Crown of Flames and Ash (Courts of Aetheria #2)

Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

A elia

“I have sort of mixed emotions.” Rue slammed her Luminous Enchantments book closed when Professor Lumen stepped off the stage.

“How could they be mixed? I’m thrilled it’s the final day before the code of conduct goes back into effect.” I glanced over my shoulder at Belmore and Ariadne as I stood and swung my satchel over my shoulder. Neither had made an overt move in the past few days, but that was likely due to my ever-present Shadow Fae protector. Even now, I could feel him looming in the dark corners of the chamber. “It’s exhausting having to look over one’s shoulder all the time.”

“I hate to state the obvious, my round-eared friend,” Symon interjected, curling his arm around my shoulders and steering me toward the door of the grand hall, “but you’ll still have to be wary of the initiates from the other teams starting tomorrow.”

“And, let’s not forget that before long, our training will begin across the river.” Rue ticked her head through the doorway. From beneath the arch, the towering fortress of obsidian cast ominous shadows along the Luminoc.

“Well, now you’ve just gone and squashed my appetite completely.”

“I’m still starved,” said Sy with a cheeky grin. “What about you, Rue?” He waggled his light brows at my roommate. “Aelia mentioned you never returned to your chambers last night. Were you making up for lost time with Devin?”

Rue shot me an unexpected scowl before turning her attention to our grinning friend. “Where I spend my evenings is none of your business. And jealousy does not suit you, Master Lightspire.” She knotted her arms over her chest, unamused, as he folded over laughing. “Besides, Aelia is the one who disappeared with our Shadow Fae professor for hours just the other night.”

Symon released me and pressed his palm to his chest dramatically. “ What ? Have you two lovebirds made up?”

“Of course not,” I hissed. “We would’ve had to have been together in the first place to make up.” Thoughts of our flight on dragonback across Aetheria scurried to the forefront of my mind. It had been perfect. Dangerously so. Despite Reign’s admissions, beautiful words and heartfelt promises, the fact remained that his purpose in life was to kill me. Possibly. If I was this supposed child of twilight. And I planned to heed Sol’s warnings. “Besides, he’s still my professor and any sort of relationship is strictly forbidden.” Not to mention the fact that he was the bastard Shadow Fae prince, but I couldn’t exactly explain that to my friends.

“Not for the next twelve hours.” Rue’s lips curled into a devious grin. “Since the code of conduct is currently not in effect, you could technically be with your professor…”

Heat swam across my cheeks as Rue’s meaning became resoundingly clear.

“No, I couldn’t…”

“But Aelia, don’t you think it’s time? Despite Reign’s behavior, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. It is as if it’s truly painful to breathe in your presence. And he would be the perfect one to?—”

“Rue…” I hissed, throwing my hand up. As much as I wanted to be upset at my friend for her insistence, she truly had no idea about anything that had transpired between us. And that was my fault for keeping it all a secret.

“I feel terribly lost in this conversation,” Sy quipped.

“It’s nothing,” I blurted, my attention focused on Rue. “And there is nothing between Reign and me, except for a completely professional professor/student relationship.”

Rue rolled her eyes, a sigh parting her lips. “You can deny it all you want, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Whatever this spat is between you, I’m certain you’ll both move past it.” She lifted her chin, signaling behind me, and I cocked my head over my shoulder to find a tendril of darkness hovering only a few feet away. “You see? That is not typical professor behavior.”

“He’s simply overly controlling and slightly paranoid about his prized acquisition.”

Symon snorted. “Professor Gleamer has never offered me a hint of the attention Reign showers you with.”

“He’s just competitive and refuses to lose against the other professors.”

“I suppose we’ll find out soon enough,” said Rue.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s the start of a new term. Surely, Reign will have a new acquisition before long. Then we’ll see just how much attention his new initiate gets.”

My stomach twisted at the mere thought of having to share Reign’s attentions with another student. Especially a female. Stop it, Aelia. Don’t be ridiculous . “I’m sure he will treat this new first-year with equal enthusiasm,” I claimed, lifting my chin.

“Gods, you are so blind , A!” Rue released an exasperated laugh.

“So what did you do with the good professor the other night?” Symon asked, thankfully somewhat changing the subject. “Are you back to private training?”

“In a manner, yes. We took Sol and Pyra out for a flight around the realm. Offensive flight lessons start next week, after all.” Raysa, I hated lying to them yet again. But I couldn’t very well tell them of Reign’s dragon after he’d confessed to wiping the entire campus’s memory of it or about the history she and Sol shared.

Just thinking about it had my gut churning. To think Sol spent countless lifetimes believing Phantom had betrayed him. The flight across Mysthallia had gone smoothly, but I hadn’t noticed any interactions between the two. Then again, if they had been engaging in internal conversations, I wouldn’t have been the wiser. I made a mental note to ask Reign more about it the next time we were alone.

“Speaking of the dark Fae…” A smirk spread across Symon’s face, and I didn’t need to turn around to know who had appeared from the ether.

“Good evening, initiates.”

“Professor.” Rue flashed him her teeth, and it only made me love her more.

Drawing in a steadying breath, I spun around to face the shadow prince. What a pair we made, the shadow prince and the Kin princess. I nearly laughed at my own joke.

“With training for the Umbral Trials set to begin next week, and King Elian’s visit nearly upon us, it is time to resume our evening sessions, Aelia. It will be imperative if you have any hopes of defeating your Shadow Fae rivals.”

“We appreciate the vote of confidence, professor.” Rue’s light eyes twinkled with a devious smile.

“Unlike the two of you, Aelia has had little time to learn control of her rais .”

“And it’s so selfless of you to take time out of your busy schedule to help her.”

Oh, gods, I was going to kill my best friend. Heat flushed my cheeks, reaching all the way to the rounded tips of my ears.

“Watch yourself, Miss Liteschild,” Reign growled. “Alluding to any sort of impropriety could lead to Aelia’s expulsion or worse.”

“It’s not my friend I believe to be acting improperly.” She flashed him a sneer, and Reign’s shadows spun into a turmoil. Before either did something they would surely regret, I moved to my professor’s side, weaving an arm through his, and instantly the wild buzzing of darkness subsided.

“Let’s get this training over with.” Offering my friends a quick wave, I hauled him toward the training field before he could bite out another word.

We marched around the gymnasium, to a quiet spot between the great hall and the encroaching woods. As soon as we were beyond earshot, Reign’s dark gaze whirled upon me. “Does she know?”

“Know what, professor? You’ll have to be a little more specific. There’s an entire treasure trove of secrets I’m currently keeping from my friends.”

“About any of it, the prophecy, your daggers, my bloodline… us ?” He paused before the last word, slowly drawing it out.

“There is no us , remember? Impropriety and all?” I knotted my arms across my chest, the insignificant barrier between us helping to slow my escalating pulse.

“Technically, not true until daybreak when the code of conduct goes back into effect.”

And there it went. My heartbeats skyrocketed once more at his insinuation. “Good gods, are you and Rue tuned into the same mental channel today?”

“So, she does know…”

“She suspects there may be something between us. The constant shadows pervading our room may have something to do with it.”

“I must do better then, especially with King Elian’s imminent arrival.” A silly part of me hated to hear him say it. I was a complete fool. Of course, we must keep whatever this thing was between us a secret. Nothing. There is nothing between you and there never could be . That cursed voice reminded me.

“Yes, you must.”

He crept closer and power swept over me, pushing at my dwindling restraints.

I staggered back a step, my shoulders hitting the alabaster outer wall of the gymnasium. “Shouldn’t we go inside to begin training?”

His mouth twitched into a smile at my apparent discomfort. “On second thought, perhaps today we could train in a different venue.”

My eyes flickered over his shoulder to the threatening onyx turrets of the citadel across the river. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since I’d felt the cool rush of night over my skin. “Yes,” I whispered.

His dark brows knitted. “How do you know what I have in mind?”

“Because every time you speak of the Umbral Court, the trace of a smile slashes across your face and lights up the darkness in your eyes.”

“I hadn’t realized I’d become so easy to read.” The smirk only grew more brazen. “I’ll have to work on that as well.” He paused, lifting his hand and brushing my cheek with his knuckles. The contact was ever so brief, but still, the slight touch had awareness prickling across every inch of my skin. “But I’m glad to hear you are paying such close attention to my lips.”

Rolling my eyes, I slid out from my precarious position. Being trapped between a wall and Reign’s unyielding form never led to anything good. “Will you be shadowtraveling us there, professor?”

“No, not today, Aelia. Your official training has begun.” Dark shadows slid off his arms, coiling around his form and only accentuating his ominous smile. “Race you there.”

“You cannot be serious?”

“No time to waste, initiate. I’ll even give you a head start.”

Son of a Fae . Gritting my teeth to keep the curse from bubbling out, I darted around the grinning bastard and sprinted across the lawn.