Page 65 of Night Fae

The memory came unbidden. A forest clearing bathed in moonlight, decades ago. Zev had tracked his target for days onNight Court orders. A werewolf who'd been trespassing where he shouldn't have.

It was supposed to be just another mission.

Until it wasn't.

Zev had expected fear when he finally cornered Rhys. Terror. Pleading, perhaps. Not calm acceptance. Not those brown eyes looking straight into his, as if Rhys could see past the assassin's mask to whatever lay beneath.

"If you're going to kill me, at least tell me your name first," Rhys had said.

And Zev—who had never hesitated before—found himself answering. One moment of weakness that changed everything.

He'd let Rhys live that night. Told the Court the target had escaped. One of many half-truths he'd tell over the following weeks.

They'd met in secret after that, Rhys asking questions no one had thought to ask Zev before. About his life. His thoughts. What he wanted beyond the Court's orders.

The knife's edge he walked every time he slipped away to meet the werewolf, knowing discovery meant death for them both…

In the end, death had claimed only one of them.

"You're allowed to care about someone again, Zev," Knox's voice pulled him back to the present. "I know you blame yourself, but Rhys was on the Court's hit list long before he became important to you."

The words cut like blades. Zev curled his fingers into fists, fighting the tide of emotion threatening to rise. "They'd forgotten about him."

"The Court doesn't forget."

Zev looked straight at Knox. "Then they'll come for Malik too."

Knox held his gaze. "Whether or not you deny yourself happiness changes nothing about what the Court will do."

Zev didn't know what to say in response to that. Was he denying himself happiness?

Knox rose. "I'll leave you two to get some rest. Tomorrow we need to talk about everything that's been happening with the barriers."

Zev had almost forgotten about the barriers. He'd had too many other things to worry about.

"Goodnight," Knox said as he left.

Zev only nodded.

Alone again with Malik, he exhaled slowly, studying the human's face, relaxed in sleep. No trace remained of the hollowness from before. Just peace.

Without thinking, Zev reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Malik's forehead. His fingertips lingered for a moment, Malik's skin warm against his.

"I don't know what this is," he whispered, knowing Malik couldn't hear him. "But I know I'm not ready for it."

CHAPTER 14

Malik woke to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the windows of his chamber. For a moment, he lay still, his mind drifting between sleep and consciousness, aware only of the dull ache that permeated his body. Memories of the previous night filtered back—his foolish attempt to find Zev, nearly collapsing in the corridor, being carried back to bed.

And Zev promising to stay.

Malik turned his head, half-expecting to find the space beside his bed empty. Instead, he found Zev sitting in a chair pulled close to the bedside, violet eyes watching him with an unreadable expression. The fae's glamour was firmly in place, hiding his true appearance, but fatigue marked the shadows beneath his eyes.

"You stayed," Malik whispered, unable to keep the surprise from his voice.

"I promised I would." Zev's tone was neutral, matter-of-fact, but he shifted in his seat as if uncomfortable with the acknowledgment.

Malik pushed himself up on his elbows, testing his strength. He wasn't recovered, but he was better.