Page 46 of Hell Fae Prince

Trying not to outwardly react. To be strong. To endure it all without blinking.

I didn’t want to go through that again. I couldn’t. It was horrible.

And it had ended with that portal explosion.

Absorbing Lucifer’s power.

Helping him only to end up in hiding here in the Midnight Fae Realm.

Now I had to face him. To follow through with our counteroffer. To… to play out our plan.

In this prison-esque dress that glittered like the fucking Source.

“Cami.” Az’s voice echoed through my mind, his domineering presence pausing my frantic movements.

I hadn’t realized I’d still been spinning, trying to tear off the magic gown.

One look at his concerned face suggested I’d been doing it for a while because he almost appeared to be afraid. Or maybe remorseful.

“I shouldn’t have let him put you on that stage,” he whispered, confusing me. “I should have stopped him. I’m sorry.”

I blinked. “What?”

“Typhos,” he ground out. “I shouldn’t have let him punish you like that.”

Ajax stood beside him with an equally worried expression. “You don’t have to go tonight,” he told me. “He wants a response from me. I can give it to him.”

I blinked again. “I’m not afraid of him,” I said. Which wasn’t exactly true—Typhos Lucifer was a frightening beacon of power—but I didn’t want to hide from him anymore.

He wasn’t the one who’d gifted me this dress.

Melek had.

That was what Shade had implied when talking about Zakkai’s new whatever-it-was-called with Melek. Friends. Allies. Secret exchangers. Who the fuck knew how to define it? Nor did it matter.

Because Zakkai had brought me this gown. And it had clearly been on Melek’s behalf.

I’d curse him in my mind, but that would require dismantling the barricade I’d built between us—a barricade that Az had helped me craft and perfect a few days ago.

I was still learning how to compartmentalize my mate-bonds. Thus, I didn’t trust myself to break the wall now to reach Melek. With my luck, it would permanently dismantle the barrier, and I’d have to start all over again.

Which meant I had to go to the ball.

Dressed like this.

For one single purpose—to find Melek.

And when I did, I’d fucking kill him.

CHAPTER 11

TYPHOS

Don’t frown so much, my love. You’re going to make Queen Aflora think you don’t want to be here,Melek interjected into my mind.

Idon’twant to be here,I informed him.

Really? Or are your feathers ruffled because a certain trio has not yet appeared?His multicolored eyes glittered with mischief, lifting my mood despite my irritation.It’s a party, my king. Have a little fun.