Page 27 of Hell Fae Warden

Az replied by pulling his wings back into his sides, his black irises studying me intently.

“I don’t think she remembers anything,” I told him. “Zakkai administered the truth spell, and she stuck by her story, saying that, to her, only a few hours have passed. And she mentioned something about a book.”

I recounted everything she’d said while he sat there quietly, and then I started into my own thoughts on the matter, telling him that I wasn’t sure how to feel about any of it.

“There’s no way she’s lying. I felt the pressure of that spell on my own mind. But then, there’s also no way she escaped the ward.” I palmed the back of my neck. “So maybe Zakkai’s cryptic commentary about her being powerful is right. Maybe she’s more than just a Halfling Hell Fae.”

But I had no idea what she could be or what it might mean.

“I don’t think she meant to escape, though. Not like that. Which means she wasn’t using either of us. And we… we just interrogated her for no reason.” I flinched as that last part left my mouth, that dreaded uncertainty circling again. “I don’t know what to do now, Az. I don’t even know what to think anymore.”

She’d turned it all upside on me with a few honest answers.

“And this place is fucking with my head,” I added, my voice holding a touch of a growl to it.

Because all I could do was think about what Emelyn would say to me right now, how disappointed and pissed off she’d be at me for my life decisions.

Az’s feathers fluttered, drawing my attention to his descension as he floated gracefully down to the gravel path I stood upon. Only, he didn’t land on his talons; he landed on his feet, his shift appearing effortless as he returned to his human form.

He folded his arms over his bare chest, his irises still black rather than violet. That told me his Phoenix was still very much in charge.

“Perhaps I need to taste her power for clues,” he said, making me frown.

“What do you mean?”

“If she’s powerful enough to escape the ward and circumvent Zakkai’s truth spell, then we need to determine what she is. I can do that.” The black in his gaze seemed to flicker, like the violet was trying to peek out but failed. “Let me taste her.Reallytaste her.”

“You already have to an extent,” I reminded him. “The last time we played.”

“I was more focused on your power than hers. I’ll focus on hers this time.”

“So your solution to us not knowing how to move forward is to fuck her?” I asked incredulously.

He lifted a shoulder. “We can do more than fuck. We can play, too.”

I frowned at him. “This doesn’t sound like you.” In fact, it sounded more like his Phoenix than the man I knew. “What did Typhos say?”

“Not to hurt her,” he replied without blinking. “Hurting her hurts Melek. We are not allowed to hurt Melek.”

We,as in me and you? Orwe,as in Azazel and his Phoenix?I wondered. “I’m not sure she’s going to want us to fuck her right now,” I hedged, trying to figure out what was really going on here. “She’s pretty angry.”

He took a step forward. “Did you harm her?”

“No.”

His eyes searched mine. “A lie.” His palm wrapped around my throat as he lifted me into the air. “Youharmed what is ours.”

I grabbed his wrist, squeezing. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I demanded, my voice coming out in a rasp as he closed his grasp around my windpipe, cutting off my air supply.

I kicked out at him as he hissed, the sound very much like his Phoenix and not at all like the man beneath.

Fuck.

His animal was obviously very much in charge.

Not only that, but apparently he also thought I’d threatened Camillia in some way.

I knew enough about Phoenixes to know that this was a very bad situation to be in. They were extremely possessive and aggressive when it came to their fated mates, and if Az’s Phoenix thought she was theirs, then…