Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms 3)

She met his concerned gaze and a smile slowly spread across her face. “That sign I wanted? To give me hope? I think it just walked through those doors.”

CHAPTER 19

LUCIA

AURANOS

The king had readily agreed to make Alexius Lucia’s elementia tutor.

Yet somehow, Lucia hadn’t realized that this decision would result in actual lessons, having considered it merely an excuse for Alexius to stay at the palace.

Initially, back in Limeros, Magnus had tried to help her with her magic—encouraging her to use air magic to lift objects heavier than flowers, to summon fire magic that would do something more powerful than light a candle. For all her recent difficulties with her brother, he’d been the first to encourage her, to help her accept her burgeoning powers rather than think of them as evil, as it was with witches who were executed for their crimes. For this, she’d always be grateful to him.

Much more recently, the king had released an accused witch from the dungeons, in the hope she might help his daughter learn how to further control her abilities.

But the witch had been an inadequate tutor. She’d been offensively weak and easily intimidated by the far superior magic Lucia displayed with barely any effort. And that had been the end of her.

Alexius was quite different. After all, as an immortal, he was created from magic. Even in his mortal form, he embodied it. Although he readily admitted that the magic he could summon paled in the light of Lucia’s prophesied elementia, he had full confidence he could be an asset to her. And to her father.

He and Lucia had shared one full day of lessons, from sunrise to sunset, locked in Lucia’s chambers with the furniture and rugs pushed to the edges of the room to create plenty of space for them to move about freely on the smooth marble floor.

Similarly to Magnus’s teaching style, Alexius had Lucia lift objects with air magic, and use fire to light small blazes. She used water magic to create ice, and earth magic to nurse dying plants back to life.

“I can heal your leg,” she said to him, having noticed his slight limp as soon as he arrived. “Shall I try?”

Alexius brushed his fingers against the fabric of his trousers. “That’ll be impossible, I’m afraid. This cut will have to heal the same way a mortal’s would. Earth magic—healing magic, either mine or another’s—won’t work on me anymore.” He offered her the edge of a smile at her look of dismay. “It’s all right. There are many penalties for choosing to leave the Sanctuary. This is but one of them. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“I don’t accept that. I still want to try,” she insisted.

“Very well, my stubborn sorceress. Try.” He pulled up his pant leg and unwound the gauze bandages. Lucia winced upon seeing the gash on his otherwise flawless golden skin. She shrugged off her surprise and focused, channeling as much earth magic as she could into the wound—just as she’d done when she’d healed Magnus after he’d been horribly injured during the siege to take this kingdom.

But where she’d succeeded with Magnus, she failed with Alexius. Still, she continued to try until she felt weary from the effort.

“Enough, princess.” He finally grasped her wrist. “Our final lesson of the day is this: You can’t win every battle.”

More than anything, she was annoyed by her failure. And she hated that Alexius was hurt and she couldn’t help ease his pain. That had been the end of yesterday’s lessons; she had become so exhausted, her mind so filled with the darkness that naturally came from using her magic, that her body ached. She wanted to sleep for a week.

Still, her head swam and she marveled at the reality of having Alexius here in the flesh. So much so that, as she lay in bed that night looking up at the silk canopy above her head, she realized she’d barely asked Alexius anything about . . . well, anything. They’d talked of nothing beyond her lessons and her promises to show him the city. She swore to rectify that the following day.

He arrived shortly after her light breakfast of tea and yogurt with sliced peaches. The servant who’d brought the tray to her chambers eyed both her and Alexius with curiosity, so Lucia quickly sent her away and locked the door for privacy.

He brushed his gaze over her face. “You look . . . rather determined today.”

“I am,” she agreed. “Did you meet with Father last night?”

The king had insisted that the exiled Watcher give him updates at the end of each daily session. He would probably enjoy personally monitoring their lessons as well, but Lucia wouldn’t agree to that. Luckily, he hadn’t yet suggested it.

“Yes, and I told him his daughter is doing quite well, and that he should be very proud.” He walked around the large room, his gaze landing on the canopied bed, the vanity table, the reading and study area through an archway to the left, and the open balcony doors that let in fresh air and sunlight. “We’ll work in here again today, but tomorrow I think we should take your lessons outdoors to be closer to nature. Closer to the elements.”

“What about Melenia?” Lucia asked.

He grew still and glanced at her, his brow raised. “What about her?”

“Has she contacted you?”

“Actually, yes. She visited my dreams last night for the first time since I left the Sanctuary. She was very pleased to know I’ve arrived and made contact with the king. And, of course, with you.”

When she’d found Alexius in the city, he didn’t mention that he was a messenger for another beautiful immortal with mysterious ties to her father. Alexius had said only that he’d exiled himself to be with her. Because he loved her. When he’d admitted the true purpose behind his arrival to the king in the throne room, she’d been blindsided and uncertain how to feel about it.