Page 111 of Hell Fae Captive

My gaze trailed down his neck to the hint of a dark design on his chest, the ink a stark contrast against his pristine, pale skin.

It seemed oddly appropriate, what with his perfection being a façade and all. His soul was as dark as those of the Hellbeasts I’d come across.

Well, not exactly. I actually couldn’t really read his aura.Interesting.

His lips curved upward as he redid the shirt’s buttons, hiding his tattoos from me and making my gaze narrow. He’d obviously done that on purpose, ensuring I saw his mark. Although, I had no idea why. But it seemed rather clear that Melek enjoyed his games.

“I’m not in the mood to play right now,” I told him honestly, my voice a rasp of sound. “So if you don’t mind…” I closed my eyes again, preparing to nap. Or maybe just shut him out.

Shut themallout.

Everything.

Just… just rest.

Find a way to stop trembling. Calm my muscles.Relax.

Except that didn’t feel possible. Instead, I curled my fingers into fists and dug my nails into my palms. The pain helped ground me in the present, giving me the ability to draw in a deep, hot breath. My insides rebelled at the putrid stench, but my lungs accepted the temporary reprieve.

However, my stomach rumbled like a disgruntled lion.

Loudly.

Melek openly laughed, his amusement making me want to curl even deeper into myself. I hated him. I hatedallof them.

He was amused by my exhaustion and starvation.

What a charming trait.

“Fuck off,” I muttered at him, thankful for my closed eyes. His attractiveness made me dizzy and stupid. With my eyes closed, I couldseehim for who he really was—a monster.

Which made it much easier not to fall for his deadly charm.

“Well,” he drawled softly. “If you’re not going to use my spells to make your own meal, how about you take this one instead?”

The sound of metal sliding across concrete grated against my ears, followed by the sound of bars clanking.

He’s in my cell.

My nose twitched as he set something down beside me.

Beef.Not the roasted kind from the trial, but… I sniffed.Steak.

I opened one eye to peer at the tray of food he’d slid over to me.Mashed potatoes. Steak. A pile of green vegetables. And a massive jug of water.

Melek knelt so that he was at eye level with me, and I noticed he’d also brought the book from my dorm room—the one I’d taken from the library.

Melek considered me for a moment. “You only used one of my spells today. Why?”

I narrowed my eyes. It should be fucking obvious to him that after he gave me that damn necklace, everything went south.

His gifts caused trouble, and I wasnotfalling for it again.

But his question elicited another thought that angered me even more—he watched the trials.

My glare intensified.Allthe Hell Fae had probably watched today’s events, enjoying the sick and twisted events that ripped some of the girls apart. They got off on watching innocents die for their own fucked-up amusement.

“Cami?” he asked, true concern in his voice as he set the book down on the rug beside the tray. “Why didn’t you use my gifts today?”