Page 147 of Hell Fae Commander

I don’t think you did either,I admitted. Az had been trying to protect Ajax by suppressing his urge to interfere with Lucifer’s punishment. I understood that now.

Just as I was beginning to see that nothing with Lucifer was what it seemed.

Vivaxia liked to parade me around,Az said, moving on with his story.One of her favorite demonstrations involved my death.His violet irises burned as he stared at me.Phoenix Fae are immortal, but we can still temporarily die. And when we do, we go up in flames. Then we rise again from the ashes.

That sounds… painful.

His lips curled, his arm stretching out along the couch again.It depends on how I die, but I’m not afraid to burn, little warrior. In fact, Icraveit.

I shivered. Only Az could turn such a dark topic into a sensual one.

But it’s the aftermath that hurts the most,he said, sobering.When a purebred Black Phoenix dies, his or her memories die with them. They’re truly reborn, unless they have a mate, in which case the memories trickle back in via the mating bond. Almost as though a Black Phoenix’s mate saves pieces of their soul for that purpose alone.

I stared at him, my eyes widening.So you forget everything when you die?

No. I’m not a purebred. As a result, my memories are typically safeguarded by my other half. And when those memories start to trickle in, they resemble bullets to my mind. Slamming into me either all at once or one after another.

I gaped on him.That…I had no words. No idea how to respond. That… that soundedexcruciating.

The speed of recovery typically depends on how quickly I die,he went on. An immediate death means I’ll regain my memories in one catastrophic hit to the brain. A slow death results in bullet-like sensations piercing my thoughts for hours or days on end.

I flinched.God, Az. I… I don’t know what to say.

There’s nothing to say, little warrior.His gaze glittered like fiery violet-colored diamonds.But “God, Az” is a pleasing sentiment.

I blinked, his sensual remark unexpected and somehow perfectly timed. Because it made me laugh out loud despite the sensation churning my insides. “I wouldn’t bet on that.”

“Oh, I would,” he returned, his voice a low purr of sound. “Someday soon, you’ll understand why.”

My stomach clenched for an entirely different reason than before, his silky words wrapping around me in a caress of unanticipated heat.

Az studied me, amusement still teasing the edges of his full—very kissable—mouth.

Typhos attended one of Vivaxia’s demonstration,he said, his statement not matching the hungry gleam in his features. But he seemed to want to finish his story.

And I very much wanted to hear the conclusion.

She invited him over with the intention of seducing him. I think it would have worked had she not involved me. But seeing her torture me—herpet—created a detour in her plans. Instead of immediately bedding him like she’d intended, they ended up discussing their first deal.

He gestured to the group of papers on the dining table, the one we’d discussed on the balcony sitting on top of the stack.

The contract you showed me earlier is the deal in question.His brow came down a little.I suspect Melek has something to do with yourandomlyselecting it from the pile.

My lips twisted to the side.The pages were scattered across the room when he left. I didn’t put them in any order.

He dipped his chin.I’m sure magic did that for you without you knowing.He ran his fingers through his hair again and sighed.Regardless, it’s not a coincidence that you handed me the contract surrounding my proposed freedom. Only, I was never really free at all.

What do you mean?I’d pretty much given up on waiting to ask questions. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind.

Typhos requested a change in ownership, essentially asking Vivaxia to let him have her pet. She agreed on one condition—that he spend a night in her bed doing whatever she desired.

My eyebrows lifted.And he agreed.

Of course. Vivaxia was a desirable female, and a night of sin wasn’t much of a hardship for him. Only, he made a fatal error in his acceptance. He didn’t set a term for how long I would become his. So she gave me up for one night, then showed up the following morning to take me back.

Oh. One night in her bed in exchange for one night of transferred ownership.I grimaced.I’m guessing that’s not what he had in mind.

Not at all,Az murmured.Of course, Vivaxia knew that. But she didn’t actually know why at first. She thought he just fancied playing with me. It was more than that, but she was too arrogant to think of any other reason.