Page 10 of Hell Fae Warden

One minute,Typhos murmured into my mind. I hadn’t needed the warning to know to wait. I could hear his agitated tone through the door, suggesting he was in the middle of talking to someone. Likely another Nightmare Fae King. They were all disgruntled and out of sorts over the delay in the bridal trials, but Typhos was just being cautious.

Of course, he’d phrased it as a punishment for his ungrateful Nightmare Fae.

“My bridal trials are clearly not good enough for you all,” he’d said when addressing the Netherworld Kingdom and Morpheus Kingdom two weeks ago. “Why else would you find it necessary to engage in aMonsters Nightin an alternate reality’s realm?”

Apparently, that was a dangerous holiday in the alternate reality—Monsters Night. A night where monsters of various origins ventured into the alternate reality’s Human Realm to kidnap and claim potential mates. And somehow, the portal created in the Netherworld Kingdom had accessed this infamous occasion.

Several dozen Nightmare Fae had escaped through the illegal breach to find themselves potential brides, thereby defrauding and negating everything Typhos had been trying to accomplish.

So far, only one of them had been taken into custody.

Maliki.

My fucking half brother.

Evidently, he’d manned the portal that had allowed a myriad of Nightmare Fae to slip through the Netherworld and into the Human Realm. And he was completely unapologetic about it.

If he were anyone else, Typhos would probably have killed him by now.

Alas, he was my kin. Therefore, he’d been spared. He was another problem for me to deal with at a later point in time.

Camillia had been priority number one, and still was.

The door opened to reveal Melek’s angelic features, his multicolored irises flickering with secrets as he arched a brow at me. “You’ve found her?” A note of concern underlined those words.

A concern I ignored.

“She’s tied up in the Midnight Fae Realm with Ajax,” I replied.

“Oh?” That concern was immediately replaced by intrigue. “With rope?”

“With magic rope.” Ajax had chosen it in case Camillia tried to escape again. I sort of hoped she would try, just so she could see what happened when she loosened the binds too far.

Snake vines were deadly and vicious and not to be trifled with.

And theyhatedbetrayal.

A fitting punishment,I mused. My Phoenix had adamantly disagreed at the time, but he didn’t so much as whisper now.

“Hmm.” Melek’s eyes lit up with amusement. “Good practice, then.”

My brow furrowed. “Practice?”

“I assume she’s unharmed?” he asked, ignoring my question. Typical Melek.

“Barely even a scratch,” I replied.

“Hmm, well, rope can leave a mark when not affixed properly.” With that piece of unnecessary advice, he stepped away from the door and led me inside.

Typhos glanced up from his chair in the corner, his legs spread lazily as he drummed his fingers against the table before him. A holographic screen hovered there, the image facing him and resembling a cloud on my side.

Despite his leisurely posture, his aggression practically sent heat waves throughout the room. My Phoenix—if it weren’t locked up in a cage—would probably preen beneath the heat. Whereas I, the man outside of the feathers, found it uncomfortable.

I preferred my own black flames to Typhos’s all-consuming fire.

His raw power was why I respected him, though. And his ruthlessness to make sure those under his protection remained safe.

Something I wished to mirror in myself. Especially right now. Because if I failed to harness my Phoenix’s craving for Camillia, I might endanger those who really mattered.