“Impressive,” the female mused. “Why are you protecting the Elite Blood?”
“Who are you?” I countered, unable to see her cloaked in the darkness.
She stepped forward with several Midnight Fae at her back, all of them raising their wands to illuminate the tips in cerulean magic.
My lips parted.Quandary Bloods.
Except for the woman at the front. Her wand glowed with red magic, marking her as an Elite Blood.
“Dakota,” Emelyn breathed, her eyes widening. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, you mean after your betrothed banished me for playing with his source?” she asked, her lips curling into a smile. “What do you think I’m doing here?” She sent another spiral of magic toward Emelyn, but my net caught it and volleyed it back to her.
I had no idea how I was holding that up in front of us, but I felt the strands of it tied to my fingertips, not my wand. A fresh burst of power flared from my hand to restructure the shield, ensuring Dakota hadn’t damaged the exterior.
The woven threads of magic hummed back at me, confirming their integrity.
It all came naturally to me, like I’d flipped on a switch in my mind that allowed me to suddenly envision every strand of vitality around us. The elements were there just waiting for me to pluck and use them as I required. Which I did now as I reinforced our blockade, the invisible net pulsing with ominous intent, ready to engage at will.
“That’s a bit of an irritation,” Dakota said after dealing with her backfired spell. She polished her nails against her shirt, then lowered her wand. “I don’t understand. Why are you protecting the very being who wants you dead, Aflora?”
“I don’t want her dead,” Emelyn said quickly, her widening dark eyes looking at me. “I know I’ve been a bitch, but?—”
“Notyou, but Midnight Fae like you,” Dakota interjected, sounding bored. “Emelyn and her betrothed are the future queen and king of a Council that has hunted and killed Quandary Bloods for over a thousand years. How could you guard someone destined for such evil?”
“I can’t hold Emelyn responsible for a history she had no jurisdiction over,” I replied, not bothering to point out the sexist nuances that would forbid she even be part of it as the Midnight Fae Queen.
“And for a marriage I have no interest or say in,” she muttered, causing me to glance at her. She’d lowered her wand,but I sensed her awareness of our situation, her tense limbs ready to fight as needed.
“Condemning Emelyn would be similar to classifying all Quandary Bloods as evil just for being born into a certain bloodline, as I believe it’s her father’s lineage that made her a match for Kols,” I said, thinking out loud.
“It is,” she admitted, her eyes holding a touch of respect as she looked at me. And a glimmer of fear.
“Then why wouldn’t I defend her?” I asked, returning my focus to the dark-haired fae who seemed to be the leader of the others. “Destinies change every day, and she’s not the one pointing a wand at me right now. You all are.”
“They’re pointing their wands at Emelyn,” Dakota drawled. “As I said, she’s the future queen.”
“And as she pointed out, it’s not by choice.” A discussion I’d love to revisit with Kols later. “What do you want? Who are you? Why are you here?” But I already suspected the answers involved the recent attacks and the trap from the village.
They were here for me, to take me to someone.
But who?
Because this female wasn’t the source of magic I’d felt at the Academy during the assault, and while the others were familiar to me, they weren’t responsible for the events of that day either.
“Where are we?” Emelyn added to my list of questions.
“In an alternate paradigm within the LethaForest,” Dakota replied, sounding amused. “We were only supposed to take Aflora, but you came with her. Would you like to be sent back? Because I can arrange that for you.”
“And what would that require?” Emelyn asked, arching a black brow.
“Leaving Aflora behind, of course.” Dakota sounded so nonchalant, as if the terms of my kidnapping meant little to nothing to her.
“Yeah, I’ll pass,” Emelyn drawled. “Aflora and I are a package deal.”
We are?I thought, shocked by her statement.
“Oh? Are you one of her three mates?” Dakota asked, cocking her head to the side. “I thought they were all male.” She glanced at the fae around her as if seeking confirmation. “What were their names again?”
