I stroked mine with my thumb, sensing Aflora’s touch, and smiled. Thank you, love.
She blew a kiss into my mind, then finished her own wardrobe with a flowing black dress that glimmered like a diamond, showcasing all the colors of the Midnight Fae.
Her gaze went to the tree line, her stance powerful as the branches began to rustle.
Then a wave of spells flew at her from the forest edge—each one bouncing off a shield I hadn’t felt her create.
Magnificent.
Our cloaks were the shield, her clasp the bearer of the protective spell. That was why I sensed Zeph within the magic. He’d taken up a guarded stance next to her with Zakkai on her opposite side, their positions ready for a fight.
But Aflora was clearly done with this battle.
She didn’t cast any enchantments back at the approaching Warrior Bloods. She merely absorbed their charms and turned them to rose petals on the ground.
Shade took up a position behind her, so I stepped in front of her, the four of us creating a clear mate circle around her.
That didn’t stop the Warrior Bloods or the Elders behind them.
However, every offensive spell disintegrated into flowers, Aflora’s power resolute.
Her hand settled on my shoulder, her petite frame hidden by my much taller one. I shifted as she stepped to my side, Zeph coming up next to me, with Zakkai and Shade completing the line on Aflora’s left.
My grandfather appeared with my father and brother beside him, their collective fury stealing the breath from my lungs.
“Abomination!” they shouted.
“This cannot stand,” my grandfather concluded.
“Yet you ensured my ascension yourself,” Aflora replied calmly, a memory charm appearing as she blasted the event to all Midnight Fae.
“Soon they’ll see you for what you are, Queen Aflora,” my grandfather’s voice reverberated through the LethaForest and all our minds. “An abomination in the truest form. A monster. A being consumed by power, both Elemental Fae and Midnight Fae in nature. And I can’t wait to watch you burn.”
“An abomination, yes,” she agreed. “But I’m not the monster, Constantine. I’m not the being consumed by power. However, they all witnessed me burn, just like you said. And now they know my true nature, too.”
Aflora’s pity poured through our bond, her heart breaking for the man before her.
Not my father.
Not my brother.
But my grandfather.
“You want to control them all,” she whispered. “Because you fear what you do not understand. You refuse to listen, to observe, to learn. You crave power as a protection, and it’s consumed you entirely. Because you never learned balance.”
Energy flowed through our connections as Aflora grounded herself by pushing the Dark Source to her mates, demonstrating her version of balance.
“You never learned how to love,” she continued sadly. “And for that, I’m sorry for you. Emotions are what root us to life. Without them, we soar too high and forget how to feel. My mates—the ones you tried to force me to choose between—are my rocks. My foundation. The reasons I’m able to absorb and maintain connections to two sources.”
She reached for my hand and Zakkai’s, squeezing our palms.
“These Midnight Fae represent my balance. They’re my kings. My equals. My own personal council. They’re the reasons for my ascension today. Because they taught me how to live and love.”
Silence fell, my grandfather’s eyes narrowing.
However, all around the tree line… the Midnight Fae began to kneel.
Not to the Nacht line.