Several of the Councilmen bobbed their heads in agreement, while Constantine Nacht pointed out that locking up Headmaster Irwin also served as a suitable punishment for being “so easily corrupted by enemy forces.” I nearly snorted at that claim. These imbeciles had no idea whom they truly faced or how many centuries of hatred had piled up toward them.
But they’d find out, and soon.
Kols met my gaze from across the table, his golden orbs flaring with a thousand questions. Fortunately, he hadn’t voiced anything that could incriminate us, but I suspected we were due for a long conversation after this was through.
He probably thought I bit Aflora because the Council told me to, which was partially true—I’d done it to maintain my cover. But I knew years ago that my fate would cross her path. This was so much bigger than the Elders or the Midnight Fae Council could possibly comprehend. They would have to see beyond their own bigotry and arrogance to realize the truth, and I wasn’t about to help them with that task.
Kols’s father made a few closing remarks once the sentencing was done, then looked to Constantine for any further guidance the Elders wished to bestow upon us. The retired king merely advised Kols to allow Aflora to be taken next time, something he agreed to with a mere nod, likely because he was too livid to speak. I understood that feeling all too well.
When the meeting finally adjourned, I stood and stretched my arms, ready to disappear, only a look from Kols told me he’d come after me if I did.
“Your mum is looking forward to having you over for dinner tonight, Kolstov,” Malik said softly, reminding his son that he’d agreed to come home after this mess.
My father, on the other hand, left without even looking at me. There would not be a similar invite to come home for a family dinner. We didn’t do that, because it would require talking and making false pleasantries, something neither of us could be arsed to do.
And my mother, well, she rarely spoke these days.
“I’m looking forward to it, too,” Kols replied. “I just need to talk to Shadow about a few things before I go.”
“Does it involve that little power scuffle you two got into last month? Because he told the Council how he nearly beat you.” Malik grinned at me while he spoke, clearly enjoying the rivalry between me and his son.
“I believe I said I let him win,” I drawled. Because that had been a far more believable story than the one Kols had come up with.
“Let me win?” Kols repeated, his eyebrows popping upward. “Since when?”
Malik chuckled. “I’ll leave you two to work that out. See you in thirty minutes or so?”
“That’ll be enough time for me to remind Shadow who is closer to the source, yes.” Kols sounded so serious that I wondered if he intended to deliver on that threat.
A few others showcased their amusement at our trademark bickering, then left us alone in the Council Chambers. Kols cocked his head toward a painting of Constantine on the wall, then stepped toward it with his wand. A muttered spell caused the colors to shift, revealing an entrance to a room I didn’t know existed here.
Kols led the way, his shoulders rigid, and I followed him into a much darker chamber lacking in windows. He uttered a spell to silence the interior, canceling out any listening devices, then he leaned back against a table in the center of a black rug. There were only three chairs, the space about a tenth of the size of the other room.
“What is this place?” I asked him, glancing around.
“Oh, something I know that you don’t?” he countered. “Fascinating.”
I snorted. “Want to play a game of trading information, Elite Blood? Because I have a feeling I’ll outlast you by a mile.”
“What the fuck?” he demanded. “What. The. Fuck?”
“You’ll need to be more specific,” I drawled, then ducked as his fist came for my face. “Well, now there’s a positive way to seek answers.” I mockingly applauded him and jumped to the side as he tried to strike me again.
Then I shadowed to the other side of the table. “Feel better yet?” I asked him when he heaved a furious breath.
“Hardly,” he muttered, fixing his suit jacket and tie. “Start talking, Shadow, or so help me, I will kill
you.”
I let the false threat go because time wasn’t on our side, and bickering got us nowhere. “Do you really think I bit Aflora because of some edict?” I asked him, arching a brow. “You know me better than that. I’ve never been one to play by the rules, and authority means shit to me.”
“So why did you do it?”
“Because fate demanded it,” I admitted. “Because I wanted to. Because she was always meant to be ours.” There were a thousand reasons I could list, none of which would truly satisfy his quest for knowledge. “I gave them that recording as proof of being on their side, just like I bit her because they asked me to, but I never do anything without a true purpose. They don’t know about her collar or her additional ties. They also have no idea who they’re truly fighting in this war.”
“And you do.” Not a question, but a statement.
“Yes.” I ran my fingers through my hair and considered what else I could tell him without risking fate. “Look, I know I’ve not been very forthcoming—”