“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.”