REFLECTION

2

Aria jumped at the voice. She instinctively sent a jet of air in every direction to form a makeshift shield around herself and spun around to see Taren Voltis leaning against the tree that had been sheltering her just seconds ago.

"Damn you, Taren, you scared me," she spat the words at her closest friend, her heart nearly beating out of her chest. In fact, Taren may have scared her more than the panthers did, though she would never admit that out loud. "How long have you been there?" Aria's tone dripped with accusation, her mind trying to piece together how Taren could sneak up on her so silently when she was supposed to be able to feel movement vibrating through the earth. It's not like Taren was small, by any means. At the very least, she should have heard their wings flapping as they approached.

And yet, she'd been so focused on the shifters, she'd ignored any other possible threat. Taren was certainly going to chew her out for that mistake.

Taren towered over Aria with their toned arms folded across their chest, their shoulder resting comfortably against the trunk as they eyed her curiously. "Right here? Oh, just since you moved. In the area?" Taren's face scrunched, their hand rubbing their pointed chin inquisitively. "Long enough to see you run for your life from some measly kittens," Taren laughed. "And it's not my fault you're easily startled. Clearly, you've forgotten your training if you didn't hear me coming. I wasn't even trying to be quiet this time," they smirked. Aria rolled her eyes. Taren loved to joke, Aria did not.

"You're not even on duty today, what are you doing here?" she asked.

Taren scoffed, feigning offense. "Here I was thinking you'd be happy to have a little company to help the time go by faster."

"I'd be a lot happier if you didn't insist on scaring me every time you appeared. You know, most people just announce themselves with a ‘hello' instead," Aria huffed, tucking a stray piece of short, white hair behind her ear.

"Well, surprising you is much more fun," Taren beamed, their smooth, light brown skin and matching eyes seemed to glow, outshone only by their infectious smile. Their dark hair was pulled up into a hasty bun with their favorite feather pen, the bottom half shaved short, barely a shadow along their scalp. Clad in a tight fitting, sleeveless cream tunic and green pants, sans armor, Taren's muscles were especially on display today. They gestured toward the water. "Did I miss anything?"

"I guess not. They seemed harmless…" Aria peeled her eyes from Taren's broad chest and glanced across the water that had since gone calm in the shifters' absence. "Still, you know it's careless to come here without your armor."

"You're awfully judgy for someone whose fight or flight reflex is just flight." Taren raised an eyebrow, their usually carefree demeanor suddenly serious. "You're great in the ring, Aria, but we need to get you some real action soon or you're going to wither up and embarrass yourself if there's ever a real threat. "

Aria's cheeks reddened at the scolding from her trainer-turned-friend, despite the fact she'd known this would be coming. "Oh, please. I was just…" Aria snuck a glance at Taren, who stood arms still crossed and unconvinced by whatever excuse danced at her lips. She sighed. "Fine. I didn't expect there to be a group of shifters this far north, they almost never come all the way up here. I was just doing some exercises—the ones you told me to do, by the way, so you're welcome—and I was caught off guard. That's all."

Taren narrowed their thin, deep-set eyes, unconvinced. "Whatever you say. But just so you know, your entire job out here is to be on guard, not off it." As Aria's eyes rolled again, Taren smiled and pulled away from the tree, glancing toward the sun that was beginning to set. "Don't forget to report the sighting when you get back." Aria nodded. "Your relief should be here soon. Let's grab a drink when you're off, yeah?"

"Yeah," Aria agreed, trying to hide the uncertainty from her voice. She didn't feel threatened by the pack of cats that had come too close to the border today— well, okay, maybe a little —but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling they'd left in their wake. "That sounds nice," she said, finally looking up to meet Taren's sparkling eyes. Despite their size and menacing appearance, Taren was basically just a ray of sunshine in a looming, fae body. Aria had a hard time saying no to them.

"Right answer!" Taren exclaimed as they summoned their wings with a whoosh, the sound similar to an unfolding fan. It was the only physical thing fae had in common with shifters, the ability to hide or show their bat-like wings—their only animalistic trait, aside from their pointed ears—on command. Though they would never deign to call it shifting . The thought alone was enough to make Aria shudder in disgust .

Taren continued, unaware of Aria's wandering mind. "A bunch of us are getting together in the square tonight to listen to the bard that's in town, it'll be fun. Who knows? Maybe you'll even meet someone," Taren patted her shoulder lovingly, offering a wink before turning back toward the city. "We both know it's time for you to get back out there!" Taren yelled over their shoulder as they shot into the sky, the sun limning the leathery skin of their wings in bright light, making the flesh almost sheer as they disappeared behind the tree canopy.

Get back out there , Aria snorted, shaking her head. Her feelings were barely hurt from her breakup—if you could even call it that—with one of her fellow trainees a few months ago. She and Nyvia had slept together a few times, gone on a couple of dates. Nothing more than that, really. Nyvia was beautiful and charismatic. One of the top students at the Institute. But Aria being Aria couldn't let herself open up emotionally and it had kept them from moving any further. They had agreed the relationship had pretty much run its course and settled on being friends instead.

The only reason she hadn't sought a new partner recently was because she was exhausted every day from classes and sparring. Year four was known as one of the toughest years for Allarian military training, and her experience had confirmed that so far. As much as she dreaded the boredom of border patrol, she had to admit it was usually more like mandated relaxation time compared to the mental and physical exhaustion of every other day. The panthers' interruption was the first time she'd ever actually seen shifters, or anything else, at the border.

Most young fae attended the Allarian Training Institute when they turned eighteen to learn military strategy, combat skills, and hone their powers. Some waited until their mid-twenties if they weren't quite ready. Some never joined at all, instead choosing other practical paths like textiles or cooking. Aria's parents—who just so happened to be the king and queen of Allar—had made her wait as long as possible because of how short she was compared to most fae. They had hoped she might grow a bit more but were sorely disappointed when she didn't gain an inch past the age of sixteen.

As their sole heir, they expected a lot from her. Fae offspring were cherished and sheltered, especially those of nobility, because they were so rare. Most people never got to grow up with siblings, herself included. Which, she admitted, was probably why they were so protective.

Regardless, she had pleaded with them every year to let her enlist, arguing that the longer she waited, the more people would doubt her skills when she inevitably became part of the Royal Assembly—the advisory panel to the king and queen—where she would shadow them and learn how to rule. Instead of listening to her, they'd forced her into years of private tutoring and training.

When she'd turned twenty-five, well past the age of maturation, she'd finally gotten fed up and just enlisted herself. That night's dinner conversation had not been a fun one, but they'd agreed to let her start at the Institute so long as she still lived under their roof. It was an easy concession to make, considering the Institute was just a short flight from the castle and it would make it easier for her to continue her princessly duties of attending diplomatic gatherings like the meeting tomorrow—

The crunch of approaching footsteps interrupted her thoughts.

She turned to find Stef—a pale and gangly first-year trainee from the Erdane territory—sauntering toward her post to relieve her from duty. She waved at him and picked up her satchel that remained leaning against the tree.

"Business as usual today?" he asked casually.

"Actually," she sighed, slinging the pack over her shoulder, "there was a pack of four panthers at the water today." Stef's eyes widened in concern. "Nothing to worry about," she assured him quickly. "It seemed like a few kids and maybe an adult just playing around. Keep an eye out though, the adult could be trouble. It had a dark coat, which means it will be harder to spot at night," she reminded the late-shift guard gently. "Sound the signal if you see it again." Aria pointed to the bell mounted on the top of a tall, shaved tree trunk. The alarm acted as the post marker and had never been sounded in the four years Aria had been at the border. But each trainee was taught when and how to sound it using the long, dangling rope attached to the base of the bell just in case.

"Got it." He nodded, eyeing the alarm bell skeptically. "I'll take notes if I see anything else. I'm sure it will be quiet," he gave her a soft smile. Aria admired his confidence.

Even though he was only in his first year, he was expected to perform patrols, just like everyone else. Because reported disturbances were so few and far between, there was no harm in the less experienced trainees taking on that responsibility. In fact, most of them looked forward to being trusted with the border.

The more experienced guards were placed on the eastern coast of the land where the border wall ended at the sea. It was really the only spot where shifters could possibly breach their territory without the threat of the wall. But it was heavily protected by guards and weapons, so at least in Aria's lifetime, no one had bothered trying. It would take an army to get past them .

"See you, Stef," she said, releasing her wings and summoning a gust of wind to send her soaring into the gap in the tree canopy above her.

The glow of the low sun began to dwindle as her wings caught the air. The tight, golden brown skin stretched a few feet in both directions from her back, almost glimmering in the rosy twilight.

Aria relished the warmth of the evening summer air against her skin as her short hair whipped around her face. As she neared the Zephyr Castle, she spotted remnant sun-shaped decorations from last week's summer Solstice Festival being hauled away by the groundskeepers. Tucking her wings, she swooped near the entrance and landed before vanishing them entirely.

The tan stones and bronze gates of the arched castle entrance greeted her with warm familiarity. She offered genuine smiles to the staff on her way through the yard, and to each person she passed as she navigated the expansive foyer and winding halls of her family's sprawling estate.

She opened the large wooden door to her room—located at the far end of one of many identical hallways—and let it click shut behind her, pleased to find it just as she'd left it. The staff had strict instructions to ignore her room unless she requested otherwise. She enjoyed being greeted by her unmade bed and her belongings strewn about her desk and vanity exactly where she'd left them.

There was something comforting about the chaos when the rest of her life was so controlled.

While her bedchambers were larger than most common folks' entire homes, they were still modest by the castle's standards. When she turned twelve, her parents had let her pick her own room wherever she'd wanted. So, of course, she'd chosen one of the furthest from their reach—her first taste of freedom—a smaller chamber on the top floor of the southeastern corner so she could look out her balcony and admire the sea in the distance. It calmed her just to imagine the lapping of the water against the shore, even though the room was much too far away from the coast for that.

She offloaded her satchel and shrugged off the light armor covering her chest and shoulders, the typical adornment for guard duty. It was the same set she usually wore for training, sturdy enough to protect vital areas of the body, but light enough not to be cumbersome or straining.

Before fully undressing, she pulled her notebook out of her bag and quickly wrote the mandated report about the shifter sighting, even though there wasn't much to recount. She folded it, tucked it in an envelope, and stuck it outside her door with a note to deliver to the lead guard on duty.

After pulling on the string to ring the service bell and alert the staff about the note, she untucked her stuffy, form-fitting training leathers and folded them neatly before stacking them on her armchair to wear again for her next duty shift. It wasn't worth asking the staff to launder them if she'd barely broken a sweat.

The only thing her bedchamber staff had done for her today, as requested, was bring in supper and ready a bath for her. She eyed the tray of food, chewing her lip. A cold meal sounded better than a cold bath, she decided.

She padded nude across the wooden floor to the spacious bathing room, conveniently attached to her room—another reason why she chose this particular location—and eased herself into the warm, sudsy water, letting out a soft moan at the relief it brought. There was nothing quite like a bath to take the edge off.

She sank down, letting the water rise up to meet the tip of her nose. Her mind wandered to Taren's suggestion to get back out there , which was hilarious coming from Taren, who was famous for their dry spells.

Taren was very picky about who they slept with, unlike most fae, which Aria had put to the test herself a few years ago on an especially adventurous night following the autumnal Equinox Ball. It was common for friends to sleep together, even trainers and trainees, which was how Aria's friendship with Taren had started. Physical intimacy helped form bonds among the guards, which apparently also meant better chemistry on the battlefield. Not that Aria knew about the battle part from experience.

Her training unit—led by Taren at the time—had found each other at the party. With a little bit of liquid courage from the endless bottles of wine, Aria had decided to see for herself if the rumors about Taren being picky were true. She'd never really had a problem receiving attention—whether from her looks or her status, she didn't know—and spent the evening shamelessly flirting with her trainer.

Taren had since let her know that it was neither her looks, nor her status, that won them over that night. Apparently, it was her ability to make them laugh. Go figure, she thought . A smile crept up her face at the memory. They'd both had fun enjoying each other's bodies and letting off some steam, but Taren quickly stifled the idea of repeating those events.

"Don't get used to it," they'd said with a chuckle while buckling their belt the morning after. "Even though you've taught this old fae a few new tricks."

"Come on," Aria had rolled her eyes, pulling the bed sheet up to cover her exposed breasts. "We might as well be the same age. You're only, what, seventy?"

"Eighty, thank you very much," Taren argued. "And one of us has graduated and earned their status as trainer. You, not so much—hey!" Taren had swatted at the pillow that Aria threw at their back. "You know, at least now I've confirmed my suspicions that you fuck like you fight," they'd said with a hearty laugh, their thin eyes nearly closed with their joy. It was one of Aria's favorite traits of Taren's.

"Oh? And how is that?"

"Yeah, you're a little bundle of chaos. And yet, so confident," Taren grinned as Aria let out an offended scoff. "Get dressed," they'd said, tossing Aria's gear onto the bed. "We're late for combat and I'm not your trainer today so you might be punished if you don't hurry."

"If it's Peter doing the training, I wouldn't mind a little punishment," Aria mumbled, sitting up and pulling the tight black tunic over her chest.

"I can't argue with you there," Taren had smiled as they closed the door behind them.

Despite that one great night, they had both agreed they were better off platonic. Their friendship had blossomed even more after sleeping together, and though Aria had enjoyed a few other partners since—including Nyvia—it was rare that Taren slept with anyone at all. Picky indeed , Aria thought, though she was honored she'd been one of the few that had made the cut.

Maybe she should entertain the idea of finding someone new, even if it was just casual. Though, she needed to be up early in the morning, so tonight was not a good night for it even if she wanted to.

Aria gripped the edge of the tub and pulled herself out of the water, and out of the memory, patting her lean body dry with the luxuriously soft towel before leaving damp footprints along her path as she aimed for her wardrobe. The opened doors revealed countless beautiful, hand-embroidered dresses to choose from. None of which interested her .

She weighed the options in front of her and, instead, plucked her favorite flowy, mauve lace-up blouse and matching wide-leg pants from their hangers. Despite having a plethora of gowns, she always went for the more comfortable option that had the added benefit of helping her blend in when she was in public. Her white hair and bright green eyes were enough to draw attention as it was, she didn't need the added spectacle of royal attire.

Once dressed, she eyed herself in the vanity mirror and ran her hands through her hair, restyling the short, loose waves along the top of her head. As she slipped on her leather loafer shoes, her stomach growled. She peered down at the meatloaf on the tray, now a grayish tint that made her stomach say nevermind . She was running late anyway. Best to just grab the pair of plums and eat them on her flight to the square.

She took one last look in the mirror, and pleased with the sight, took a juicy bite and made her way out the door.