Page 30 of Night Fae

"I've killed for you," he said instead, hoping to end the conversation. "I want my reward."

"You should not have to be rewarded for serving your family."

"We had a deal," Zev reminded her.

He half-expected her magic to slam into him, but Lady Morvena did not attack. "Very well." She raised a hand vaguely. "If you must see your human." She seemed tired of him. "Go."

Zev turned and left the room.

Zev moved through the familiar corridors toward the blue chamber, barely taking in his surroundings. Now that the job was done, now that Lady Morvena had dismissed him, the events of the day were starting to catch up with him.

His thoughts lingered on his kills in ways they never had before. He remembered the soft resistance as blade met flesh. The slight surprise in the first wolf's eyes before light faded from them.

They'd tricked him into taking two lives when one would have sufficed.

But had he really been tricked, or had he simply acted on instinct?

Zev took a deep breath.

And then he tried to reconstruct the void inside of him. No matter what Malik said, this was how he would get through.

A guard stationed near the entrance to the guest wing snapped to attention as Zev approached. "Lord Zevran."

Recognition flashed in the guard's eyes—recognition and something else. Fear? Respect? Disgust? Zev couldn't tell. He tried not to let it bother him.

Nothing could be allowed to bother him.

"This way, my lord," the guard said, leading him down the final corridor.

Zev followed quietly.

"He's been fed," the guard reported, hesitating before adding, "Refused the food at first, but we... convinced him it was safe."

The slight pause told Zev everything he needed to know. A flare of anger burned through the numbness, hot and surprising in its intensity.

"Did you hurt him?" Zev demanded.

The guard stiffened. "Nothing permanent, my lord."

Nothing permanent.

Somethingsnappedinside Zev.

"Nothing permanent," he repeated, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I killed today so he would remain unharmed. That was the agreement."

The guard shifted his weight, suddenly uneasy. Good. He should be. "We followed orders, my lord. The human needed to eat."

"And what did you do to him?" Zev stepped closer, crowding the guard against the wall. "Tell me exactly."

"Just standard persuasion techniques." The guard's hand drifted toward his weapon. "Nothing that would?—"

Zev moved before the thought fully formed in his mind. His hand shot out, seizing the guard by the throat, slamming him against the stone wall with enough force to crack the back of his skull. Blood welled between Zev's fingers as his grip tightened.

"I killed for his safety," Zev hissed, nose inches from the guard's rapidly purpling face. "And you still hurt him."

The guard clawed at Zev's hand, eyes bulging with panic. His mouth worked soundlessly, feet kicking against the wall.

His pulse fluttered beneath Zev's palm. Soon, he would be unconscious, then dead. It would be easy—so easy—for Zev to tighten his grip just a fraction more. To feel the life drain from this body like he'd felt it drain from the werewolves just hours ago.