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

Chapter 63

Chapter Sixty-Three

A elia

For the record, I do not condone this unsanctioned, and quite frankly, foolish outing . Sol’s gravelly voice vibrated my skull as I followed behind Rue and Devin through the quiet hallways of the dormitories. Symon was silent beside me, likely also discussing our trip to the Wilds with Griff, because otherwise the chatty Fae would never be so quiet.

Noted , I shot back to Sol through our link. But this is for Heaton, Sol . We cannot simply abandon him out there . I slid my hands to the sheaths strapped to my hips, running my fingers over the smooth leather where one of my daggers and one blade I’d acquired from the academy rested. Without knowing what we would find tonight, I needed the solace only my dagger afforded.

You can and you should leave him out there. It is his duty to face whatever lies in the Wilds. Not yours .

A prickle of fear resonated all the way down to my bones. Are you saying you will not come ?

I did not say that. I only wish to make it abundantly clear that I disapprove, and I cannot be held accountable for what may occur as a result of this foolhardy mission .

You’ve made it clear . And nothing will happen. We will simply meet Heaton on the border and bring him home. We will return before morning and anyone realizes we’re gone . I huffed out a breath as we reached the front steps of the Hall of Glory. Through the light spray of the glittering fountain, Arcanum loomed across the river, sharp turrets like skeletal remains reaching into the night sky. It had been over half an hour since we’d left the Citadel, and still, I’d heard nothing from Reign.

Another bout of unease kicked up, twisting my stomach. Tonight was supposed to be a night of celebration. How could it have turned into such a complete disaster? First, Ruhl, and now, Heaton. Ruhl’s ultimatum had been entirely unexpected. I’d fumbled and flailed, attempting a satisfactory response that would buy me some time. Not completing the bond with Reign would shatter his heart, as well as my own, and likely drive us both mad, but if Ruhl confessed the truth to the king, both of our lives could be forfeit. I needed to speak to Reign to decide our next move.

But where was he?

I squinted to make out a familiar blonde sauntering up the stone pathway, hidden beneath the trellises of wild ivy.

“Liora?” Symon blurted, and our entire impromptu rescue party came to a halt.

Oh gods, not her .

She emerged from the shadows, holding up her voluminous skirt to reveal bare feet. Her delicate chignon had come undone, wisps of blonde hair framing her weary face.

“Are you all right?” Symon rushed over.

A tear rolled down her cheek and a spasm of regret tightened my chest. Maybe I’d been a little unfair to the female since her arrival. I’d never even given her a chance because of my irrational jealousy.

“What happened?” I inched closer, joining Symon and the others beside her.

“I’m not sure.” Liora choked back a sob. “One of the Shadow Fae initiates offered me something from a little vial. It tasted absolutely wretched.” She gagged, her mouth twisting from the memory. “The next thing I knew an hour had passed, and I found myself alone in a corner of the dormitory hallway. I have no idea what happened.”

Symon swung his arm around her quivering shoulders and tucked her into his side. “You are all right now, and that is all that matters.”

“What if they did something to her?” I whisper-hissed to Rue.

“Then we will make them pay tomorrow. Besides, hopefully her hazy memory will return by then, and we’ll discover exactly what happened.” My best friend shifted from foot to foot nervously, her gaze darting across the flight field to the encroaching woods. I followed her line of sight, squinting at where Windy and Griff already awaited beneath the cover of trees. With a steadying breath, she turned to Liora, a tight smile on her lips. “You’ll have to excuse us, but we are under a time constraint.”

“Where are you going?” Her glossy eyes darted between us.

Rue’s lips slanted into a hard line, and I avoided her questioning glance, searching for Sol behind the tree line. Keeping my friends’ mounts hidden was much easier than my enormous dragon.

“We—” Symon started but Rue cut him off with a narrowed glare.

“No, no one can know.”

“Know what?” Liora’s eyes were red and swollen, bottom lip jutting out. She looked absolutely pitiful.

“There’s something we need to do,” I muttered.

“And no one else can come.” Rue knotted her arms across her chest.

“Oh, please let me come.” She wiggled free of Symon’s hold and reached for Rue’s hands. “Whatever it is, I won’t tell anyone, I promise. I simply cannot be alone right now.”

Devin shrugged, glancing at Rue. “Maybe she can help.”

Rue’s eyes flicked to mine again, an unspoken question hanging in the air between us. Hesitancy wavered in my chest as I regarded the female. Bringing her was no riskier than allowing Devin to come. I didn’t fully trust either of them.

Worst case scenario, I could have Reign erase their memories should the need arise. If you find him. An unfamiliar voice of doubt squirmed through my thoughts. Shoving it back to the dark recesses where it belonged, I nodded quickly at Rue. We would find Heaton and bring him home. By the time we returned, surely I’d find Reign waiting. There was no reason for anything else to go wrong tonight.

The thunderous flap of mighty wings turned my attention skyward. Sol’s gilded appendages glistened beneath the sun’s sinking rays. Twilight approached, the rare hour when the blessed sun sank low behind the Alucian Mountains. The light never fully disappeared, but this was as close as it got. It was now or never.

“We must go, now,” Rue announced.

“Just let her come,” said Symon. “She can ride with me.”

“Fine,” she gritted out. “But you’re responsible for her.”

Sy nodded and pressed his palm to the small of Liora’s back, guiding her toward the field where our skyriders awaited.

I marched to the dragon towering over the other mounts, dark smoke lifting from his wide nostrils. His agitation surged through our bond, a tangle of his and mine. Sol, I hate to ask, but I need you to check on Reign through Phantom .

He snorted, and brilliant ochre flames burst from between his fangs.

Windy let out a shrill whinny, pawing at the ground as the fire danced in the air a few yards above her head.

Please, Sol. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

Fine, but only because I hope he can talk some sense into you and keep you from this fool’s errand .

He stretched out his leg, and I climbed up the spiky protrusions, avoiding the nastier spikes and using the stubby ones as hand holds. Scaling the enormous beast had become second nature, a feat I would have thought impossible only a few months ago.

Once I was seated between his wing bones, I glanced below, where Rue, Devin, Symon and Liora were already mounted on their respective skyriders. As I watched Symon and Liora whispering, I wondered how much he had divulged of our covert operation. Deserting a squad of Royal Guardians was tantamount to treason. Once we found Heaton, he would be forced to run or pay for his disloyalty with his life. The thought had my stomach in knots once again. I couldn’t imagine the next year at Luce without him as our team leader.

Sol? Any luck ?

Phantom is not answering.

Does that happen often?

I would not know, Aelia, I do not often attempt to speak to her .

That swirl of fear ignited, churning into a frenzied storm of worry. Keep trying .

As you wish . His grumble of annoyance seeped through the bond, only intensifying my unease.

“Everyone ready?” Rue called out as Windy’s wings beat the air, bringing the silver Pegasus to Sol’s eye level within seconds.

A chorus of yeses swept through our small rescue squad.

“We should find Heaton within the hills of the western border between Feywood and the Wilds.” Rue jerked on the reins, turning her mount’s head south. “Let’s go.” Beyond the Feywood Forest, full dark had set in, Raysa’s endless light reaching only as far as the court’s southern border with Feywood.

Sol’s massive wings thrust us into the sky, my stomach dipping from the speedy ascent. Once in the air, he flapped leisurely, staying well above the others to avoid their getting caught in the backdraft from his powerful beats. The sprawling landscape below, a tapestry of dark, whispering forests and rugged mountains, still seemed distant, but felt threatening, nonetheless. What was out there? What could have destroyed an entire squad of Royal Guardians?

The flight across the Court of Ethereal Light was a quick one, my spiraling, dismal thoughts more than enough company. Between my worry for Heaton and strangling fear for Reign, my heart leapt around my ribcage, battering my bones with lethal force. On the bright side, I hadn’t once thought about my own perilous predicament.