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

Chapter 45

Chapter Forty-Five

R eign

I stood at the back of the hall as Professor Litehaus droned on about lightweaving and all the advanced techniques used to form intricate patterns for various magical effects. It was this craft which created the wards that kept the student dormitories impenetrable. I’d added my own shadoweaving powers to Aelia’s chamber to ensure she’d be protected the day she arrived at the Conservatory.

At the time, I’d done it for selfish reasons, to ensure the success of my acquisition. Or at least, that was what I had told myself. In retrospect, perhaps even then I already knew. I blew out a breath, knotting my arms across my chest. It no longer mattered what Aelia was to me, she had made her decision and now I had to find a way to live with it.

A part of me had hoped she would change her mind once she’d had time to process the truth about our bond, or even after that incredible night of pretend we shared. Instead, she had remained steadfast in her convictions.

Fucking hell, I was angry and… hurt. I tried my best to keep my careful mask in place, but her refusal had burned more deeply than the banished mark emblazoned into my chest. I had never dared love before her, and now, I understood why the Fae were so weary of it. Binding yourself to someone so wholly only left you vulnerable and weak. I would never let it happen again. Curling my fingers into fists at my sides, I searched for the icy calm I once possessed. Aelia had ruined me, tearing through every wall I'd ever built. Now, without her, I was nothing but a hollow shell, stripped of all that made me whole.

I would continue to protect her to the best of my ability until my dying day, but holding on to the love I had for her was too damned painful. She rejected me. She chose Aidan, her friends, the entire gods’ forsaken realm over me. To say my ego was bruised was an understatement. And yet, that selflessness, that ever-shining light was what I loved most about Aelia. As much as I wanted to resent her for it, I simply couldn’t.

I despised the notion of severing this bond between us, but I had no other choice. To live with the burgeoning, overpowering sensations it created would send me to an early grave.

The sharp scrape of chair legs across stone drew my attention to the front of the hall where the students now gathered showcasing their wondrous lightweaving abilities. Most practiced illumination sigils, drawing complex designs in the air or on surfaces that emitted specific effects when triggered.

My gaze instinctively tracked to Aelia where she stood beside Liora, watching as her finger traced the air that created a vibrant illusion of Professor Litehaus’s form.

The old male clapped, laughing wholeheartedly. “Well done, Liora, very lifelike.”

The other students marveled at her skill and a chorus of ooh s and ahh s filled the hall. Had I truly been so blind to Liora’s talents? For a first-year, she was quite advanced, oddly so. Perhaps I needed to start spending more time with her to hone those talents. Not that I’d ever cared to offer more of my free time unless it suited me, but damn it, Aelia had changed me. I suddenly felt responsible for these students, for their lives. At the very least, I should keep an eye on my acquisitions.

“Miss Ravenwood, let’s see what you can do.” He ticked his head at Aelia, and pure white light sparked across her fingertips. Raising her hand, she drew a brilliant sigil in the air, the dancing glyph vibrating with power I could sense from all the way across the room.

Once it was complete, she turned to Liora with a disarmingly sweet smile. “Walk through it.”

The first-year paused before glancing between Aelia and the professor.

“Go ahead.” He nodded, urging her on.

The moment Liora’s hand brushed the shimmering sigil, thunder clapped, reverberating across the entire hall, and a downpour of concentrated Light energy exploded across the room like a galaxy of shooting stars. Students ducked and dropped to the ground to escape the powerful influx of rais .

My mouth curved into a smile, unbidden. I still remembered the days she could barely summon a protective shield. Now, every day her power grew stronger, if not more volatile. Maybe I truly had made a difference in her life.

Professor Litehaus beamed at Aelia, despite the flecks of fiery light singeing the tips of his mustache. “Very well done, young lady. It’s been some time since I’ve seen a starfall cascade.”

She dipped her head, offering a small smile, then moved past the other students to find her seat.

“Next?” Litehaus called. “Who would like to demonstrate what they’ve learned?” As the other first-years scrambled to show off their talents, Aelia marched up the aisle to return to her seat only a row away from where I stood. Her eyes lifted to mine and held.

My heart rioted in my chest, slamming against my ribcage like a wild beast. It had been barely a day since I’d seen her last, but I ached for her. After giving in to that intimate moment last week, the dormant cuorem bond seemed to have awakened. And right now, it was angry, furious at being kept away from its mate.

I knew allowing ourselves that indulgence would only cause more pain in the long run. And still, I couldn’t bring myself to regret it.

“Hi.” She slid into the empty row, eyes still trained to mine.

“Princess,” I whispered, dropping into a dramatic bow.

“Oh, stop that. If anyone should be bowing to anyone else, it should be the other way around.” She kept her voice low, so quiet that if I weren’t so attuned to her, I doubted I would have made out every syllable.

“After the other night, I’ll never stop bowing to you.” My jaw slammed shut, instantly regretting the outburst. Good gods, what was that? Clearing my throat, I waited for the blush to retreat from her cheeks. “Are you ready for the trial tomorrow?”

She nodded quickly before taking a step closer, and I wondered if she was even aware she’d done it. Only a single row of desks stood between us now. Was she feeling the pull as desperately as I was?

“I saw Ruhl.”

“What? When?” I had to force my feet to keep still when they were begging to leap across the tables separating us.

“The other night when Rue, Symon and I were training. He said the third trial would be in Feywood. Do you know anything about it?”

The surprise must have shown on my face because she drew in a long breath. “Did he give you any more details than that?”

“No. We didn’t stay long once Mordrin arrived.”

I bristled at the mention of my brother’s bloodthirsty dragon, and fear lanced through my chest. I should have been there, damn it… I should always be there to ensure her safety.

“Sol does not seem partial to him,” she continued, so I attempted to refocus on the conversation and forced back the pointless thoughts. “And the feeling appears mutual.”

“Mmm. I’m not surprised. Phantom seems to despise him as well. There’s some sort of history there, I’m sure, but my skyrider has yet to share. She is oddly reticent when it comes to matters regarding Solanthus.”

“Don’t you hate it when she doesn’t tell you things? Sol finally admitted he suspected about”—she gestured wildly between us—“and never said anything.”

“You, or rather we, need to remember that our dragons have lived for centuries through each incarnation. They carry the wisdom of the ages. As a result, they seem to think they know better than us.” A rueful chuckle slid out despite the pit of unease lodged in the bottom of my stomach.

“I understand it in theory, but I still hate it.”

The slap of footsteps lifted my gaze over Aelia’s shoulder to a quickly approaching Liora. She stomped right past my mentee and jabbed a finger at my chest. “How come you taught Aelia to do that starfall thing and not me?” The hurt in her eyes shone as she glanced between us.

“I—I didn’t teach her that. When I train with Aelia, we mostly work with my shadows.” I dragged a hand across my nape. Had I been doing Liora a disservice by centering all my attention on Aelia? She was my acquisition and, apparently, quite talented. Not that I’d ever concerned myself with fairness before, but somehow Aelia’s kind nature continued to rub off on me.

“Why don’t you work with me one-on-one?” She inched closer, her hand flattening on my chest.

I could feel the heat of Aelia’s glare searing into me from over Liora’s shoulder. More than that, it twisted inside me like a poisonous serpent, writhing around my lungs and squeezing the air out.

“You’re right, I should,” I blurted and took a big step back, so her hand fell between us. Nearly immediately the pressure relented. I glanced up at Aelia and those silver-blue eyes lanced right through me. Continuing to backpedal toward the doors of the great hall, I called out, “We’ll create a training schedule later this week after the next trial, Liora. Now, excuse me, but I must go see the headmaster.”

Like an apparent coward, I turned tail, fleeing the hall with my shadows wrapped around me like a shield, instead of allowing Aelia to suffer through the jealousy. I pressed my hand to my chest, massaging the tightness away as soon as I stepped outside of the oppressive building. Noxus, as much as I despised the thought, I had to find a way to break this bond, or we would both lose our minds.