Page 40 of Midnight Star

“That’s none of your concern.” Aerix’s expression hardens, his jaw tightening, and the temperature in the room drops by a few degrees.

“It is my concern,” I insist, staying completely still, unwilling to let him off that easily. “You treat me differently than the others because I remind you of her.”

A rush of air swirls around us, tugging at my hair and clothes, as if warning me to stop.

“And the Blood Coven?” I press on, my voice rising. “The Revenants? What does all thatmean?”

“Enough.” His voice snaps like a whip, and the rush of air stills, the silence more suffocating than the pressure had been. “You’re treading on thin ice, Zoey. Do you really think you can demand answers from me? After everything I’ve done to keep you alive?”

“Why are you acting like Jake was going to kill me?” I answer his question with one of my own.

“Why do you care so much?” he asks in return.

“Because I’m not amonster,”I practically hiss.

The room goes deathly silent, and Aerix steps back, his expression so calm that it makes every hair on my body stand on edge. Behind him, frost creeps up the walls, delicate and deadly, the jagged patterns climbing like veins toward the ceiling.

“Maybe you should think about what survival really costs before you throw words like ‘monster’ around,” he finally says.

I open my mouth to fire back—to deny the cold, brutal logic in his tone. But the image of Jake’s lifeless body flashes through my mind. The blood in the fountain. The note. The warning. All of it.

Something inside me snaps.

“You didn’t even drink his blood,” I say. “You just wasted it and left it there. Like he didn’t matter.”

“He didn’t matter.” Aerix straightens, and the froston the walls thickens. “You’re the one who matters to me here. And I don’t let anyone touch what’s mine.”

From the way he’s staring at me, I’m not sure if he’s going to lash out or close the space between us.

“Get out,” he says instead, his voice low and sharp. “And send for Victoria. I’ll be having breakfast with her today.”

I blink, caught off guard. “What?”

“You heard me.” His lips curl into something that’s not quite a smile. “We’re done here.”

The tension between us is a suffocating, electrified silence. But I take a deep breath, forcing my anger down. Because as much as I want to keep fighting him—to make him see how wrong he is about this—it won’t get me anywhere.

I need to think long term. I need to remember my game plan—make him believe I’m falling for him. I need to get him on my side, so I can use whatever power I gain to help myself and the other humans here. To stay alive, and to not get sent to the barns.

None of that will happen if I keep antagonizing him. And sure, maybe he only cares about keeping me alive because I remind him of the mysterious Kallista. But his reasondoesn’t matter. What matters is using every advantage I can to accomplish my goals.

Besides, hedidsave my life. A few times.

“You’re right that I wouldn’t be alive right now if notfor you,” I say, softer now, praying this will work. “Cierra would have killed me just now, but you stopped her.”

“I did.” His expression shifts, the frost along the walls receding slightly.

I’m getting through to him. But the tension is still here.

He doubts me—as he should.

“I don’t forgive you for killing Jake.” I meet his eyes, since he’ll never believe me if I give inthateasily. “But because you stepped in with Cierra, I’m still alive. That’s not something I’ll forget.”

He studies me, and I have a feeling that I blew it. He’s seeing through my act.

Why did I think I could trick a fae who’s been alive for far longer than I can likely even process?

“You’re learning,” he says instead, approval creeping into his tone.

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