Ella's Masquerade: A Midnight Fae Academy Prequel

by Lexi C. Foss

  I chuckled. “Only on the outside.” The inside was all clean, modern lines, thanks to my mother’s penchant for elegance. “You’re about to see a lot of silver and gold.” Those were the family colors, with a hint of black woven into the crest. “And probably a lot of magic, too,” I added, grimacing.

  “Because we’re in a fae world,” she replied.

  “Midnight Fae Realm, yes.”

  She nodded, shook her head, and nodded again. “Uh-huh.”

  “You’re allowed to freak out, Ella.”

  “Yep.” Another one of those odd nod-shakes again. “Yep.”

  “Ella.”

  “I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Really. I mean, I’m totally not fine. But I’m also fine.”

  “Because that’s a coherent statement,” I drawled.

  She narrowed her gaze at me. “You just abducted me and whisked me to a fae realm, and you want to poke fun at my reaction? Now? Really?”

  I lifted my hands while adoring the appearance of her feisty attitude. “That’s fair. I’m just saying you’re allowed to freak out. I’ll understand.”

  “And what good would it do?” she countered, folding her arms. “Other than putting me at your mercy even more than I already am.”

  “Also fair,” I agreed. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t plan to keep you here. We’re just visiting for the night as a way to prove to you that I’m not full of shit. Then, tomorrow, we’ll head back to Darlington.”

  “What?” She openly gaped at me. “So, wait, you only brought me here to… prove this all to me?”

  “Essentially, yeah. I could tell that nothing I said tonight would convince you I’m not trying to hurt you, so I figured I’d reveal it all at once. And then, hopefully, we can move forward.”

  “And do what?” she demanded. “Go back to high school?”

  “Yeah,” I said pinning her with a look. “Except this time you’ll be armed with the knowledge that I actually do want to help you put those assholes in their place.”

  Because they needed to pay for their sins and I refused to do it on Ella’s behalf. She would only obtain true closure if she did it for herself.

  “So maybe you’ll be a little more agreeable this time around,” I added, more irritated at myself than at her.

  “More agreeable,” she repeated. “Why do you even care? I mean, I get the assignment part. But fae are real. You’re like a vampire. Why the hell would you voluntarily enroll in a human high school just to play with a bunch of rich, spoiled brats?”

  Because those rich, spoiled brats fucked with my intended mate and I want to make them suffer for it, I thought.

  Unfortunately, I couldn’t say that. Not without freaking her out even more.

  So I went with the next best reason, which also happened to be true.

  “Because something is blocking your powers from surfacing and I suspect it’s related to the emotional armor you created to survive all these years of abuse.” I met her gaze. “Had I intervened when we first met, perhaps things would have turned out differently. But I waited until you were eighteen, as the Council recommended, and you’ve endured hell in my absence. So as your assigned guardian, I’ve failed you. And I won’t rest until I’ve made this right.”

  Chapter Ten

  Ella

  As far as reasons went, that was a good one. So good, in fact, that I didn’t know how to reply to him.

  Which was why I kept my mouth shut until we were parked outside the gothic palace Tray called home.

  A fae. A real fucking fae.

  And he was right.

  I would never have believed him without seeing all of this. Even now, some part of me desperately clung to the hope that this was all a dream. But my gut told me it wasn’t and that those fiery birds in the distance were very real.

  “There’s something else I should tell you,” Tray said, glancing out the window at an approaching male in a suit that rivaled his own.

  “Only something?” I countered, my tone lacking the heat I desired. Because yeah, I still wasn’t over our surroundings or those creepy gargoyles up the road.

  “Well, many things,” he admitted. “But I should probably warn you—my father is the Midnight Fae King.”

  The door opened before I had a chance to process that statement.

  “Master Nacht,” the male greeted, bowing. “So good to have you home, sir.”

  “It’s only temporary, Clive,” Tray replied. “Just giving Ella a brief tour.”

  “Of course, Master Nacht.” The penguin suit stepped back a few feet, his arm gesturing for us to exit. He seemed normal enough. But so did Tray, and apparently he drank human blood.

  I shivered at the thought.

  Vampires.

  Compulsion.

  Dark magic.

  Vine-like snakes.

  Gargoyles.

  What next? A hellhound, maybe?

  “Ella,” Tray murmured, his palm sliding down my arm in a gentle caress that should have left me cold but had the opposite impact entirely.

  I had accused him of using compulsion on the dance floor earlier, but we both knew it was a lie. My body seemed to react to his as if we belonged together. A terrifying thought considering everything I’d learned tonight.

  Although, perhaps not. I was half-fae, according to Tray. Which raised a myriad of questions.

  Ones I doubted would all be answered tonight.

  Which was good because I probably couldn’t handle those details on top of everything else.

  Sliding my feet back into my stilettos, I climbed out of the limo and stared up at the imposing black marble exterior. Uh, hello, Dracula. I’m Ella. Nice to meet you. Please don’t eat me.

  Tray slipped into the night behind me, the heat of his body the only indication he’d moved. His palm pressed to the small of my back, the touch tentative. I should push him away, but I refrained. It would only worsen the situation.

  Clive disappeared through a grand set of doors at the front of the mansion, leaving the wood planks slightly ajar to signal his intention for us to follow. Or maybe he lurked on the other side, awaiting our approach so he could open the doors with a flourish.

  I frowned. Who even welcomes guests at this hour? And why are all the lights on? It had to be well after midnight, maybe even later. But the gothic home was lit up like it was midday inside.

  “What now?” I wondered out loud.

  “Now I’ll introduce you to my parents and my brother, Kols, if he’s around.” Tray gave me a little nudge, indicating he wanted me to walk.

  “Your parents,” I repeated. “Who are, like, uh, royalty?” Oh, by the way, my father is the Midnight Fae King. And vampires are real. Welcome home, Ella! I nearly laughed out loud at the ludicrous nature of my thoughts, but here we were, walking up the cobblestone drive toward Count Dracula’s mansion.

  Awesome.

  “Yeah, as are you,” he replied. “As I said, your mother was of the royal line, just a different family.”

  I stopped walking. “Does that mean we’re like cousins?” Because that would be wrong on so many levels.

  He snorted. “No. Not at all. Think of the royal lines like you would the famous family names in Darlington. None of them are related, but they run in the same circles. Similar concept, only we base our royalty on the power in our veins, not how much wealth we keep in our accounts.”

  “And you think I have magic.” He’d mentioned it in the limo, that he thought I was blocking them because of my “emotional armor.”

  “I know you do, Ella.” He shifted to stand in front of me, his hands falling to my hips. “Your mother’s family is notoriously powerful. While her leaving our world wasn’t exactly celebrated, she still maintained her access to the dark arts. And that gift should have passed to you.”

  “What do you mean by ‘her leaving wasn’t exactly celebrated’?”

  A hint of unease darkened his gaze. “Those of the royal lines tend to have their futures designated for
them. Your mother chose not to follow the path outlined by the Council, which created some tension.”

  “I thought you said human relationships happen because of the whole blood-drinking thing.”

  “They happen, yes, but that doesn’t mean the relationships are well respected by our kind. And a royal declining an intended arrangement over a mortal affair is particularly rare. Your mother was fortunate that her father’s position superseded the other family, or she’d have been forced to return.”

  Uh, that entire statement was rife with political red tape. What I gathered was that my mother came from an influential fae family that helped her break the rules for my father. As that all led to my creation, I couldn’t exactly comment negatively on the arrangement.

  But I also didn’t fully understand it.

  Tray cupped my cheek, tilting my head back to hold his gaze as he moved into my personal space. “There’s a lot I need to explain, Ella. But I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

  “Too late,” I muttered.

  His lips curled into a smirk. “Well, you didn’t exactly leave me with any other choice. You were about to run and never look back.”

  “Correction, I wasn’t about to run; I was running.”

  “But I caught you.”

  “And abducted me and forced me into a fae world,” I finished for him. “Yeah, not sure that’s adding points in your favor, Nacht.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he agreed. “I’ve played this game entirely wrong.”

  “And that was your first error,” I told him. “Considering my life a game makes you no better than anyone else.”

  “I don’t consider your life a game, sweetheart.” His gaze burned with an intensity that caused my heart to skip a beat. “Those bastard humans in Darlington created the game, but I failed to master my strategy despite my careful planning. I thought by befriending them and joining the inner circle, I could move them around like the pawns they are. But that bitch Ryan one-upped me, something she’ll pay dearly for at some point.”

  “I…” I swallowed. “I don’t know what to say to that.” His sincerity had knocked the wit right out of me. There wasn’t a single smart-ass reply I could make. So I went with a question instead. “What was your goal?”

  He didn’t miss a beat. “To watch you destroy them.”

  “How?”

  “By dethroning those idiot stepsisters of yours and bringing Darlington royalty to their knees.” His thumb traced my cheekbone. “I’d love to see you burn that shithole to the ground.”

  The embers flecking his obsidian irises told me he meant that literally, not figuratively. “You really want to avenge me.”

  “More than you’ll ever know,” he admitted. “What they’ve done to you is sick and disturbing, and the fact that those adults you call teachers do nothing to stop them only makes it worse. And don’t get me started on your cunt of a stepmother.” He physically shuddered. “Had I been allowed, I would have taken you to the Midnight Fae Realm far sooner. Unfortunately, you belonged in the human world until very recently.”

  “And now?” I prompted, startled by the end of his statement.

  “You belong here, but the Council agreed to let you finish the human school year first.”

  My lips parted, words halting in my throat. I belong here? With the vine-snakes and firebirds and creepy gargoyles? Uh, yeah, no. Nope. Not happening. Do not pass go. I—

  “Trayton?” a female voice called from the doorway.

  I glanced over his shoulder to see an elegantly poised female in a vibrant emerald dress waiting on the stoop. Her black eyes met mine, a hint of distaste coloring her flawless features.

  Tray turned with a smile. “Hello, Mother.”

  Mother? I thought, my eyes widening. This woman couldn’t be older than twenty-five, her porcelain skin nowhere near aging.

  He walked into her open arms, kissing her cheek. “Apologies for our unexpected arrival. I wanted to show Ella our home.” He stepped to her side and smiled. “Ella, this is my mother, Reba Nacht. Mother, this is Isabella Cinder.”

  “Cinder?” she repeated, arching a brow. “You mean Isabella Zorya, yes?”

  Tray sighed. “We haven’t reached that part of her familial history yet, Mother.”

  “That’s my mother’s maiden name,” I said, frowning.

  “It’s your true name as well,” Reba informed me, turning. “Come inside, Trayton. It’s rude to keep the family waiting.”

  With that lovely invitation, she disappeared into the colossal home.

  “Your mother adores me,” I deadpanned.

  Amusement flirted with Tray’s features, giving him a younger appeal. “She’s having a hard time accepting some of my choices, but she’ll come around.”

  I arched a brow. “Choices? Like enrolling in Darlington Academy when you clearly don’t need the high school degree?”

  “Yeah, things like that.” He held out his elbow. “Come on, Ella darling. I promise my parents won’t bite.”

  “And you?” I countered, folding my arms. “Will you bite?”

  He sauntered toward me, snagging me around the waist with his arm before I could step away. “I’m going to do a lot more than bite you, sweetheart.” He nipped at my bottom lip in a flash, leaving me hot and trembling against him.

  How does he do that? I thought, livid with my innate reaction to him. He’s a vampire, for crying out loud!

  Yet I swayed in his arms like a damn damsel in distress.

  “What is this pull you have over me?” I asked, breathless.

  His lips curled. “I could ask you the same thing.” He brushed his nose against mine. “Will you please come with me inside? I can’t explain everything tonight, but at least you’ll have an understanding of where I’m really from. Then we can discuss what comes next.”

  What comes next, I repeated to myself. What came next was me getting the hell out of here.

  And then what? Head back to Darlington?

  Yeah, because there was so much I enjoyed there. Not.

  The last few years had all been about graduating so I could escape. To run as far away from Darlington as possible.

  What could be farther than a fae realm?

  Tray lifted his hand to massage the lines of my forehead. “Stop frowning at me.”

  “I’m not frowning at you.” I was frowning at this bizarre situation. He’d taken me to a place where I could actually escape. A new life where I didn’t have to worry about my stepsisters or Clarissa. A world with possibilities I’d never dreamed of. “What happens at Midnight Fae Academy?” Wasn’t that what he called it? The college-like school his kind attended.

  “We perfect our access to the dark arts.”

  “Right, you said that, but what does that mean?” An image of a wizard waving a wand around popped into my mind.

  “There are a variety of dark-magic sects you can study, typically denoted by your bloodline. As a royal, you’ll be enrolled in the Elite Program to learn more about the source of our power and how to control it.” He drew his thumb across my lower lip. “You’ll understand more once you ignite your gift.”

  “Which you think is blocked,” I said, shivering from the soft caress against my mouth.

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “And you want to help me unblock it?”

  “I do.” He brushed a kiss against my cheek. “My mother is going to interrupt us again if we don’t start moving.”

  “Was I supposed to curtsy?” I blurted out. “Is that why I offended her?” She was married to a king, right? Wait… “If your dad is…” My knees locked, realization slamming into my skull with the force of a freight train. “Holy crap.” I should have deduced this when he first mentioned it. “That means you’re a prince. And a future king?” I squeaked.

  “Technically, that would be my role,” a voice drawled from the dark. “But yes, my little brother is every bit the prince.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Tray

  Kols mate
rialized beside us with a wicked grin, knowing how much I hated his little brother comment. “By two minutes,” I muttered.

  “Still makes me the future king and you a mere prince.” He waggled his brows. “Unless you want to duel for it?”

  The reference to our youth had me shaking my head. “We both know I don’t want to win that challenge.”

  “So you continue to tell me,” he replied, meeting Ella’s wide gaze. “My brother here claims that every time I suggest a battle. Not only is he under the misconception that he’ll win, but he also believes it means he’ll inherit the throne.” He zapped my side with a flicker of electricity, causing me to release Ella and send a volt back at him.

  “This was an expensive suit,” I complained, noting the fraying material at my side.

  “Aw, here, I’ll fix that for you, little bro.” He wiggled his fingers, weaving a hint of magic into the air that threaded the fabric back together.

  “Will you two stop showing off and get in here?” my mother demanded from the doorway, her patience officially gone.

  Ella appeared frozen, her eyes on the elemental flares lingering near my side.

  “Two more minutes, Mom,” I called to her. “Please.”

  She held my gaze for all of a second before throwing her arms up in the air in a gesture of defeat and retreating into the house.

  “Dad has a meeting with Aswad tomorrow,” Kols informed me. “It’s put Mom on edge.”

  “I see that,” I replied, my focus falling to Ella. “Are you okay with going inside, or would you prefer I take you home?” Because if that was her choice, I’d do it. Even if it meant staying up pretty much all night to make it happen. My compulsion had screwed with her sense of time, allowing her to think maybe an hour had passed since the dance. In reality, it was closer to five.

  Fortunately, Midnight Fae were true to their name. We were night creatures, and it was only our equivalent of a late afternoon at the moment.

  “You’ll take me back?” she asked softly.

  “If that’s what you want, yes.” I approached her again. However, I didn’t touch her this time. “It would be wiser for us to stay, Ella. But I’ll never force you to do something you don’t want to do.” Within reason, of course. She would eventually have to attend the Academy. Council rules and all that. Hence the importance of my job—to ensure that she wanted to enroll, thereby rendering the edict a moot point.