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

Chapter 44

Chapter Forty-Four

A elia

The days came and went, and with Reign doing his damnedest to keep his distance, every moment was excruciating. Despite his decree, he was still my mentor, which obligated him to spend some time with me. But he’d completely shut down, the cold Shadow Fae I’d met upon my arrival at the Conservatory was back in full effect.

I tried not to be bitter, to remind myself that in Reign’s mind I had rejected him. He’d confessed so much, was willing to give up everything for me, and I simply couldn’t reciprocate.

Gods, I wished I could see Aidan, talk to him, beg for his advice. Only a few more weeks until the term ended, and I’d finally be allotted my time off. I vowed to go directly to Feywood the moment we were set free.

All you have to do is survive the next two trials . Sol’s voice cut through my mental musings.

Which I will, obviously . I stalked toward the flight field where my dragon awaited, talons pawing at the earth. Rumor had it that the final trial would be an airborne one, so Rue, Symon and I had planned to meet twice a week to practice aerial maneuvers with our skyriders in addition to our daily Offensive Flight class.

What’s got you in a mood ? I could practically see the twitch of my dragon’s lips as I approached. He was the first to arrive, neither Griff nor Windy were anywhere in sight.

You know why .

If you’re so heartbroken over your dear professor, why didn’t you escape with him?

You can’t be serious? You truly believe running is the answer?

Sol snorted and spirals of silver smoke drifted from his nostrils. I didn’t say that. I simply asked why you chose otherwise. A cuorem bond is a rare gift, one that is not easily returned to the gods.

I thought you hated Reign. I reached the intolerable dragon and began to scale his leg, using the knobby protrusions as steppingstones.

I never said that, little Kin. I only warned you not to trust him. And I was correct, wasn’t I? He was keeping yet another secret from you.

Multiple, actually. Not only did he suspect us of being cuoré , he conveniently failed to mention his mission to destroy the child of twilight was also a binding blood pact . Did you know about the cuorem bond ? Reign said one hadn’t been seen among the Fae in decades, but seeing as you’ve been alive for centuries over the course of your reincarnations, surely, you had heard of it ?

I had, yes .

I slid into my riding position, nestled between the indents of his wing bones. And ?

I may have suspected it .

Then why didn’t you say something? Gods, why did everyone believe lying to me was the best way to keep me safe?

Because I feared what it meant.

That I had Shadow Fae blood muddling my veins ?

Yes . Nothing good comes from inter-court mating .

A swell of irritation surged through our bond, bloating my chest. Of course, he would say that. It was the reason he and Phantom were torn apart.

Need I remind you that I could be a result of inter-court mating ?

Exactly my point . I could almost hear the snicker. I bit my tongue, despite the desire to tear into him for lying to me and for his snarky comment. Now we would both be in foul moods.

“Getting a head start?” Rue’s voice filtered through my thoughts, putting an abrupt end to our conversation. I twisted my head over my shoulder toward the Hall of Luce and found my roommate and Symon trudged across the field arm-in-arm.

“We missed you at supper time,” Sy called out.

“I wasn’t hungry.” I nudged Sol in the side, forcing him to turn toward my approaching friends.

“It’s the third meal you’ve skipped this week.” Rue lifted an admonishing brow.

“Sorry, Mother, I promise I won’t do it again.”

It wasn’t the first time my perceptive roommate had commented on my dismal state, but I’d brushed off her questions like I often did regarding all things Reign. I couldn’t tell her about the cuorem bond without raising suspicions about my bloodline, so as usual, I was forced to lie to my closest friends. Which I hated.

“Someone is in a mood,” Sy quipped.

A knowing glance passed between my friends. “Ignore her, she’s been like that all week, but she refuses to say why.”

“It’s nothing,” I snarled.

The flapping of wings turned my attention skyward where Symon’s tawny gryphon and Rue’s silver Pegasus appeared from between the fluffy clouds. Unlike Sol who was forced to nest far off in the Alucian Mountain range, my friends’ skyriders remained in the stalls on the far side of campus. I often thought of poor Sol alone on the jagged peaks. Though Windy and Griff were no longer terrified of being eaten by him, they also weren’t exactly playmates.

“So where shall we go today?” Sy asked as he mounted.

“Let’s go to the north, toward the Darkmania Falls,” Rue replied once she was seated atop Windy. “I’ve heard they’re beautiful.”

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of the waterfall along the Shadow Court border that I’d visited with Reign last term. Visions of his body blanketing mine in that cold cave surged to the surface. Dispelling the painful memories, I blurted, “Or we could go south, instead.”

“I’d rather avoid the Wilds, if it’s all the same to you.” A jagged edge laced Rue’s tone, and I felt awful. How could I have made such an inconsiderate comment when now both of her brothers had been called to fight along the border?

“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t think?—”

She waved a nonchalant hand. “No, it’s fine. Let’s not talk about it, okay?”

I exchanged a quick glance with Symon whose lips were pressed into a tight line. Gods, I was a terrible friend. I’d been so wrapped up in my own misery, I’d barely considered how she was faring without Heaton.

The thunderous flapping of our three skyriders broke the silence of the tense moment, and an instant later, we were all skyborne. With Sol’s immense size, I was forced to remain a few yards away from my friends, while they flew side by side.

Throughout the thirty-minute journey, amidst occasional light-hearted banter, we practiced defensive and offensive maneuvers with and without the use of rais . By the time the towering crags of the Darkmania Falls loomed ahead, I was exhausted and depleted of energy. Even Sol’s wingbeats seemed sluggish.

“How about we take a dip in the falls before we head back?” I called out to my friends, the glittering celestial glyph I’d drawn amplifying my voice.

“Yes,” they chorused back.

As we began the descent, the familiar sound of enormous pounding wings echoed overhead. I tipped my head back to search the darkening sky, but only shadows remained.

Sol, did you hear that ?

His nostrils flared. Yes, but whatever it was, it seems to have left already .

There was only one other dragon I could imagine it could have been. Phantom ?

Too far to tell .

“Come on, Aelia!” Rue’s voice jerked my attention toward the quickly approaching ground. “Last one in is a rotten gryphon egg!”

Sol tilted his wings, and we barreled toward the earth, the cascades glittering beneath the moonlight of the Shadow Court. Despite the hollow carving out my chest at finding myself here once again without Reign, a tiny flicker of excitement propelled me forward. Spending a few hours splashing in the cool pond beneath the waterfall with my friends sounded like the perfect way to drown the dark thoughts of the past.

By the time I crawled down Sol’s leg, Rue and Symon were already chin deep in the lagoon, their clothes scattered along the shore. Thank the gods we were on the dark side of the divide which allotted a modicum of privacy as I stripped down and ran into the glittering pool.

“That’s my girl!” Rue cheered as I hit the water and sank beneath the swirling eddies.

The icy droplets rushed my skin, and I gasped the moment I rose to the surface. “It’s freezing!”

“It’s not that bad.” A familiar voice erupted from the shadows, and every tiny hair on my body stood at attention. My head spun over my shoulder to the cavern behind the glistening waterfalls, the very one Reign and I had slept in all those months ago.

Ruhl emerged from the cascade, dark locks plastered to his face and as bare as the day he was born. He ran his hand through his hair, tossing the wet strands back and I kept my gaze pinned to his eyes, refusing to allow them to wander south. “Well, hello there, little Kin. Fancy meeting you here on my side of the Luminoc.”

Rue and Symon froze, their wary gazes locked on the Shadow heir.

Of course, they had no idea we knew each other as anything other than rivals from the trials. No one did.

“Ruhl,” I bit out. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I confirmed my daggers were still hidden beneath my pile of clothing behind the nearby brush.

He glided closer, a storm of shadows curling around his bare form. “Here for a leisurely swim without your mentor?”

“No, not exactly. We were out training and needed to cool off.” I moved beside Rue and Symon, senses alert and ready to summon my rais to the surface. I never knew which version of Ruhl I’d encounter, the ruthless one whose dragon tried to incinerate me or the cordial one I’d chatted with at the ball at the commencement of the Umbral Trials.

“Mmm, interesting.” His lips curled into a smile. “Where is that Shadow Fae traitor?”

“I have no idea, I’m not his keeper.”

The smirk only grew bolder. He was taunting me, and I knew it very well. But if he dared speak the truth, it would only condemn him as well. From what I understood of King Tenebris, he’d murder his own heir if he dared to out Reign. Which left us at this awkward standstill.

“Are you prepared for the next trial?” His dark brow arched, trapping me in that hypnotic stare. “Perhaps, we’ll be paired once again.”

Realization slammed into me as I took in that devious smile. He’d done it on purpose… somehow, he’d convinced Malakar to enlist us together in the trial. But why?

“Do you have any insights as to what the next trial might be?” Rue asked.

For a second, I’d nearly forgotten my friends were there.

His dark eyes narrowed as they regarded her, as if he too had forgotten her presence. “I may have an inkling.”

“And… care to enlighten us?” Sy spoke up.

“Now, why would I do that? Any information I may have could lead to your advantage.”

I fixed him in my steeliest glare. “Because you owe me after the last trial. It was my understanding that Fae weren’t in the habit of taking debts lightly.”

Ruhl clucked his tongue, drawing closer still, so that his silky shadows nearly touched my nose. It was becoming arduous keeping my gaze fixed to his, instead of dipping lower. “Touché. But if we’re keeping score, you owe me from the trial before that.”

Curses. Reign had been right. Ruhl had only helped in the gauntlet to force me into his debt.

“I suppose I could give you one little hint, but then the balance will tip in my favor once more.”

My hand shot up. “No, keep your information to yourself.” A sliver of darkness curled around my fingers, its frosty touch sending a chill up my spine, before returning to its master.

“It will take place in the Feywood Forest, just miles away from your hometown and the dreaded border of the Wilds.”