His father dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “I’ll be waiting up for an update.”
“I know.” Zakkai reached out to touch his father’s shoulder in an almost comforting gesture, then he used his opposite hand—which still held mine—to gently tug me along beside him down the hall.
We took a similar path as we did the other day when going to meet Shade. I hadn’t spoken to my Death Blood mate since, his connection closed and quiet. I tried again now, wanting to ask him about the biting, but he still didn’t answer, making me frown.
“What’s wrong?” Zakkai asked as the magical hallway appeared before us, granting us access to the portal near the end.
I didn’t immediately reply, unsure of how to phrase my concern.
But as he pulled me close inside the portal, he used his finger on my chin to draw my gaze up to him. “Aflora, tell me what’s wrong.” He didn’t punch in the code, instead holding me inside the cocoon of his body heat, his dark blue eyes possessing his familiar intensity. It seemed no spell could hide that look.
I cleared my throat. “I… I’m thinking about Shade. I’ve not spoken to him since we saw him the other night. And I wanted to ask him something.”
“Ask him what?” Zakkai asked softly, his thumb tracing my jaw.
“The Council told him to bite me,” I whispered. “But he once told me that someone had warned him about me. And I was wondering…” I trailed off, biting my lip. Then I decided to just go for it. Either he told me the truth or he deflected. What would it hurt to ask? “Well, I was wondering if that someone was you.”
“I see,” he replied, his touch drifting to my hair before wrapping around the back of my neck. “Shade and I have known each other for a long time. But I didn’t tell him to bite you. The Council did. And I suspect my uncle Tadmir played a hand in this as well.”
“Who is Tadmir?” I asked, searching his gaze. “I mean, I know he’s your uncle, but I’ve not met him.”
“He’s a Midnight Fae Councilman,” Zakkai replied.
My brow furrowed. “What? How? If he’s related to you, then isn’t he a…?”
“Quandary Blood?” Zakkai suggested for me, his lips curling. “Yes, partly. He’s my mother’s half brother. They shared a Quandary Blood mother. But his father was a Paradox Fae.”
I blinked. “An abomination.”
“Yes. One who can rewrite power, which is how he’s currently parading around as a Malefic Blood. He mated into the royal line and took the mantle from his mate—because women aren’t allowed on the Council.”
“So… so… he took the Councilman position from her by mating into her bloodline and using his Quandary Blood abilities to rewrite his magic to, uh, match? And everyone thinks he’s a pure Malefic Blood?” I wanted to make sure I understand that convoluted piece of history.
“Yes, that’s right,” he replied. “And what’s more, he did all this before Constantine initiated his quest to destroy Quandary Bloods. Which tells me he knew all this was going to happen and used his Paradox Fae abilities to jump back in time to alter history.”
“That’s… wow. I’m not sure what to say to that,” I admitted.
“He’s played the long game,” Zakkai murmured, his thumb brushing my pulse. “Which is why I’m not surprised he’s working with Shade. He’s clearly seen something unfold that he wishes to change. And so, I suspect he’s the real reason Shade agreed to bite you.”
“But you knew he was going to bite me.”
“Yes.” His eyes clouded over with a darker emotion. “My father informed me of the plan after a Councilman, maybe even an Elder, or perhaps Tadmir, had told him about the Council’s intent for Shade to bite you. He wanted it to come to fruition and told me to cooperate. As I wasn’t the Source Architect yet, I had no choice but to do as he said.”
I swallowed, speechless.
My entire future had been stolen from me via a handful of events where I was given no say in the matter. All because my parents had decided to help the Quandary Bloods.
No. Not that.
It was all because Constantine Nacht ignited a genocide among the Midnight Fae. My parents had done what they felt was right—they protected lives. And it’d crafted a path for me, one entangling me in a war I was never meant to be a part of.
Or maybe it’d always been my destiny to be bonded to four Midnight Fae. The center of a conflict. An Earth Fae who favored vitality amid a sea of violence.
“Shade and I have a long history,” Zakkai said softly, drawing me from my thoughts. “When I found out the Council’s intentions, I went to him and demanded he protect you. He already knew all about you because I’d told him about you when we were younger—when I was still recovering from the spell that separated us. That was actually how I first met Shade. He found me in a ball on the floor and asked me what the hell I was doing.”
He huffed a laugh at the memory, one I would have shared, except I didn’t feel humored by any of this.
“I told him all about you. Said you were beautiful, loved flowers, and talked about how much I missed our friendship. He’d nodded solemnly in understanding, then said he knew what it was like to have others demand actions that hurt.”