Chapter 16
Rynlee’s POV
As Aunt Mira whispered her goodnight and extinguished the main lights in the medical ward, the soft blue glow of the magelight spell washed over the room like moonlight on still water.
I turned onto my side; the crisp linens cool against my skin and let the day’s exhaustion pull me under. Sleep came easily, but peace did not.
I found myself wandering the halls of Arcanna. Morning light poured through the stained-glass dome in the rotunda, casting golden beams across the mural of the Sun and Moon Gods entwined above. For a moment, everything felt… normal. Safe.
“Hey, Ryn!” Gia’s voice rang out behind me.
I turned to see her stepping through the courtyard, smiling until a gleam of silver sliced through the air.
My breath caught. A blade burst through her stomach.
Time stopped. The blood assassin behind her wore a dark hood, face veiled in shadow.
With a savage twist, he yanked the sword free, kicking Gia to the stone.
Blood spilled over her leathers, her mouth, her eyes wide in pain and disbelief.
“No. No, no, no, Gia!” I dropped to my knees, cradling her head in my lap. My magic sparked in my palm, but when I tried to summon light, it flickered and died. Useless. Her blood soaked through my hands.
“You can’t save them all.” The whisper crawled over my skin like spiders.
I gasped awake, heart thundering. Sweat slicked my brow, my chest heaving.
The infirmary was quiet, bathed in soft magelight.
I blinked hard and stumbled to the window.
Outside, the moon hung low, veiled by clouds.
It was only a dream. But it felt like a memory. Why did it feel so real?
Strategic Decisions was a blur. My feet dragged, my body ached, and my brain buzzed with the remnants of fear. “Wow,” Ryan said as I slumped into my seat. “You look like death.”
“Thanks, Ry. You always know how to lift a girl up,” I muttered, resting my head in my hand. Gia walked in a moment later, and my stomach unclenched slightly at the sight of her alive and unharmed. I reached out and pulled her into a hug.
“Whoa, what’s this for?” she asked, surprised but smiling.
“I just… needed one,” I whispered, holding her tighter than I meant to. She didn’t ask more. Professor Wicken entered, pulling down a large, rune-etched map of Celetian mountain. My stomach twisted.
“We’ve spent the last two weeks learning about our encampments,” she began, her voice chipper and practiced. “Now let’s talk about what Celetian mountain is doing for us magically.”
Luna raised her hand. “Professor, is it true we’re drawing dark magic from Celetian?” The room stilled.
Wicken blinked. “Black magic? No. We harness rune channels, light magic only. Nothing more.”
“But the historical text we read refers to dark energy found in the mountain,” Luna pressed, glancing at me. Wicken shifted on her feet. My eyes narrowed.
“Yes, that book mentions an alleged discovery, but if you had finished the chapter, you’d know it’s considered a myth.
Baseless legend,” she replied curtly, avoiding eye contact.
“Now, back to the topic.” Luna shot me a look, her expression saying exactly what I was thinking: she’s hiding something. They all are.
Later that day, the familiar scent of sweat, blood, and leather clung to the walls of the sparring room like ghosts of every battle fought here before.
The air was thick with tension and the low thud of fists and bodies hitting mats.
At least I was paired with Ryan today. That would be fun, safe.
“Remember,” Aiden’s voice rang out, sharp as a whip, “fight like your life depends on it because it does.”
Of course, he looked straight at me when he said it. I rolled my eyes, turning back to Ryan as we faced off. Within ten minutes of blocking, dodging, and exchanging blows, I had him on the ground, straddling him, a dagger pointed just beneath his chin.
“Impressive,” he muttered before grabbing my wrist and flipping us. “What now, Ryn?” he teased, grinning down at me.
“This.” I swung my free hand and cracked him clean across the jaw. He stumbled back, groaning. I launched at him, using the momentum to wrap my legs around his waist and bring him crashing down again, pinning him beneath me.
“Alright, alright! I yield,” Ryan laughed, rubbing his chin. “Damn, you’ve got a mean right hook.”
“Sorry. You know how it is,” I said, offering my hand to pull him up.
He accepted it, and as soon as he was upright, he tugged me into a warm, joking hug.
I giggled genuinely, my cheek pressed against his chest. When Ryan was ripped away from me, hard.
Aiden. He shoved Ryan back with enough force that the room fell instantly silent.
Ryan stumbled, hands flying up in surrender, brown eyes wide with shock.
Aiden didn’t even look at him for long. His glare snapped from Ryan to me, jaw clenched so tight I thought his teeth might crack.
Then he turned and stalked toward the far end of the room.
Oh, hell no. I marched after him, grabbed his elbow, and spun him around. “What the hell was that?”
“I don’t like him touching you,” Aiden growled, his voice low and dark.
“He’s a friend, Aiden.”
“I don’t fucking care what he is,” he snapped.
I crossed my arms, fury igniting in my chest. “What is your problem!”
“You,” he shot back, stepping closer. “You are my fucking problem.” My breath caught.
“Don’t you get it, Ruin?” His voice dropped into something guttural.
“I can smell you from a mile away. Sunlight and lavender. It drives me fucking crazy.” His eyes burned into mine.
“And when I see another man with his hands on you, I want to rip his arms off. Because you’re mine.
” He stepped in again, my back pressed into the stone wall as he placed one hand above my head.
My heart slammed violently against my ribs.
“Oh, yeah?” I spat, forcing steel into my voice. “What about you and Jasmine?”
“That’s not really your concern, now, is it?”
“Oh, it absolutely is,” I snapped. “If you’re going to get jealous over a friend, then yeah, it’s my concern. I thought we were seeing other people.” his gaze narrowed slightly.
“We are,” he said flatly. “And why are you saying that like we were already dating?”
“I’m not,” I scoffed, my voice turning cold.
“Besides, I believe your exact words were that you don’t give a fuck that we’re bonded.
That’s the only reason you aren’t killing me is because it benefits you.
” The words still burned coming out of my mouth.
He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair.
I hated that I noticed the flex of his bicep when he did it.
“You’re right,” he said. “I did say that. And I still fucking mean it.” His gaze darkened. “But the bond makes me react. So just deal with it.”
“No,” I snapped, trying to shove him back. He didn’t budge. “You don’t get to dictate who touches me just because you’re uncomfortable, especially when you’re still fucking Jasmine.” Aiden slammed his palms into the wall beside my head. I flinched, not from him, but from the sound.
“Shut your mouth, Ruin,” he growled, his voice barely human.
“Fuck you,” I shot back, refusing to look away as my chest burned with anger.
“This is why I don’t fucking like you.” And with that, he turned and vanished into the shadows at the edge of the room. I stood there, blood boiling. Gods, he was infuriating.
And this was the man the Sun Goddess wanted me to fall in love with? I stormed back to Ryan, who still looked a little rattled.
“Let’s go again,” I muttered, fists tightening. “I need to hit something.”
The next morning, I rolled out of bed, slightly unnerved.
Another nightmare had stolen my sleep; this time it was Ryan.
I watched him die in front of me, and again, I couldn’t stop it.
Couldn’t save him. The images clung to my brain like smoke.
I didn’t even bother brushing my hair, just threw it into a loose braid, laced up my boots, and left my dorm in silence.
The crisp autumn air bit at my skin as I stepped onto the training field.
The trees beyond the walls blazed in hues of red, orange, and gold, but I barely noticed their beauty.
Not when Aiden appeared from the shadows looking pissed off and angry as usual, and it made me want to throttle him all the same.
“Good morning,” Firebeard greeted, as bright and chipper as he normally was.
I grumbled a non-response, and so did Aiden.
“What has gotten into you both?” Firebeard asks.
I wanted to say Aiden made me feel like ramming a dagger into my own throat and the fact I hate that I don’t hate him.
But instead of answering, I crossed my arms. Firebeard clapped his hands once.
Aiden remained quiet, too, crossing his arms as well.
“Alright, let’s see if you two can get out of this one.
” A stone box slammed down around us again, sealing us in.
Just like yesterday, but this time the air was thicker.
Angrier. And I didn’t wait for the water to rise. I punched Aiden square in the jaw.
He stumbled back against the wall, pupils wide. “What the fuck, Ruin!”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I sneered. “Did that upset you?”
His jade eyes flared with anger, and shadows curled at his feet like snakes. “You’re a piece of work, you know that?”
“And you’re a grade-A asshole.” I crossed my arms tightly. “The world doesn’t revolve around your mood swings, Aiden.”
“You’re one to talk, little girl—” Little girl? Oh, hell no.
I swung at him again, but he caught my wrist. So, I kicked him in the shin. “Fuck you!”