Page 2 of Night Fae (Monsters of Veridia #3)

Zev's fingers twitched toward the knife hidden in his sleeve. Six guards, all armed. His father, who'd taught him every trick he knew. The odds sucked, but he'd faced worse.

"I'd rather die than call this place home again." Zev said easily.

Darius sighed, setting down his wine glass. "Always so dramatic." He gestured to the guards. "Take them both."

Zev moved. Two throwing knives found guard throats before anyone could blink. As they fell, he drew the curved dagger from his boot and slashed through the third guard's sword hand.

"Get behind me," he snapped at Malik.

Two guards rushed him from opposite sides. Zev flowed between them like shadow given life, his blade opening the throat of one while he kicked the other's knee backward with a sickening crack.

A blade whistled past his ear. Zev spun, parrying the strike and countering with a thrust that slipped beneath the guard's ribs. Blood sprayed. Someone grabbed him from behind—amateur mistake. He drove his elbow back, following with a backward thrust of his dagger.

But he'd lost track of his father.

Magic crackled through the air—dark and familiar. Shadows writhed across the floor, wrapping around Zev's ankles.

"Enough." Darius's voice cut through the chaos. "This is tiresome."

Zev twisted, trying to break free of the dark bonds, but they only tightened. This wasn't the kind of hold he could shake off through physical strength, but his magic was too weak. He hadn't fed on nightmares since before leaving Veridia.

"What's wrong?" Darius's lips curved. "Can't fight my magic? Have you been on a diet?"

"I don't need your kind of power anymore," Zev spat.

"No?" Darius circled him slowly. "Look how weak you've become. Relying on steel when you were born for so much more." He paused. "I'll help you reclaim your heritage."

"I'd rather starve."

"You'll change your mind." Darius gestured to the guards, one of whom was holding Malik. "Take them both to the east wing."

Zev's steps faltered as the guards dragged them through heavy obsidian doors. The air felt different here—charged with old magic that drained power from any prisoner who crossed the threshold.

His own magic dimmed further, leaving him feeling hollow.

The guards forced them into a circular chamber. Spelled chains bit into Zev's wrists, binding him to the wall. Across the room, they pushed the human onto a narrow cot.

"Excellent." Darius produced a small vial filled with dark liquid. "Now, let's get comfortable."

"Don't touch him." Zev yanked against the chains.

"Behave, and I won't have to." Darius's fingers curled around Malik's jaw. "Open."

Malik clenched his teeth—he wasn't stupid—but Darius pinched his nose until the need to breathe forced his mouth open. The potion disappeared down his throat.

"There we go." Darius stepped back, watching as Malik's eyelids grew heavy. "Simple sleeping draught. Nothing to concern yourself with, son."

"You're a monster."

"Such harsh words." Darius settled into a chair between them. "I'm offering you a chance to come home. To remember who you are."

"This was never home."

"No? Then what was it?"

"A prison." Zev's chains rattled. "A place where you tried to shape me into your perfect weapon."

"And succeeded, I'd say." Darius's smile didn't reach his eyes. "How many died by your hand in service to the Court? Or have you convinced yourself that you're free of sin?"

Zev hadn't convinced himself of any such thing, but before he could argue, a soft whimper escaped Malik's lips. The human's fingers twitched against the cot.

"Oh, look at that." Darius's smile widened. "I don't even have to give him nightmares. He's making his own." His fingers brushed through Malik's hair. "Mm, it's a good one. Have you fed on him, son?"

"No." The word came out as a growl.

"I don't know how you resisted." Darius's eyes gleamed. "I won't."

"Leave him alone!" Zev warned.

"Or what?" Darius settled onto the edge of Malik's cot. "You're in no position to make threats." His fingers traced down Malik's temple. "Such delicious fear. Want to know what he's dreaming about?"

Zev turned his face away, but he couldn't block out Malik's ragged breathing or his father's words.

"Death." Darius's voice carried that familiar, cruel curiosity. "Loss. How ordinary. But the guilt..." He closed his eyes, savoring it like fine wine. "Now that's extraordinary."

"I said don't touch him."

"I don't have to listen to your commands because you're powerless." Darius's gaze focused on him. "Look where your self-elected starvation has led you." His fingers tightened in Malik's hair, and the human's whimpers grew louder as Darius's magic dug into his terror, sharpening it.

"Stop it!" The shackles bit into Zev's wrists as he pulled harder.

"You know how to make me stop." Darius's magic twisted deeper. Malik thrashed on the cot, a broken sound catching in his throat. "Just give in. Feed. Let me show you how strong you could be again."

Zev's starved magic stirred at the waves of terror rolling off Malik. His mouth watered.

If he just reached out…

No.

There was a reason he'd never fed on Malik.

Though he had been tempted more than once. His father was right about one thing; Malik cooked up the most delicious dreams all by himself.

Darius's voice softened. "You can feel it, can't you? The power waiting to be claimed?" He stroked Malik's cheek almost tenderly. "I won't even make you hunt for it. Here's your prey, helpless and afraid. All you have to do is take what's offered."

Malik curled in on himself. Tears leaked from beneath his closed eyelids.

Zev remained firm. "I won't."

"Such noble restraint." Darius rose from the cot, leaving Malik twitching in the grip of his nightmares. "But nobility won't save him. You know what I'm capable of." He approached Zev. "What I taught you to be capable of."

"I won't help you."

"You will." Darius stepped back. "Because every time you refuse, every time you cling to your pathetic moral high ground, I'll be here. Feeding on his fear. Shaping his nightmares." His smile turned razor-sharp. "How long before you break, watching me take what you deny yourself?"

"No," Malik called out weakly. "No. Not Maya."

Darius drifted back to Malik's side. "What was that, little human?"

Malik shuddered under Darius's touch. "No... should've been me..."

Something shifted in Darius's expression.

His eyes narrowed, and then a knowing smile spread across his face.

"Ah." He looked at Zev. "Now I understand why you won't feed on him.

" He traced a finger down Malik's cheek.

"This guilt, this certainty that he should have died instead of others—it reminds you of yourself, doesn't it?

After you ran away and left poor Rhys to die? "

Cold fury enveloped Zev. "Don't say his name."

"Such similar pain." Darius's voice dripped with false sympathy. "Is that why you protect this human? Trying to save him when you couldn't save your wolf?" He leaned closer to Malik, inhaling his fear like perfume. "Or are you afraid that tasting his guilt will make you remember your own?"

"You don't know anything about it."

"Don't I? I know you blamed yourself. Still do." Darius straightened. "Just like this one thinks about his own dead loved ones. Is that what confused you into thinking you need to feel sympathy for a mere human?"

Zev refused to look at his father and looked at Malik instead. His whimpers had quieted to shallow, uneven breaths. The silence felt worse somehow.

"I'll give you time to think about your choices. The potion I gave him will wear off in a few hours." Darius moved toward the exit. "You know what you have to do if you want to get out of those chains." The door closed behind him with a heavy thud.

Malik's breathing hitched.

His fear saturated the air still, rich and oh so tempting.

Darius was right; Zev knew exactly what he had to do to gain the power to free himself from the chains that bound him.

But he'd be playing into his father's hands, unleashing something inside of himself that would be difficult to contain, and his family would be right there to shape the hungry monster inside of him into whatever form they wanted.

It wouldn't be the first time.

Zev wouldn't become what his family wanted him to be. Not after they'd killed Rhys.

If that meant going hungry while he breathed in the scent of a delicious meal… so be it.

A broken sound escaped Malik's throat, punctuating the silence between them, reminding Zev that once again, someone was suffering because of him.

Zev closed his eyes.

His father had been right about another thing. He was too familiar with Malik's pain. It stirred memories in him that he was doing his best never to revisit.

Another reason feeding on him would be a bad choice.

He'd sate his hunger, but his thirst for vengeance would grow unbearable.

No, he could not feed on Malik.

But that didn't mean there wasn't anything he could do about his situation.

Malik had been given a sleep potion, not a nightmare potion. So if Zev could just get him to cut the crap, the noise would stop.

He could share a dream without eating it, like putting food into his mouth without swallowing. Not the easiest feat to accomplish, dream-starved as he was, but he could do it.

As long as he remained in control of his powers.

He reached out with his magic, found the edges of Malik's consciousness. Slipped inside.

Darkness. The screech of tires. Metal crumpling.

Raw grief slammed into him—loss and guilt so thick he could barely breathe.

Something inside him itched to feed on all that delicious terror. This was a five-star nightmare. A true quality meal.

All he had to do was?—

No.

Focus, Zev.

Metal screamed. Glass shattered. The world spun in slow motion, making him dizzy, making him want to throw up.

Malik knew what came next. He always knew, but he could never stop it.

Maya's scream cut off. Mom's hand, reaching back, went limp. Dad's body slumped over the wheel.