Page 63 of Burning Star

“Because the royals raised me. I view Aerix as a brother. And I see the way he looks at you.” She reaches out, tucking a strand of blood-matted hair behind my ear. “If he loves you, then I accept you as family, too.”

My mind reels with this new information.

Isla was raised by the king and queen? She’s a spy among the humans? And now she’s decided I’m an honorary member of the royal family?

“We need to cover you up,” she continues, hurrying into her room, opening the wardrobe, and pulling out a dark cloak. “Put this on.”

She drapes it around my shoulders, hiding the blood-soaked nightgown beneath. The soft fabric against my sticky skin makes me shudder, but I welcome the coverage. Anything to conceal what I just did.

“The night fae in the halls will smell the blood,” she warns, “but they know better than to question me. They also know better than to lose control and attack you. They’ll keep their fangs to themselves, since the ones incapable of self-control don’t survive the Night Court’s test that accompanies the change.”

She leads me to the door, key in hand, and I follow her in shock. But before she opens it, she turns to me one last time.

“Aerix will take care of this,” she promises. “But you need to be smart and take care of yourself, too. You have to play to win. That means taking out pawns, even if those pawns are your own pieces.”

“I understand,” I say, and I do. Because if I hadn’t killed Henry, he would have…

I stop myself, not wanting to think about his body in my suite’s living room, bleeding out, staining the rug.

Isla nods, seemingly satisfied, and opens the door.

We slip out into the hallway, and I follow her out of the human wing, uneasy about walking through the palace without a night fae to protect me. But like Isla promised, the few night fae walking about glance at us, avert their gazes, and hurry away.

Adrenaline burns through my veins, and I stick to her side.

She moves like a queen—head high, posture regal, gliding across the floor. She’s not a night fae—her eyes aren’t the dark midnight color that theirs are—but she sure knows how to carry herself like one.

As we walk, everything that’s happened tonight races through my mind.

“You know about Katerina, don’t you?” I ask quietly, our only witnesses now the chandeliers floating overhead, sparkling constellations gazing down on us. “About how she lied about her brother?”

Isla’s pace doesn’t falter. “Of course I know,” she says. “I know almost everything that happens around here.”

Right. I should have figured as much.

“Her brother wasn’t sent to the barns,” I continue, needing as much information as possible. “That they tried to escape together, but she made a deal with Malakai.”

“That’s true,” she confirms. “Her brother was taken elsewhere. She chose her own safety over his.”

I press my lips together. “Where was he taken?”

“That’s not important right now. What’s important is that you understand the game you’re playing. Because every move comes with a price.” She pauses, then adds, “Are you willing to pay that price for Aerix?”

“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “I already have.”

We turn a corner, approaching a set of ornate double doors.

Aerix’sdoors.

The guards startle as we approach. But when they see Isla, they say nothing.

I shift on my feet, suddenly nervous.

What will Aerix think when he sees me like this? Will he be proud? Angry? Will he help me, or will he decide I’m more trouble than I’m worth?

“Zoey,” Isla says, her voice softer now. “Remember what I said. You’re family now. But family can still be dangerous.”

With that cryptic warning, she turns and disappears, leaving me alone with the guards in front of Aerix’s doors.

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