2. Aflora
AFLORA
“I don’t supposeyou can fetch me a glass of water?” I asked the gargoyle.
He snorted in reply.
“I didn’t think so,” I murmured, sighing as I relaxed into the stone wall at my back.
This place was hell. My own personal purgatory. Earth Fae didn’t belong underground. Not that it mattered. I couldn’t access my source with this choker around my neck anyway.
Closing my eyes, I returned to my task of trying to unlock it with my mind. The magic caressing my skin itched at my conscious, the cloaking mechanism one that seemed to warm the bonds emanating from my heart.
I tugged on one of them, and a familiar woodsy scent touched my nose. Zeph.
Yanking on the other strand filled my essence with rich spice and power. Kols.
And the final cord released a wave of peppermint, the refreshing taste one craves first thing in the morning. Shade.
I frowned. Why is the collar connected to them? To hide our links?
That would explain Zeph’s haste this morning in forcing the contraption on me. He wanted to guarantee no one would find out about our bonds.
“I need you to put this on, and we need to run. Now.”
His words replayed in my head, causing me to scowl even harder than before. I’d stupidly believed he wanted to help me. Had thought he might even care about my welfare.
But those jackholes only cared about themselves.
Hence my current predicament.
Ignoring my anger, I refocused on the enchantment circling my skin and plucked at some of the other magical strings. They all seemed to be suffocating my powers, which explained the tingling sensation rioting through my spirit. It was a miracle in itself that I could access enough of my essence to investigate the spells on the collar. Undoing them would be another task entirely.
“Ah, there you are.” Shade’s voice warmed my face, his hands soon following as he materialized in front of me.
I jumped to my feet, my fists ready to meet his face, when he grabbed my wrists with ease and backed me into the wall. The gargoyle didn’t seem to care at all, his beady red eyes focused on a space over my head instead of on the Midnight Fae forcing a thigh between mine.
“The Council is about to convene. Do you have any special requests on how I should address them on your behalf?” he asked, his ice-blue eyes capturing and holding mine.
I spat at him rather than reply.
Like I’d trust him to speak on my behalf.
Willow stump, I thought, furious.
His eyebrow inched upward as he released one of my wrists to wipe the spittle away from his face. I used the opportunity to try to shove him away, but he caught my wrist again with ease, holding both above my head beneath one of his palms.
“Are you asking me to spit on them, Aflora?” He cocked his head in an almost playful manner. “Because I’m pretty sure that won’t go over well.”
“Go to hell,” I told him.
“Already there, baby,” he replied.
Holy Elements, I hated this male. He’d bitten me against my will, trapped me in this world, nearly convinced me to somewhat trust him, and had me thrown into a jail cell again. “Did you record everything last night?” I asked him, my lip curling into a snarl. “Including the part about our qua?—”
His mouth caught mine, his tongue pushing inside before I could think to respond. Fury boiled inside me, my reaction coming a second later in the form of a bite that caused his blood to spill over our lips.
I spat it on the ground instead of swallowing, our residual dreams teaching me the consequences of imbibing his essence.
Fire lit his gaze, causing the ice to melt around his irises into a pool of bright blue flames. “Careful, Aflora, or we’ll end up giving the Council quite the show.” He cocked his chin toward the corner, just above the gargoyle’s head. “They’re watching us right now. Listening, too. So if you have something you want to say, do it now.”
His eyes flared with warning, some sort of hidden message brewing in his azure depths.
Had they sent him down here to torment me while they observed?
Was I supposed to admit something?
Remain quiet?
Fight him?
I didn’t know.
“It would help if I knew what I was on trial for,” I said, narrowing my gaze.
“You don’t remember what you told me last night?” he countered, his lips curling. “I suppose the sex was pretty intense in comparison.”
Sex?We didn’t have sex. He’d used his thigh to force my climax. Then Zeph and Kols had taken over my dreams afterward.
What are you trying to tell me?I wondered, some of my ire cooling in favor of confusion. “I told you I should be exterminated.”
“Yes, if your power can’t be controlled,” he replied, his emphasis on the word if making me frown. “Do you have anything you wish to add to that statement?”
“What would I add?” I countered.
“That’s why I’m here.” His thumb stroked my wrist. “Is there anything you want me to say on your behalf?”
“I don’t want you to speak on my behalf.”
“That’s not how our rules work.”
“Well, your rules are archaic.”
“Perhaps, but that’s a discussion for another day, Aflora. I need to know if there’s anything else you want me to tell them. That’s why I’m down here—at the Council’s request—and why some of them are watching us right now.”
There it was, a reiteration of a warning.
They can hear and see us.
Okay.
I expected that.
But why did it concern him? Because he didn’t want me to mention the quad-bond? How would that impact him? Everyone knew we were mates already. Kols and Zeph were the ones who’d suffer if I mentioned what happened last night.
Well, and me.
However, I didn’t matter to any of them.
Just as Kols and Zeph didn’t matter to Shade.
So why would he care?
“If you have nothing to add, then I’ll handle it from here,” Shade said, his voice lower as his thumb continued to massage my wrist. “I know exactly what happened last night, little rose. But don’t worry. I won’t go into specifics on how good you feel around my cock.”
My brow started to furrow. “What?—”
His lips caressed mine. “It’s okay, sweetheart. They won’t ask for specifics. They just want clarification on the recording. I know what you meant, and I’ll make sure they do, too.”
Another riddle.
Another game.
Another way to betray me.
“Like I’d ever trust you to speak on my behalf,” I whispered.
He smiled. “There’s my fiery mate.” His lips went to my ear, his voice dropping to a whisper as he added, “Don’t lose her, Aflora. We have many more trials to dance through together.” His teeth skimmed my throat in a display of Midnight Fae affection before he released me, his eyes glazed with power. “Wish me luck, little rose. I’m about to either exonerate you or ensure your demise. Personally, I hope for the former. It’d be such a loss of talent otherwise.”
He disappeared into a wave of smoke before I could reply, causing me to growl in annoyance at the empty space around me.
Then I focused on the camera. “You’re a bunch of archaic flower petals,” I muttered. “When you’re ready to join me in the present, I’ll give you a statement. Until then, go fluff yourselves.”
I started to pace, my mind rattling with notions of Shade’s intentions. Whatever his goals, they were self-fulfilling at best.
Which meant I needed to be ready for a fight.
Something that would be hard considering my lack of sleep last night—thanks to my jackhole mates.
That was probably why I couldn’t focus enough to unweave the power from my neck. Well, that, and inexperience.
Sighing, I collapsed onto the floor mattress and pounded my fist into the soft material while envisioning three different male faces. They were probably watching me and chuckling, which only made me strike the fabric harder.
They continued to underestimate me.
That would change today.
I lay back on the makeshift bed and closed my eyes.
Time to tackle this collar, I told myself. Once you’re free, they’ll never know what hit them.