Page 44 of Night Fae

Beneath his hands, Malik trembled, tears streaming from the corners of his closed eyes. But he didn't fight. He bore the intrusion, willingly giving what Zev took.

Magic flowed into Zev, wild and untamed. He noticed his glamor slipping by the way his fingers lengthened into elegant claws. His skin would became paler too, showing the dark veins visible beneath while the violet of his eyes bled outward, consuming the whites until there was only swirling, glowing color.

Still, he didn't want to stop drinking.

New visions now—not memories but possibilities:Zev transformed into something inhuman, eyes empty as the void. Malik reaching for him, only to have his hand pass through like smoke. The Court breaking Zev piece by piece until nothing remained of the person he'd been.

No!

Zev finally recoiled, pulling himself away from Malik's mind with a gasp, reeling backward.

Power hummed through every cell of his body, making the air around him shiver. He felt... immense.

Unstoppable.

"Zev?" Malik's voice was hoarse, as if he'd been screaming. His eyes widened at the sight of Zev's transformed appearance; whether in shock or horror, Zev couldn't say.

"Is this you?" Malik asked. "The real you?"

Zev nodded once, sharply.

"Wow," Malik whispered.

"We need to go," Zev said. Power on this level would pingsomeone'sradar. "Now."

Malik nodded, rising from the bed on unsteady legs. "How do we get past the guards?"

Zev smiled and knew it wasn't a kind expression. "That part's simple."

He moved to the door, placing his palm against the wood. Magic flowed from him, seeping into the structure of the palace itself, preparing the illusion he'd have to cast to escape.

"They'll see us leave this room," he explained, "but they'll see us heading in the opposite direction of where we'll actually go. Their minds will fill in the blanks, crafting memories of us walking down corridors we never touched."

Malik stared at him. "You can do that?"

"I can now." The admission sent a shiver of both pride and unease through Zev. He had never possessed this kind of power before. It was heady.

Addictive.

Malik stepped closer, swaying slightly. "I feel... strange. Lighter."

"It'll pass," Zev promised, hoping he wasn't lying. "Once we're safe."

He took Malik's hand and the contact sent a strange jolt through him, as if something sparked between them, as if the connection he'd forged to draw all that power was still open.

Why?

And more importantly,how?

"Zev?" Malik asked, clearly sensing his hesitation.

Zev shook himself out of his momentary stupor. "Stay close to me," he instructed. "Don't speak. Just follow."

Malik squeezed his hand in response.

Zev opened the door. The guards straightened at his appearance, shock evident on their faces.

"My Lord," one began, his hand moving to his weapon.