“Midnight Fae Academy?” Zakkai asked, arching a brow at Shade.
“Yes,” the Death Blood agreed. “My grandmother gained the appropriate permissions, but he’s demanded a meeting with you.”
Zakkai snorted in response. “Of course he has. He’s been trying to meet me for years.”
Shade just lifted a shoulder. “You know how he feels about making deals.”
I frowned at them. “Who are you talking about? And why would we go to the Academy? That’s the first place they’ll look for us.”
“Your Academy, yes. This Academy, no.” Zakkai redirected his attention to Shade. “And I accept the deal.”
“That’s not the only one they made,” Shade replied. “He also wants a boon at his point of choosing.”
“From me or Zenaida?”
“You know my grandmother prefers to be called Zen.” Shade gave him an indecipherable look. “Andhedidn’t clarify.”
“I see,” Zakkai murmured. “Well, I’m prepared to pay whatever price so long as we’re hidden. I’ll be sure to thankZenaidalater for arranging it.”
The Death Blood snorted. “It’s already done because I agreed to it on your behalf.”
“Presumptuous of you.”
“I knew you would do anything for Aflora,” Shade returned.
“True,” Zakkai agreed without missing a beat, looking down at her now. “We need to go, little star.”
She nodded. “I can feel him.”
“We all can,” Kols said. “But what Academy are you talking about? There’s only one in existence for Midnight Fae.”
“Is there?” Zakkai countered. “Where do you think all the outlawed Midnight Fae go to study? In the Human Realm?” He conjured a flaming dragon in the next breath, sending it up into the sky to attack those beyond the paradigm walls. “Because I doubt they teach this at local universities there.”
Shade just shook his head and disappeared again.
I glared after him. “Another damn secret.”
Zakkai smirked. “He’s full of them.”
“As are you,” I replied, stepping toward him. His arrogance was starting to grate on my nerves. “If this is going to work, we all need to start communicating.”
“If?” His smirk intensified. “You act as though there’s a choice in the matter.”
“There’s a choice if I remove you,” I threatened, not at all amused by his tricks and games and riddles. He was just as bad as Shade. No, he was worse. A lone wolf used to doing whatever the hell he wanted, however he wanted. I started to take another step, but Aflora slipped off the bed to stand between us, her palm against my chest.
“Can we all try to focus, please?” she asked, her voice regal in its softness. My gaze immediately dropped to the lines of power writhing over her arms, my heart leaping into my throat.
She was right.
There were more important items to focus on right now.
I cupped her jaw, my Warrior Blood gift flourishing beneath my skin with the dark desire to guard her. “We’ll figure this out, pixie flower. I vow it.”
She nodded, but her hesitation remained. She wasn’t sure she wanted this.
However, I agreed with Kols’s statement—she was made for this.
Zakkai moved into her back, his power an irritating wave of warmth that I could feel pulsing around and through Aflora.
