—Kal'Hallen

We make a sorry lot, spread throughout a barren hall. Most of the Fae left quickly after the Druids. Asher and King Lucian stand in a corner, engaged in a heated discussion. Twice I have heard them shout my name.

Madrid sits alone at a table, drinking straight from a bottle of something that glows blue. Varis is gone, not seen since the disastrous presenting, and here I am, drowning my sorrows with Durk of all people.

He's less annoying when both of us are drunk.

I hold my goblet up and tap the side. "It's empty," I say. He nods somberly and refills my wine, topping his off as well.

"At least no one tried to tear my clothes off this time," I say as I drink deeply from my cup, the flavor burning my tongue.

Durk raises a bushy red eyebrow. "You are royalty, regardless of what the other Old Ones say. No one would dare touch you in such a way."

I raise my goblet. "I'll drink to that."

Our glasses clink, and we drink. My head spins. Everything feels fuzzy and less important. Less weighty. I know this won't solve my problems, but it's nice to be out of my head for a few hours, even if I'll likely regret it in the morning.

"I'm not breaking any drinking laws here, am I? This is more like Europe, with a younger drinking age?"

He frowns at me. "I know not this Europe, but you are the law."

"Right."

We toast again. For I am the law.

I hear a hiccup and turn to see Yami lifting an entire wine bottle to his mouth. I grab it from him before he drowns himself. "You are definitely too young for that!"

He mews and drops his head, giving me big sad eyes.

"Nope. No wine for you. Come here."

Yami jumps back onto my arm and climbs up to my shoulder. I place the wine bottle a safe distance from us, noticing the dragon licking his lips and tilting over a bit. There's a stain of red on his mouth.

I sigh. "Great. My baby dragon is a lush."

Durk shakes his head. "The Midnight Star does not sound as formidable as he once was."

"He's a baby," I remind him. "He will grow out of it." I hope.

No wine bottle in site, Yami glances at a platter of meats and cheeses. He dives off my shoulder, head first into the food. His claws push aside the cheese, and his little fangs tear into a slice of pork. This must be the hunger Varis warned me about.

Durk grunts at the food—which disappears into thin air for all but me—and leaves the table abruptly, returning a few minutes later with a bottle of something that glows silver, and two small shot glasses.

He fills both and hands me one.

"What's this?" I ask.

"Magic," he says, downing his shot in one gulp. His entire body shakes, and he yells, and giggles, and then his lips curl into a pleasant smile.

I sniff at my drink, then copy him, taking it all at once. I nearly gag. It burns down my esophagus and I choke, grabbing my throat, looking for something to put out the fire inside my body. I can feel it eating away at the lining of my stomach!

Durk guffaws and slaps my back, then pours us each another.

"You've got to be kidding," I choke out, still panting and waving at my mouth.

"Only way to tame the beast," he says.

I do another shot, and my world wobbles. Durk smiles at me, and I swear it's the first time he's looked at me with something other than revulsion or disdain. "You might not be as bad as all that," he says.

"Thanks, I think."

Yami returns, the platter empty of meat, and sniffs at my drink. He makes a gagging sound, then runs back up to my neck and hides behind my hair. I giggle uncontrollably and Durk frowns.

"Do ya know why this matters?" he asks, his voice low.

I stop laughing and look at him. "Why what matters?"

"This!" He waves his arms in the air as if to encompass everything. "You. The Midnight Star."

"I know why it matters to me," I say, thinking of peace, of Fen. "Why does it matter to you?"

"I had a younger brother once. Nat was his name. I remember a time we were little, playing by the gryphons. He wanted to ride one and I didn't stop him in time. Nearly broke his neck, and our mother nearly broke my bum after that. I swore I'd never let anything bad happen to him again." Durk sighs and takes another shot, and I wait, silently. "He was taken captive long ago. Taken by the vampires. I don't even know if he's dead or living as a slave. But he is the reason I helped start this rebellion. To find my brother. To bring him home, or put him to rest once and for all."

I think of all those Fae held captive by the vampires. By Fen. I reach over and place my hand on Durk's. "I'm so sorry."

He nods. "So you see, this is why you are important to me, Midnight Star. I do not want war. I want peace, a world where I do not have to fear for my family. And you are the only way I see."

I force a grin, though inside I do not know how I will ever succeed. Yami will not listen to me. The Druids will not follow me. And Lucian… I still fear what the king will do if he decides my worth is gone.

I look over at Madrid, who is still drinking alone, her silver gown dirty with specks of dust and wine. "What about her? Why is she so sad?"

Durk pours me another shot. "Long ago, Madrid and Oren, the Fire Druid you met tonight, were Karasi—spirit of the heart. She has waited for his return for many, many years. But Oren made her choose: You—the Midnight Star—or him. She chose you."