“Constantine Nacht is the cause?” I asked. “Kols’s grandfather?”
“He’s the one who enacted all the changes a little over a millennium ago. All because he feared feminine emotion.” Zakkai rolled his eyes. “Has Shade told you the story about Zenaida? How she chose to follow her heart instead of duty? Because she’s the cause for all this. Or rather, she’s the scapegoat the Council uses for their hierarchical decision.”
“He told me how Constantine Nacht made an example of her. She went into hiding with her mates after he gave the order to eradicate Quandary Bloods.”
Zakkai nodded. “Yes. And Shade’s father assumed the Death Blood throne instead of his mother because Constantine declared women unfit to lead.” He rolled his eyes again. “It was all a ploy to establish his crude hierarchy. From what my father has said, Constantine has always considered females to be the weaker gender since only males can mate via their bite.”
“Elemental Fae require mutual agreement for mating.”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, his lips curling. “You chose Kolstov.”
“I did.” I wasn’t going to deny it. “You can’t kill him.”
“He’s a Nacht, Aflora. They all have to die for the power to be rightfully restored.”
“But he didn’t do anything wrong. His grandfather did. You can’t punish him for another man’s sins.”
“Actually, I can. Their familial line has tainted Midnight Fae kind for over a thousand years. Those seeking retribution require the eradication of the Nacht bloodline. And I intend to fulfill that eradication.”
“That makes you no better than Constantine,” I argued. “He attempted to slay an entire race over prejudice. Your kill list might be shorter, but you’re still planning to take innocent lives.”
“It’s a sacrifice we must endure for justice.”
“I won’t let you kill Kolstov.”
He sighed. “When the time comes, you won’t have a choice, Aflora. But”—he pressed his finger to my lips before I could snap a comeback at him—“I will agree to consider your side if you agree to consider mine.”
I frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“I want you to give me a chance to explain this war to you, to show you why the Nacht family needs to pay for their sins. And in return, I’ll also consider your point of view.”
I narrowed my eyes.
Obviously, I didn’t believe he would ever uphold his side of that agreement. Just as I knew that I would never agree to him hurting Kols. However, his confidence had me wondering what trick lurked up his sleeve.
“What do you have in mind?” I asked.
He smiled. “I want you to attend the Blood Gala with me.”
The Blood Gala?
That was the event Emelyn had mentioned in Warrior Magic class before all hell broke loose.
Fae, when was that? Just yesterday? The day before? I blinked. My sense of time was a mess, thanks to the endless hours of sunshine—which still poured in from the balcony windows of Zakkai’s room—and all the bizarre dreams.
I shook my head, trying t
o clear it.
“You decline?” Zakkai asked, frowning. “I’m not planning to do anything at the event. I just want you to observe the societal event and give me your thoughts afterward.”
“I was shaking my head in confusion,” I admitted, biting my lip. “You want my opinion?”
“I want to teach you,” he corrected softly. “And to do that, I need to show you how the Midnight Fae operate.”
“At a gala?” I uttered the words slowly, not fully understanding how a fancy party would explain anything to me about Midnight Fae.
“The Blood Gala,” he said.