CHAPTER SIXTEEN
They walked in silence the rest of the way, each step increasing the nerves building in Aurora’s stomach. Fear had taken hold of her on No Man’s Land and had distracted her from what was about to occur, but now they were clear of that and so close to the very place Eli had run from. Her stomach was in knots. The fact that she didn’t know how things would go made her even more anxious.
The magic that normally lay dormant deep within her stirred. A feeling of small butterflies trapped in her chest began to build. A sense of restlessness deep within her grew enough to be noticeable by Aurora. A frown pulled on her perfect brows as she held the heel of her palm to her chest, rubbing where the sensation was strongest. Her magic stirred now and then, but it always felt as if it was on a low simmer. She had often tried to awaken it, increase it, but nothing she had done made a difference.
They broke through the tree line, and to Aurora’s surprise, they emerged into a cemetery. At its center sat an old abandoned church, its walls broken and crumbling. Eli didn”t pause as Aurora had, instead continuing in the direction of the church as she took her time, careful not to step where the dead lay. Attentive in each step she took through the broken and toppled tombstones. Shadowing where Eli had stepped so as not to trample over someone”s grave, she let her gaze roam over the scene before her. Aurora was stunned by the sheer lack of care shown to those that had passed on. She stifled a small yelp as she almost tripped over what at first she thought was a branch, only to discover a rather large bone, bleached white from exposure to the weather and sun.
She shuddered as she stumbled over the strewn bones.
They stopped before a statue of a mighty dragon and a beautiful angel. Brows pulled, head tilted, she watched as Eli pressed down on the foot of the angel. At first nothing happened, but then the sound of stone grinding on stone grew louder until the sight of a gaping pit appeared. She watched open-mouthed as the stone slab moved to reveal a staircase.
Without looking at Aurora, Eli descended the stairs.
She hesitated; there was that feeling again, the tightening of the knot in her stomach. A feeling in her gut that if she went down those stairs, the girl who came back up would be totally different. There would be no going back; her life would change forever.
Closing her eyes and taking a few steadying breaths, she tilted her head skyward and sighed deeply. A soft breeze touched her cheek, almost as if nature itself was trying to comfort her.
“Aurora...”
“Coming!” Casting her sights on the opening, she took a final breath, savoring the fresh air, before moving to join Eli.
They descended a spiral staircase cut from the earth itself. The only source of light coming from the opening above them. She was about to ask if they should seal the opening when the slab began to move back into place. Aurora kept pace alongside Eli as they made their way through one hallway after another. Some didn’t even have walls; instead, a straight drop was what would await her if she didn’t pay attention to where she walked.
They turned down a labyrinth of hallways until they came to a set of double doors. Aurora was just about to whine that she was tired and just wanted to rest when voices were heard coming from beyond the closed doors.
Pausing, hands on the heavy wooden doors, Eli took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it slip past his lips. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder towards Aurora, he winked before pushing both doors open. Walking into the room, he held the door open so she could follow, his body strung tight; tension held every line of his body.
Aurora and Eli both scanned the room, and as they did, a reminder popped into her head. One of his lessons: never enter a room without checking it over, and note all the exits and how many people occupy it.
To Aurora’s surprise, a courtyard lay in front of them, and it was occupied by many fae around her age. They stood in pairs, facing each other in fighting stances or already engaged in a lesson of hand-to-hand combat. They appeared to be from different Quartaines. Hair in shades ranging from gold to auburn and chestnut to obsidian. Skin tones just as diverse, from pale porcelain and golden tans to rich browns, each Quartaine represented. She’d never seen a group of fae as diverse all gathered and training alongside each other.
A soft smile graced her lips at that. The Quartaines were so segregated that seeing everyone working together was refreshing, biases forgotten, and past grievances forgiven. Was this common within the Guild? Perhaps they were forced to by the Guild. Regardless, it showed Aurora it was possible.
They paid no mind to her and Eli except for a male who seemed to be around her age. His pale blonde hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, freckles kissed his tan skin, and his piercing blue eyes were glued to Eli and Aurora. Based on the male”s appearance, Aurora assumed he was originally from the Summer Quartaine.
She tried her best to make a good first impression on the young male, so she smiled softly. Aurora had never bothered to make friends before, especially with others her age. She had always found them to be immature or just boring. But it would be nice to have at least one person she could talk to, ask questions to, or have someone other than Eli guide her.
Shaking his head as if in a daze, the male turned and abruptly sprinted out of the room. Aurora frowned. So much for being nice.
Turning to Eli, intent on complaining about the male’s rudeness, Aurora’s gaze snagged on Eli’s before any words fell from her mouth. Eli’s eyes were glued across the room to a male who had his back to them.
He was tall, and his dark, silky straight hair hit just below his shoulders. The dark pants and gray shirt he wore fit him extremely well, not hiding the toned muscle that was covered by the fabric.
Her eyes widened, her mouth going dry as she watched him move. She could appreciate how well this male was built. As he turned to the side to instruct a pair of young males who were fighting, the air caught in Aurora’s throat. He was beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful males she had ever seen.
His strong jaw moved as he talked to his students, his toned arms moving to show them corrections. His pale skin was smooth, and it was clear to anyone who looked upon the male just how much he valued his appearance. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by her how his skin tone was similar to her own.
Finally, he turned in their direction, and like everything else about the male, his eyes stood out. His sage green eyes were beautiful. The shade reminded her of Eli’s, the color she always made sure her own eyes matched. Could it be a coincidence that both males” eyes were so similar? His sparkled with mischief, but Aurora could read a sadness hidden deep within them.
Appreciating the male in front of her, Aurora realized if it weren’t for the fear she felt of the unknown and what limited knowledge Eli had shared with her on the Guild, she would have risked flirting with him. Even if she had no doubt that he was twice her age.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the male”s eyes locked on Eli, the action causing nerves to build in Aurora’s chest. The spark of mischief that had been in his eyes vanished. His eyes widened before they shifted and turned cold, something she was slowly becoming accustomed to seeing in Eli’s the past couple of days.
The air around them felt electric and dense as Eli’s magic reacted to his emotions, telling Aurora that the two obviously had some sort of past. The students noticed the change too. She watched as they slowly stopped their training and backed away from their instructor to place some distance between him and them. They were on the other side of the room, expressions curious as they once again continued their training.
Aurora’s unease notched up, quickly turning to a ball of anxiety as Eli stepped forward, slowly walking towards the male.
As Eli moved closer, Aurora did too. Her gaze snapped to her side as her dagger began vibrating just under her palm. But as quickly as the vibration had started, it stopped. What had caused it, she had no idea. It had never happened before.
As Eli’s movements caught her attention and dragged it away from the mystery of the vibration. He had stopped in front of the handsome male, their gazes locked. Aurora settled into a casual fighting stance, not wanting to alarm the male in front of them. She distributed her weight evenly on both of feet, her hand resting on her dagger, her palm brushing over the hilt.
Even though she could appreciate this male”s beauty, Aurora didn’t trust him so close to Eli. She was ready to intervene if needed. Eyes on both males, she calculated the moves she would need to take should she need to intervene. He was much taller than her, and judging by the fact he appeared to be teaching, he seemed to have way more experience in fighting. She wasn’t arrogant enough to think she could take down a Guild member, but she was confident enough that she could put him on his back and use the element of surprise for both Eli and her to escape.
Time stilled as Eli stood before the male and studied his face. Finally, he spoke, “It’s good to see that the new recruits are in good hands.”
The corner of his mouth lifted in a slight smile.
The male opposite him didn’t react. He held Eli’s gaze and said nothing.
Eli sighed, “I get that you’re angry, Asher. You have every right to be. Don’t block what you feel, not from me.” His voice was soft. Softer than Aurora had ever heard him speak, even to her.
Her eyebrows knitted together. She knew there were many members in the Guild who Eli would be close with, but seeing him speak in such a manner made Aurora’s heart feel as though it cracked slightly. For the first time, she experienced something foreign to her...Jealousy.
The words caused a change in Asher’s stare. The mask he wore cracked, then disappeared altogether as he showed Eli exactly what he was feeling.
“Angry, why would I be angry?” Asher’s hands fisted at his sides. “I mean, it’s not like you said you would be back. Oh, wait...that is what you said.”
He was pissed, and if his tone of voice had not given it away, then the fury Aurora could see burning in his eyes certainly did.
“I know what I said. You, of all people, should understand that sometimes things don’t go as planned. I couldn’t come back.” Eli crossed his arms over his chest, not taking his eyes from Asher.
Nodding, an arrogant sneer on his lips as he turned his attention to Aurora. His cold gaze started at her feet and worked its way up until it settled, locking briefly with her own. It was as if she had been punched. The force of the stare knocked the wind from her as his lip curled in contempt.
“Knock someone up and get left with the infant, hm?” Reading Eli’s expression, Asher shook his head a little, mentally correcting, “No, no, that’s not it. You just found yourself another orphan project and lost interest in the old one.”
Asher moved so fast that it was a blur. His fist slammed into Eli’s face, connecting with his nose, a loud crunch sounding sickly loud, the force of the blow lifting Eli off his feet and knocking him onto his ass.
Aurora audibly gasped as she watched Eli hit the ground, confused as to why he hadn’t even bothered to try and deflect or dodge the blow. She rushed forward, grabbing her dagger. She was enraged. Her eyes burned as she fought tears. Tears purely of rage, having watched the male attack, Eli. She didn’t care what mistake Eli had made. No one had the right to do to him what that male had just done. The anger she felt was so intense that she acted before thinking.
Just as she palmed the dagger, readying herself to lunge for the attacker, Eli raised a hand, stopping her. His eyes were calm as he looked back at her.
Confusion mixed with her anger. She tilted her head to the side, silently asking Eli to explain.
He didn’t bother giving her the answers she desired as he rose to his feet, blood dripping from his nose. Aurora flexed her grip around the dagger, trying to control her emotions. They waged war in her that she struggled to contain, which in turn created a flutter in her chest.
Her magic was stirring.
She took a sudden step back in surprise. Her magic had been dormant for as long as she could remember, but now as she stood before all these strangers, she felt it pulse, and it was stronger growing. As if it was an animal, caged and begging to be let out. Glancing at Eli, seeking reassurance, she fought to control her anger. She was seething, not just at the male who had punched Eli but at her mentor too for allowing it to happen.
Eli watched as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself, her anger.
The angrier she got, the further her magic seemed to press against her. She didn”t want it to grow, not with all standing watching her. She cast a quick, assessing glance around the room before sheathing her dagger. She continued to breathe deeply, pushing down her anger. Aurora could feel her magic slowly settle. Simmering, no longer boiling, and threatening to spill over. For a fearful second, she thought her magic would take control of her. She began to pace, her eyes locked on the male standing watching Eli.
“Stay the fuck away from me. I learned to live without you; I don’t need you.” Striking Eli hadn’t had any effect on the seething male other than to piss him off even further. The words he spoke were hissed through clenched teeth.
“Class is dismissed,” Asher snapped.
Casting one last look of disdain in Aurora’s direction, he spat at Eli’s feet before turning and walking to where the students were gathered, mouths open in a mixture of shock and awe.
“I SAID CLASS WAS OVER FOR TODAY. NOW MOVE!” he bellowed at them as he cut through the center of the group.
Despite Asher’s outburst, Eli chuckled to himself. Aurora’s eyes grew wide. Her gaze darted to the male’s retreating form.
“I expect you to meet me tomorrow bright and early for training. Prove to me that you haven’t become lazy,” Eli yelled after Asher as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Aurora tried not to gape at him. He had to have lost it or hit his head when he fell. She waited to see how Asher would react.
He didn’t, at least after his physical blow. It wasn’t how she thought he would respond. Instead, he simply lifted his hand. Not bothering to look back, he flipped Eli the bird.
“Go fuck yourself!” Asher left the room, students in tow whispering to each other.
Aurora’s gaze landed back on Eli.
He shook his head with a smile forming on his handsome face, “I missed that kid.”
Aurora’s confusion intensified. The dynamic the two males shared was nothing like her and Eli.
Aurora slowly walked toward Eli, crossing her arms over her chest, “What are you smiling about? That male hit you so hard you fell on your ass.”
“Only because I Iet him, Aurora.” He said, turning to her fully. His nose was leaking blood. She shook her head in disbelief as it dripped from his chin.
Eli groaned, “I think he broke something.”
Aurora grimaced, “That conversation didn’t go how you imagined it would, did it?”
“A lot better than I thought it would. Actually, if I was a betting male, I would have put money on him stabbing me.” Eli answered as he wiped the blood dripping from his nose with his cloak.
Aurora flinched as she heard the bone crack as he corrected it before his fae healing caused his nose to heal crooked.
“You thought he would stab you?” she asked in shock.
Eli opened his mouth to respond to her, his eyes alight with humor. He was interrupted by the blond male rushing into the room. His eyes shot to Eli, the male”s expression a forced neutral, but it was his eyes that gave him away.
Aurora could see the alarm and worry in his sky-blue eyes. The male”s gaze slowly shifted to Aurora. Something shone in them.
It was pity.
Before Aurora could challenge the young male, two tall male figures entered the room and stopped beside him. They both wore cloaks, their hoods pulled up, hiding their faces in shadow. Next to Aurora, Eli tensed. Eyes locked on them, he positioned himself slightly in front of Aurora. Protecting her.
“Silas. Khyro. It’s been a long time.”