Page 10 of Hell Fae Commander

Threats were something I dealt with swiftly and mercilessly.

Except, this pretty little threat had a magic cunt that had spellbound all of my men.

Fuck.

A growl reverberated in the back of my throat. I should just turn around and kill her.

Or I could… I could try to understand her,I considered.Determine why all of my men are so infatuated with her. See if there’s a way to shatter this damn spell she’s woven around them all.

I snorted at the inane thoughts.

Camillia De la Croix was a mystery no man would unravel without forfeiting his soul.

I kept walking until I entered the trophy room. I bypassed the skulls and mementos from my many victories and went straight to a dimly lit corner that showcased my favorite piece of art.

This was where I went when I needed to think. When I needed to get my head on straight. When I needed to…calm down.

Grazing my fingers over the ridges of the painting, I drew in the memories of when Melek had created this piece. It depicted a wall of flames that wouldn’t mean much to others but represented how Melek viewed my love.

All-consuming.

Passionate.

And never ending.

My love for Melek and my people was a fire that burned for eternity because I deemed it so.

However, Camillia’s presence here endangered everything I’d built. Everything I adored.Everything I am.

I’d felt her elegant fingers delicately unwinding my soul like the frayed ends of a tapestry, threatening to make it all come undone.

My fingernail caught the edge of one of the flames, and the paint broke off, revealing the glittering gold base canvas underneath. Frowning at it, I decided I didn’t like the metaphor that small action represented.

She’s going to strip me down to my core if I continue to allow her to breathe.

And then what? What use would I be to Melek if a simple Hell Fae Halfling could manipulate a power that would otherwise be eternal?

There’s something more going on here that I’m missing.

But I didn’t have time to pick apart everything right now to find that missing piece. As Melek had pointed out, there were more important items to be concerned with at the moment.

Such as the kingdom that had just been nearly ripped apart by foreign magic. And the Naga King that had paged me for a conversation.

She sensed that page,I recalled, my gaze narrowing.

I’d seen it in Camillia’s features—she’d felt the vibration of magic that had shimmied in the air when Viper had tried to reach out to me. No one else had reacted, just Camillia.

Was it because she was still connected to me?

Or was she continuing to access my source without permission?

Even if she wasn’t doing it on purpose, it was a violation that couldn’t be tolerated. I’d cast her into a deep sleep to prevent her from meddling further. It was a mercy she didn’t deserve when I should have made her heart stop instead.

She needs to die.

Yet my men clearly disagreed with that verdict.

Fuck.