Kolstov’s cheeks were a dark shade of red, his lips flattened. “To help with the transition.”
“Bullshit. Your father sent me to handle it so you could go enjoy your final week of debauchery before classes begin again. If you’re not planning to do that, then I’ll go back to my life and you can manage her transition.”
Kolstov slammed his fist onto the table. “I didn’t ask for you to be here.”
“Well, you didn’t suggest otherwise either, did you?”
Silence.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Just like the headmaster position. You claim to have balls, Prince Kolstov. And while I know they exist, they sure do seem to shrivel up into nothing where your father’s edicts are concerned.” With that crude statement, Zephyrus shoved himself away from the table so hard his chair toppled onto the ground.
He didn’t bother righting it.
Just turned on his heel to leave.
“Ten hours, Aflora,” he tossed over his shoulder. “Be ready to go.”
Kolstov watched him go with burning gold irises. When the door slammed in the distance—presumably to the guest room—the Midnight Prince snapped his fingers.
An apparition appeared beside him, the ghostly female boasting a maternal glow as she stared down at him.
“Clean it up,” he demanded as he stood.
“Of course, sir,” the apparition breathed, her words ghosting through the air and leaving a chill in their wake.
Rather than follow Zephyrus, he headed toward the front entry, exiting through the threshold without a single word or glance back.
The dishes rose above the table, vanishing before my eyes.
I caught the contents of my dish just before the plate disappeared into the strange vacuum.
Then the translucent female form turned to air with everything else, leaving me alone and cold in the living area with a random shroom loaf clutched to my chest.
Silence.
Stillness.
Nothing.
Not even a breath—because I’d stopped inhaling and exhaling.
How had everything gone so wrong in one day? I stared down at the food in my hands.
Tomorrow would hopefully provide new opportunities.
Or possibly be a whole lot worse.
Yeah, probably that.
Chapter Eight
Aflora
“I have a supply list,” Zephyrus said as we left Kolstov’s suite the following evening. The Midnight Prince was nowhere in sight, and I suspected I wouldn’t be seeing him again until next week.
Assuming I’m still here. I sighed, shaking my head. Who am I kidding? Of course I’ll be here.
The Earth Fae relied on me to uphold the connection to the earth source, which meant blocking any and all dangers. Including myself. And I couldn’t deny that the potential binding of my abilities to Shade jeopardized my ability to lead.