“Yes,” she agreed.
“There are seven,” I began. “They can come in any order, but have historically followed a specific pattern. Although, with my grandfather at the helm, it’s possible that pattern will be altered.”
I dove into an explanation on how the current monarch typically organized the trials. With the Midnight Fae King being the closest to the Dark Source, it made sense for him to foster the tests accordingly.
“However, my father has clearly been possessed.” A comment that made me grimace. “Which is why I believe my grandfather will lead the trials, particularly as he’s the one who forced the ascension onto you.”
“Also a fair assessment since he just orchestrated two in one day,” Zakkai inserted.
I nodded. “My father would never do that. Nor would he force Aflora to ascend in this manner.” My father valued his connection to the Dark Source and took his mantle seriously. He would never risk it by forcing the power into a non-Midnight Fae. Nor would he ever force another to become an abomination.
No, this had my grandfather written all over it.
And the fact he was spouting lies about the ascension to all the others only confirmed his orchestration of events.
“There are seven trials,” I continued. “Trust and creatures are the two you’ve already passed, the first being to test your connections by proving their worth through a trust trial. The second one being to win over all the creatures in the Midnight Fae world.”
“And creatures in general,” Zakkai interjected. “At least, as Source Architect, I had to win them all over because of the uniqueness of my abilities.”
“I only had to win over those who reside in the Midnight Fae Realm,” I clarified.
“Interesting.” Zakkai picked up his fork again to continue eating, telling me with his eyes to keep talking.
“The other trials revolve around acceptance, unity, sacrifice, respect, and the final source ascension. These tests can be delivered through a variety of means. My acceptance trial was the easiest for me because it was about accepting the Dark Source’s power, and understanding what it could do. As the son of the current king, I was born understanding and accepting my place. Unity was my fourth trial, which focused on you.”
“Because your father wanted you to bring the factions to a unifying decision on her fate,” Zakkai translated. “Clever.”
“What was yours?” I wondered out loud.
“Uniting the Quandary Bloods for retribution,” he replied. “Which, when you consider it, seems like the opposite of unity considering it divided the Quandary Bloods into two factions.”
“You won the respect of both sides through your leadership,” Shade said softly. “My grandmother might not agree with the thoughts of retribution, but she’s always honored your ascension and rightful place as Source Architect.”
Zakkai dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “It’s why our two sides have never warred. Something I fear is about to change after what she said regarding my father’s displeasure.”
Shade’s lips pinched to the side. “We’ll cross that bridge when it arrives.”
“Do you expect him to come here?” I asked, choosing to literally translate Shade’s statement rather than allow the cryptic response to hang in the air undefined.
“Yes.” Shade’s icy eyes met mine. “Yes, I do.”
“He’ll want to discuss new terms,” Zakkai added. “It might serve as Aflora’s unity trial.”
“My grandfather would never orchestrate that.”
“The source may not provide him a choice,” Zakkai pointed out. “Not all trials can be controlled. And I’m also the architect, so I do have some say in how this progresses.”
“Fair,” I agreed. “Well, I failed my trial by not bringing the fae together.” A fact that would forever haunt me, but not nearly as much as being nearly killed by my father’s hand.
“No, you didn’t,” Zeph inserted. “You were still in the middle of your trial, but Constantine took over and destroyed your ability to pass.”
“He’s right.” Zakkai twirled his fork around some noodles while Aflora watched in obvious disgust. “Actually, I imagine the Dark Source would agree with your choice. Particularly as it accepted Aflora’s candidacy for queen. You kept her alive so she could ascend. That’s a successful outcome, not a failed one.”
I hadn’t previously considered that point of view, but it was a fair assessment, one I much preferred to my own.
“You may not have unified the Midnight Fae, but when Aflora does, you’ll both pass,” Zakkai concluded, the assurance in his tone lacking any note of hesitation.
“Okay, but what if I undo the ascension?” Aflora asked.