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“You don’t need to be afraid of the queen,” Aerix says, his eyes finding mine. “Not when you have me.”

His words wrap around me like his magic—cool and protective, a shield against everything else. I’ve never felt so safe, even as I stand in the middle of what many would consider to be a courtyard full of monsters.

A new tension fills the air as Mirena and Dimitri step away from the fountain, and I realize with a start that the crowd’s attention is shifting, gazes turning in our direction.

“It’s our turn,” Aerix says. “Are you ready?”

My heart hammers against my ribs, and suddenly, my feet feel glued to the ground.

But this is what I wanted, isn’t it? To stand beside my dark prince—to be seen as his equal? To belong in the Night Court, to be protected from creatures who could snap my neck with a flick of their hand?

“Yes,” I say, surprising myself with the steadiness in my voice.

Aerix gives me a small, satisfied smile and takes my hand, leading me through the crowd that parts silently before us. The blood fountain looms larger as we approach, and the diamonds on my bodice glitter, as if eager to join the display.

We stop at the spot where the king and Mirena performed their feedings, and Aerix turns to face me. Then slowly, deliberately, he raises his wrist to his mouth. His eyes remain locked on mine as his fangs pierce his skin, drawing beads of blood that well up and drip onto the ground between us.

One drop. Two. Three.

Each one is a declaration. An offering to the court itself.

My chest tightens as I watch, my hands curling into fists.

Am I supposed to let him bite my wrist, too? Is there some sort of night fae/consort bonding ritual that he didn’t tell me about?

Millions of questions must be flashing across my eyes as he extends his bleeding wrist to me, his expression both challenge and invitation .

The crowd holds its collective breath, waiting to see what I’ll do.

I simply stare at the blood trailing down his pale skin, and then I understand.

The other royals fed from their humans… but Aerix is offering himself to me.

“Go on,” he tells me softly. “Taste.”

His gaze stays on mine, his eyes more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen. They’re full of something that might be fear. Not of me, but of rejection.

“This is proof,” he whispers, so softly that only I can hear, “that I would give you anything. My life is in your hands, Zoey.” His voice catches on my name. “Be gentle with it.”

The words strike something deep within me. Because he’s not just asking me to be careful with his blood. He’s asking me to be gentle with him —with his heart, his soul, and with everything he keeps hidden beneath his cold, deadly, beautiful exterior.

And so, I take his wrist and bring it to my lips.

The first taste of his blood is rich and ancient, thrumming with power. His air magic hums inside me, flowing through my veins, binding us together in ways I can’t comprehend, but can feel with every fiber of my being.

As I drink, a shudder works through me as his essence flows across my tongue. Because this isn’t just blood. It’s him—his power, his magic, his very life force.

I can feel his heartbeat as if it’s my own. I can sense the cool rush of his magic as it mingles with my blood. Even when he’s let me touch the sensitive base of his wings, it wasn’t as intimate as this.

That was him permitting me access to his vulnerability. This—right here, right now—is him surrendering it completely.

My fingers tighten around his arm, nails digging into his skin as I pull him closer.

“Zoey,” he murmurs, his voice strained. “You’ve had enough.”

I don’t want to stop. I want more. But his breaths quicken, and I know I have to listen to him.

It might ruin him if I don’t.

When I pull away, I look up at him, and what I see in his eyes steals my breath all over again.

There’s hunger there, yes. But there’s also something deeper—a vulnerability so raw it makes my heart ache.

Because for all his power, all his deadly grace, Prince Aerix Nightborne has given me the one thing no one else in this court has ever had: his trust.

A noble woman drops her glass, crystal shattering on the stone. Another opens his mouth as if to speak, but no words come.

Aerix turns to face the crowd, his wings extending to their full, impressive span, air magic crackling around him in visible currents of frost-tinged power.

“She drinks from me,” he announces, his voice carrying across the square with commanding authority, “because she’s mine. And no one—” his gaze sweeps the crowd, lingering on the queen, and then the king, “— will dare challenge that.”

Before anyone can react, Aerix turns back to me, pulls me toward him, and crushes his lips to mine. His intensity is brutal, demanding, and unyielding, cold air swirling in a vortex around us as he claims me in front of the Night Court.

I taste his blood again, metallic and rich on both our tongues, and something primal in me responds.

My arms circle his waist, one hand sliding up to the base of his wings—the forbidden, sensitive place that drives him wild.

He groans against my mouth, the sound vibrating through me as his wings shudder beneath my touch.

When we break apart, both breathing hard, the crowd has backed away several steps. Some look disgusted, others fearful, but a few—including Isla, who stands beside Queen Ravenna with a small, knowing smile—seem almost impressed.

King Thanatos breaks the silence first, his laughter echoing across the square like distant thunder. “Well, well,” he says, stepping forward with Aurora at his side. “My son has always had... unusual tastes. ”

Queen Ravenna’s eyes narrow dangerously. “This is unprecedented,” she says, her voice carrying a subtle threat.

“Perhaps,” Aerix counters, his arm circling my waist, “it’s time for new traditions.”

The tension in the air thickens, magic crackling between the royal family members like lightning before a storm. Aerix’s muscles tense. But King Thanatos merely raises a hand, silencing any further protest.

“Tonight is a night of celebration,” the king declares, although his eyes hold a warning that suggests this conversation is far from over. “And so, we will celebrate.”

The musicians resume playing, and slowly, the revelry builds once more.

Aerix’s lips brush against my ear, his breath cool against my skin. “We made our point,” he whispers. “And you were beautiful. You are beautiful. Especially right now, with my blood staining your lips for the entire court to see.”

I nod, dazed from the kiss, from his blood, from the enormity of what just happened. And as he leads me away from the fountain, night fae part before us with respect—and fear—in their eyes.

“What happens now?” I ask once we’re clear of the worst of the crowd.

Aerix’s smile is sharp and dangerous. “Now, my little consort, we’ve shown the court exactly what you are to me.

” His fingers trace the curve of my cheek, feather-light, yet possessive at the same time.

“They will never forget it. And if they do...” His eyes darken, the moonlight flashing across them like a warning. “They will regret it.”