Chapter 102: Unexpected Kindness

Elara:

I was still processing Alaric’s words when he apparently decided I had taken long enough to answer. Before I could even form a response, his hands slid beneath me, one arm supporting my back while the other slipped beneath my knees, and the next second I was lifted clean off the ground.

He stood with such effortless ease that for a moment I simply stared at him in complete shock. My arms instinctively wrapped around his shoulders to keep myself steady, and I found myself looking directly at his face, close enough to notice the sharp lines of his jaw and the faint crease between his brows.

"Put me down," I finally managed, although the command came out much less convincing than I intended.

Alaric spared me a cold sideways glance before looking ahead again. "And then what?" he asked, his tone carrying the same impatience I had come to associate with him. "You plan to spend the rest of the night wandering around these woods alone?" I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. He continued before I could argue, "Because if that’s your plan, I can put you down right now and leave you to it."

His meaning was painfully clear. Either I let him carry me back, or I could hobble through an unfamiliar forest alone and hope I didn’t manage to injure myself further. I wasn’t particularly fond of either option, but the second one was undoubtedly worse. So instead of demanding to be put down, I looked at him and asked, "Can’t you just heal my ankle so I can walk?"

The look he gave me could have frozen water. "I’m not a healer, Argentis." His voice was so flat that I immediately knew I was testing his patience. "So unless you have suddenly discovered some magical ability that I don’t know about, stop talking nonsense."

That shut me up. Completely. I pressed my lips together and decided that perhaps silence was the wisest choice for the remainder of our journey.

Alaric adjusted his hold on me and began walking, and despite the darkness surrounding us, he moved through the forest with remarkable confidence. He didn’t hesitate at crossroads between trees or pause to figure out which direction to take. He simply walked, stepping over roots and rocks with the ease of someone who knew these woods far better than I did.

I watched the shadows move around us for a while, gradually realizing that he was taking us back toward the academy without needing a map, a phone, or even moonlight to guide him. It was strangely impressive. It was also the first time I had ever been this close to him without wanting to throw something at his head.

Unfortunately, now that I wasn’t actively trying to escape his arms, I became painfully aware of the fact that Alaric was built like a wall. His chest was solid beneath my side, his body radiating enough warmth to keep the cold night air from bothering me quite as much. His arms, which looked intimidating enough, held me with surprising gentleness.

I had always noticed that he had the most muscle among his friends, but I had never imagined that those same powerful arms could carry someone so carefully. There was something almost absurd about it. This was Alaric Ravenshade - the man who had spent weeks making my life miserable, mocking me in class, creating humiliating illusions, and generally behaving as though irritating me was one of his favorite hobbies.

If I had been asked earlier tonight whether he would ever find me injured in the woods and actually help me instead of laughing in my face, I would have laughed at the suggestion. Yet here I was, sitting in his arms while he carried me back to the academy without a single complaint or comment.

For the first time, I found myself looking at Alaric in a completely different light. Did that mean I suddenly dropped my guard around him? Absolutely not. I wasn’t stupid enough to confuse one unexpected act of kindness with trust. There was too much history between us for that. But I could no longer look at him and see only my mortal... or supernatural... enemy. There was more to him than the arrogant, hostile exterior he usually showed me. Perhaps there always had been, and I had simply never bothered to look closely enough to notice.

I found myself studying his profile as he walked, wondering what kind of person he was when he wasn’t surrounded by Reign and the rest of the world, when he wasn’t trying to prove something, when nobody was watching. His expression was serious as he navigated the forest, his attention fixed ahead, and for once there was no trace of the smugness I associated with him. It made him strangely... human. And somehow, that realization unsettled me more than his usual hostility.

Maybe he noticed me staring because, after another few moments, he suddenly turned his head and our eyes met. I immediately looked away, embarrassment heating my cheeks as though I’d been caught doing something terribly wrong. His expression barely changed, but I could feel his gaze lingering on me for another second before he turned his attention back to the path.

I expected some sarcastic comment. Maybe a smug remark about how fascinated I apparently was with him. Instead, his voice came quietly through the darkness. "I should apologize."

My head snapped toward him. Of all the things I had expected him to say tonight, that was nowhere near the list.

"For what?" I asked, genuinely confused.

He continued walking, his voice steady as he explained, "For startling you back there. You were about to cross the academy’s wards, and I was trying to stop you before you went any farther."

I stared at him, slowly piecing together his words.

He glanced down at me briefly before adding, "I didn’t expect you to turn around that quickly or lose your footing. I certainly didn’t expect you to get hurt." His jaw tightened slightly, and then his eyes returned to the path ahead. "So... I’m sorry."

I didn’t know what to say. Alaric Ravenshade was apologizing to me without being forced, mocked, or ordered to do so. And somehow, that simple apology left me far more stunned than the fall ever had.