Midnight Fae Academy: Book Two: A Why Choose Paranormal Vampire Romance Page 2

  I spat it on the ground instead of swallowing, our residual dreams teaching me the consequences of imbibing his essence.

  Fire lit his gaze, causing the ice to melt around his irises into a pool of bright blue flames. “Careful, Aflora, or we’ll end up giving the Council quite the show.” He cocked his chin toward the corner, just above the gargoyle’s head. “They’re watching us right now. Listening, too. So if you have something you want to say, do it now.”

  His eyes flared with warning, some sort of hidden message brewing in his azure depths.

  Had they sent him down here to torment me while they observed?

  Was I supposed to admit something?

  Remain quiet?

  Fight him?

  I didn’t know.

  “It would help if I knew what I was on trial for,” I said, narrowing my gaze.

  “You don’t remember what you told me last night?” he countered, his lips curling. “I suppose the sex was pretty intense in comparison.”

  Sex? We didn’t have sex. He’d used his thigh to force my climax. Then Zeph and Kols had taken over my dreams afterward.

  What are you trying to tell me? I wondered, some of my ire cooling in favor of confusion. “I told you I should be exterminated.”

  “Yes, if your power can’t be controlled,” he replied, his emphasis on the word if making me frown. “Do you have anything you wish to add to that statement?”

  “What would I add?” I countered.

  “That’s why I’m here.” His thumb stroked my wrist. “Is there anything you want me to say on your behalf?”

  “I don’t want you to speak on my behalf.”

  “That’s not how our rules work.”

  “Well, your rules are archaic.”

  “Perhaps, but that’s a discussion for another day, Aflora. I need to know if there’s anything else you want me to tell them. That’s why I’m down here—at the Council’s request—and why some of them are watching us right now.”

  There it was, a reiteration of a warning.

  They can hear and see us.

  Okay.

  I expected that.

  But why did it concern him? Because he didn’t want me to mention the quad-bond? How would that impact him? Everyone knew we were mates already. Kols and Zeph were the ones who’d suffer if I mentioned what happened last night.

  Well, and me.

  However, I didn’t matter to any of them.

  Just as Kols and Zeph didn’t matter to Shade.

  So why would he care?

  “If you have nothing to add, then I’ll handle it from here,” Shade said, his voice lower as his thumb continued to massage my wrist. “I know exactly what happened last night, little rose. But don’t worry. I won’t go into specifics on how good you feel around my cock.”

  My brow started to furrow. “What—”

  His lips caressed mine. “It’s okay, sweetheart. They won’t ask for specifics. They just want clarification on the recording. I know what you meant, and I’ll make sure they do, too.”

  Another riddle.

  Another game.

  Another way to betray me.

  “Like I’d ever trust you to speak on my behalf,” I whispered.

  He smiled. “There’s my fiery mate.” His lips went to my ear, his voice dropping to a whisper as he added, “Don’t lose her, Aflora. We have many more trials to dance through together.” His teeth skimmed my throat in a display of Midnight Fae affection before he released me, his eyes glazed with power. “Wish me luck, little rose. I’m about to either exonerate you or ensure your demise. Personally, I hope for the former. It’d be such a loss of talent otherwise.”

  He disappeared into a wave of smoke before I could reply, causing me to growl in annoyance at the empty space around me.

  Then I focused on the camera. “You’re a bunch of archaic flower petals,” I muttered. “When you’re ready to join me in the present, I’ll give you a statement. Until then, go fluff yourselves.”

  I started to pace, my mind rattling with notions of Shade’s intentions. Whatever his goals, they were self-fulfilling at best.

  Which meant I needed to be ready for a fight.

  Something that would be hard considering my lack of sleep last night—thanks to my jackhole mates.

  That was probably why I couldn’t focus enough to unweave the power from my neck. Well, that, and inexperience.

  Sighing, I collapsed onto the floor mattress and pounded my fist into the soft material while envisioning three different male faces. They were probably watching me and chuckling, which only made me strike the fabric harder.

  They continued to underestimate me.

  That would change today.

  I lay back on the makeshift bed and closed my eyes.

  Time to tackle this collar, I told myself. Once you’re free, they’ll never know what hit them.

  Chapter Three

  Shade

  “Any loss of life is unacceptable. If I can’t be controlled, I should be exterminated.” Aflora’s voice played throughout the Council Chambers, followed by my recorded response.

  “That’s a very narrow view, Aflora. What if you could learn control?”

  Several snorts replied to that question while I maintained my calm demeanor against the wall, one leg crossed over the other, hands in my pockets. My father wanted me to sit beside him. I’d sooner accept a position in hell.

  “I’ve been trying that since I arrived,” Aflora replied, the rest of her sentence altered for the purposes of this meeting. I’d play along only to an extent. Which was why I’d doctored the tape before handing it over.

  Convince them you’re playing by the rules, and they’ll give you more freedom.

  Not exactly a prophecy, but solid advice. As he had been right about everything thus far, I chose to listen to him. Because now more than ever, I needed the flexibility to blend into the shadows and help Aflora hide the truth.

  “Yes, and now you have a support system to rely on.” Another doctored section of the recording, this one easier than the other since it was my response.

  “I have no one to rely on.” Aflora sounded so disgruntled. Not that I blamed her. “You never tell me anything of importance. Zeph is the realm’s worst teacher. And Kols hates me. Some support system.”

  “Yeah, he’s a shit teacher.” I smirked, just as I had when I originally spoke those words. “But Kols doesn’t hate you, and I tell you important things all the time. You just don’t hear me.”

  “Right.”

  “Here, I’ll make it better, little rose. Just close your eyes and—” The recording cut off, causing several gazes to swing my way.

  I shrugged. “What can I say? She’s a gorgeous woman.” I allowed them to form their own opinions on what had happened next. If they wanted to judge me, I welcomed it. Because that would deflect them all from the truth of what actually occurred after her last word.

  When I told her about Kols’s grandfather ordering the slaughter of the Quandary Bloods.

  And admitted I knew about her heritage before we met.

  Two very important details I did not want to share with the Council.

  “That’s it? That’s the entirety of the recording?” King Malik demanded.

  “Oh, there’s more,” I drawled. “But it’s mostly just grunts and moans. Without the visuals, it lacks the finesse of the moment.”

  Kols narrowed his gaze at me, his golden orbs flashing with disdain.

  Yeah, I could have given him a heads-up about my intentions. But I didn’t want him to develop a false sense of leadership over me. I played by my own rules, no one else’s. It would be best for us all if he learned that lesson now.

  “So she believes herself to be an abomination.” Tadmir’s white hair flickered with blue flames, the only outward indication of his current mood. “That’s enough for me. Kill the girl. It’ll free up Shadow for the mating bond, and he can carry out the agreement between our families.”

  I
remained quiet, not trusting myself to reply to that out loud.

  Kols wasn’t so restrained, his tone underlined in authority as he replied, “Aflora didn’t call herself an abomination. She’s just being a martyr because she cares about her people. If anything, that only marks her as a worthy queen to the Earth Fae throne.”

  The blue flickers grew around Tadmir’s head. “There must be a reason she wants to be exterminated.” His beady black eyes turned to me. “Where’s the beginning of the recording?”

  “Nonexistent,” I lied. “We began the discussion in the hallway, out of range. I guided her into my room mid-conversation to catch at least part of her words for the use of the Council.” Complete and utter bullshit, which only Kols seemed to know. Fortunately, he kept his royal mouth shut.

  “What led to her proclamation?” Chern, ever the wise fae, played right into my hands the way I’d hoped he would.

  Sangré Bloods could be so predictable sometimes in their penchant for logic. Today, that worked in my favor beautifully.

  “She was upset about my little tiff with Kols.” I met and held the prince’s burning gold eyes. “She didn’t appreciate the flare of power our duel created and was lecturing me about the loss of life in the LethaForest.”

  Releasing Kols’s gaze, I took in the room of blank stares.

  Idiots.

  “She’s an Earth Fae,” I reminded them all. “She values all life, including the destroyed burning thwomps.”

  I lifted a shoulder, done with my mouthful of untruths.

  Though, I did mention the dead trees to her during that conversation.

  And technically, her extermination reply followed right after.

  So it wasn’t all a lie, just a bit jumbled.

  Kols’s jaw ticked, but he didn’t correct me. The duel had been his brilliant cover story for what really happened between the four of us last night. I’d only enhanced his explanation and also provided the Council with a different rabbit to chase, just in case they came back to question the destruction in the LethaForest.

  “And that led to her calling for her own death?” Chern prompted, his gray eyes intelligent.

  “Yes, because I told her sometimes things die, and she launched into a debate on her own powers and fate. Then she said if she can’t be controlled, she should be exterminated. I believe she meant it hypothetically, but I thought it wise to share the recording with my father. It was this Council, after all, that demanded I report back any findings no matter how small. I’m merely complying with the edict.”

  There. Flowery bullshit for the table. Isn’t it beautiful? I thought, fighting a smile.

  King Malik didn’t appear all that impressed.

  Neither did Tadmir.

  I mean, honestly. Did they really expect me to waltz in here and request the death of my mate? I suppressed a snort. That would never happen.

  “That was the request of the Council,” my father agreed, his tone flat. “And the recording itself is incriminating.”

  True. But my explanation exonerated her without fail. I just needed them to believe me. Which was the only potential weak point in my strategy.

  And exactly why I had a backup plan should the Council vote negatively against Aflora.

  “You’ve spent the most time with her, Kolstov.” King Malik turned toward his son. “What are your opinions on the matter?”

  “As I mentioned earlier, Aflora puts her people above herself. If she truly believed herself to be a danger to them, she’d demand her execution.”

  Clever wording, I mused.

  “What I heard on the recording is exactly the kind of statement she’d say to me,” he continued. “But it remains an if scenario, not a resolute one. To exterminate her now would be a false preemptive measure without proper merit and likely earn retaliation from the Elemental Fae.”

  All very logical without an ounce of emotion.

  If we were alone, I’d applaud him for the outward stoicism.

  “She’s your ascension trial,” King Malik replied. “If that’s your decision, I stand behind it.”

  Oh, if you only knew what Kols had been doing to his little “ascension trial” yesterday around this time, you wouldn’t be so quick to agree, I thought.

  Outwardly, I remained as calm and cool as Kols, never once showing an opinion either way. The Council thought I only cared about fucking Aflora. I preferred it that way. Made things easier.

  “So we just send her back to the Academy?” Tadmir’s tone matched the embers floating around his oval-shaped head, his annoyance piqued.

  “A hypothetical conversation is not grounds for execution.” Chern rubbed his bald head, the designs along his scalp flaring with magic. “We should continue to monitor her developments through Kolstov’s reports.”

  Kols’s jaw ticked once more, the only indication of his discomfort.

  Yes, young prince, how does it feel to lie to the room of your intended peers? To know that the truth would have you ousted from that precious throne and potentially killed in the process? I wondered.

  I almost pitied him.

  That cuff around his wrist might hide his truth from the room, but he’d made his bed when he chose to invite Aflora to play between his sheets.

  Of course, destiny wrote that act into the cards long ago.

  And there was no escaping fate.

  I yawned as the Councilmen began their usual debates, with Tadmir on one side, Chern on the other, and my father and Malik in between while Svart remained dutifully silent. Some of the Seconds spoke up, but most were in agreement that Aflora should be allowed to return to the Academy with Prince Kolstov as her warden.

  There were so many innuendos on the tip of my tongue regarding Kolstov’s method of guardianship, but I swallowed each one.

  “Continue to report back anything useful,” my father told me after the meeting adjourned. “It doesn’t matter how small.”

  “Sure,” I replied, acting as though his request didn’t faze me in the slightest.

  My goal was to convince him I resided on his side, that my duty was to him and the Council. Because I needed him to stop watching my every move.

  The pride in his eyes now suggested that perhaps I’d won some favor with him, that maybe he would remove the surveillance he had on me at the Academy. I’d know soon enough, as I’d spent the last few months skillfully avoiding them.

  That was one of the many benefits of my bloodline—my ability to detect paths.

  If only I could find the quickest way out of this new mess.

  Alas, the prophecy stood, and things were about to become a whole hell of a lot worse before they ever improved.

  Ah, my poor, darling Aflora. This is only the beginning. Please don’t hate me too much.

  Chapter Four

  Aflora

  “We really need to stop meeting like this, little rose,” a deep voice murmured into my ear.

  I sighed, not wanting to move, my body cocooned in a blanket of comforting warmth. Yet something about those words nagged at me, dragging me back to a reality I didn’t want to face.

  To the hard mattress beneath me.

  To the stale air of a dungeon.

  To the beady red eyes of the supervising gargoyle.

  I sprang upward, my head aching with the desire to return to my dreamless sleep. Ugh. The exhaustion had won while I was messing with the magic around my neck, leaving me in the same position as before—powerless.

  Shade’s palm ran up my side in a soothing gesture undermined by lies. Leaping to my feet, I backed away from him. He remained on the mattress, his athletic form balanced on his elbow. “The Council concluded that your theoretical commentary was not enough to require action, and I’ve been instructed to return you to the Academy. So whenever you’re ready, let me know.”

  I gaped at him. “Theoretical commentary?”

  “Yes. I explained to them how you were merely theorizing what should be done if your powers were to grow out of control. As they h
aven’t actually proved uncontrollable, the Council saw no reason to act.” He lifted a shoulder. “Classes resume tomorrow—well, later today, really—as scheduled.”

  “I’m… I’m free?”

  “Not really. The Academy is just a fancier prison, in my opinion.” He pushed off the ground and landed deftly on his feet. “Shall we, princess?” He extended his hand with the offer, his dark brow waggling in a taunting manner.

  “Is this a joke?”

  “If you think it is, then my ego’s wounded. Because I swear I’m funnier than that.”

  I stared at him.

  He stared back.

  Time ticked on between us with his hand dangling in the air.

  The gargoyle huffed in agitation, his stone wings beating rapidly as he shoved through the door and left it wide open in his wake.

  Either I was dreaming or Shade had told me the truth.

  “Take a chance,” he dared, a sinful promise teasing the edges of his lips. “I promise not to bite you today.”

  “I think it’s a little late for promises,” I muttered, stepping around him to reach the door.

  Shade caught me by the waist, pulling me back against him. “I said you were free.” His lips brushed my ear with the whispered words. “I said nothing about using doors.”

  “Wh—”

  The world shifted around us in a thick gray cloud, causing my stomach to roll with uncertainty.

  Then the scent of fresh-cut grass tickled my nostrils.

  Followed by flowers in bloom.

  And the kiss of a morning sun.

  I’m dreaming, I thought, spinning in a circle as the inky smog evaporated into a blue sky. Plush green blades met my bare feet, the sensation of earth breathing life into my being and sending me to the ground in a sob of unfiltered joy.

  Earth.

  I’m surrounded by earth.

  The essence beckoned me to play, but the mechanism around my neck halted my reaction, yanking me back to a reality of pain and suffering. I clawed at the offending leather, longing to be rid of it, and screamed in frustration.