Page 62 of Bride of Death

Oh, fae…

Maybe I should have gone with another option after all.

Chapter 15

Morpheus

Maliki’s palmburns around my throat, alerting me to Hades’s power rolling over his skin.

It’s about fucking time my cousin claimed Maliki as his own.

Though, I wonder if Maliki even knows.

Hmm. Not my place to tell him.

It is my place, though, to punch him in the face after that slug venom incident. However, it was clever. Which, naturally, amused me once the electrifying sensation wore off.

I can’t remember the last time someone got the best of me like that. Maybe four or five hundred years ago when sparring with Ares.

There’s a reason I don’t accept his challenges anymore. His fondness for strategy marks him as a worthy adversary. But his violent temper makes him unpredictable and therefore dangerous. Hence, no more playing with Ares.

Maliki, though, I’ll play with again.

But not here.

I need him alert and ready to kill.

Because we’re about to enter a dying world—the Mythos Fae Realm.

Which is why I slow our journey down long enough to grab Sera’s boots before completely leaving her hut, and take us to my palace.

We arrive in my former bedroom, where Maliki instantly pins me against a wall, his golden eyes glowing with rage. “Have you completely lost your fucking mind?”

“Possibly,” I wheeze, his palm constricting my airflow.

Misting out of his hold, I teleport to my closet.

It’s just as I last saw it a few years ago, thanks to Beta Abigail maintaining my rooms. A dozen Betas live in my palace, their sole responsibilities built around general upkeep. As payment, I allow them to reside here behind my enchanted gates.

I only visit when there’s an issue—something my magic alerts me to.

Or on the rare occasion that I’m craving a visit. Such as today.

Not many Alphas reside in this realm now. It’s mostly Betas trying to survive the dystopian landscape.

But my palace is built on dreams. Thus, it’s a literal utopia when compared to the fields outside the gates.

Thumbing through my suits, I move on to my sweaters and select a black one for Maliki. Then I grab a pair of socks and some boots.

Hades will absolutely loathe knowing that I dressed Maliki in my clothes, a fact that makes me smile as I walk through the bathroom connected to my closet.

When I step through the door into my suite, I find Maliki pacing near the four-poster bed.

Meanwhile, Sera is staring around with a bewildered expression. Her shoes are on the floor, their haphazard placement a result of me dropping them when Maliki shoved me up against the wall moments ago.

Seeing me again, he comes charging, so I mist to his back, only to take a blow to the head.

Because he followed my movements.