Page 7 of Midnight Star

“It’s done.” Riven puts the ice cage back around her hand, releases it, and steps back.

Despite the tension between us, I move to his side, standing tall. Because while Riven and I have our issues, we have one common goal right now—getting answers. So, we’re going to have to be a united front until she gives them to us and we get out of here as quickly as Ghost’s four legs can handle.

Which is hopefully faster than the dark angel can fly.

Riven moves toward me, but he doesn’t look at me. His entire focus is directed at the dark angel.

“Your name,” he says, getting straight to business.

“Zythara,” she responds, adding nothing more.

“And what are you?” I ask firmly, despite the nervous flutter in my chest.

Riven might have worded the deal, but I’m perfectly capable of asking her direct questions.

“A night fae,” she replies.

I glance at Riven to see his reaction. But if he’s ever heard of night fae before, he’s not letting on.

“What are night fae?” he asks.

“We’re what happens when winter fae are turned into vampires,” she says, her words dripping with pride. “More powerful than either race alone. We have air magic and water magic—in both ice and liquid forms—and we require blood to survive.”

My chest tightens. Water and air magic—just like me.

Except I don’t have wings. At least, I don’t think I do?

I reach to touch the place on my back where wings would be, but there’s nothing there.

On the other hand, I didn’t know I had fangs until those suddenly emerged, so it’s too soon to put wings off the table of possibilities.

“That shouldn’t be possible,” Riven says. “When supernaturals are turned into vampires, they lose their original magic. They only have air magic.”

“I’m fae,” she says. “I can’t lie—both because of what I am, and because of the terms of our deal.”

Riven frowns, clearly grappling with what Zythara’s telling us.

“How do you have both air magic and water magic?” I ask her, and my own magic thrums to the surface, as if it wants to know, too.

“The vampire who turned our queen was special. Powerful,” she replies.

Riven steps forward, glaring down at her. “What made him so special?” he asks.

“He was a fae turned by the original vampire,” she answers, as if such a thing is an everyday occurrence.

“And where is he now?” Riven’s shooting off questions nearly faster than I can think.

“Dead.”

“Who killed him?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where did that night fae take Zoey?” I chime in, since while I’m interested in learning about this supernatural species that has similar magic to mine, Zoey’s my priority.

“I can’t say for sure.” She shrugs.

I glare at her, and before I realize what’s happening, spheres of water are floating above my hands, threatening to nearly drown her like I did earlier.

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