Page 35 of Night Fae (Monsters of Veridia #3)

"Mmm," Malik agreed, not particularly concerned about bandages at the moment. His body felt pleasantly heavy, muscles relaxed in a way they hadn't been in weeks. "Later."

Zev lifted his head slightly to look at him. "You're different."

"How so?"

"More... at peace. Despite everything."

Malik considered this. "I think... I've been carrying this fear for so long. Fear of losing more people. Fear of being alone." He met Zev's gaze. "I'm still afraid of those things. But I'm not letting the fear control me anymore."

"What changed?"

"I did." Malik reached up to touch Zev's face, fingers tracing the proud line of his cheekbone. "When I thought I was going to lose you too… I realized I couldn't save you by being afraid. I had to act, regardless of the cost."

Zev turned his face into Malik's touch. "You've always been brave."

"Not brave. Just stubborn."

"Both," Zev amended. He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at Malik more fully. "When this is over?—"

"Don't," Malik interrupted gently. "Let's not talk about 'when this is over' yet. I don't want to make plans the universe can sabotage."

A shadow of understanding crossed Zev's face. "Superstitious?"

"Cautious. I know better than to tempt fate."

"Fair enough." Zev settled back down, his arm draped across Malik's waist. "Then for now, we just... are."

"That's enough," Malik agreed, closing his eyes.

They dozed, drifting in and out of a light sleep, until a knock at the door startled them fully awake. Zev was on his feet in an instant, a dagger in his hand that Malik hadn't even seen him reach for.

"Who is it?" Zev called, positioning himself between the door and the bed.

"It's Lyrian," came the reply. "Knox and the others have returned. There's news."

Zev glanced back at Malik, a silent question in his eyes.

"Give us a few minutes," Malik called.

"I'll tell them," Lyrian responded. "But... hurry. It's not good."

Footsteps retreated from the door. Zev lowered the dagger, his expression hardening back into the warrior's mask Malik had grown familiar with.

"And so it begins again," Zev said, reaching for his discarded clothing.

Malik sat up slowly, wincing as the movement pulled at his wounds. "Help me with these bandages? If we're going to face whatever's coming, I'd rather not be half-naked when we do it."

Zev nodded, setting aside his own preparations to help Malik. His hands were gentle as he carefully peeled away the poultice. The wounds beneath looked better. The shadow taint had receded, leaving only thin red lines where the creature's claws had torn Malik's skin.

"They're healing well," Zev observed, reaching for the clean bandages the healer had left.

"Fast, too."

"The healer's work, yes, but also something in you." Zev's fingers brushed one of the marks. "Your connection to the paths may have some unexpected benefits."

Malik hadn't considered that. "You think my barrier keeper blood helped me heal?"

"It's possible." Zev finished securing the fresh bandage. "Though I'm no expert in such matters."

Once they were both dressed, Zev helped Malik to his feet. Before opening the door, he paused, his hand on Malik's arm.

"Whatever awaits us out there," Zev said quietly, "know that I will protect you with everything I have."

"I know," Malik replied. "But remember that it goes both ways. I protect you too."

The corner of Zev's mouth lifted in a small smile. "I'm beginning to understand that."

He opened the door, and they stepped out together to face whatever new danger had arrived.

They found the others gathered in a large chamber Malik hadn't seen before—a war room of sorts, with a massive table at its center upon which maps and scrolls were spread.

Knox, Adrian, and Caelen looked exhausted, their clothing torn and dirty.

Daniel hovered at Caelen's side, speaking to him in a low, urgent voice.

Lyrian and Leon stood slightly apart from the group, tension evident in their postures.

Knox looked up as Zev and Malik entered. "You're both recovered, I see."

"Mostly," Malik admitted. "What happened? Did you find Yuri?"

"We found him," Caelen said grimly. "Too late. He's destabilized another nexus point. A major one at the border of my kingdom and the Siren territories."

"Villages are disappearing," Adrian added, his face pale. "Not just buildings—the people too. Whole sections of countryside being replaced with... nothing. Empty space that seems to fold in on itself."

Malik felt a chill run through him. "How many nexus points are left?"

"Three that we know of," Knox answered. "The one beneath this palace, one near the Night Court territories, and one at the heart of the Barrier Temple."

"And we have no way of knowing which one he'll target next," Daniel said, frustration evident in his voice.

"Actually," Leon spoke up, his voice strangely flat, "we do."

All eyes turned to him. Lyrian took a step back, watching Leon warily.

"What do you mean?" Caelen demanded.

Leon squared his shoulders, a look of resignation crossing his face. "I know where he'll go next because I'm connected to him. I've been connected to him for years."

A shocked silence fell over the room. Knox was the first to recover, taking a threatening step toward Leon.

"Explain," he growled. "Now."

"It's a long story," Leon said, "but the short version is that Yuri has been sending me visions since I was a child. Visions of Veridia, of all of you." He swallowed hard. "I thought I was imagining them. I thought I was creating these stories in my head."

"Stories?" Daniel stared at Leon.

Leon turned to him, genuine regret in his eyes. "I'm N.N., Daniel. I wrote 'Monsters of Veridia.'"

Daniel staggered back as if struck. "You... what? How is that possible?"

"I didn't know what was happening," Leon insisted. "I just had these vivid dreams, these visions of another world. I wrote them down, turned them into stories. I never imagined they were real."

"But they were," Knox said coldly. "And by writing them, by spreading them to readers on Earth, you helped weaken the barriers between worlds."

Adrian stepped between them, one hand on Knox's chest. "Let him explain."

Leon took a deep breath. "The visions started when I was a child. Fragments at first… glimpses of strange creatures and fantastical landscapes. As I got older, they became more detailed. I saw people... events... entire lives unfolding." His gaze flickered to Knox, then Caelen. "Your lives."

"Yuri sent you these visions," Lyrian stated, keeping a wary distance.

"I didn't know that then. I thought I had an overactive imagination.

Writing them down was... therapeutic. Publishing them was never the plan, but a friend found my manuscript and insisted.

.. I didn't really think the story would catch on the way it did when I put it online…

" Leon trailed off, seeing the accusation in their faces.

Daniel shook his head, betrayal etched across his features. "Why N.N? Those are not your initials. Or are they? What else have you been lying about?"

"They're not my initials." Leon met Daniel's gaze. "It was an internet name. I chose it for my pets. Nutmeg and Nugget."

Malik stared at Leon.

How could that be the answer to the mystery they'd been trying to solve all this time?

Before anyone could say any more, a palace guard burst into the chamber, face pale beneath his helm. "Your Majesty! Reports from the borders. Territories are vanishing across Veridia!"

"We already know that," Caelen said. "What else do you have to report?"

"Your majesty, it's worse than it used to be."

Knox cursed under his breath. "The barrier collapse is accelerating."

Another messenger arrived, breathing hard from running. "My lords—half the Night Court territory has disappeared into nothingness. Refugees are flooding south."

Zev tensed beside Malik, his violet eyes darkening. "My father and grandmother won't sit idle while their lands vanish."

"They'll be looking for someone to blame," Knox agreed grimly.

Leon closed his eyes, his expression distant. After a moment, they snapped open. "I can sense him. Yuri. He's... he's been working his way inward, destabilizing outer points first."

He moved to the map spread across the table. His finger traced a spiral pattern inward across Veridia. "The Barrier Temple is at the center. If he destabilizes that nexus, all worlds will begin to merge."

"When?" Caelen asked.

Leon's face paled. "Soon. I can feel his anticipation. But he's not there yet, he's..." Leon held his head as if suddenly hit with stabbing pain.

Adrian moved to his side. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." Leon took a breath. "He just doesn't want me in his head right now."

Caelen's expression hardened. "We have to intercept him at the temple."

Daniel looked at his mate. "That's in our kingdom, isn't it?"

"It is." Caelen straightened, taking on the air of someone in control. "Knox, Zev—gather whatever weapons and protection you can find in the armory. Lyrian, work with the palace healers to prepare healing potions and bandages. We'll need them."

"I should study the temple," Leon said. "If I'm going to counter Yuri's plan, I need to understand what he knows."

Malik stepped forward. "I'll help."

Caelen nodded. "Daniel, coordinate with the kitchen staff. Everyone will need food before we depart, and provisions for the journey."

As everyone moved to fulfill their assigned tasks, Malik caught Zev's arm. "Wait."

Zev paused, violet eyes questioning.

"Will you be okay?" Malik asked softly. "If we face your family?"

Something cold stirred behind Zev's eyes. "I'll do what needs to be done."

"That's not what I asked."

Zev's expression softened fractionally. "I know." He touched Malik's face briefly. "We'll talk tonight. I promise."

As Zev left with Knox, Malik turned to find Leon watching him, a strange expression on his face.

"What?" Malik asked.

"I was just thinking that it's frightening how well Yuri's plan has worked so far… bringing humans and Veridians together to weaken the barriers…"

"We won't let him get away with it."

"Right." Leon gestured to the door. "Let's do some research, then. There might be something in the texts about people like us—humans with Barrier Keeper ancestry."

Malik hesitated, glancing in the direction Zev had gone, then nodded. "Lead the way."

Naturally, Leon had no trouble navigating Caelen's palace.

Even as he poured over old texts, Malik couldn't help wondering how often he'd visited this place in his dreams.

But that wasn't what he needed to be thinking about now. He needed to focus on the task.

Still… "Why did you never say anything?" he asked Leon.

Leon looked up from the text he was reading.

"Can you even imagine how weird it was for me when the characters I created started roaming the city?

" He paused. "I didn't know what to think, what to make of it.

Were these even my creations or real people whose lives I'd somehow observed?

Or real people whose lives I'd somehow created?

" A helpless expression crossed his features.

"I'm glad to know now that it's not the latter, but I was scared for a while.

It was something I needed to process by myself. "

"I think I get that." Malik glanced down at the book he was holding. He'd never written a novel himself, but he'd come up with stories and characters for his Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. He'd be pretty weirded out if those characters suddenly appeared in the real world.

Especially if they thought he might be responsible for all the trauma they'd faced in their lives.

"Now we just need to set things right," Leon said, turning back to his texts. "Yuri might have used me, but I can make use of all the knowledge he gave me to stop him."

"We'll all stop him," Malik reminded him. "Together."

Leon nodded gratefully.

"Listen to this," he said after another moment, reciting: "'At the nexus of all shadow paths stands the temple not built to divide worlds, but to contain that which exists between them.'" He looked up at Malik. "The temple wasn't just built to separate worlds. It was built to contain something."

"Contain what?"

Leon's finger traced further down the page. "'That which was one, divided across many, seeks ever to reunite.'" He frowned. "Could it be?—"

A commotion outside interrupted them. Heavy footfalls ran through the corridor.

They exchanged a glance and hurried out of the library to find a scout reporting to Caelen nearby.

"I'm quite sure," the scout said to his grim-faced king. "Night Court forces are on the move. Prince Ashelon leads one contingent. Lord Darius and Lady Morvena another."

"Direction?" Caelen demanded.

"All heading toward the Barrier Temple, Your Majesty."

Zev appeared from an adjacent corridor, arms laden with weapons. His expression darkened at the scout's words.

"They'll try to stop Yuri their own way," he said.

"Or take advantage of the chaos," Caelen added.

Malik moved to Zev's side as the scout departed. "How bad is this?"

"Everything the Night Court does is bad."

Caelen nodded, visibly displeased. "We depart at dawn tomorrow. Rest while you can. We'll need our strength."

As the others dispersed to make final preparations, Malik found himself alone with Zev in a quiet alcove off the main corridor.

"You're thinking about them, aren't you?" Malik asked. "Your family?"

Zev's hands continued methodically checking the edge of a blade. "If they're at the temple, I'll finish what I should have done years ago."

Malik placed his hand over Zev's, stilling its motion. "Whatever happens, don't let them win."

Zev's eyes met his, something vulnerable beneath the steel. "I won't. Not again." His voice softened. "I have too much to lose now."

The simple admission made Malik's chest tighten. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Zev's. "You'd better keep that in mind."

"I promise I will."

Malik's heart thumped painfully against his ribcage. A promise from Zev.

Wasn't that all he'd ever wanted?