Page 57 of Midnight Star

Then, to my shock, she speaks.

“I want Aerix to take care of Henry,” she says, with more venom than I would have guessed possible, given her soft looks. “Like how he took care of Jake this morning.”

Zoey

“You can talk,”I say to Katerina, despite the answer clearly being yes.

“When I choose to.” Her eyes are hard, haunted. “And right now, I’m choosing to talk to you.”

“Why?”

“Because Henry needs to die.” Her gaze doesn’t waver, and there’s no trace of hesitation in her tone. “Aerix can make that happen.”

I blink, trying to process her words. It’s not just the intensity of what she’s saying that’s throwing me—it’s the fact that she’s speaking at all.

“What did Henry do to you?” I finally ask.

She doesn’t answer right away. Instead, she walks to her dark canopy bed and sits on the edge, her movements deliberate and poised.

“He betrayed us,” she says finally, steady but distant. “You see, Henry, my brother, and I were taken from the mortal realm together. Henry was a family friend for years. He used to come over for dinner, and to study together. But there was always something off about him. I didn’t see it then. Now, I can’t believe I missed it.”

I take a cautious step closer. “What happened when the three of you got to the Night Court?”

Her expression hardens, fury sparking in her eyes. “Henry made sure my brother was sent to the barns.”

My stomach drops.

“Why?”

“Because my brother was competition for the queen’s attention,” she says simply. “I don’t know what Henry said to the queen, and I don’t think I’ll ever know. But one day my brother was here, and the next, he was gone.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say, because what else can I say? If I was in her position, I have no idea what I’d do. All I know is that I wouldn’t be as collected as she seems to be right now.

“You can be more than sorry,” she says sharply. “You canhelp.”

I nod, although I don’t say yes. Because despite it all, I remember what Henry told me.

The most influential players can often be found in unexpected places. Potential allies, too.

How do I know who’s being truthful and who’s lying around here?

The answer is simple—Idon’tknow. At least, not yet.

This game has layers, and I can’t just trust what I see on the surface. I have to learn how to keep myself afloat and make my way over to the deep end.

And right now, I have to listen to Katerina to see what I can learn.

“After my brother was gone, Henry turned his attention to me,” she continues, and just like that, her composure cracks. “He told me he’d ensure my brother’s safety, and that he’d speak to the queen on his behalf—if I did things for him.”

The way she says “things” makes my skin crawl. The tension in her voice, the haunted look in her eyes… it’s not hard to piece it together.

I swallow hard. “You mean?—”

“Yes,” she interrupts, cold and clipped. “Exactly what you think. Henry likes having power over me. He likes knowing I’ll do whatever he demands—protect my brother. And the queen and Malakai? They enjoy it. They treat it like a game. A show. They make comments, and they laugh about it, as if our lives are just entertainment for them, at best.”

My chest tightens. “Is that why you stopped speaking?”

She nods. “If they can’t hear my voice, they can’t twist my words.”

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