My lips quirked at the innuendo in his tone. I supposed that, as a Hell Fae, he could fight for her as a potential bride, if he so desired. He was old, powerful, and Lucifer’s right-hand man. They were also already bonded, just not sexually.
Fortunately, Hell Fae could bond multiple times. Hence the whole purpose of this trial. The women who proved viable would be auctioned off to groups to be shared—a way for Lucifer to pacify the many males of his Hell Fae kingdom.
Of course, the key wassurvival.
Which, consequently, was why there weren’t many women—the Hell Fae Source rarely accepted females into the inner circle.
Az stilled beside me as Camillia focused on the rocks, her expression determined.
Another flip of the metal, and one corner of her mouth lifted.
“Did you leave a magical trail on the coin?” Az guessed.
“Only a slight buzz to help nudge her in the right direction.” Paradigms were alternate realities that couldn’t be seen unless approached from the right angle and with an appropriate magical essence. Hence the need for the coin.
“Seems like more than abuzz,” Az replied as Camillia started forward with confident steps. “It’s like you handed her a map key.”
I didn’t reply, because yeah, that was exactly what I’d done. I just hadn’t expected her to figure it out so quickly. The coin’s magic was tied to the paradigm’s entrance, allowing the carrier to see the gates once they found the right arch to step through.
Which she seemed to have already located in record time.
Interesting.
Her files said she had a Hell Fae father of mixed origin and a human mother. They must have taught her how to sense magic for her to be able to navigate the lands so quickly.
The other candidates had all been taken directly to their new accommodations. But Camillia hadn’t arrived willingly. So this seemed like a suitable form of castigation, except she navigated the path quickly, ruining my fun.
“Well, that was boring,” I muttered as she spied the arch.
“But also intriguing,” Az replied. “She’s definitely unique compared to most of the others.”
“Want to take bets on her survival?” I asked conversationally.
Az’s violet gaze found mine. “Do these bets involve sexual favors?”
“Of course.”
“Then yes.” His serious tone implied he meant it. “We’ll discuss it more in the ring later.”
I sighed. “Again?” We’d just sparred the other night, and I was still recovering from his viciousness with the blade. My left leg still ached from his ruthless strike—an injury meant to taunt me as it stretched and pulled intimately at my flesh, reminding me of what had happenedafterwe’d finished our fight.
Seriously, the damn fae had more than earned his title as the Commander, a term that translated to being Lucifer’s lead warrior and enforcer. Everyone bowed to Az as if he were Lucifer himself.
Well, everyone except me.
Which was how Az and I had become friends and why he forced me to train with him. As he put it, I was one of the only fae with balls big enough to give him a proper fight.
Except I almost always lost.
“You like sparring,” Az replied softly. His lips brushed my cheek before going to my ear to add, “And you like when I force you to submit, too.”
I shivered, my window spell disappearing as Camillia found the gates.
“If you’re expecting me to climb those slithering walls, then you’re going to be waiting a while,” she called from outside the stone exterior.
The snake-vines hissed at her in response, irritated by her presence, and several gargoyles took up arms by the gates themselves.
I sighed. “I suppose I should give her the grand tour now.”
