Page 80 of Hell Fae Commander

Which had been why I’d left the room to go on this walk.Right. I glanced around, eager to continue that course, my need to think and escape overwhelming everything else.

“Hmm,” the female hummed, seemingly oblivious to my desire to flee. “Mated against your will. I may know a thing or two about that.”

My instinct to run away momentarily halted as I looked back at the woman. “You do?”

“Oh, yes.” She scowled a little. “I also know how it feels to be bitten without consent.”

All right. She had my attention. “Who are you?”

Her lips twitched. “Aflora.”

My lips parted. “Aflora. As in…Queen Aflora?”Fuck.

What is it?Ajax asked immediately, my mental commentary having apparently gone straight to him.

I really needed to figure out how to control that.

Cami?he prompted.Are you all right?

I think I just met the Midnight Fae Queen,I told him.Aflorawasn’t exactly a common name, and it was one I’d overheard a few times now.

“I prefer to go by Aflora,” she murmured, her nose crinkling again as though she’d tasted something sour. “No title necessary.”

Are her mates there?Ajax asked.

No. It’s just her,I replied after glancing around.Why?

Wondering if I need to rescue you.

I… I’ll be fine. At least, I hoped I would be. “You were mated against your will?” I asked Aflora, still stuck on what she’d said about knowing a thing or two about that.

“Yes, via a bite.” Her long eyelashes fluttered as she shifted her focus to my wrist. “But mine was on my neck.”

I studied her flawless skin. “Looks like you healed.”

She nodded. “Midnight Fae marks show on the soul, not on the skin.”

“I think mine will be both.”

“I think so, too.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Do you need help?”

I swallowed and shook my head. “No.” Mostly because I had no idea what kind of “help” she could offer. And I wasn’t exactly hurt, just… conflicted. “I just wanted some fresh air.”

Her lips curled. “Well, can I at least help with that?” she offered. “I can take you to my gardens.”

“Oh, um, I don’t want to impose.” She was a queen. She probably had “royal things” to do. “I can… find it.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Really, it’s no bother. I was on my way there anyway. I need to find Dragonya for Florica.”

Dragonya?I echoed in my mind.No idea what that is, but…“Okay.”

“Excellent. Follow me.” She moved around me in a long skirt that swirled against the ground, the black fabric rustling as she went.

It certainly seemed like a fitting outfit for a vampire queen.

Meanwhile, I wore a simple pair of jeans, a tank top, and a leather jacket. My boots were flat, too. A practical outfit for a stroll. Very un-queen-like. It was what I’d asked Ajax to conjure for me. And I—the commoner—didn’t regret it even when faced with stunning royalty.

Melek would probably love her,I mused.She’d match his and Lucifer’s penchant for suits.