Midnight Fae Academy #3 by Lexi C. Foss

Aflora’s silenceconfirmed she hadn’t known the purpose of the Blood Gala. She wasn’t a born Midnight Fae, so she didn’t grow up with horror stories about the Quandary Bloods and our terrible intentions.

I nearly snorted.

The Nacht family had destroyed the sixth house of Midnight Fae. All for greed and power. Alas, that was a tale as old as time itself. Everyone sought control. However, Quandary Bloods were the ones born with it.

“What do you plan to do at the Blood Gala?” Aflora asked quietly.

“I already answered that,” I replied.

“You expect me to believe you only want me to observe?”

“I don’t expect anything from you,” I admitted. “I’m asking if you’ll attend with me so I can better explain our cause. That’s all.”

I meant it, too.

The Blood Gala was too obvious a place for us to attack. Besides, our disguises would already require an exorbitant amount of power. Adding violence to the mix wouldn’t bode well for anyone involved.

She studied me, her blue eyes radiating intelligence. It made me want to peek inside her mind, to hear her thoughts. She often spoke them loudly, making it an easy task.

However, I waited for her to utter them out loud instead, content to continue holding her on my lap. She hadn’t put up much of a fight, and I liked how she unconsciously leaned into my touch. Our bond had matured over the years, despite the masking spell.

Breaking it would hurt worse than making her forget—a fact my father seemed to happily disregard. Pain served as a teaching tool to him, one he used to strengthen my resolve.

But dismantling my connection to Aflora lacked a true purpose. If anything, remaining bonded empowered us both.

“I want to talk to my other mates,” she said suddenly, causing me to frown.

“What?”

“You want me to trust your intentions. I’m giving you a way to earn some of that trust. Let me talk to my mates, and I’ll consider attending the Blood Gala.”

She really wasn’t in a position to negotiate with me. I could easily weave a compliance enchantment around her, then drag her to the event. However, a young, immature part of me longed to have her attend willingly.

That part of me was tied to the boy I used to be.

The boy who considered Aflora his best friend.

“You want to talk to your other mates,” I repeated out loud, thinking through her request. This gave me an opportunity to show her my kinder side—a side I would likely only ever reveal to her. However, it would be on my terms, in an environment I could control.

Like the dream she just experienced with her mates.

Yes.

I could allow that.

It would not only win over her acquiescence, but it would also grant me an opportunity to learn more about her mates and their relationships with Aflora.

I nodded slowly, deciding on a path forward that would work for both of us. “All right. You can dream-walk with them. But you can’t mention the Blood Gala. And I will be there to supervise.”

She frowned. “That’s hardly proving you’re trustworthy.”

“Trust works both ways, Aflora,” I replied. “You show me that I can trust you, while I show you that you can trust me. Seems like a reasonable compromise to me.”

“You want to kill Kols.”

I wasn’t going to lie to her. “I do.”

“You can’t do that in the dreams.”

“Actually, I could,” I told her, briefly considering the possibility. “But I won’t.” It would be horribly dissatisfying. And… “I won’t use you to hurt your mates. That’s not who I am.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Who you are?” She huffed a humorless laugh. “You attacked an academy filled with students, and the village. I’m pretty sure I know who you are by those actions alone.”

“I vacated the Death Blood building before I cast a harmless spell that I knew would be fixed in a matter of hours. And I didn’t attack the village,” I corrected. “So, by your definition, you don’t know me at all.”

“You didn’t attack the village?” Her brow furrowed. “But I felt your energy all over the street.”

“The day you and Zephyrus went to visit?” Now it was my turn to release a laugh. “Star, what you sensed was my protection.”

“I heard you laugh.”

“Yeah, I found it endearing that you thought you could fight me,” I admitted. “Similar to the episode a few hours ago.”

She scowled, making my lips quirk upward.

When her eyes narrowed, I took pity on her and offered a more thorough explanation.

“The Elders attacked some known Quandary Blood supporters in the village, which is why the essence surrounding the crime was Elite Blood in nature. Then they left an enchanted gift behind, one meant for Quandary Bloods. You felt me protecting you against that spell. And I was amused because you were trying to fight my protection.” I smoothed out her frown lines with my thumb. “I didn’t attack the village, Aflora. Anrika is an old family friend.”

“Anrika? The tavern owner?”

“The very one.” I didn’t know her as well as my father did, but she was a longtime supporter of our cause.

Aflora’s full lips parted, drawing my focus to her mouth. “She said she knew about me… from an old friend.”

“That’d be Zenaida,” I murmured. “Shade’s grandmother. They knew about our bonding, and Anrika actually knew your parents as well. She and Zurik, her mate, were the ones who helped my father and me escape. Only, the Elders discovered their actions, and, well, Zurik paid the ultimate price.”

I swallowed, recalling the scene vividly. It was my first real exposure to the cruelty of the Midnight Fae Elders, and the council who bowed to their every whim.

“Zurik told the Elders that he forced Anrika to help him. They made her prove it somehow. I don’t know the details, but it surrounded his death. I think they made her do it.”

“That’s horrible,” Aflora breathed.

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” I said, giving her a squeeze. “Constantine Nacht favors the death penalty. In fact, I dare say he enjoys it. Why else would he insist on an annual gala that celebrates the extermination of an entire race of fae?”

Which beautifully brought us back to the topic at hand.

“All I want is a chance to show you why I am who I am, Aflora,” I added softly. “I could force you. But I would prefer your willing participation.”

“You criticize Constantine for favoring the death penalty, yet your intention is to kill his entire family,” she replied. “Do you not see the fatal error in that thought process?”

I sighed. “The Nacht family is responsible for tens of thousands of Midnight Fae, Aflora.”

“Kols isn’t,” she insisted. “He’s not even the king yet.”

“No, he’s just the groomed heir destined to take over the violent reins from his father,” I deadpanned. “His destiny is to become my biggest threat. We will duel. It’s inevitable.”

“You don’t know him like I do,” she whispered. “He’s not okay with what his father and the Elders have done.”

“Once he ascends, his personal feelings will no longer apply.” I attempted to gentle my voice, but she flinched anyway. “Let’s table this discussion for later and focus on our trust exercise. Take me to your mates. I’ll behave in your dream. Maybe then you’ll consider attending the gala with me.”

She swallowed, her blue eyes widening. “R-right now?”

“It’s an appropriate hour for dreaming,” I said, noting the midday sun outside.

Of course, it was always sunny here. I’d made it that way to better hide our paradigm in this realm.

However, I could read the time because I knew the nuances of my creation. It was close to noon in the Midnight Fae realm, making it the dead of day for our kind. They would all be asleep, or should be, anyway. If they weren’t, then her spell would pull them into dreamland.

I set her off to my side and made a show of sliding beneath the sheets before lifting the black silk in invitation.

“I promise I won’t touch any of them. Unless they attack me, then I’ll only defend myself.” Like I’d done with Kolstov the first time around. He’d targeted my enchantment, and I’d retaliated. Seemed only fair, considering our dark fates.

She nibbled her lip again, then she slowly joined me. The sheets moving over her skin drew her focus to her exposed legs, her brow pulling down. “What am I wearing?”

“My shirt,” I replied, amused that she had just now noticed. “Now lie down and take us to dreamland, Aflora. Once you’re satisfied, we’ll sleep.”

Her brow crinkled as she settled her head on the pillow beside me, her blue eyes wary.

“I’m not going to hurt them,” I repeated, doing my best to hide my irritation. All she needed to do was look into our bond to find my sincerity.

Did I want to hurt her mates? Sure.

Would I? Not yet. Perhaps not ever. At least where Shade and Zephyrus were concerned. The former amused me. The latter provided my mate with defensive magic. Both were worthy reasons to keep them alive.

Kolstov, however, would die. Just not tonight.

“Aflora?” I prompted when all she did was stare at me. “Do I need to repeat my promise a third time?”

“Uh, no.” She cleared her throat. “It’s just… I’m not sure… Well, I don’t know how to…” She trailed off, her nose scrunching the way it used to when we were kids.

My lips curled. I loved that look on her. Part confusion, part annoyance. Not at me, but at herself. Which was how I figured out what she meant. “You don’t know how to invade their dreams.”

She shook her head slowly.

My smile grew. “How disingenuous of them. I know they’ve played in your mind countless times, yet no one ever showed you how to return the favor?”

“I learned how to take over, um, in my own ways.”

Memories of her naked body beneath me populated my mind, heating my blood. “Oh, I’m very familiar with your methods, little star.”

Her cheeks reddened. “I thought you were a figment.”

“I know,” I replied, slowly leaning forward to give her a chance to move. When she didn’t, I lightly brushed my lips against hers in a chaste kiss.

She shivered in response, remaining still.

I considered that a minor victory and a prelude to our long battle ahead.

“Every bit of what I did to you was real,” I whispered. “When you’re ready for a live performance, let me know, and I’ll show you what happens when I’m in control.” I kissed her again—a bolder touch, but still soft—and pulled back to study her flushed cheeks.

She’d stopped breathing.

Not out of fear, but something similar.

Rather than push the subject, I decided to offer her another olive branch in the form of a lesson. “Close your eyes, Aflora. I’m going to teach you the dream charms.”