time fighting it,” Kols reiterated. “And to instead discuss a future resolution.”
I blinked, this twist of fate straightening my spine.
Aflora caught my movement because her back was pressed to my chest. What is it?
Kols has never offered to work with Zakkai before, I told her, unable to hide my shock. They usually just… fight.
The Quandary Blood’s eyelids lifted as he studied the Midnight Fae Prince. “Future resolution? And what would that look like for you, Nacht?”
“Well, for one, it would be a future where Aflora lives. Which is not what the Council or the Elders have in mind.” His tone held a note of irritation that he usually reserved for me. It was rather nice to hear it directed at someone else for a change. “I think we can all agree that some changes in the hierarchical structure are needed. I’m not sure what those should look like yet, as I’ve only recently become aware of the challenges, but I am open to discussing them.”
“And if I say the only way any of this will ever work is for the entire Nacht family line to die, you’ll agree?” Zakkai drawled, his eyebrow inching upward once more. He waited a beat before smiling and saying, “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
“Death isn’t always the solution,” Aflora murmured. “Unless you want to take over the mantle of slaughtering and ending lives?”
Zakkai’s eyes shifted to our mate. “Retribution requires sacrifice.”
“So does reformation,” she countered. “Sometimes we have to sacrifice our desire for revenge to find a more efficient path forward.”
My lips parted at her statement.
It sounded like something my grandmother would say.
Zakkai’s expression said he felt similarly. He snorted and went back to his nap. “Indulge your mates, Aflora. Then we need some sleep before your classes tomorrow. Your new headmaster won’t go easy on you.”
“Changing the subject doesn’t solve anything,” she muttered. “And what class are you talking about?”
“Quandary Magic 101,” he replied. “With me as your personal tutor.”
“What about her other courses?” Zeph asked. “She’s still learning defensive and offensive skills.”
“Use the dreams,” Zakkai said, yawning. “Or don’t. But I’m not letting you into the paradigm. Not while you’re tied to the Elite Blood.”
Kols and Zeph shared a long look. They couldn’t speak mentally, but I sensed they were conversing in another way. Perhaps via their eyes alone.
“Aflora will stay where she is,” Kols said. “We won’t fight about it but will instead help Shade conceal her location. This is for her personal safety more than anything else.”
“And we’ll train in the dreams,” Zeph added. “So she can better defend herself should something change or happen.”
“And we will discuss as a unit how to move forward,” Aflora said, her focus on Zakkai.
The Quandary Blood held her gaze.
And she held his back, standing before him like the queen she would one day become.
A tendril of hope curled around my heart, the notion that we might all work together a dream that had always been so far out of reach.
I allowed it to flourish for three seconds. Just long enough to spread a trickle of warmth through my veins.
Then I recalled all the histories where I’d failed.
I couldn’t afford to hope.
Not until the end.
“Okay, sweet star,” Zakkai said softly. “I’ll agree to those terms for now.”
His words sent a chill down my spine. Not because of the way he spoke them, but because of the implication behind them.
They’d just struck a deal.
One none of us could hear.
But I knew what she’d just agreed to.
The Blood Gala.
In ten days, our fates would be decided.
Again.
“I don’t like this.”
Zeph uttered a variation of those four words after every dream session with Aflora this week. I definitely preferred the fantasies where we all ended up naked. But that was impossible to do with Zakkai observing from the corner.
The Quandary Blood rarely spoke. However, his presence was absolutely felt.
This arrangement couldn’t last forever, as evidenced by Zeph pacing beside me.
“Come back to bed,” I told him. “There are still a few more hours before we need to leave. We should try to get some proper sleep.” While the dreams technically allowed our bodies to rest, it kept our minds vividly engaged. Which left us tired after endless lessons in Aflora’s head.
“How the hell am I supposed to sleep when that Quandary Blood has our mate?”
“He’s one of her mates, too,” I reminded him.
“And you’re okay with that?” Zeph demanded, spinning around to face me. “How are you not raging over this, Kols? You’ve been the epitome of calm, like