19. Aflora
The staff remindedme of a wand in weight, the magical conduit fitting in my hand and moving with me like an extension of my arm.
Magical swirls danced around it, tickling my skin as the source embraced me with fiery little kisses that disappeared into my cloak.
It all felt so natural, like my connection to earth, the life and darkness swirling through me with renewed vigor after having taken blood from all four of my mates.
The act of drinking from them didn’t bother me.
But I would absolutely not be indulging in their cuisine choices.
Pig. Yuck.
I’ll make you all the shroom loaves you can eat, pixie flower, Zeph vowed, having caught my thought. I’ll even add your favorite mouseberries.
Dragon steak loaf could be fun,I replied. Topped with potato frites?
Are those like french fries?
What are french fries?I asked, frowning at him.
Fried potatoes.
I blinked. Purple ones? Or green ones?
He glanced at me, his green eyes sparkling. We are definitely not talking about the same food.
Probably not,I decided. I almost opened my mouth to detail the flaming mush, but a disturbance within the paradigm had my focus shifting to the Academy.
Shade had shadowed us most of the way back, saving us time and energy from having to walk. We were near the main gates now, and I could see the group of Quandary Bloods lurking beyond it.
The gargoyles were all agitated, as were the snake-vines, but a breath of calmness from me settled them all as we approached.
Other Midnight Fae watched from the sidelines, their expressions grim. “Go back to your dorms,” I said to them, my tone holding a command to it. It was the middle of the day. They should all be asleep despite the ever-present moon on this side of the paradigm.
Several bowed and scampered back into their buildings, giving me slight pause.
Hot,Zeph praised. So fucking hot.
All I did was tell them to go inside.
In a regal-as-fuck queenly tone,he said. I want you to use that on Kols later.
I almost rolled my eyes. Do you ever not think about sex?
A chorus of “No” sounded in my head, all my mates apparently having heard my question. Probably because it had the word sex involved.
Zakkai’s fingers locked with mine, his palm heating my senses as his power rolled through me to flirt with the embers created by the staff in my other hand.
Zeph stood on my opposite side with Kols and Shade behind us.
A united front, just like Zakkai had said.
The gates opened for me as I approached, Laki standing on the other side. He had his hands tucked into the pockets of his charcoal-colored dress pants, his white button-down shirt unclamped at the top with the sleeves rolled to the elbows on each arm.
He looked a lot like Zakkai—same color eyes, similar shade of hair, tall, lean, muscular. Their Midnight Fae genetics gave them a brotherly appearance more than a father-son one, similar to how Zen resembled Shade’s older sister, not his grandmother.
But ages for fae were in the eyes.
And I could tell as I met Laki’s gaze that he had at least a millennium on Zakkai.
Which made sense with Midnight Fae royalty ascending once every one thousand years.
“Father,” Zakkai greeted.
“Son,” Laki returned. “I see you’re still mated and that you’ve acquired some new bonds.”
“Only one,” he replied, glancing back at Kols before redirecting his focus back to his dad. The challenge in his stance dared his father to comment or issue a command, but rather than acknowledge whom Zakkai had bonded to, Laki’s attention shifted to me.
“Aflora.” He uttered my name with a softness that surprised me. “You’ve certainly blossomed into something unexpected.” His silver-blue irises admired the staff and then my cloak. “Midnight Fae royalty looks good on you.”
“She does wear it rather nicely,” Zakkai agreed, squeezing my hand.
I smiled and stepped deliberately to the side. “Let’s do this inside the gates. While the exterior of the paradigm is well protected, the creatures would feel more comfortable with us inside the walls.” My words were instinctual and caused by the agitated hissing of the snake-vines. They weren’t upset by the arrival of the Quandary Bloods so much as their location.
Laki’s ash-blond eyebrow cocked upward in surprise, then he nodded in agreement and led the others with him inside.
There were fifteen Midnight Fae in total, including Laki, making up only a fraction of the ones I’d seen back at Zakkai’s paradigm. “Where are the others?”
“Waiting for the outcome of this discussion,” he said.
“I see.” I considered where to take them. We needed a place big enough for everyone to speak.
The history library, Shade suggested softly. It has a big table at the center that will seat us all, and it’ll be abandoned at this time of day.
Where is it?I asked.
Rather than reply, he stepped up to Zakkai’s side and gave him a look. The Quandary Blood nodded, releasing my hand.
Laki watched the exchange with a curious expression, his surprise palpable as Zakkai stepped behind me to walk beside Kols.
This way, Shade said to me, taking over the group and leading us to a building toward the center of the Academy.
“I miss this place,” Laki said conversationally as we walked. He’d taken up a position beside Zakkai, placing him near Shade’s back.
But the lack of aggression in the air told me no one was in the mood to fight. Laki and his followers had arrived to talk, just like he’d said.
That probably had a little bit to do with Lucifer as well. No one would want to tempt the Hell Fae King into coming down to dole out justice for breaking whatever rules he’d set for this paradigm.
I’d heard whispers and stories about Lucifer, enough to know that, depending on his mood, he might actually enjoy watching a battle unfold here.
Fortunately, no one seemed to be in the mood to tempt fate and invite him out to play.
Shade guided us toward a set of large double doors outside a particularly beautiful building with stone walls and tinted glass windows.
Inside, the ceiling appeared to be at least twelve stories over our heads despite the exterior being no more than two floors tall, and all the interior walls were covered in books and windows. Oh, I thought, admiring the beauty of the shelves and the winding staircases leading up to each area individually. Why haven’t you shown me this place?
We’ve been a little busy mastering physical arts, he replied. And no, that’s not a euphemism for sex.
Any other time, I would have laughed.
But we had a horde of very serious fae behind us.
Shade squeezed my hand, then started toward the center of the space where a table with four chairs sat conspicuously in the middle of an ornate blue-and-white rug fringed with gold.
He placed his foot on loose strings, then stepped back as the table and chairs began to rattle.
“Oh, hello, hello!” a feminine voice called from above. “Well, well, what do we have here?”
“A party of twenty, please,” Shade said.
“Yes, yes, of course!” Wind whipped through the air as an invisible figure began pulling the table apart.
A figment?I guessed. Like at Acaward?
Figments, Shade replied. And yes.
I almost asked why it was plural, when another female called, “No, no, over here.”
“Yes, just like that,” added a third.
“Drinks? Snacks? Blood?” a fourth offered.
“Blood coffees,” Zakkai said. “And scones.”
“Oh, he’s fancy. Fancy, fancy, fancy. I like fancy.” His white strands blew around his face as the figment did something to his cheek.
Did she just kiss you?
Unfortunately,he muttered, glaring at the space.
“Grumpy, too!” The figment giggled and repeated the action against his face.
“Careful,” Zeph drawled. “He belongs to the Midnight Fae Queen.”
“Oh, I don’t mind,” I said, absolutely amused by Zakkai’s expression right now.
His silver-blue eyes slid toward me. You’re going to regret that later, little star.
Am I?I gave him an innocent look. How terrible for me.
Brat,he accused, grunting as the figment placed a third kiss against his face with a loud smack before tittering off into the distance. Pretty sure she just grabbed my groin.
I’m sure it impressed her,I replied. She’ll probably kiss you again now.
Laki cleared his throat, I thought perhaps to grab my attention, until I realized it was to smother a chuckle. “Figments are always attracted to power,” he said, his tone not matching the humor in his gaze.
“Then, by that account, it’s Aflora they should be hitting on,” Zeph drawled.
The figments all giggled again, chairs and table pieces appearing out of thin air as they reassembled the center of the room. I stepped back as the rug began to grow to accommodate us, the area transforming in a wild show of moving furniture and chittering figments.
When they finished, one of them kissed me on the forehead, and another whispered, “Lucky, lucky queen,” in my ear. I suspected that comment was from the figment who had fondled Zakkai.
After a whirlwind of activity, the air began to calm, coffee cups and carafes manifested along a white cloth down the center of the table, and plates of scones appeared at every place setting in front of twenty chairs.
“Enjoy!” the figments cheered, disappearing up into the rafters above, likely to watch and wait for further desires.
Well, that…I swallowed. That was something else entirely.
Welcome to the library, Shade replied, then pulled out a chair at the center of the table. Somehow he knew I wouldn’t want to sit at the head position, but among the others to better hear them all.
He took the position on the other side of me, then Zakkai held out a chair next to me and looked pointedly at Kols.
The Elite Blood stared at him for a beat before taking the offering.
Zakkai settled in the seat beside him, stretching out his arm along the back in a show of clear protection of Kols, and placed his palm on my shoulder.
The Quandary Bloods in attendance watched the interaction with rapt attention.
Laki might be their leader, but Zakkai was their king.
And he’d just demonstrated through action that he considered Kols to be under his protection. More than that, he’d treated him as royalty by pulling out his chair like one would for a better.
Zeph sat down next to Shade, his expression giving nothing away. But I heard the wonder in his mind, his surprise over Zakkai’s actions evident. I think we were all feeling that way.
Having a link to my Quandary Blood mate allowed me to understand why he’d done it. He was demonstrating his affiliation with our circle, claiming us as his.
Which meant his people should treat us with respect.
“Be seated,” he told them.
Laki smirked but did as his son had demanded, taking the position across from us. Then the others began to find their locations as well.
I turned to lean my staff against my chair, not wanting to hold it through the meal, and rotated back around to find the entire table staring at my magical conduit. Frowning, I glanced back at it, then at them, and then back at my staff again. What? I asked my mates. What’s wrong?
It disappeared again, Zakkai explained, his focus on the others. And going by the expression on my father’s face, he knows why.
“Zen gave you the staff,” Laki said, admiration in his tone. “Which, I gather, means that you now speak for her and those under this dome. I suppose we should begin, then.”