by Lexi C. Foss
“Do you trust him?” Zeph asked.
I scoffed out a “No.” Because I absolutely did not trust that bastard.
“Neither do I.”
“So what do we do?”
“We monitor him. And we protect Aflora.” He locked gazes with me as he said it. “There’s something about her, Kols. Something important. And it goes deeper than her Quandary Blood.”
“She’s an abomination,” I reminded him. “That could be what you’re sensing.”
He shook his head. “I keep feeling like she’s the key to some long-buried secret. It’s just a sense I get. One I want to understand before we decide how to proceed.”
Zeph’s instincts had proven reliable over the years, and I wasn’t about to deny them now.
“We should start by looking into her origin,” I said, thinking about her past. “Her parents supposedly died when she was young. Everyone thought it had to do with the Earth Fae plague, which they later realized was caused by an abomination.”
“I’d put money on there being more to that story,” Zeph replied.
“Me, too.” I’d have to involve Exos or Cyrus in this to request some details. Maybe I could ask them for information on her background and claim I needed it to help exonerate her or something.
“You’re thinking about asking the Elemental Fae Royals.” A good guess, one born of years of knowing each other.
“I am,” I confirmed.
“A good start.”
I agreed with a nod before saying, “Well, I guess we need to put on these cuffs and hope your friend comes through with something for Aflora.”
“He will.” Zeph picked up the brown leather bracelets and handed one to me. “Cheers, Kols.”
I huffed a laugh. “Yeah. Cheers.” I tapped the band against his, then snapped it over my wrist. Aside from a slight humming sensation, I didn’t feel any different, but the nod from Zeph told me it’d worked. When he followed suit, situating his into place, I understood.
The slight traces of the mating bonds were gone.
Now we just had to see how long these things held.
Solve the mystery of Aflora’s existence.
And figure out what the fuck Shade was up to.
“This is going to be one hell of a challenge,” I said.
Zeph smirked. “Yeah. Yeah, it is.” He pulled the sheets back on my bed. “Now scoot over. I’m sleeping in here.”
I arched a brow. “Your room is next door, Guardian.”
“Shut up and move, Kols.”
My lips quirked as I obeyed. “Lose the pants.”
“In your dreams.”
“Or we could play in Aflora’s,” I suggested, thinking of how fun it would be to fuck with Shade. “Make her moan our names so loud that the Death Blood can’t sleep.”
A sinister glint darkened Zeph’s gaze to a forest-green color. “It’s late and I wasn’t planning to rest much anyway.”
Yeah, it was nearly half past noon outside. “Then let’s have some fun. We’ve earned it after the last twenty-four hours.”
“You already had fun earlier,” Zeph replied. “Tonight, it’s my turn.”
“Then have at it. I’ll follow along.” And jump in when offered the chance.
Chapter Thirty
Aflora
Rich spices.
Peppermint.
Woodsy cologne.
I was swimming in all three scents, my body well used despite hardly being touched. When night fell, all I wanted to do was sleep since my mates hadn’t let me rest at all.
They were all vying for placement in my dreams, their seduction resolute and far too tempting.
I loathed them.
Craved them.
Wanted to kill all of them.
Didn’t understand them.
“You hate me,” I told Kols, his arms wrapped around me as he pulled me back into his chest, his lips falling to my neck. None of it was real. I knew that. But I didn’t know how to stop any of them from playing in my head.
“I don’t hate you, princess,” he whispered.
“You blamed me for our mating bond.”
“Because he’s an idiot who doesn’t know how to take ownership for his own actions,” a dark voice said, directly into my ear and overriding Kols’s voice in my head.
“What?”
“Wake up, little rose,” Shade demanded, his teeth skimming my throat. “We’re done playing this game. For now.”
My eyes opened, Kols’s chuckle a residual sound in my mind.
Violet curtains were parted to reveal a starry night and silk sheets twined with my legs. Shade rested behind me, his arm tucked around my waist, his bare chest to my back, his lips at my ear again. “Welcome back, little rose.”
I swallowed, my heart skipping a beat. “Where am I?”
“My room.” He pressed a kiss to my neck once more, then guided me to my back to hover over me. “You need more sleep. How about we skip our classes today and stay here?”
“How did I...?” I trailed off, the events of last night slamming into my mind on a vicious assault of reality.
Zeph’s three-headed snake killing Clove.
Sex with Kols.
Him sending me away.
Running into the forest.
My powers bursting.
Shade shadowing me here.
Every memory tumbled through me, causing me to flinch as dread pooled dark and thick inside my belly. “What happens now?”
“We sleep,” Shade replied. “Assuming you’re taking me up on my offer to skip class, that is.”
“No.” I shook my head in an effort to clear it. “What happens to the four of us? To me?”
“Ah, I believe the plan is to pretend like nothing happened at all.” He lifted a shoulder. “I suppose we’ll see how well that works, won’t we?”
“I...” What? “Will that even work? Won’t the Council know? What about our bonds?” I could sense all three males inside me, shredding apart my heart with their various hooks. Their magic rioted around my soul as well, as if each one vied for dominance over my powers, seeking to absorb me entirely.
Grounding me, I realized. They’re absorbing my energy to keep me grounded and stable.
I poked at them in my mind, rearing back when the lines hissed in response. Shade visibly flinched, his lips curling down. “What did you just do?”
“Touched your... bond?” It was a guess. I didn’t really know what to call it, but they felt like anchored chains surrounding my spirit, tying me down.
“You can see them?”
I nodded slowly, looking inside myself once more. “Yeah. I think.”
“Can you describe them?”
“Like wispy strands of magic coiling around the core of my abilities,” I said quietly. “They’re pulsing with power. Your powers.” I reached for the one with a more solid link, noting Shade’s essence as I carefully stroked through our connection.
He shivered in response, his blue eyes gleaming brightly. “That’s your Quandary Blood ability,” he whispered. “I can’t see our connection at all. Not like that.”
“What do you see?” I wondered out loud.
“You,” he said softly, his palm caressing my cheek. “Or rather, I feel you. Inside me. In my mind, my heart, my soul.” He leaned into me, his lips brushing mine. “I can sense your emotions. I know when you’re in pain or aroused. Not exactly your thoughts, but close. Like our souls are joined in a way that makes you easier to read. And, of course, I can play in your dreams.”
Entertainment teased his full lips, causing them to twitch as I rolled my eyes in response.
“I’m going to prioritize learning how to block you all,” I muttered. Maybe Ella could tell me. Or one of my textbooks.
“Mmm, I’ll just counter-spell you, little rose. Or maybe I’ll just play with you in reality.” He drew his teeth along my lower lip, his touch promising.
“I don’t know,” I replied, wanting to tease him. “You might not
live up to my dream expectations.”
He chuckled, his breath a kiss of mint against my tongue. “Darling, I’ll surpass every single fantasy, including the ones you shared with Kols.”
I shivered at the thought, recalling the one the Midnight Prince had inflicted on me last night. “That might not be possible after last night.”
“Why? Because he allowed Zeph to join him this time?” Shade appeared darkly amused. “I know my skills, and they absolutely measure up.”
“Right now, you’re all talk.”
“Says the female who came against my thigh last night from just my mouth touching hers,” he replied softly, kissing me again, this time with purpose. “Keep this up, little rose, and I’ll provide you with a demonstration instead of letting you sleep.”
“You’ll probably provide one in my mind anyway,” I retorted.
He smiled against my mouth. “Likely.” Another kiss. “Absolutely.” This time with tongue. “Definitely.” I drifted off in his arms once more, this time with an odd satisfaction lingering in my chest.
One that disappeared when I awoke alone in his bed to find his half of the mattress cold. A black rose rested on his pillow with a note beside it.
Something came up. Dream of me later, little rose. —S
I snorted. “All talk,” I muttered, pushing myself upright to take in the fixtures of his room. They were elegant in a way I sort of expected from him. Dark, too. All obsidian wood with violet furnishings. Very Shade.
But there weren’t any personal items. No photos. No little knickknacks, just the essentials required for living.
Perhaps he didn’t spend much time here.
As he skipped class regularly, that would make sense.
I stretched and slipped from the sheets. The boxers and shirt he’d offered me last night were folded on his bathroom counter with another black rose. I took it as an invitation to shower and change, which I did, his shampoo smelling minty and fresh, just like him.
Tying my hair up into a knot with my long strands, I pulled on his clothes and studied myself in the mirror.
My collar was gone.
I hadn’t noticed it before.
Had it fallen off last night, or had Shade removed it?
Likely last night, which explained how my Elemental Fae abilities had returned. I closed my eyes and smiled as the source welcomed me with an aromatic kiss from the earth. It sort of reminded me of Zeph and his woodsy scent.
Actually, it smelled almost too much like him.
Almost as if—
“Aflora.” His voice came from the doorway, his green eyes wild with emotions. “We have to go.”
I frowned at him. “What?”
“There isn’t time to explain. I need you to put this on, and we need to run. Now.” He held out a collar that was identical to the one I’d lost.
“Zeph, I—”
“The Council knows, Aflora. They’re searching the grounds for you. We have to go right now.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Neither do we, but they have a recording of you admitting you’re dangerous. We don’t know where it came from or how.”
“A recording?” I repeated, swallowing.
He handed me the collar as he replied, “Yeah. I only heard part of it before I ran here to find you.”
“What did you hear?” I whispered, my heart beating a mile a minute in my chest.
“You said any loss of life is unacceptable and that if you couldn’t be controlled, then you should be exterminated.” He shook his head. “We can discuss this more later, but we need to go. They’ll be on their way here next.”
I absentmindedly clutched the collar in my hand, my mind too consumed by what he’d just said. “That’s what I told Shade last night,” I whispered, swallowing thickly. “I told him I should be exterminated.”
“Well, then we know where the recording came from,” he muttered, cursing under his breath. “I knew we couldn’t trust that asshole.”
But why? I thought. Why would he do this to me?
Why has he done any of this? I countered myself. Nothing about Shade could be predicted. Everything he did was for himself first. I still didn’t even know why he’d bitten me.
Something came up, he’d written.
Something like running to the Council to tell them about last night?
“Aflora!” Zeph snapped. “We have to go.”
Right. Collar. Snap. Neck. Done. An immediate zing went through my body as the magic fell into place, causing me to tremble. Not only had it removed my access to earth, but it had also significantly weakened my cerulean fire. Almost to the point where I couldn’t feel it. “What’s in this...?” I trailed off, realization dawning. “Wait, is this...?”
The door to the bedroom crashed open, two Midnight Fae charging in with wands at the ready.
Zeph leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets, as Kols followed what I now realized were Royal Guardians. They wore the Nacht family crest on their cloaks, the green colors denoting them as Warrior Bloods.
Just like Zeph.
“She’s disarmed,” Zeph informed them, his tone dead and emotionless. “As requested.”
What?
“Excellent. Take her to the Council dungeons,” Kols said, sounding as regal as ever.
“Council dungeons?” I repeated, my heart in my throat.
This whole thing had been planned, I realized. From Shade leaving me with the note to Zeph showing up with the collar. And I’d stupidly put it on, too consumed by the comment about the recording.
Now I was defenseless.
And about to be taken to the Council for extermination.
“An anonymous source provided a recording of you admitting to your increased abilities.” Kols met and held my gaze. “Your powers will be evaluated by the Council. If they determine this claim to be true, a reassignment may be required.”
I translated what he really meant. Extermination. Just like I’d said last night. Only, Shade had provided me with a glimmer of hope, something I should have known better than to feel.
He’d tricked me.
They all had tricked me.
Shade recorded a private conversation and shared it with the Council.
Zeph showed up like a knight in shining armor, claiming to want to help me escape, all to lull me into a false sense of comfort while I put on the power-depleting collar.
And now Kols was looking at me like I meant nothing to him. He wanted me dead. He’d told me that last night. It would make his life easier if I didn’t exist, would kill the bond between us and free him to pursue his destiny. So, naturally, he wanted me out of the picture. Why wouldn’t he?
The spiteful part of me almost laid the accusation at his feet here, but the intelligent side of me held it back. If I spoke out now, he could take my life and claim self-defense. With Zeph at his back as a witness, he’d get away with it, too. Would probably use the guards’ lives as cause and claim I had killed them. When, really, he’d do it to silence them.
At least, that was how I would play it.
Which meant I needed to save the declaration for later.
To announce it in front of other Council members.
Because if I was going down, so was he.
Zeph, too.
And Shade, the treacherous bastard.
They were all going to the grave with me.
Kols’s pupils dilated, his gaze narrowing with knowledge as if he overheard the plan unfolding in my mind. Or maybe he saw the desire for vengeance flashing in my gaze.
I didn’t care.
I let him see my anger.
Allowed him to witness my promise for retribution.
I’m not going down alone, I told him with a look.
Because in the end, they’d pay for what they’d done to me. I vow it.
Welcome to purgatory, boys.
You’d better hang on.
It’s going to be a wild ride.
Epilogue
Aflora glared at me with a hatred I felt to my very soul.
She thought we’d betrayed her. Yet everything we’d done was to save her.
If Zeph hadn’t gotten that collar around her neck in time, the Guardians would have sensed her additional bonds, which would have required me to kill them. Because I couldn’t risk them going back to the Council with those details.
Seeing Aflora’s expression now, it was clear Zeph hadn’t been given a chance to explain.
She appeared ready to kill me. I supposed that worked in our favor in terms of believability, but I could see the wheels turning in her head.
If she breathed a word of our bonds, we were all fucked.
Zeph and I shared a look, his expression telling me he’d caught her resulting animosity as well.
Aflora was a ticking time bomb in so many ways, both in what she could say and in her mounting powers. Not to mention Shade, the bastard who fucking betrayed us all.
Our first order of business would be to free her.
Then we’d deal with the Death Blood.
Preferably with a stake through his fucking heart.
To Be Continued with Midnight Fae Academy: Book Two
Thank you for reading Midnight Fae Academy: Book One. Aflora and her mates will return in Midnight Fae Academy: Book Two.
As a thank you for reading, I have a little bonus-scene gift for you all. It’s the dream Zeph inflicted upon Aflora that last night before everything went to hell in a handbasket. For details, click here. Enjoy!
Are you curious about Tray and Ella? You can read their complete story in Ella’s Masquerade, which is a sinister Cinderella retelling featuring a “fae-tastic” twist.
Have you read Elemental Fae Academy? The complete “why choose” trilogy is available now on Amazon.
Fortune Fae Academy is also coming soon from J.R. Thorn. It features Gina, an Omega who is running from her fate. You can check out the first chapter here.