A black cloak whirled around us all half a beat later as Shade engaged his ability to shadow.
My stomach rolled with the sensation of moving through space and time beneath his enchantment.
Then goose bumps prickled my arms as we landed on a dusted path of embers and charcoal fibers.
Hell Fae realm, I thought, wincing at the heat blazing around us. My grandfather certainly wouldn’t track us here, not with the blistering magic and underlying cruelty in the air. He also wouldn’t be welcome.
However, it was rather fascinating that Lucifer had allowed Zen to build a paradigm here.
Hell Fae weren’t known for their kindness. She’d either traded him something extremely valuable, or they had some sort of unique arrangement.
Quandary Bloods were extremely powerful. The Hell Fae King would find that useful.
Shade released Aflora’s mouth as we all materialized, a sigh of content coming from his lips. The familiars appeared shortly after, his spell having captured them as well. Or perhaps they’d followed on instinct. Familiar magic was unique in how they could appear and vanish at will.
“The entrance is just over there.” Shade gestured with his chin toward an obsidian arch. “A set of gates will exist on the other side. They’ll remind you of the other Academy, but once you enter, you’ll immediately sense the difference. All the excommunicated Midnight Fae—at least the ones who chose not to follow Laki—and creatures reside in there. It’s sacred and deadly and very well protected. So any ill will won’t be taken lightly.”
“You act as though we plan to burn it down,” Zakkai drawled. “I’ve visited your grandmother before, Shade. Just recently, if you recall.”
“My warning wasn’t for you,” Shade replied, his gaze finding mine and Zeph’s. “Don’t overreact. With everything going on, we can’t afford to be ousted, because there is literally nowhere else for us to go. The Midnight Fae are searching for us in droves right now, furious over Aflora’s ascension.”
I frowned. “They already know?”
Shade’s expression took on a sardonic twist. “Yeah. Constantine told them all that she stole the throne and she’s a power-hungry fae who is out of control. He’s notified the other fae as well.”
“How do you know all that?” Zeph demanded, suspicion underlying his tone. He still had his arm around my upper body, his tension palpable at my back.
“Because my grandmother told me,” Shade bit back. “We’ve entered the proverbial endgame now, so I have no more tricks up my sleeve. I’m telling you everything I learn as I learn it. But I just spent several hours trying to return to you, so forgive me for the delay.”
“Thank you for being forthright,” I interjected before Zeph could speak. I felt his ire and annoyance boiling through his thoughts, and I didn’t want to instigate any more fighting. We needed to work as a unit, and if that meant leading by example, I would. “Do we know how the Elemental Fae are reacting to the news?”
Shade’s lips curled down, then he gave a subtle shake of his head.
“They’ll excommunicate me,” Aflora said softly. “Especially after what Elana did to them.”
I hated to agree with that statement, but knowing Exos and Cyrus as well as I did, I found myself nodding. “They’ll fear what they don’t know.”
“Which is why I need to revert the ascension,” she pressed. “I can’t be an Earth Royal and queen to the Midnight Fae kingdom. All of the fae realms will hunt me and try to kill me.”
“They’re going to do that anyway,” Zakkai inserted. “Which means we need you to be the most powerful being to ever exist so you can protect yourself.”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“No,” Aflora replied. “I don’t want all this power.”
“Which is why you’re the perfect fae to embrace it,” I argued. “You won’t use it for nefarious purposes. You’ll provoke change.”
“Much-needed change,” Zeph echoed.
“Precisely,” I murmured.
Aflora sighed and shook her head. “Let’s just… go inside. And then we can keep talking about it. I could really go for a sandwich.”
“Shroom loaf?” Zeph offered. “Mustard berries?”
“Mouseberries,” she corrected with a smile.
“Mussleberries,” he said softly, a grin in his tone. “Of course. Coming right up.”
