The black throne heir

CHAPTER ELEVEN- Elynor

I am waking before the bell rings, before Mara throws her pillow at the wall like she always does when she wakes up angry at existence.

For a moment , i just lie there, Staring at the ceiling, waiting for a familiar crawling feeling beneath my skin, the quiet dread that has been living in my chest like a second heartbeat

It does not come.

The room is calm, the morning linger is spilling through the crystal panes and painting soft gold across the sapphire walls. The air smells like citrus polish and lavender soap from last night .

Mara groans into her pillow, “If you are awake and thinking peaceful thoughts, I need you to stop immediately.”

“I am not thinking peaceful thought.”

“You are breathing like someone who has not nearly died last week.”

Vera sits up suddenly, hair tangled across her face.

“Is it breakfast time or did I oversleep my entire future?”

I laugh before I can stop myself, it feels strange, surprisingly easy.

“I think something is wrong,” I say.

Mara turns towards me.

“You feel it too?”

I nod.

“It has been quiet,” Vera murmurs.

Too quiet I want to say, but before I can, the ceremonial bells echo through the academy corridors .

Mara shoots upright.

“Oh that is the announcement bell, that never brings homework.”

The Headmaster’s voice floods the room moment later.

“Students of Obsidian academy, preparations begins for the Elyndor retreat. Departure commenced at midday.

Vera screams so loudly, Mara nearly falls off the bed.

“Elyndor? Are they serious?”

I blink

“I have heard stories about it.”

Mara turns towards me like I have just confessed ignorance of gravity.

“Stories? Nyra, Elyndor is the most enchanted village in the entire kingdom of Aurum.”

Laura bursts through our door like she has been waiting outside to explode.

“We are going to meet sage! Do you understand? The sage!!!”

“The sage is rumoured to see our bloodlines, our actual bloodlines.”

Something in my stomach tightens. I force a smile.

“That sounds…..comforting.”

The courtyard is chaos by noon , pearl lined carriages glow beneath the layered protective spells. Horses stamped the royal sigils paw at the ground, their names braided with flickering charm stones. Guards line every exit. Human soldiers, spell wardens , fairy sentinels hovering overhead with glass wings and blades the size of my hand

Laura leans towards me as we walk towards our carriage.

“This is what happens when you transport the children of people who run the kingdom .”

“Or destroy it,” Mara mutters

As i step in the carriage, I feel a strange pull in my chest, like something inside me is leaning forward, towards wherever we are going.

The journey takes hours, laughter full the carriage, Vera spend half of the ride inventing ridiculous theories about the sage reading her future and discovering that she’s meant to marry a dragon prince.

Then the crystal gates of Elyndor opens, every conversation dies.

Roads shimmer like flowing marble, threaded with gold veins. Trees arch overhead, their branches whispering layered voices that sounds like wind and song all at once. Floating lanterns drift through the air, like slow moving constellations, fairies spiral through the sky, leaving trails of luminous dust. elves stand beside the village entrance wearing armour that glows faintly with ancient runes.

Vera presses her face against the window.

“I am emotionally unprepared for this level of beauty.”

I step down from the carriage, and the ground hymns beneath my boots.

Not metaphorically

Literally hums.

Like the land recognises something, I freeze for half a second.

“Nyra?” Laura asks.

“I thought I felt…” I stop, Nothing, never mind

The village elders greet us with ceremonial bows. Guards stand layered behind them. Stone constructs carved into wolf shapes, patrol amd outer grounds, their eyes glowing with protective magic

The entire place feels sacred.

Our camp set up across the meadow, where golden grass glows faintly in the evening light. Tents rise from the earth when activated by spell stones. The tables overflow with enchanted fruits, glowing pastries roasted meats, sparkling nectar drinks.

Students scatter everywhere, laughing, shouting, competing in spell throwing games and illusion contest. Music begins to pulse through the air from enchanted instruments hovering near the bonfire stage.

I am halfway through a honey cake when the the girls approach me cautiously.

“You are Nyra, right?” One asks.

I nearly look behind me.

“Yes?

“We saw your power display during trials,” another says. “It was…unreal.”

I blink, confused.

“You..watched that?”

“Everyone watched that,” l she says like it was obvious.

Vera smirks beside me.

“You’re socially unavoidable now.”

It feels strange, people including me, asking for my opinion, laughing with me instead of around me. But few minutes my eyes drift across the field

Kael stands near the stage, surrounded by his usual circle of elite heirs. He looks relaxed in a way I rarely see. Seris stands beside him, silver hair catching lantern flies as she laughs at something he says, her fingers resting comfortably around his arm.

My stomach twists

Vera nudges me. “You are staring again.”

“I am observing.”

“You are painfully obvious.”

I look away, focusing on the music swelling through the clearing.

Night deepens and the bonfire blazes, brighter, flames shifting between the gold and violet as spell fuel feeds the fire. Students gather around in loose circle playing games, sharing drinks, daring each other into embarrassing confessions.

Truth or Dare!” Vera declares dramatically. The bottle spins and lands on me.

Laura grins like she has been waiting for this moment her whole life.

“Truth.”

I fold my hands in my lap cautiously.

“Fine.”

“Have you ever wanted someone you should not want?”

Laughter burst around the circle , my throat tightens.

Before I can stop myself, my gaze lifts above the fire, Kael is already looking at me.

The world narrows, the fire pops loudly, someone whistles impatiently.

“Yes,” I say quietly

The circle explodes into teasing chaos, but the moment stretches between us like a thread pulled too tight.

Kael looks away first.

Later when most students drift towards their tents, I slip away from the noise. The lake sits beyond the tree line, silver and still beneath the moon. The air smells like water lollies and something I can’t place my finger on.

“You always run when your thoughts gets too loud.”

I freeze.

Kael stands near the shoreline, shadows stretching behind him like wings.

“Following me now?” I ask.

“You came to me.”

“I did not know you would be here.”

Silence spreads between us.

“You have been avoiding me,” I say.

His jaw tightens. “I have been trying to prevent the unknown.”

“Prevent what?” I shoot back.

“ You,” he says quietly. “From becoming a target you cannot survive.”

I step closer.

“You do not get to decide what I survive.”

His gaze drop briefly to my throat, then to my lips, then back at my eyes like he’s forcing himself to remember something important.

“You do not understand what happens to people who get too close to me,” he says.

“Then explain it to me instead of pretending I am invisible.”

Magic flickers around his finger

“You’re reckless.”

“You are arrogant.”

The air snaps.

I shove him back with a surge of energy.

He stumbles but cover instantly, retaliating with a wave that slams onto my shoulder and forces me backwards towards the water edge.

“Stop testing me Nyra,” he warns .

“Stop acting like you ever cared about my safety!”

Power builds between us. The lake surface ripples violently as our magic collided mid air, sparks scattering across the water and falling like stars.

“You’re making it impossible for me to think,” he growls, charging towards me.

“Good,” I breathe .

Something fractures in his expression, raw, furious all at once.

He moves faster than I expected, grabbing my collar and pulling me forward, his hand slides up, curling around my throat, it hurts.

“Say you do not feel this,” he whispers.

I swallow hard.

“I cannot lie to you.”

“You feel like something I have been warned about my entire life,” he murmurs

“You feel like danger, you feel like prophesy, like ruin.”

My head stutters

“Then why do you keep coming back to me ?”

I whisper.

His voice breaks slightly.

“Because anytime I try to walk away, my magic draws me back to you.”

The air between us pulses violently, reacting to his words. For a split second, the lake water behind me lifts, forming faint shapes like ghostly crowns before collapsing again.

He notices.

His grip tightens just slightly.

“Nyra…. what are you?”

“I do not know,” I whisper honestly.

That honest breaks the control he has left.

His mouth crashes against mine. Rough and demanding, fierce and desperate, like something starving and desperate finally being fed, I gasp into the kiss, as his teeth nip at my lower lip pulling it hard before his tongue thrust inside, claiming every inch . My hand claw at his shoulders, nails digging while he holds mi waist tightly, yanking me against his tight body, heat surges through me, pulse pounding as he devours me.

Leaving my lips swollen.

Then he pulls back abruptly, chest rising and falling sharply.

Then he pulls back abruptly, chest rising and falling sharply.

Fuck.

“This shouldn’t be happening, this is wrong,” he says hoarsely

He turns and leaves immediately, i stand watching him walk away.