“Only the ones with spells laced through them.”
Az and I shared a look. He mirrored my confusion.What hell is she talking about?
Probably some nonsense she intended to use as a distraction.
Whatever.
I let it go, focusing instead on the shimmering veil awaiting us at the end of the corridor. It had the appearance of a glistening waterfall but possessed a smokey quality.
We stepped through it and emerged in the Detention Dorms.
Otherwise known as my prison cells.
My playground.
Camillia flinched as she took in the various cages surrounding us. Originally, they’d been used for holding the tortured souls who’d broken their deals with Lucifer. They’d had a tendency for trying to escape Hell’s realms after morphing into their new monstrous forms—Lucifer’s favorite kind of punishment for naughty fae.
These iron bars had held them with ease.
At least until Az and I had found a better way to detain them within the paradigm. Now they were provided freedom every day during curfew hours, which served as a benefit for keeping the captives in line and allowing us to tame the monsters.
Of course, there were always the troublemakers, those who favored disobedience and death to their current forms. The first half of the dungeon was still reserved for them.
The second half was now designated for unruly candidates.
It seemed fitting that Camillia would be the first to visit.
A deep growl penetrated the area as a Minotaur glared at us from his cell. Camillia took a half step backward.
“Where’s that defiant spirit now?” I asked, pulling her forward. “Did you leave it in the amphitheater?”
“Fuck you,” she shot back, then yelped as the Centaur in the cell next to her made a guttural bull-like sound. She shuddered as she faced it, her face going white.
Smoke drifted from its nostrils, its tall, wickedly curved antlers promising a slow death to anyone caught in its path. It stomped one hoof as if it wanted to charge. Lucky for Camillia, there were magically reinforced bars between us and it. Red eyes glowed from an ever-present black shadow that perpetually lingered over a Centaur’s humanoid face, this breed of Centaur having its magic derived from darkness and death.
It approached the bars, standing over a foot taller than me, and stared down at Camillia, its fingers curling around the iron.
“Perhaps the Hellbeast would like a roommate,” Az drawled, causing Camillia to blanch.
The terror that crossed her face made Az’s proposal tempting, but I had other plans for our little rebel. “Come on,” I said, and Camillia eagerly followed now, sticking close to me. It was ironic, really, that she would seek comfort fromme.
I slowed as we passed a Siren tank. One of the monsters lifted herself out of the water, blinking milky eyes at my captive.
Then the being opened her jaw lined with two rows of teeth and sang the most beautiful, haunting melody known to fae kind.
Camillia paused, taking in the deadly Hellbeast floating lazily in the water.
This breed of Siren looked truly terrifying, but their song could be difficult to resist.
“Ajax…” Az warned, but I held up a hand.
Let’s see how strong-willed our candidate really is,I mused.
Camillia took a step toward the Siren, her gaze locked on the magnificent creature.
All Nightmare Fae were enchanting, their nickname ofHellbeastswell earned. It was hard not to respect them a little, their lethal grace rather admirable.
Of course, I was their Warden for a reason.
