CHAPTER SIX
The five of us—Ember, Maddy, Jules, a surprisingly roped-in Darcy, and me—crammed into my dorm.
Outside on the balcony, our boundlings sprawled like royalty. Aether lounged by Luna, while Darcy's boundling, a silent, violet-eyed bat named Void, hung upside down like a glossy shadow.
Inside, the air buzzed with spice-scented liquor and the glow of floating lanterns.
"So, Darcy," Ember purred, smoothing her sinful red mini-dress, "anyone catch your eye?"
Darcy exhaled a curl of purple smoke from her rune-engraved pipe. "I'm into females," she said casually. "And I've turned a few."
Ember fanned herself dramatically. "I think you just turned me."
As the room erupted, Maddy leaned in. "And how do you know Asher?"
Darcy smirked, leaning against the bedpost. "We grew up near the Umbra border. Not nobles—just regular fae scraping by until we found each other in the dark."
"But the Academy only takes pure bloodlines," Jules noted, brushing her orange curls.
"Asher made sure of it," Darcy said, something almost soft flickering behind the usual edge in her voice.
"The Queen of Umbra is his aunt. He vouched for me himself. When a Maddox asks for something, even royalty listens."
"Acceptable," Aether rumbled through the bond, flicking his tail toward Void.
"So," Ember said, turning to me. "What are you wearing, Princess?"
I groaned, pulling a blanket over my head. "I'm staying in to study runes."
"Hell no." Darcy stalked over and ripped the blanket away, pinning me with a violet glare. "Princesses don't hide. They make the room burn when they walk in."
"That was… terrifyingly motivating," I muttered, heading for the wardrobe.
I chose a blue-and-gold marbled tennis skirt with a matching long-sleeved crop top.
Sharp. Playful. Dangerous.
In the bathroom, I tamed my combat-tousled hair into tight Dutch braids dusted with glitter that shimmered like scattered embers.
When I stepped out, the room collectively gasped.
"YES," Ember shouted. Darcy offered a rare, approving smile, and Maddy pressed a glowing chalice into my hand.
The liquor smelled like berries and bad decisions. I took a long sip anyway. I was ready to burn something down.
···
The air was alive with music and anticipation as we trekked through the ancient forest. This wasn't like the other woods; it was older, the magic humming through the roots beneath our boots as we followed the path from House Ignis to House Tideris.
Darcy led the way, her shadows flickering at her fingertips. Unlike Asher's, hers were playful, twisting like violet smoke around the trees.
"Your shadows are breathtaking," I breathed.
Darcy glanced back, surprised. "No one's ever said that.
" She watched the darkness coil lazily around her arm.
"You can't come from Umbra without shadows breathing through your skin.
The kingdom trains us for stealth—royal guards, elite assassins.
Most go through the Conclave at sixteen.
It's a sacred trial. Fail, and you don't earn your House crest."
Jules nearly tripped, her eyes wide as Void fluttered near her shoulder. "You were trained as an assassin?"
Darcy shrugged, unbothered. "
We all were. Umbra serves Nyxira, the goddess of death. We learn early to honor secrets."
I was still reeling. I'd never had a friend from Umbra—certainly not one this lethal. Asher was something else entirely.
Aether padded beside me, his tail flicking in irritation.
"You're very silent," I murmured through the bond.
"Observing," he replied. "And resisting the urge to claw someone."
I rolled my eyes. My fire. My tether.
"Wait," I said, glancing at Darcy. "What is Asher's boundling? We haven't seen it."
"Ooh, good question," Ember chimed, practically skipping. "Bet it's something epic. A dragon or a shadow demon."
Darcy's smile was slow and secretive. "You might see her tonight. If she's in the mood."
"Sounds familiar," I muttered.
"You are equally dramatic," Aether growled.
Laughter rippled through us as the trees thinned, revealing the glowing blue torches of House Tideris dancing over water-carved stone.
The courtyard was breathtaking.
A marble fountain dominated the center, sea deities reaching toward the moonlit sky, while behind it, a waterfall cascaded into a luminous pool where students summoned shimmering ribbons of water.
The air, heavy with salt and jasmine, pulsed with bass-thick music.
"Hey, ladies!"
Ryven appeared as if conjured, shirtless and damp from the pool. Maddy launched herself at him, wrapping her arms and a leg around his waist. He held her like she was the only thing in the courtyard worth touching.
Ember rolled her eyes. "Drinks?"
Darcy, Jules, and I nodded while Maddy remained occupied.
We entered the glass dome. Fountains arched overhead while a DJ's magic-enhanced mix vibrated through the marble floors.
Students danced in spell-thread silk and leather, and guards moved through the crowd with trays of glowing cocktails. It was wild, elemental, and exactly what we needed.
As we pushed toward the bar, the attention shifted. Heads turned, and a low whistle cut through the music.
"Goddamn, Princess," someone murmured.
Heat climbed my neck. "This is too much," I muttered, wishing the floor would open up.
"Stop it, Ava," Ember said firmly, snagging a tray of glowing shots from a passing guard. "You are the heir. Own it."
She pressed a glass of sapphire liquid into my hand and raised her own. "To tonight."
We downed the shots in unison. It hit my throat like liquid frost and starlight, a sharp kick that sent a shiver of confidence straight to my core.
"If you're planning on getting drunk, do it quickly," Aether's voice rumbled. "I'd rather not be the one steering your body back to the dorms."
"I'm fine, Aether," I thought, though my head was already beginning to swim with the music.
"Look," Ember whispered, nudging my shoulder.
I followed her gaze to the far side of the dome, where the shadows seemed thicker, darker.
Asher stood there, leaning against a curved glass wall that looked out over the ocean. He was dressed in black silk that seemed to drink the light, a silver chalice in one hand and the other shoved into his pocket.
He wasn't dancing. He was watching.
And the moment our eyes met across the crowded room, the sapphire heat in my veins turned into a slow, steady burn. He didn't smile. He just lifted his glass in a silent, lethal salute.
···
We danced for hours. By midnight, the sapphire liquor had turned the world into a delicious, spinning blur.
Darcy had long since vanished with a sly smile and a comment about "scoping the talent," leaving the rest of us to drown in the music.
"Breather! I need a breather!" I shouted over the bass, staggering toward the garden doors.
"We're right behind you," Ember promised, catching my arm as we spilled out into the cool night air.
We collapsed onto a stone bench beneath vines heavy with glowing lanterns. Aether paced nearby, his golden eyes narrowed in royal disapproval, while Luna sat alert.
"Guys..." Jules slurred, her laughter sounding thick and heavy. "I've... I've never felt like this."
My head snapped toward her. She was wobbling, her knuckles white as she gripped the stone.
"Oh, gods," Ember whispered, horror dawning. "I forgot you're human. I gave you fae liquor."
I stared at her, incredulous. "You forgot? Ember, she literally doesn't have pointed ears!"
Jules swayed, her face turning a ghostly shade of pale. Before the panic could peak, Ryven appeared out of nowhere, his expression shifting the moment he saw Jules.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his playfulness vanishing. "Luna told Solstice you needed help."
"Human. Fae liquor," Ember snapped, her voice trembling with guilt.
"Fuck," Ryven muttered, instantly scooping Jules into his arms. "She needs an antidote. Now."
Maddy was already on her feet, grabbing Jules's bag. "We've got her. You guys stay—enjoy the night."
I watched them disappear toward the healer's wing, my stomach twisting. "You're an idiot," I muttered, slumping against the bench.
"Fae liquor was a foolish choice for the curly one," Aether rumbled in my head.
A few minutes later, Ryven reappeared, hands shoved in his pockets and looking entirely unbothered.
"She's passed out at Maddy's," he announced. "Maddy's staying with her. I decided to come back."
I stared at him. "You left your girlfriend to babysit our human friend so you could come back to a party."
He shrugged. "Maddy told me to." He paused. "Also there's still aged moon-wine."
"You're as bad as Ember," I muttered.
He grinned. "Worse."
He vanished back into the dome before I could argue.
We headed back inside. "I need water," I groaned, pressing my palms to my throbbing temples. "My head is splitting."
Ember guided me through the heat and magic until we reached the bar. She shoved a water bottle into my hand, which I drank greedily, before ordering herself a glowing Moon Eclipse.
"Are you insane?" I asked, wiping my mouth.
"Don't judge me," she chirped, already sipping. "One more dance, Ava. Come on."
Before I could protest, a smooth, reckless voice cut through the pulse of the music. "I can dance with her."
Ezra appeared, grinning like the god of mischief himself, his auburn hair damp and his eyes burning like coals.
"Fine," Ember laughed, taking his hand. They vanished into the crowd before I could blink.
I looked down, nearly tripping as Aether flicked his tail at a rogue boundling getting too close.
"Aether, stop it," I hissed, reaching out to grab his tail.
It was a mistake.
He whirled, his instincts sharpened by the chaotic energy of the party, and swatted at me. I yanked my hand back with a sharp gasp as a line of blood bloomed across my palm.
"Aether! What the—!"
"Sorry about her. She's moody tonight."
The voice was a low, velvet drawl that made my heart skip. I froze, then turned slowly.
Asher stood there. He was shirtless, his dark hair dripping, rivulets of water tracing slow, torturous paths down his neck and over the hard planes of his chest.