Page 54 of Night Fae
He left the room without turning back.
Footsteps hurried after him in the corridor.
"Zev, wait—" Adrian called.
"Leave me," Zev snapped, not slowing his pace. The sharp edge in his voice left no room for argument.
Adrian's footsteps faltered, then stopped completely.
Zev moved through the palace without direction. He didn't care where his feet took him as long as it wasaway from Malik. Servants and guards gave him a wide berth, likely sensing the dangerous energy that radiated from him.
After several minutes of aimless wandering, Zev turned a corner and found himself in an open courtyard. Moonlight spilled over flowers with glowing petals. As the night breeze touched them, they released soft, haunting notes that blended into a beautiful melody.
The Singing Gardens.
Zev had heard of them but never seen them for himself.
He stood transfixed for a moment.
Then he noticed two figures approaching from the opposite side of the courtyard. Daniel—colorful and vibrant even in the midnight hour—walked beside the Shadow King. They were deep in conversation, Daniel gesturing animatedly until he stopped abruptly upon noticing Zev.
His eyes widened and he rushed toward Zev, leaving Caelen behind. "Zev! We heard you'd arrived! How's Malik? We were just heading to check on him."
"He's alive," Zev said tersely. He couldn't fault Daniel for worrying about his friend, but he had no patience for this particular human's energy levels.
Daniel studied him for a moment longer. "Why do you look like that?"
Before Zev could lash out at Daniel for asking such a stupid question, Caelen laid a hand on the human's shoulder and told him to run ahead.
Daniel protested. "But I want to know?—"
"Go," Caelen said with a meaningful look. "Visit your friend. We'll talk later."
Daniel looked like he wanted to argue more, but then, fortunately, he gave in and listened to his mate.
"Glad you made it here," he said in parting to Zev before he ran along to see Malik.
Caelen, however, made no move to follow. Instead the Shadow King stood there and watched Zev with cool assessment.
As ifhewere any better than Zev.
"You look terrible," Caelen said. "Veridia's Deadliest Assassin, indeed." His gaze swept Zev. "You lost control."
Fury sparked to life in Zev's chest.
The half-fae assumed he could judge Zev? "You would know a thing or two about losing control, wouldn't you?" He shot back.
"True." Caelen's lips twitched. "I guess we're not so different, you and I."
"We are completely different." Zev was never going to let anyone say anything else.
"Are you sure about that?" Caelen asked. "I heard a whisper that you drained Malik's life force. Did you get a little too hungry? It feels good, doesn't it? Feeding that thirst for power."
"Shut up," Zev warned. "We're not the same."
"I suppose," Caelen said. "I was possessed by a God. Why didyoufail to control your appetite?"
Zev moved without thinking, closing the distance between them in a blur of motion. His hand shot out, fingers curling around Caelen's throat. "Stop," he warned again.
