“Because Quandary Bloods, when they existed, could manipulate energy in a way no one else has ever been able to do, including turning off any link they desired and leaving the fae powerless. The web you mentioned is your connection to the spell. And—”
“I can undo it and piece it back together,” she finished for me, her body tensing beside mine. “That’s not normal.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Shade can’t do that?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” I replied. “It’s not a Death Blood function.” But I had to wonder if he somehow knew or sensed this gift inside Aflora. Maybe that was why he picked her as a mate—to wreak havoc on our kingdom.
“My family fell into power because of a Quandary Blood,” I continued, thinking about t
he history my father once told me. “There was an uprising that ended in the overthrowing of a Death Blood from rule—Shade’s ancestor, actually—and a Quandary Blood transferred the source connection from the fallen royal to my grandfather.” Which initiated a millennium of animosity between our families.
“And then you killed all the Quandary Bloods?”
I frowned, considering. “I didn’t, but the Midnight Fae did.”
“Why? If they helped, then why would you kill them all?”
“Because they were dangerous. As I said, they could dismantle a Midnight Fae’s power and render him no better than human.”
“Did they do that?” she asked.
“Yes. The Death Bloods used them to try to regain power about a thousand years ago. The Quandary Bloods were dismantled and exterminated in response, serving as a warning to keep the Death Bloods in line.”
“Sounds like a rather murderous approach,” she replied, her displeasure written into her features. “Maybe some of them were innocent.”
“Like you?” I suggested, arching a brow. “Are you innocent, Aflora?” I gave in to the impulse to press her back into the bed, my thigh sliding between hers as I moved over her, our lips still dangerously close. “Because I think you’re a lot more experienced than you let on.”
The double entendre was intentional. It applied to both her magical skills and sexual talents. Because the way she’d used that spell on me without even blushing told me a lot about her confidence in the bedroom. Which only made me want to explore her more.
“I don’t even know how to use this power,” she whispered, her big blue eyes guilelessly gazing up at me. I almost wanted to call it an act, but I sensed her sincerity in those words. “I have no idea where it came from or why.”
“Your parents, most likely,” I replied, resting my elbows against the pillows on either side of her head. “Now the question becomes, what should I do with you?”
Kill her was the obvious choice.
But if Shade somehow knew about her bloodline, that implied a much deeper motive at play than him just wanting to avoid his mating duties.
I could practically hear Zeph in my head telling me to use her as bait, to determine exactly how far Shade planned to go.
That plan seemed more practical with every inhale, and not just because it would grant me answers. It would also allow me to keep this beautiful creature alive for as long as possible. I still couldn’t have her, especially now that I knew what kind of power she seemed to be harvesting in her blood. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun, right?
“We’re going to keep this secret between us for now,” I told Aflora, nuzzling my nose gently against hers. “But it means you need to do exactly what I tell you in regard to your growing talents. Understood?”
“Why would you do that for me?”
“Because I’m not done with you yet,” I admitted on a whisper, my lips brushing the corner of her mouth.
Dangerous. Very dangerous.
But, oh, it felt good.
Too good.
This female was an ideal mate in every way. Or that was what my instincts told me.
However, my mind knew otherwise.