Page 17

ZOEY

I enter the shared sitting area of my suite and find Victoria and Sophia sitting huddled on the couch, their heads bent close together.

They straighten, their eyes darting to me, as if I’ve interrupted something sacred.

“Morning,” I say, keeping my voice even despite the chill that settles in the room.

Victoria’s gaze cuts through me, sharp as glass. “Did he drain you completely, or just your dignity?” she says, getting straight to it.

Because as the two of them seemingly figured out, I slept in Aerix’s quarters last night. Well, last morning, since the night fae keep a nocturnal schedule.

Sophia doesn’t speak. She doesn’t even look up.

Her silence hurts even more than Victoria’s anger.

“Victoria,” I begin, but the older girl cuts me off with a harsh laugh.

“You don’t get to say my name like we’re friends.” Her hands tremble at her sides. “You know what you did. One night with him, and suddenly you think you’re special? You think you’re above the rest of us?”

“I never said?—”

“You didn’t have to,” she interrupts. “Everyone knows. They realized when you didn’t return after dinner. We’re all perfectly aware that you spent the night in his quarters. Congratulations, . You’re the prince’s new favorite toy.”

“It’s not like that,” I say, but the excuse sounds hollow, even to my own ears.

Victoria steps closer, her face contorted with pain. “Not like that?” she hisses. “Tell me, what’s it like, then? Did you fall into his bed by accident? Get distracted painting while he seduced you with poetry and wine?” Her eyes narrow. “Or maybe you were too busy whittling your next wooden masterpiece to notice he’s using you, just like the rest of us?”

Sophia finally speaks. “Vicky, maybe we should?—”

“No. She needs to hear this,” Victoria cuts her off, returning her focus to me. “You waltz in here like you own the place—making your wood carvings, painting your pictures, and playing your little games. But you’re just like the rest of us. A plaything. A distraction. A warm body for him to feed from. And you’d do best to not forget it.”

She turns and storms out, the door slamming behind her so hard it rattles the walls, making one of the paintings above the fireplace tilt.

Sophia stands and shifts on her feet. “She’s just upset,” she offers weakly, not saying—or unable to come up with—anything more.

“And you?” I ask, already knowing the answer from her averted gaze.

“I…” She picks at the fraying hem of her sleeve. “You have to see how this looks. Especially after Jake and Matt…”

The implication hangs in the air between us.

Jake and Matt are dead. And now I’m sharing a bed with the prince who everyone thinks killed them.

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” I say, and Sophia gives me a sad smile.

“None of us did.” She hesitates, then adds, “Just be careful, okay? The ones they favor the most are the ones who fall the hardest.”

With that warning, she follows Victoria, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the crushing weight of likely isolation from here on out.

As if I wasn’t already isolated enough after Jake and Matt were murdered by the Night King for touching something of his.

But that wasn’t about me. It was about Aurora, who positioned herself in the perfect place to make it look like it the murders were done for me and not for her.

I have no idea why she did it, but I’m going to find out. And luckily, it’s easy to find her. She’s where she always is—reading in the courtyard like it’s her own private sanctuary, her spine straight, her movements elegant, her stillness calculated.

She looks up as I approach, her perfect features arranged in an expression of mild curiosity.

“Prince Aerix’s favorite has graced us with her presence,” she says as she stands, but there’s no bite to her words. Just a quiet observation.

“I know it was you,” I say, skipping pretense.

“Know it was me who did what, exactly?” She tilts her head, like a predator assessing potential prey.

“I know the king killed Jake and Matt to protect you.” The words tumble out faster than I intend. “I figured it out from the handwriting on the notes. It wasn’t Aerix’s.”

“And now you’ve come to... what?” she asks with a smile. “Confront me? Blame me?”

“I’ve come to thank you,” I say, surprising us both.

Her brows lift. “For the deaths of two boys?”

“For helping me.” I lean forward, dropping my voice despite the empty courtyard. “Jake was making me uncomfortable. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. And Matt...” I swallow hard, thinking about what he did to Sapphire. “He was emotionally abusive to my best friend. He broke her spirit. He deserved what he got.”

The words feel strange on my tongue. Like they belong to someone else. Because I’m not supposed to celebrate murder, no matter how much I hate the victim. Yet here I am, doing just that.

And I don’t feel sorry about it.

Aurora studies me for a long, silent moment.

“I didn’t ask the king to kill them,” she finally says. “But he’s... protective. If someone touches what he values, they bleed for it.”

“The king truly values you?” I ask, my throat tightening before I can ask what I’m really wondering.

Does the king love you?

Can Aerix love me?

Do night fae even know what love means?

Aurora’s laugh is soft, almost musical. “He values, but he doesn’t love,” she says, as if the question was written all over my face. “Not like humans do. But he possesses completely, and with his possession comes protection and security. With it, I’m able to live without fear, knowing that if anyone dares to touch me, they’ll pay the price.” She pauses for a moment, sizing me up. “That’s what you want, too, isn’t it? What you crave?”

I nod, fascinated despite myself.

“It’s what I have with Aerix,” I finally say. “When we’re alone, he treats me like he cares about me.”

Like he loves me.

“You’re special, .” Aurora reaches out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I saw it the moment you arrived here. Most humans cower or break soon afterward, but you adapted. It’s a gift your prince clearly recognizes.”

Something in her words feels like permission. Like validation for the choices I’ve been making. Like an invitation to confide in her.

“The others hate me now,” I say, thinking of Victoria’s barely contained rage and Sophia’s withdrawn disappointment. “It’s like I crossed a line I didn’t know existed.”

“They don’t hate you. They fear what you represent.” Her smile turns knowing. “Separate can be lonely at first, but I think you’ll find it’s worth the price.”

I think about Aerix—his touch, his hungry kisses, and the way he looks at me like I’m the only thing worth seeing. About the safety I feel in his arms, despite knowing what he is and what he’s capable of.

Because here, in this strange, beautiful prison, I’ve found a kind of agency I never had in the human world.

My life at home was full of directionless wandering. The string of abandoned hobbies, and the desperate search for something that felt meaningful.

Here, every moment feels consequential. Like it means something.

Especially my moments with Aerix.

“I want what you have with the king,” I admit, surprising myself with my honesty. “I want to matter here. To be someone here.”

“Then take it.” Aurora’s smile is radiant with approval. “The prince has already shown his hand. He wants you. Use that. Become the one thing he can’t lose.”

“How?”

“Give him something no one else can.” Her big eyes gleam with excitement. “Your humanity. Your warmth. Your willingness to see him as more than just a monster.”

I think of Aerix’s wings unfurling around me, of the vulnerability in his eyes when I touched the base of them. Of the story he told me about Kallista, and the pain that lingers in his voice when he speaks of betrayal.

“I already know he’s not a monster,” I whisper, my heart racing. “He never was.”

“Then you’re already halfway there.” She picks up her book from the table, regal and composed. “The rest is just commitment to the path you’ve chosen.”

As she leaves, I know she’s right. My feelings for Aerix aren’t just a game anymore. I don’t know if they ever were a game.

Because I want him. I want all of this.

And I’ll take everything he has to give me. Because when I’m done, Aerix won’t just want me. He’ll need me, like I need him.

And I’ll never be powerless ever again.