Page 20 of Hell Fae Warden

Zeph winced while Zakkai took a step back, but Shade’s gaze was filled with pride. “You’re beautiful, little inferno.”

The two of them winked out of the room, leaving me to pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration. “How long do we have before your little firestarter destroys the building?”

Zakkai and Zeph shared a look, one that had Zakkai sighing.

A hint of an ocean breeze tickled the air as he engaged his magic, the cerulean flames similar to Florica’s. She’d clearly inherited the Quandary Blood traits from her mother—traits her mother had technically received when Zakkai had mated her.

Which made that little girl of theirs incredibly powerful because while Shade might be her biological father, she had Aflora’s blood running through her veins, and Aflora’s blood was tied to all four of her mates.

Midnight Fae lineages were complicated.

And given the wonder on Camillia’s face right now, she was suddenly realizing that as well.

Or perhaps it was Zakkai’s immense energy that inspired her current expression. He was the Source Architect and therefore one of the strongest fae in existence. Even Lucifer seemed uneasy around him.

Which meant I now had a very worthy fae to use to intimidate Camillia into speaking.

It’s time for the truth,I thought, catching her gaze.I can’t wait to hear what you really have to say.

CHAPTER5

CAMI

Zakkai,Zeph, and Shade.

I recognized those names. Particularly, Zakkai. He was the Midnight Fae Source Architect. Which was a fancy way of saying he could rewrite fae magic. I’d heard rumors about his power, just as I’d heard rumors about Aflora and her four mates.

They were abominations, but different from Hell Fae.

Aflora was connected to the Earth Fae Source, her royal Elemental Fae lineage granting her exquisite abilities at a young age. But Shadow, orShade, as Ajax had called him, had bitten her, which had been a huge breach in fae politics a little over a decade ago.

His bite had transitioned Aflora from being an Earth Fae into something else entirely.

And their story evolved from there to somehow include Zephyrus—Zeph,which I assumed was his preferred nickname since Shade had referred to him that way—Zakkai, and Kolstov.

They were all various types of Midnight Fae, thus providing Aflora with a well-rounded circle of power. Together, they were thought to be formidable. But I suspected that even apart they could hold their own just fine in a battle.

Not that I wanted to fight any of them.

Actually, I really didn’t want to be on any of their bad sides.

Yet I was the one strapped to a chair, held down by violent snakes, while Zakkai weaved some sort of hypnotic magic in the air. I couldn’t see it, but I could smell it, the sweet, ocean-like perfume washing over me in warm welcome.

Some part of me sighed, pleased with the abundance of energy lurking in those electric currents.

“The building is fortified,” Zakkai said, his silver-blue eyes flickering with embers as he stared at Zeph. “She’ll be able to destroy things over and over again to her little heart’s content.”

Zeph arched a dark brow, the color matching his thick hair. “Are we talking about Shade’s satisfaction or Florica’s?”

“Both,” Zakkai deadpanned before looking at Ajax. “What is it that you need me to do, Death Blood?”

“I believe he prefers to be calledWardennow,” Zeph offered.

“He isn’t my Warden,” Zakkai replied, folding his thick arms as he continued to focus on Ajax.

I leaned forward a little, intrigued by this whole dynamic, only to jolt as one of the bastard snakes bit my arm again.

All three males glanced at me with interest as I tried not to scream from the excruciating pain shooting through my veins.