his instruction, he got a running start and launched himself into the air, shifting in the process. Evelyn jerked her head in his direction, motioning for the two fae to follow. "No way I'm turning my back to you," she said.

Aria and Taren shared a glance and did as they were told, not wanting to provoke Evelyn any further. As they took flight, Aria realized Luka was right to have warned them. He was already far ahead of them, just a black speck in the distant sky.

She thanked the gods it was a clear day so they'd have no trouble keeping him in their sights or seeing Evelyn below. Taren took their spot ahead of Aria, creating a light draft to ease the strain on Aria's wings. Aria slid her hands into the loops on the hips of her flight leathers, which served as a way to rest her arms while remaining flat and aerodynamic.

Ahead of her, she noticed Taren untuck one of their arms to gesture below them where a large black blur came into view. Must be Evelyn, Aria thought. So, Evelyn was a panther, then.

They weren't close enough to see any detail, but even from their height, it was clear Evelyn was larger than the average panther. And yet, she ran with the agility of someone half her size. It didn't take long for her to jut out ahead of them, but thanks to them being airborne, they kept up with her much more efficiently than they could Luka.

The scenery around them quickly took her breath away. It was her first time crossing into Denover, and she wasn't sure why she had expected the dark and ominous landscape of the fae's stories. Especially not when so much of what she believed to be true had been revealed as lies, lately. In reality, Denover looked… Well, it looked a lot like Allar.

To their right stretched the Mere Mountain range, a dark gray expanse of stone that dwarfed everything else around them. The snow-capped peaks were still far above the height at which they flew. Aria knew from her geography courses that the Dragon Province lay beyond those mountains, a place rumored among the fae to be deadly to anyone but the dragons themselves, though she didn't know why. That was how rumors worked, she supposed. Lots of information lost in transit.

As the threat of night loomed over them, the tan bricks of the Legion Academy came into view, contrasting the backdrop of the deep blue sea behind it. A large tower protruded into the sky from one of the corners of the tall building that surrounded a courtyard resting in the center. She couldn't help but recognize many similarities between Denover's Legion Academy and the Allarian Training Institute. Upon first glance, they seemed as though they could have been built by the same people.

Luka waited for them, back in his mortal form, at the entrance to the Academy. As they landed, the two fae hid their wings, but Evelyn remained as a panther. If she thought she was more threatening that way, she was correct.

Even with the light waning, Aria could see Evelyn's coat held multitudes—the base fur a deep chocolate brown, her spots black as the dark realm. Something about the panther seemed familiar. Her large pupils, still lined in gold, watched Aria take in the sight of her. She let out a low warning growl.

"Easy, Ev," Luka patted her head. In his mortal form, the panther rose almost to his chest, even on all fours. Gods, she could really do some damage , Aria thought with both fear and admiration. While Luka's dragon form was obviously impressive, something about Evelyn made her curious. But equally terrified.

"Welcome to the Legion Academy," Luka said in a way that didn't really scream "welcome," if she was being honest. Though, under the circumstances, Aria could understand his lack of enthusiasm. "I imagine you're both hungry, so we'll start with the dining hall." He led them through the courtyard, which also somewhat resembled their own. Maybe we don't even need a tour at all , she thought flippantly.

The group arrived at the dining hall where only a few shifters conversed at a table across the room. Luka proceeded to grab one of the premade trays that were left for the late arrivals and handed one to Aria and another to Taren.

When Evelyn made no move to shift, Luka stared at her as they shared some unspoken conversation. Reaching a silent agreement, she finally reverted to her mortal form, visibly unhappy about it. "I'm not hungry" was all she said as she made her way to a nearby table, plopping into a seat.

Any notion Aria had of starting out this alliance on a positive note was quickly being torn to shreds. So much for that . She followed Taren over to the table, positioning themselves in the seats as far away as possible from the grumpy shifter. Luka grabbed a second tray and set it in front of Evelyn before taking the seat beside her. Despite claiming disinterest in the food, Evelyn began to slowly pick at the meal in front of her, avoiding interacting with the fae at all costs.

"So, Luka," Taren cut through the tense silence with their alarmingly upbeat energy. "Do you live here full time, or back home in the Dragon Province?"

"Here," he said without looking up, taking a bite of his sandwich. "I've lived and trained here since I was young."

Taren offered a small grin and looked at Evelyn, encouraging her to answer the question as well, but Evelyn's eyes were focused—once again—on Aria.

When Aria finally looked up, she almost spat out her mouthful as she met the intensity of Evelyn's gaze. "I'm sorry," she scoffed, "did I do something to piss you off? I thought we'd agreed to work together." Aria looked to Luka for backup but found none. "I wouldn't have agreed to come here if I knew I was going to be treated like a criminal by my supposed allies the minute we met."

Aria was proud to have rediscovered her backbone as the panther glared at her. The shock of the woman's beauty had worn off, replaced entirely by vexation.

"We may be temporary allies, but you will always belong to the people responsible for the death of my own," Evelyn retorted. "So yes, you could say you did something to piss me off, sprite . "

Aria's jaw clenched tightly, stifling her instinctual reaction to fire back a similar insult. Remembering Amyr's letter, she took a deep breath and decided to be the bigger person. They may have been the only ones in the dining hall, but there were likely more shifters waiting to pounce around every corner. If things escalated, she and Taren would be vastly outnumbered.

"Like I told Luka the other night, I am tired of fighting. We mean you no harm in coming here. Against my better judgment," she grimaced, "I would like to trust you if you will grant me the same. I understand trust is earned over time, but we don't really have that luxury. So, I would greatly appreciate it if we could all just skip to that part now. Can we do that? Please?"

"Evelyn and I have talked at length about our mutual understanding," Luka cut in. "She understands the stakes, and the expectations," he shot her another warning look. "But we all have our own histories, and I've had a little more time to come to terms with our current situation than she has."

"I can speak for myself," Evelyn snarled at Luka.

Taren's chipper voice cut through the table. "Perhaps everyone will be better after a good night's rest?"

"I think that's a great idea," Luka's mouth stretched into a thin line. Aria appreciated that he was trying his best to be a good host, all things considered. She could tell it was wearing on him to put his grievances aside while also trying to manage Evelyn's vocal disdain. She was trying to walk a similar fine line. "I'll show you to your rooms."

They cleared their trays and made their way down the hall to the guest dormitory, Luka leading and Evelyn trailing at the rear. Taren had already made their way into their designated room when Aria opened hers—conveniently next door to Taren's.

She paused before entering, desperate to end the night on positive terms, and put on her best princess act. "I know this won't be easy," Aria faced the shifters, her pulse accelerating against her will. "I'm sure we've all grown up hating each other for one reason or another, but I want you to know that I am on your side. I've learned a lot lately about our realm…" her eyes began to wander and she cut herself off. "Anyway," she continued, "thank you for inviting us here. I'm sure it wasn't something you wanted to do. But we appreciate your hospitality."

Luka's expression was unreadable. It looked like he wanted to say something, but it was Evelyn who spoke.

"You're right, Princess, some of us definitely don't want you here. But don't worry, I'll be watching you closely to make sure nothing happens," Evelyn propped her back against the wall across from Aria's door with a smirk. "Sleep tight."

Aria took a deep breath and didn't bother to look at Luka again before she closed the door behind her. At least she'd tried.

Like the dormitories at the Institute, the guest room held a bed, a desk, and a very small bathing room. Nothing fancy, but it would do. The worst part was that it only had one pitiful window that faced east toward the sprawling fields of the Panther Province. No view of the water here.

She unloaded her pack and changed into a tunic and pants, much more comfortable than the tight flight leathers she'd arrived in. But the cramped quarters began pressing in on her.

It was getting late, but… She was starting to feel how she'd felt the night of Selene's decree at the Solstice Sanctum. Tightness in her chest, unbearable weight pressing in around her. Like if she didn't get fresh air right this second she might explode. There was hardly any space for her to pace in the room, and she'd stupidly decided to leave her books at home.

What had she been expecting? A welcome reception? Being greeted with open arms? She wasn't sure that possibility had crossed her mind, but she certainly didn't expect Evelyn's blatant hostility. Especially when Luka had seemed to come around a little. Not much, she admitted, but at least he wasn't breathing fire down her neck anymore.

What she really wanted was to dip her toes in the sand. To feel the breeze from the sea on her face. Sure, she could summon wind whenever she wanted, but there was something different about the caress of natural gusts. It felt like home.

Her throat bobbed as she searched her memory of the flight in. The coast had looked close, perhaps she could make it there without anyone noticing.

The walls kept closing in. She was suffocating. The last week—weeks? She couldn't wrap her head around how much time had really passed—had been nothing but nightmare after nightmare. Being cooped up in this tiny room was quickly becoming torture.

But Evelyn was outside, just waiting for her to try something.

Aria placed her ear against the door, hoping to maybe feel Evelyn's foot tapping, hear something that hinted the panther was still there. But nothing came. She opened the door just a sliver, fully expecting to find Evelyn staring back at her, as she had all evening with those electrifying eyes. Instead, she was greeted by stiflingly stagnant air.

Thank the gods. A small miracle.

She very gently closed the door behind her, careful not to make a sound, and tiptoed barefoot through the halls until she came upon the courtyard. During their measly tour through the buildings, she had spotted the exit from the courtyard that opened south, where that beautiful blue sea lay just beyond the Academy grounds .

Surprised to see no other shifters roaming the halls of the Academy, she supposed it was late enough they could all be asleep. Or perhaps they adhered to a curfew. Whatever the case, she was grateful to find herself alone. Once she cleared the courtyard into the open air, she swore she could already smell the brine calling to her, riding a whirling tendril of air that curled around her heart and squeezed.

She'd been away from Allar for less than a day and already felt homesick.

Looking around to make sure she was still alone, she revealed her wings and risked the short flight down to the beach. With no moon in sight, the only light came from the lit torches surrounding the perimeter of the Academy that grew smaller as Aria neared the seafront, unaware of the panther that followed her.

***

Evelyn grew tense as she sunk into a patch of tall grass, hiding her body from Aria's view. Although, with the limited light, Evelyn probably could have stood out in the open in her black leathers and still been fine. She had the upper hand on Aria's weak fae vision, Evelyn's predator eyesight still keen in the night.

She watched as Aria landed softly in the sand, her body visibly relaxing as she wiggled her toes against the cool grains. Aria moved closer to the tide and sat down, leaning back on her hands and tilting her chin to the sky.

Evelyn recognized the pose as one she found herself in often when she wanted to find solace outside the bustling walls of the Academy. Dragons and wolves didn't care much for the water, but Evelyn's panther blood ran deep, and the water was her second home. If she wasn't in it, she wanted to be near it.

She watched, waiting for Aria to move, to do something besides just sit there. When she'd left her station outside of Aria's door, tiptoeing down the hall, she'd hoped the fae woman would show her hand. Despite Aria's best attempt to escape quietly, Evelyn had waited just around the corner and heard the faint clicks of the door opening and closing. She'd held her breath, preparing for the worst, expecting to have to accost the traitor in the middle of doing something damning. Instead, she'd trailed Aria outside to find her flying toward the ocean. Still strange, but for the opposite reason. Did the princess think she was on vacation, or something?

It appeared that way, considering it'd been nearly half an hour and Aria still sat there, fingers twirling through the sand, just looking out at the waves.

Evelyn ground her teeth in annoyance. Once again, the fae showed how little they thought of the shifters' presence. Evelyn shuffled her weight, her crouching pose proving difficult to maintain for this long. She debated finding a more comfortable position, but the fae woman clearly wasn't out here to lead a siege.

Or, did Aria actually sense Evelyn's presence and was just waiting until Evelyn gave up so she could finally make her way through the Academy unchaperoned?

It was time to find out.

Evelyn stood and began to approach Aria slowly, hoping to surprise her into sharing her motives for leaving her room. But even with Evelyn's featherlight movements, Aria's hands that were buried in the sand felt the slight vibrations from Evelyn's feet. Aria sprung up quickly and turned to find the woman prowling up to her .

Aria's hands thrust out in front of her defensively. "I just needed some fresh air."

Evelyn scoffed. "You really expect me to believe that?"

Aria eyed her curiously. "How did you know I was out here?"

"I never let you out of my sight," the panther said indifferently. She would let Aria come to her own conclusions. "I promised to keep an eye on you, and I always mean what I say. You'll figure that out soon enough."

Aria huffed a sigh, as if frustrated by herself that she'd been caught so easily. An innocent gesture from someone not used to sneaking around. It was almost endearing. Almost.

"Sit, Princess," Evelyn commanded with a nod toward the ground. "I won't drag you back to your room. But don't think for a minute that means I trust you to be left to your own devices."

Aria's shoulders deflated in relief. "Understood. Won't happen again. But if you're going to keep an eye on me, you might as well keep me company instead of just lurking creepily in the background." Aria resumed her spot on the beach and gestured for Evelyn to join her before pulling her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them like the night air was making her cold. "I knew panthers were stealthy, but you take that to another level," Aria said, almost to herself, but Evelyn picked up the note of admiration in her voice.

"I'm good at what I do," she replied cockily, eyeing the spot of sand where Aria had patted for her to sit.

"I'm glad we have you on our team, then," Aria looked up at Evelyn cautiously, her green eyes nearly fluorescent with Evelyn's sight. "I also mean what I say, for the record. And I meant every word when I said we mean you no harm."

Evelyn looked out at the sea, watching the water ebb and flow with gentle crashes against the shore. The salt left a pleasant tingle in her nose. Her looming must have been making the fae nervous, because Aria continued to ramble.

"To be honest, I don't think Taren and I could do any harm even if we wanted to. Pretty sure Taren doesn't have a single mean bone in their body. And I'm trained to kill, of course, but I'm obviously much smaller than both you and Luka, not to mention the other swarms of shifters just yards away. If we wanted to pick a fight, we would have figured out some other way, rather than putting ourselves in the middle of the most dangerous place in Denover."

"Trust me, Princess, I know you can't do any harm," Evelyn finally spared the fae a glance before lowering herself, settling into a seat beside Aria. She peeked over at Evelyn quickly before returning her focus to the waves lapping at their toes. After a moment, Evelyn added, "I promised Luka I would protect him and our people, and that includes knowing where you are at all times. Once I'm done with that mission, I'll be glad to be rid of you and your friend."

Aria followed Evelyn's hardened gaze to the sea. "You know, to protect your people, you'll unfortunately have to work with us. Including me. Actually, mostly me. And Taren, obviously, but they're mainly here for moral support," she let out a short laugh. "Believe it or not there's a lot about the fae I don't like, either."

Evelyn peaked an eyebrow at that but kept her face forward.

"I mean it," Aria continued. "I know you've probably heard about the Unifiers, and if you're as close to Luka as you seem to be, you also probably know that my grandmother is the one leading them." Evelyn nearly cackled at that. If only the princess knew. But she let Aria continue uninterrupted. "Even before I knew it was her, I didn't agree with the movement. I've never understood the desire for power, the greed that drives it." Aria's head shook gently. "I'm not like them."

The candid admission pulled at something in Evelyn's chest. And yet, her logic led her back to the most obvious likelihood. This woman—supposedly the most powerful fae ever born—was trying to get in her head. Using her and Luka as a means to an end. And she wouldn't fall for it.

"Even if you're not like them, why should I trust you? You've berated Luka, brushed him off and…" Evelyn finally turned to Aria, narrowing her eyes. "And now, all of a sudden, you seek kindness? Coming here, to our home, and acting all high and mighty like you're the bigger person? I don't buy it. It would be just like the fae to lead us into false friendship. Promising one thing and doing another."

Aria visibly winced. "Okay, I deserved that," she said with a sigh, "but to be fair, Luka was the one that cornered me at the Sanctum, and then proceeded to break into my room in the middle of the night like some delusional alpha male. Can you blame me for fighting back? It's what I was trained to do. Something I'm sure you can relate to," Aria said with surprising gentleness. "I guess I just finally realized that fighting amongst ourselves wasn't going to get us anywhere. We have more in common than not, right now, and I figured it was time to put aside my prejudices and act like an adult. It seems Luka has decided to do the same, which has been a nice change of pace."

Evelyn's jaw clenched at the jab toward her attitude. It didn't help that Luka neglected to tell her about how he delivered the news to Allar. But, if she was being honest, breaking into Aria's room sounded like something he would do while hyped up in anger. She just didn't appreciate that he had left out details .

Aria must have noticed the shifting expressions on Evelyn's face because she laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'm not interested in your partner."

Evelyn rolled her eyes at Aria's assumptions. "We're not together. I just want to make sure he doesn't get himself or our people into trouble with his impulsive decisions."

"It's a little late for that, I'm afraid," Aria chuckled. "Don't worry, it's our little secret."

Evelyn gave an incredulous snort, turning back toward the water. "I'm sure he appreciates that."

Aria fidgeted, shifting in the sand. They sat awkwardly for a moment—the sound of the crashing waves the only thing cutting through the tension—before Aria cleared her throat.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked.

"I can't stop you."

Aria waited for a beat before speaking softly. "I didn't know until recently that Luka's father died at the hands of fae," she started. "I swear," she added at the panther's look of admonishment. "My parents hid a lot from me as a kid, and… Well, much of our history is sort of glossed over. I just—I understand now why Luka can hardly look me in the eye. Or really any shifter, for that matter." Aria's head hung. "I can never make up for what happened, but I can at least be kind to the people who have agreed to help save our continent right now, including General Fulgara's son. And you."

Evelyn's confusion was enough that she couldn't hide it. She searched Aria's face for any hint that she might be leading her on, trying to provoke some sort of response. But Aria's eyes were somber, honest. If she was trying to goad Evelyn into trusting her, she was doing a damn good job.

Evelyn considered what Aria said, not fully convinced, but… There was something that softened inside of her at the mention of Luka's pain. Of her own loss that surfaced in the back of her mind. Her fingers toyed with the end of her sleeve as she sighed. "Luka's father was everything to him when he was young. I guess Shara warned Molden that his desire for peace could easily turn violent. Obviously, she was right. Luka was devastated," Evelyn said. "We all were."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aria unsuccessfully hide her face to wipe at tears that streamed steadily. The gesture was enough to refute Evelyn's skepticism.

The two women sat in sober silence for a long moment.

"I am choosing to trust you," Evelyn said, exasperated. "If Luka can, so can I."

Aria sucked in a surprised breath. "Thank you. That… That means a lot," she smiled weakly. "Now, if only I could get you both to stop calling me names."

At that, Evelyn finally loosed a tiny laugh. The shifter stood and brushed off the sand that clung to her body before reaching down a hand to help Aria up. "That might be asking too much," she said as she pulled the fae to her feet.

"Small steps, got it. I'll take what I can get," Aria said, starting their walk back to the Academy. Evelyn hid the grin that threatened the corners of her lips.

By the time they neared Aria's door, Evelyn had composed herself. Aria probably thought she'd earned enough confidence after their conversation for them to part ways, but Evelyn took up her post across from Aria's room once more, this time with less of a snarl. "Goodnight, Princess. I'll be here if you need me."

The sigh Aria emitted, paired with a disappointed smile, told Evelyn she'd guessed correctly. "Goodnight, Evelyn."