ZOEY
The walk toAerix’s quarters is a blur, my heartbeat thundering in my ears, drowning out the sound of my steps against the marble floors.
Aethelthryth doesn’t say a word, and I don’t, either. I can’t. Because every time I open my mouth to speak, I see Jake’s lifeless eyes staring back at me. Then there was Aerix’s note…
He’ll kill anyone who touches me.
The question is—why? Yes, he has an unusual infatuation with me, but this feels extreme. Although, I’m not sure what to think, given that there are likely more secrets and lies woven throughout the Night Court than I could create in my wildest dreams.
No, not dreams.
Nightmares.
Aethelthryth and I are turning the corner into the hall that leads to Aerix’s quarters when raised voices echo from inside.
“…reckless!” A female voice shouts. “Do you understand what you’ve done?”
“He threatened what belongs to me,” Aerix replies, cold and precise. “He hurt her.”
His door is cracked open, as if whoever’s inside of his room with him entered in such an angry rush that she couldn’t be bothered to close it.
Aethelthryth shoots me a warning look, but I’m already pushing past her, throwing open the door and stepping inside.
Aerix is leaning against a tall-backed chair.
Princess Cierra is standing in front of the fireplace, shaking with rage.
If the night fae could control fire, I’m pretty sure she’d have burned Aerix’s quarters to a crisp by now. As it is now, her auburn hair is blowing around her as she uses her air magic to demonstrate the depth of her wrath, like a goddess with a vengeance.
Her gaze snaps to me, the fury in her eyes hotter than the fire behind her.
“You,”she snarls, and then she’s across the room, her hand around my throat, lifting me off the ground and slamming me against the wall.
The world spins at the impact, her fingers tightening until spots dance in my vision. Even if I wanted to speak, it would be impossible, thanks to the crushing strength of her grip.
She’s going to kill me,the realization hits me like a ton of steel.
I claw at her wrist, my lungs burning, but she doesn’t even flinch.
“This is all your fault,” she hisses, low and venomous. “Jake was mine. Now, he’s dead because of you.”
I didn’t kill him. It’s not my fault. All I did was scratch him with a rake. I didn’t ask for this,I want to tell her, but it’s impossible to speak with the pressure on my throat. I can’t get in a breath, let alone actual words.
“You destroyed everything,” she continues. “He was mine to punish, mine to deal with, and now?—”
The pressure vanishes, and I collapse to the floor, gasping for air as Aerix throws Cierra across the room.
She lands in a crouch, but before she can move, Aerix is there. His hand wraps around her throat—an echo of what she just did to me—and he pins her to the ground with supernatural speed.
The air whooshes around the room as their magic collides, like two storm systems crashing together.
“If you ever touch her again,” he growls, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper, “I will tear you apart piece by piece and scatter your remains across every corner of this court.”
“You wouldn’t.” Cierra smiles up at him, her deadly grin giving me the impression this isn’t the first time they’ve gone against each other like this.
“I would,” he says, and her grin disappears in a second.
The air stills, which is somehow eerier than when it was rushing around us.
