Chapter 9
Illariana Arden’s POV
Airis’s weight pressed me deeper into the firm mattress, his dangerously calm gaze never leaving my eyes.
I couldn’t breathe.
Not because of fear.
Not entirely.
“What the hell...?” I whispered, hoping my voice sounded steadier than I felt.
It didn’t.
I sounded far too helpless.
“I never mentioned the harpy.”
Airis’s voice was even.
Cold.
Controlled.
Contemptuous.
“Who are you really?”
Saliva pooled in my throat, making it hard to breathe.
I was afraid to swallow.
As if the second I did, the blade would slice across my skin.
“I’ve told you the truth this entire time.”
“Then where did you hear about the harpy?”
The pressure against my throat became unbearable.
I started dragging air through my mouth, my body jerking instinctively.
Pointlessly.
He was terrifyingly strong.
As if realizing what was happening, Airis shifted the dagger back a few millimeters.
“I can’t tell you.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
His voice hardened.
And I believed him.
Swallowing again, I forced the words out.
“Then cut me.”
My heart slammed violently against my ribs, betraying every word I said, but I refused to back down.
Pulling myself together, I continued:
“There are only two endings to this.
Both end in death.”
His silver eyes studied me carefully.
I couldn’t tell what thoughts moved behind them.
Or what I should be preparing for.
“Don’t play games with death, Fireling.
Sometimes all it takes is answering a question.”
What if I was death itself?
And what if the answer only brought me closer to becoming it?
“Either cut me,” I whispered, trying to sound fearless.
Unbreakable.
“Or ask a different question.”
But my hands, pinned above my head beneath his grip, were trembling.
“Are you connected to Harold Moss?” he asked.
“No. I heard his name for the first time from you.”
I prayed he believed me.
“Before meeting me, had you ever been to Istarus or any world besides Vuduarus?”
“No,” I answered immediately.
“If I let you live, would you become a threat to me or anyone else in this world—or any other?”
A laugh escaped me.
Nervous.
Heavy with sadness.
“You all see me as some stubborn, uncontrollable girl. Do you really think someone like me could ever be safe for anyone?”
I watched his jaw tighten, sharpening his already dangerous features even further.
Once again, we collided headfirst, both trying to outstubborn the other.
And it felt as though the entire world had frozen to watch.
“I can only tell you one thing,” I said quietly.
“I have no intention of hurting anyone.”
Unless they hurt the people I love.
Silence followed.
A silence so heavy it felt endless.
Then suddenly, Airis pulled the dagger away from my throat completely.
He still didn’t move back.
Instead, he pressed me more firmly into the mattress.
Securely.
But without hurting me.
His face lowered closer and closer to mine until it felt like our lips were seconds from touching—
until I was certain he was about to kiss me—
and then he turned away at the last moment.
“I hope I won’t regret this, Fireling.”
I couldn’t breathe.
He played with my emotions effortlessly, never allowing me to relax for even a second.
Terrifying me one moment—
making my body crave him the next.
And like a complete, inexperienced fool, I reacted every single time.
Clearing my throat, I tried to force confidence into my voice.
“I’d appreciate it if we continued this conversation in a different setting... or position.”
He pulled away from my ear and looked directly into my eyes.
That infuriating smirk appeared on his lips again.
“And what positions would you prefer for our conversation?” he murmured, his voice almost purring.
Quietly, I drew a deeper breath into my lungs.
I desperately needed air.
“All the ones where our bodies aren’t touching.”
“Is that really what you want?” he asked in a low whisper, slowly twirling one of my curls around his finger.
“Yes,” I lied.
And he pulled away.
A second later, he was already back on his side of the bed.
Only then did it feel as though I had relearned how to breathe.
Airis was far too unpredictable.
But for some reason, I wasn’t constantly tense around him the way I probably should have been.
Emotionally, no.
Sexually?
That was an entirely different disaster.
“I wonder what could matter enough for someone to risk dying over it,” Airis said quietly, almost as though he wasn’t speaking to me at all.
So I didn’t answer.
*******
The next morning, silence lingered between us.
During breakfast.
During the walk to the training hall.
Neither of us made any attempt to speak.
But the moment the heavy doors opened, voices echoed from inside.
I tensed immediately.
Not because of fear.
Or doubt.
More because I had no desire to be surrounded by too many people.
Not that I disliked them.
Though I definitely preferred animals.
That wasn’t the point.
I valued my comfort zone and solitude.
Meeting new people always felt like stepping into unfamiliar territory.
Yes, there were new opportunities. New experiences.
But it was terrifying.
The uncertainty terrified me.
“Better,” an unfamiliar male voice said before coughing harshly.
At the same time, a metallic scent mixed with something sour drifted toward us on the airflow.
But before I could fully inhale—
it vanished.
As if something had sealed the smell away.
“You didn’t have to release another wave of poison, though,” the man muttered after coughing again.
“You asked me to grow the plants higher this time. I still can’t fully control the air currents they release,” a girl replied, irritation slipping into her voice.
Airis tilted his head toward the entrance, silently signaling for me to go in first while he held the door open.
Still refusing to speak.
I couldn’t read his mood, but everything about him suggested he was trying to distance himself from me.
Maybe that was for the best.
As I stepped inside, I spotted a tall, muscular guy with skin the color of milk chocolate standing in the center of the hall beside a slender girl at least a head shorter than him, her long blond hair fading into green at the ends.
Both wore training uniforms.
Neither noticed us at first.
“You’ll need to learn how to manage that,” the guy said, scratching his thick curls as he studied the girl.
Then the heavy metal door slammed shut behind us, the sound ringing sharply through the hall.
Both of them turned toward us.
My eyes immediately locked onto the girl’s brightly glowing eyes, which slowly faded back to an ordinary green.
“Looks like we’ll need to start scheduling training sessions with our protégés soon,” the stranger said with a wide grin aimed at Airis.
The human iceberg simply nodded.
“Plant magic?” Airis asked, gesturing toward the girl.
“And biochemistry on top of that,” the stranger nodded. “What did you get?”
“Fire.”
I scoffed, irritation flickering through me.
“It seriously feels like we’re lab rats or something,” I muttered, crossing my arms.
“Agreed,” the blonde girl nodded. “I’m Stasia. And this is my mentor, Tarven.” She gestured toward the guy beside her. “Earth mage.”
I immediately looked at Tarven with interest.
This was the Tarven Airis had mentioned.
Or was there another student with the same name?
“Ria,” I introduced myself, jerking my thumb toward Airis without looking at him. “And this one’s Airis. Air mage. Arrogant and insufferably self-important.”
I stepped closer to Stasia, thoroughly satisfied by the annoyed silence behind me.
“Tarven seemed decent right up until this moment,” Stasia said thoughtfully.
“Alright, fair enough,” Tarven surrendered, lifting his hands. “Ignoring you was pretty rude.”
Shifting my gaze between him and Stasia, I nodded.
“He actually does seem decent. My mentor probably doesn’t even know words like that.”
“They just aren’t meant for you,” Airis’s voice came from behind me as he slowly walked closer. “You two finished training already?”
“Yeah.” Tarven nodded, glancing at Stasia. “I think we should move to the open arena before she accidentally poisons me.”
Stasia merely shrugged.
“But I need to talk to you for a minute,” Tarven added, motioning for Airis to follow him.
And before leaving, the arrogant asshole assigned as my mentor tossed over his shoulder:
“I’m leaving you alone for five minutes. Try not to burn the place down, Fireling.”
He didn’t even look at me before heading toward Tarven.
“Yeah... you seriously got unlucky with your mentor,” Stasia said, crossing her arms. “I’ve known Tarven since I was twelve, and when they said I’d need a mentor, he volunteered immediately.”
She sighed, and my attention sharpened instantly.
Airis was over a hundred years old, so how old was Tarven supposed to be?
And Stasia, if she’d known him since she was twelve?
They all looked young.
Like we were the same age.
But could I even ask something like that?
“Want to know what they’re talking about?” Stasia asked, her eyes fixed on the guys.
I gave her a questioning look.
“You can hear things from far away?” I asked immediately.
Stasia laughed softly.
“No. I haven’t trained my mental abilities yet,” she replied, a warm smile spreading across her face. “Tarven found out from the Oracle this morning that one of Harold Moss’s spies will enter Istmond this year, so everyone’s supposed to stay alert.”
I exhaled heavily, glancing toward Airis.
His expression seemed to darken with every passing second, and every so often his gaze flicked toward me.
“Shit,” I muttered quietly. “Perfect. As if he didn’t already suspect me enough.”
“They’ll suspect all of us.”
“Probably not you. You’ve known Tarven for a long time,” I pointed out, still unsure whether asking her age would be appropriate.
“And who knows?” Stasia shrugged. “Maybe the spy took my appearance to trick Tarven.”
Then she looked at me more closely.
“You’re from Plaraarus, right?” she asked.
Then immediately smacked a hand against her forehead with a grin.
“Wait. Obviously. You said you’re a fire mage.”
I frowned.
“I’m from Vuduarus.”
Surprise flashed across Stasia’s face.