by Lexi C. Foss
“Does she?” Because it really didn’t feel that way. “I had no idea until today.”
“I know you didn’t.”
“And I couldn’t not tell her,” I added. “It felt wrong to keep that to myself.”
“No, it was the right thing to do,” he agreed. “She’ll see that. Trust me.”
I sighed, my hand falling from my nose to the bed while I stared up at my ceiling. “She said you bit her again.”
“Yeah,” he replied, clearing his throat. “A few times.”
I wanted to hate him, to yell at the unfairness of him taking her before I had the chance to, but my surroundings reminded me why I couldn’t take that next step. Not yet. Not until I figured out how to finish the mating without jeopardizing us both. “Good thing the bands work,” I said after a beat.
“You’re jealous.”
“Fuck yeah, I’m jealous.”
He chuckled. “It wasn’t exactly planned.”
“But you’re not sorry,” I pointed out.
“No, I’m not,” he admitted without hesitation. “She’s mine.”
“Ours,” I corrected.
“True.”
A comfortable silence fell between us while I considered what a future with her would be like. “Maybe we should run,” I suggested. “Take her far away from this bullshit and never look back.”
He remained quiet for a long moment before murmuring, “You’d never forgive yourself. And neither would she. The reason you’re both so compatible is that you share a sense of responsibility for others, and you won’t turn your back on the Midnight Fae. Not even for her.”
I despised him for being right. Just for a moment. Then allowed the annoyance to leave me because he was correct. “I can’t stop the ascension.” The black writhing marks painting my torso and arms were proof of that.
“And she wouldn’t want you to.”
“I know.” I heaved another sigh. “Fuck, I know, but it would be so much easier if I could.”
“Want to know what I think about easy solutions?”
“They never last,” I said, aware of his thoughts on the topic. “Yeah, yeah.”
I could hear him smirking. “You want me to coddle your ass and pity you?”
“Fuck you,” I muttered.
“Then stop whining.”
“I’m not, dick. I’m just telling you my hopes and dreams so you can squash them like you always do.”
He snorted. “Whatever, Midnight Prince.”
“Don’t even start that bullshit with me,” I muttered. “We’re not going back to the title fuckery again.”
“You really hated that, didn’t you?”
“You know I did.” His whole formality kick had served as a punishment to us both. “The entire situation wasn’t our fault. She played us and our cocks, end of discussion.”
He fell silent again, making me wonder if he was going to revert into his previous depression and tell me to fuck off. But instead, he quietly said, “I should have seen it coming.”
“I should have seen it, too,” I told him, owning up to my part in the mistake of our past. “I know my father blamed you as my Guardian for not vetting her, but as the future king, I shouldn’t have allowed her to lead me by my cock. As soon as I ascend, you’ll be reinstated. Actually, no, you’ll be higher because of the whole, uh, quad.” That would be unprecedented, but fuck if I cared at this point.
“I’ve been mad at myself, not at you,” Zeph admitted after a beat. “She hurt you under my watch, and that…”
“It happens,” I replied softly. “You didn’t fail me. We failed. But it won’t happen again.” I thought of Aflora while I spoke, pictured her sleeping beside him. “We’re going to do right by her, Zeph.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “Somehow.”
“We’ll figure it out.” Because there wasn’t another choice. “She’s ours.”
“She is,” he murmured, his tone filled with wonder. I could practically see him stroking his fingers through her hair, the vision one that had my lips curling, only to freeze as a shuffle of a foot had my eyes flying to the side door.
The one I shared with Tray’s quarters, not the main hall.
I hadn’t heard it open.
Nor had I heard it shut.
And Tray stood just inside it, arms folded over his chest, expression furious.
“Shit,” I said, sitting up. “I need to go.”
“What’s wrong?” Zeph asked, immediately alert.
“Tray’s here, and from the glare he’s sending me, I’m pretty sure he heard most of our conversation.”
“Try all of it,” Tray replied, his tone telling me how he felt about me keeping him in the dark. “You enchanted the entire room but forgot the damn door connecting our suites.”
“Seriously?” Zeph sounded exasperated.
“I need to go.”
“Fix it,” Zeph said, hanging up.
“Yeah, sure,” I replied to the phone, tossing it to the side. “Tray—”
“You mated her, didn’t you?” he accused.
My eyes widened, going to the door I’d apparently forgotten to enchant. Rookie move, I chastised myself.
“I already enchanted it,” Tray said, referring to the threshold. “It’s just you and me. So no more secrets. No more hiding. Talk to me.”
I just gaped at him, unsure of where to begin.
And that was apparently the wrong response.
“You think I’m an idiot?” he demanded. “I’ve known for a few weeks now what happened in her room that day and the real reason you set it on fire. I could feel it, Kols. But I waited for you to come to me, to confirm what I already knew. And I had to hear about it through our fucking door?”
“Shit,” I repeated, clearly out of decent terms. “I didn’t want to involve you.”
“I’m your fucking twin,” he seethed. “You don’t think I can feel these things? We’re magically bonded by blood, Kolstov.”
I rubbed my hand over my face. “I’m sorry.” Two meager words that definitely didn’t help the situation, but they had to be said. “I didn’t want to risk you knowing too much. You know how bad this is, what they’ll do if they find out.”
“And you thought I’d turn you in?”
“No,” I replied without hesitation. “I was worried about what they’d do to you if they found out you knew and didn’t report me.”
“You think I’m afraid of them?”
“You should be,” I muttered, thinking about what I’d learned today. “They’ve been hunting down a race and exterminating anyone involved, including Royal Fae like Aflora’s parents. You think they’d spare me or you if they found out about this?”
A few months ago, I might have thought they’d forgive us because of our bloodlines. Now? Yeah, now I wasn’t so certain.
“She’s a Quandary Blood, Tray,” I whispered. “Or at least part one. We don’t really know, but she has cerulean magic and can undo and rewire enchantments.”
He gaped at me. “That’s how she knew the song.”
“Yes, but she didn’t understand the lyrics,” I replied.
He started to nod, his shock evident.
When he said nothing else, I softly added, “Now do you get why I hid this from you? From Ella? If the Council finds out…” I didn’t need to finish that statement, his expression told me he already knew.
“Fucking hell, Kols.”
“Sounds about right,” I muttered, rolling off my bed to land on my bare feet. Like me, he had on a pair of pajama pants and nothing else. “Is Ella sleeping?”
“Yeah,” he replied, sounding defeated. They’d both joined me and our parents for dinner tonight, but Tray hadn’t known the reason for the family gathering. “I can’t believe Dad kept all of this from us.”
“It’s definitely raised a few questions,” I admitted. “Like how he’s okay with exterminating our own kind. I get that Quandary Bloods are terrifyingly powerful, but Aflora…”
“She can’t even kil
l a burning thwomp,” Tray replied.
“Exactly.” She wasn’t weak by any means, just thoughtful. Caring. “She’d never hurt someone for personal gain. Hell, she wants to turn herself in as an abomination because she doesn’t see herself as fit to lead anymore. How could the Council vote to kill someone like that? She’s honorable and kind.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around them assassinating her parents. How the hell did they get away with that?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, but if the Elemental Fae ever find out, we’ll be going to war.”
“Is that why they kept her alive? Aflora, I mean.” He frowned. “Wait, no, you said it was because she’s bait?”
Yeah, that was how I’d phrased it to Zeph. “They want me to let her be captured.”
Tray grunted. “That’s never going to happen.”
“No shit.” But I wouldn’t mind going with her to meet whoever was behind the attacks. Not to fight him, just to find out his motives.
Because one thing had become very clear to me today.
The Council couldn’t continue to operate as they did currently. “Things need to change,” I whispered. “This isn’t the way to lead.”
Tray met my gaze, his dark eyes reminding me of our mother’s. He dipped his chin. “You have my support every step of the way, brother. Always.”
No hint of uncertainty, just unerring loyalty.
I didn’t question him, because I’d pledge the same to him.
“I just hope I don’t get us killed,” I admitted, feeling as if I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.
“You won’t,” he replied. “Something tells me that mate of yours won’t allow it.”
My lips twitched. “She’s a bit of a badass when she wants to be.”
“She’d have to be to put up with your bullshit,” he tossed back.
“Jackass,” I grumbled, but I couldn’t stop my grin.
Because yeah, he was right.
She put up with a lot.
And I sort of fucking adored her for it.
“So now what?” he asked.
“Now I pretend like everything’s normal and pray to the fae that Dad doesn’t find out,” I told him.
Tray gave me a look. “Sounds like a brilliant plan, mate. Top-notch.”
“If you think of a better one, I’ll be all ears,” I drawled.
He just shook his head. “I’m going back to bed. Something tells me I’m going to need all the sleep I can get because Dad said I’m joining you tomorrow for whatever discussion he wants to have.”
“Try to act surprised if he mentions the Quandary Bloods.”
“Trust me, that won’t be hard,” he admitted.
Yeah, I imagined it wouldn’t be.
“Oh, but there is one positive to all this,” he said, starting toward his door.
I arched a brow at him. “Which is?”
“You don’t have to mate that bitch Emelyn anymore,” he replied, clearly thrilled by the realization. “Silver lining and all that.”
I laughed. “Thank fuck for small miracles,” I drawled.
“I’d call that a major fucking miracle,” he corrected.
I grunted. He was absolutely right about that.
As he undid the enchantment to allow himself to leave, I picked up my phone and sent a quick text to Zeph.
Fixed it. But Tray pretty much knows everything.
Zeph’s reply came a few minutes later. Something tells me he already knew and was just waiting for the right moment to catch you in the truth.
I considered that with everything Tray had just said and replied, You’re right.
I usually am, he shot back.
I rolled my eyes. Take care of Aflora. Tell her I’m sorry.
Will do, he returned.
I set my phone down and slipped into my sheets. Tomorrow would come all too early, and I needed to be prepared, just like Tray said.
And I also needed a much better plan.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Aflora
Eight days later and I still couldn’t stop thinking about what Kols had told me about my parents.
It was like finding out they’d died all over again, except I never really knew about it the first time. I’d felt their souls detach from the source—a life-altering experience for a seven-year-old—and I’d understood what it meant. Yet I’d never known why it’d happened. Or how.
And now I did.
The Midnight Fae Elders assassinated my parents.
Because they were Quandary Bloods? Because they were helping Quandary Bloods? I didn’t know. But Kols had promised to find out everything he could, including who, specifically, had killed them and how.
I didn’t blame him. I knew better than that. Yet that didn’t stop me from feeling uneasy around him and his direct connection to the source.
He was their future leader.
The Midnight Fae King who would be in charge of exterminating Quandary Bloods and anyone perceived to be assisting them.
What violent lives these fae led. I missed my elemental home surrounded by thriving energies and a love for spirits and general existence.
However, I couldn’t go back to them.
Not in my current form.
Because I was an abomination of unknown origin. Who knew if my parents were even the rightful earth source heirs?
Shade came up beside me, his palm finding the small of my back as he leaned in to kiss my temple. “Want to skip class?” he asked me softly. “I’m sure Zeph won’t mind.”
I looked at up at my Warrior Blood mate and watched as he stretched beside Kols across the yard. He’d insisted we return to the Academy after two nights in New York City, saying we needed to present a normal front and pretend we didn’t know anything about the Council’s plan to use me as bait.
I’d argued that it put the students in danger to keep me near them.
My mates had then reminded me that keeping me safe at the Academy would be easier than out in the open world. Because here they had snake vines and other nefarious wards in place that would automatically guard me as a student. Thereby making it less obvious when they protected me as well.
This whole thing resembled a waiting game—one I didn’t want to play.
“Aflora?” Shade murmured, his lips brushing the shell of my ear and sending a shiver down my spine. I’d stayed at his place after Advanced Conjuring yesterday. It had provided a nice change of pace and sort of solidified our new existence where Zeph, Shade, and Kols somehow managed to share me evenly. Shade never joined the other two, but Zeph and Kols seemed to enjoy putting me between them. Or sometimes Kols was in the middle. Those were interesting experiences.
“That look in your eyes makes me want to skip class even more,” Shade murmured, drawing me around to face him. “Are you thinking about last—”
A blast of magic from across the yard had both of us jumping apart to find the source.
“What the fuck?!” Kols shouted as he caught the ball of fire with his hand and threw it downward to smother with his shoe.
“That’s my line, Kolstov,” Emelyn snapped, her palm already alight with another flame. “Have you forgotten to tell me something, darling betrothed?”
My heart dropped into my stomach. Oh, no. She knows. She knows we’ve bonded and now—
“I’m sure there are many things I’ve forgotten to tell you,” Kols drawled, somehow managing to sound both bored and annoyed at the same time. “Care to elaborate on which item you’re inquiring about?”
Emelyn huffed and threw the inflamed sphere at his head, only for him to catch it again and dispense of it like the first one.
“Do that one more time and I’ll show you how to properly use WarFire.” The threat lingered in his golden irises, causing a chill to skate down my spine.
So much power, I thought. So much beauty, too.
Emelyn was either oblivious to the threat or didn’t care. She stopped right before him, giving me h
er back. “Why did a dress arrive for me today from your mother? I thought we agreed not to go to the Blood Gala together.”
My brow furrowed as I glanced at Shade, my mental connection to him opening automatically. Blood Gala?
Political bullshit, he replied. The Nacht family throws the fancy ball annually. I always skip, but Kolstov will be expected to attend with Emelyn.
I frowned. Oh. Right. Engagement.
A vision of Kols taking Emelyn as his date to the event fluttered through my mind, and I didn’t quite care for it. Not even a tiny bit.
Kols sighed. “Fuck. I forgot to talk to my father about it.”
“Obviously,” she said slowly, annunciating each syllable. “Fix it.”
“Yeah, I will,” he muttered.
“No, you’ll fix it right now,” she demanded. “I’m not going.”
“I said I’ll take care of it, Emelyn.”
“Yeah, and that’s what you said weeks ago, Kolstov. I want it fixed right fucking now.” She put her hands on her hips.
Whatever expression she gave him seemed to irritate him even more, because his golden eyes swirled with red power. “Remember who you’re talking to, Elite Blood.”
“My betrothed,” she spat out.
“Your future king,” he corrected, his tone holding a chill in it that caused all the hairs along my arms to stand on end.
Power sizzled in the air as the two of them squared off.
My stomach twisted at the dark-source essence, my Quandary magic flaring to life inside me at the familiar call. I winced, trying to shove it down, but it spread like rapid fire through my veins.
Aflora? Zeph’s deep voice trickled through my thoughts.
My mind shut down my ability to reply, the magnitude of energy swimming around me, through my soul, and stealing the breath from my lungs.
Shade grabbed my wrist, his voice urgent in my ear. I tried to hear him, to comprehend his words, but I couldn’t understand him over the roar of sound inside my head.
Kols’s golden irises snapped up to mine, his expression melting into concern as he tried to harness his power, but it was too late. He’d released too much, his connection to the source thriving between us like the day we first joined.
Only this was worse.