Page 25 of Bellamy

“That’s not what I—”

“Shut the fuck up, Phoenix.” I stood from the water and snatched a towel off the rack beside the tub. “I swear to all the gods, I will tear your fucking throat out if you say another goddamn word.”

He didn’t respond. Smart.

I finished drying off, but when I went to step forward, I lost the last of my strength and stumbled. Phoenix caught me against his chest. And damn it all, my eyes stung for the second time.

“Let go of me,” I growled. My voice cracked a little.

“No.”

That close to Phoenix, the bad shit in my head lifted even more. My frayed nerves eased, and I relaxed. And maybe it was because I had finally reached my physical limit, but I stopped fighting and pressed myself against him. Breathed him in. His smoky scent was like a warm fire. Comforting.

His arms came around me, and he held my full weight. My eyes closed. I couldn’t keep them open any longer.

Phoenix combed his fingers through the back of my hair. It was the last thing I remembered before everything else faded away.

Chapter Five

Phoenix

“He’s sleeping.”

Asa looked at me over the rim of his goblet. “How’s his spirit?”

“Strong,” I lied. Bellamy had been feisty and combative as usual, but Belphegor had messed him up more than he showed. He hadn’t broken yet, but it was only a matter of time before the last threads holding him together finally snapped.

And it… well, it pissed me off.

I didn’t want Bellamy to break. However, victory for King Asa depended on it. Quite the predicament I’d found myself in. All because of the damn fated mate connection—a connection that sizzled each time I was around him.

“He may be strong now, but that will change. Belphegor will see to it.” Asa finished his wine before standing from the chair, his dark hair falling down his back. “I expect you to keep playing your part as well, Phoenix.”

“Of course.”

“Clever of you to bring him food during his first night here.” Asa stepped out onto the balcony, and I followed. He rested his arms on the railing. “For a moment, I thought you intended to betray my trust. But then I understood your angle. You know how these Nephilim think. You know how to break them. It’s why we work so well together, you and I. Our minds are similar. Both built for manipulation. Cruelty.”

The truth? I’d never meant for Asa to find out about the food, but a guard had found the goddamn apple core and some bread crumbs the next morning during the first check, and to get ahead of the situation, I’d told Asa that I was the one who brought it. To gain Bellamy’s trust, little by little.

Asa believed me.

“Kill them with kindness,” I said, lifting my gaze to the sky of perpetual darkness. “I have to say, Bellamy’s caught on to me. He suspects it’s a trick.”

Tricking him had been Asa’s idea. It didn’t sit well in my gut, but I’d gone along with it. I had to.

“Let him suspect whatever he wants,” Asa said. “It won’t matter when he’s desperate. We’ll give him time to rest in comfort before throwing him back into that dirty cell. Like giving a child a lollipop, then snatching it away. Belphegor will fuck with his head again and break his spirit even more. After several days of mental torment, no food, and little sleep, he’ll be starving for even a sliver of kindness. That’s when you’ll return to him.”

“Wouldn’t someone else be better suited for this?” I asked. “Bellamy and the other Nephilim hate my guts. He’ll never trust me.”

Asa’s eyes flashed to mine. “Trust you? You’re probably right. But Lust has a soft spot for you. And that’s the spot we’ll target.” At my stunned expression, the king smirked. “Do you think me a fool, Phoenix? During the battle in the Caribbean, he spared your life. And then months ago in that warehouse, he healed what would’ve been a fatal wound for you.” He poked the center of my chest. “That bullet pierced your heart. I wonder… did something else pierce it that night too?”

Anxiety swam in my veins. “Are you questioning whether I have feelings for him?”

He slanted his head to the side. “Do you?”

“No. Any kindness I show toward him is all an act.”

“Good.” Asa lowered his hand from my chest. “Keep it that way.”