by Lexi C. Foss
Zakkai.
My limbs froze. My heart stopped beating. My eyes went wide.
He knew about my dream.
He knew what I’d betrayed.
Oh, flowers, I’m a dead fae…
His lips curled. “I’m not going to punish you for loyalty, Aflora,” he whispered, cupping my cheek and pressing his lips to my temple. “I actually quite admire that trait in you.” He tucked me against his bare chest, the heat of his skin seeming to thaw some of the ice coating my veins.
He… he didn’t feel mad.
Maybe he was hiding it? Playing some sort of mental game again? Did he have more memories of mine to alter?
“The memories are real,” he said softly. “I spent the first ten years of my life with your family, seven of those years with you. We were best friends, Aflora.”
I shook my head, denying every word. “You put those memories there.”
“I didn’t. But I did remove them initially.” He sighed, his gaze taking on a faraway gleam. “We knew the Elders had discovered our location in the Elemental Fae realm, and it was only a matter of time before they came for us. My dad tried to convince your parents to run, but they refused because it would have meant leaving the earth source behind.”
He fell silent for a moment, his expression radiating a pain I could sense through our bond. It pinched my heart, causing my eyes to prickle with tears. Not because it hurt, but because I hurt for him.
“We compromised with the bond.” He cleared his throat, his voice lower, and huskier with emotion. “Then I erased all your memories of me and my dad to protect you from the Elders. It was quite literally the worst day of my life. The agony of removing all those moments, to know my mate wouldn’t know me, was a task no ten-year-old should ever have to endure. But I didn’t have a choice. It was either that or put your life at risk. The latter was an unacceptable fate.”
I recalled the memory of seeing him on the ground, writhing in torment as magic whirled through the air. “Your dad told you to be a man.” The words came out on a whisper, my mind fracturing beneath the image engraved in my memory.
Zakkai grunted. “One of his favorite phrases from my childhood. Pretty sure he still wants to tell me that sometimes.”
I shook my head.
It’s not real.
Don’t believe his lies.
But it feels real.
I couldn’t find any evidence of tampering inside my mind. Which was strange because he’d clearly done something.
“All I did was finish unraveling the spell,” he said. “You started the process with your song. I finished it with the web. It seemed like the easiest way to convince you of the truth, except you still don’t believe me.”
“Sort of hard to believe someone who keeps playing mental games with me,” I muttered.
“Fair,” he agreed, his hand drawing up and down my spine. “But the fact remains that we used to be best friends. You were my Flora, and I was your Kai. We went everywhere together.” His lips curled, and he slowly shook his head. “That sometimes feels like a former life. I don’t even remember that boy anymore.”
I studied his profile, noting the sincerity in his features. Part of me wanted to believe him, but I knew better than to fall for his story this quickly. However, while he appeared to be in the mood to provide details, I decided a question wouldn’t hurt our situation.
“If you’re not that boy, then who are you?”
He considered me for a long moment. So long that I thought he intended to ignore me, or perhaps respond with another riddle.
Instead, he reached out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear, then brushed his knuckles down the side of my neck. “I’m a being of vengeance,” he said softly, his gaze following his touch as he traced my collarbone with the back of his hand. “I want justice for what’s been done to Quandary Bloods. Justice for your parents. A new reign to right the wrongs of the Elite.”
“A new reign?”
“Mmm.” His gaze returned to mine. “Have you not considered what it could look like?”
“Honestly, I’ve just been trying to survive.”
He nodded. “Yes. I understand that more than you know.” He dropped his hand to my hip, his body relaxed beneath mine. “Do you approve of how the Council operates today?”
“I assume you mean the Midnight Fae Council.”
“Yes. I’m referring to the male-driven hierarchy where females are expected to bow and just accept their place. Do you approve?”
“Of course I don’t. When Shade bit me, they wouldn’t even let me participate in my own trial. They said my betrothed had to speak on my behalf.”
He smirked. “It’s ridiculous, right? I mean, I prefer logic, but I also understand the role sentiment plays in decisions. Yet Constantine Nacht has created a dictatorship based on harsh resolves alone, without any care as to how it impacts anyone else.”
“Constantine Nacht is the cause?” I asked. “Kols’s grandfather?”
“He’s the one who enacted all the changes a little over a millennium ago. All because he feared feminine emotion.” Zakkai rolled his eyes. “Has Shade told you the story about Zenaida? How she chose to follow her heart instead of duty? Because she’s the cause for all this. Or rather, she’s the scapegoat the Council uses for their hierarchical decision.”
“He told me how Constantine Nacht made an example of her. She went into hiding with her mates after he gave the order to eradicate Quandary Bloods.”
Zakkai nodded. “Yes. And Shade’s father assumed the Death Blood throne instead of his mother because Constantine declared women unfit to lead.” He rolled his eyes again. “It was all a ploy to establish his crude hierarchy. From what my father has said, Constantine has always considered females to be the weaker gender since only males can mate via their bite.”
“Elemental Fae require mutual agreement for mating.”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, his lips curling. “You chose Kolstov.”
“I did.” I wasn’t going to deny it. “You can’t kill him.”
“He’s a Nacht, Aflora. They all have to die for the power to be rightfully restored.”
“But he didn’t do anything wrong. His grandfather did. You can’t punish him for another man’s sins.”
“Actually, I can. Their familial line has tainted Midnight Fae kind for over a thousand years. Those seeking retribution require the eradication of the Nacht bloodline. And I intend to fulfill that eradication.”
“That makes you no better than Constantine,” I argued. “He attempted to slay an entire race over prejudice. Your kill list might be shorter, but you’re still planning to take innocent lives.”
“It’s a sacrifice we must endure for justice.”
“I won’t let you kill Kolstov.”
He sighed. “When the time comes, you won’t have a choice, Aflora. But”—he pressed his finger to my lips before I could snap a comeback at him—“I will agree to consider your side if you agree to consider mine.”
I frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“I want you to give me a chance to explain this war to you, to show you why the Nacht family needs to pay for their sins. And in return, I’ll also consider your point of view.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Obviously, I didn’t believe he would ever uphold his side of that agreement. Just as I knew that I would never agree to him hurting Kols. However, his confidence had me wondering what trick lurked up his sleeve.
“What do you have in mind?” I asked.
He smiled. “I want you to attend the Blood Gala with me.”
The Blood Gala?
That was the event Emelyn had mentioned in Warrior Magic class before all hell broke loose.
Fae, when was that? Just yesterday? The day before? I blinked. My sense of time was a mess, thanks to the endless hours of sunshine—which still poured in from the balcony windows of Zakkai’s room—and all the bizarre dreams.
I shook my head, trying t
o clear it.
“You decline?” Zakkai asked, frowning. “I’m not planning to do anything at the event. I just want you to observe the societal event and give me your thoughts afterward.”
“I was shaking my head in confusion,” I admitted, biting my lip. “You want my opinion?”
“I want to teach you,” he corrected softly. “And to do that, I need to show you how the Midnight Fae operate.”
“At a gala?” I uttered the words slowly, not fully understanding how a fancy party would explain anything to me about Midnight Fae.
“The Blood Gala,” he said.
“Okay. But how will a gala change my mind about Kols?”
“It’s not about Kolstov, Aflora. It’s about purpose.”
“I… I’m not clear on what you mean.”
He considered for a moment before saying, “The Blood Gala is a political affair.”
“Yeah, I get that part.”
“No, I don’t think you do,” he murmured, his eyes catching and holding mine.
My heart skipped a beat. “Okay.” It came out on a whisper. Because the intensity in his gaze told me that I wasn’t going to like whatever he intended to say next.
“Aflora, the Blood Gala is an annual event that celebrates the death of the Quandary Bloods. It’s hosted by the Nacht family, and the sole purpose is for them to gloat over all the blood they’ve spilled. That is what I want you to observe.”
AFLORA’S SILENCE confirmed she hadn’t known the purpose of the Blood Gala. She wasn’t a born Midnight Fae, so she didn’t grow up with horror stories about the Quandary Bloods and our terrible intentions.
I nearly snorted.
The Nacht family had destroyed the sixth house of Midnight Fae. All for greed and power. Alas, that was a tale as old as time itself. Everyone sought control. However, Quandary Bloods were the ones born with it.
“What do you plan to do at the Blood Gala?” Aflora asked quietly.
“I already answered that,” I replied.
“You expect me to believe you only want me to observe?”
“I don’t expect anything from you,” I admitted. “I’m asking if you’ll attend with me so I can better explain our cause. That’s all.”
I meant it, too.
The Blood Gala was too obvious a place for us to attack. Besides, our disguises would already require an exorbitant amount of power. Adding violence to the mix wouldn’t bode well for anyone involved.
She studied me, her blue eyes radiating intelligence. It made me want to peek inside her mind, to hear her thoughts. She often spoke them loudly, making it an easy task.
However, I waited for her to utter them out loud instead, content to continue holding her on my lap. She hadn’t put up much of a fight, and I liked how she unconsciously leaned into my touch. Our bond had matured over the years, despite the masking spell.
Breaking it would hurt worse than making her forget—a fact my father seemed to happily disregard. Pain served as a teaching tool to him, one he used to strengthen my resolve.
But dismantling my connection to Aflora lacked a true purpose. If anything, remaining bonded empowered us both.
“I want to talk to my other mates,” she said suddenly, causing me to frown.
“What?”
“You want me to trust your intentions. I’m giving you a way to earn some of that trust. Let me talk to my mates, and I’ll consider attending the Blood Gala.”
She really wasn’t in a position to negotiate with me. I could easily weave a compliance enchantment around her, then drag her to the event. However, a young, immature part of me longed to have her attend willingly.
That part of me was tied to the boy I used to be.
The boy who considered Aflora his best friend.
“You want to talk to your other mates,” I repeated out loud, thinking through her request. This gave me an opportunity to show her my kinder side—a side I would likely only ever reveal to her. However, it would be on my terms, in an environment I could control.
Like the dream she just experienced with her mates.
Yes.
I could allow that.
It would not only win over her acquiescence, but it would also grant me an opportunity to learn more about her mates and their relationships with Aflora.
I nodded slowly, deciding on a path forward that would work for both of us. “All right. You can dream-walk with them. But you can’t mention the Blood Gala. And I will be there to supervise.”
She frowned. “That’s hardly proving you’re trustworthy.”
“Trust works both ways, Aflora,” I replied. “You show me that I can trust you, while I show you that you can trust me. Seems like a reasonable compromise to me.”
“You want to kill Kols.”
I wasn’t going to lie to her. “I do.”
“You can’t do that in the dreams.”
“Actually, I could,” I told her, briefly considering the possibility. “But I won’t.” It would be horribly dissatisfying. And… “I won’t use you to hurt your mates. That’s not who I am.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Who you are?” She huffed a humorless laugh. “You attacked an academy filled with students, and the village. I’m pretty sure I know who you are by those actions alone.”
“I vacated the Death Blood building before I cast a harmless spell that I knew would be fixed in a matter of hours. And I didn’t attack the village,” I corrected. “So, by your definition, you don’t know me at all.”
“You didn’t attack the village?” Her brow furrowed. “But I felt your energy all over the street.”
“The day you and Zephyrus went to visit?” Now it was my turn to release a laugh. “Star, what you sensed was my protection.”
“I heard you laugh.”
“Yeah, I found it endearing that you thought you could fight me,” I admitted. “Similar to the episode a few hours ago.”
She scowled, making my lips quirk upward.
When her eyes narrowed, I took pity on her and offered a more thorough explanation.
“The Elders attacked some known Quandary Blood supporters in the village, which is why the essence surrounding the crime was Elite Blood in nature. Then they left an enchanted gift behind, one meant for Quandary Bloods. You felt me protecting you against that spell. And I was amused because you were trying to fight my protection.” I smoothed out her frown lines with my thumb. “I didn’t attack the village, Aflora. Anrika is an old family friend.”
“Anrika? The tavern owner?”
“The very one.” I didn’t know her as well as my father did, but she was a longtime supporter of our cause.
Aflora’s full lips parted, drawing my focus to her mouth. “She said she knew about me… from an old friend.”
“That’d be Zenaida,” I murmured. “Shade’s grandmother. They knew about our bonding, and Anrika actually knew your parents as well. She and Zurik, her mate, were the ones who helped my father and me escape. Only, the Elders discovered their actions, and, well, Zurik paid the ultimate price.”
I swallowed, recalling the scene vividly. It was my first real exposure to the cruelty of the Midnight Fae Elders, and the council who bowed to their every whim.
“Zurik told the Elders that he forced Anrika to help him. They made her prove it somehow. I don’t know the details, but it surrounded his death. I think they made her do it.”
“That’s horrible,” Aflora breathed.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” I said, giving her a squeeze. “Constantine Nacht favors the death penalty. In fact, I dare say he enjoys it. Why else would he insist on an annual gala that celebrates the extermination of an entire race of fae?”
Which beautifully brought us back to the topic at hand.
“All I want is a chance to show you why I am who I am, Aflora,” I added softly. “I could force you. But I would prefer your willing participation.”
“You criticize Constantine for favoring the death penalty, yet your intentio
n is to kill his entire family,” she replied. “Do you not see the fatal error in that thought process?”
I sighed. “The Nacht family is responsible for thousands of Midnight Fae deaths, Aflora.”
“Kols isn’t,” she insisted. “He’s not even the king yet.”
“No, he’s just the groomed heir destined to take over the violent reins from his father,” I deadpanned. “His destiny is to become my biggest threat. We will duel. It’s inevitable.”
“You don’t know him like I do,” she whispered. “He’s not okay with what his father and the Elders have done.”
“Once he ascends, his personal feelings will no longer apply.” I attempted to gentle my voice, but she flinched anyway. “Let’s table this discussion for later and focus on our trust exercise. Take me to your mates. I’ll behave in your dream. Maybe then you’ll consider attending the gala with me.”
She swallowed, her blue eyes widening. “R-right now?”
“It’s an appropriate hour for dreaming,” I said, noting the midday sun outside.
Of course, it was always sunny here. I’d made it that way to better hide our paradigm in this realm.
However, I could read the time because I knew the nuances of my creation. It was close to noon in the Midnight Fae realm, making it the dead of day for our kind. They would all be asleep, or should be, anyway. If they weren’t, then her spell would pull them into dreamland.
I set her off to my side and made a show of sliding beneath the sheets before lifting the black silk in invitation.
“I promise I won’t touch any of them. Unless they attack me, then I’ll only defend myself.” Like I’d done with Kolstov the first time around. He’d targeted my enchantment, and I’d retaliated. Seemed only fair, considering our dark fates.
She nibbled her lip again, then she slowly joined me. The sheets moving over her skin drew her focus to her exposed legs, her brow pulling down. “What am I wearing?”
“My shirt,” I replied, amused that she had just now noticed. “Now lie down and take us to dreamland, Aflora. Once you’re satisfied, we’ll sleep.”
Her brow crinkled as she settled her head on the pillow beside me, her blue eyes wary.
“I’m not going to hurt them,” I repeated, doing my best to hide my irritation. All she needed to do was look into our bond to find my sincerity.