Well, that complicates matters even more.
As does my still-silent Phoenix.
Fuck.
So how am I supposed to interrogate her when I can’t force her to talk?
CHAPTER3
MELEK
Azazel disappearedin a puff of ash, leaving behind a cold sort of darkness in the air that raised the hairs along my arms.
I tightened the sash around my robe and faced Typhos. “Leave her to rot?” I repeated, arching a brow at my lover. “Have you considered what that will do to me?”
“Perhaps it’s a necessary lesson in mate-bonds,” he drawled, his blue eyes narrowing. “You’re the one who tied your soul to her.”
“So now you want to punish me for it?” I asked, taken aback by his callousness. Typhos could be cruel, he could even be cruel to me, but this…
This wasn’t like him at all.
I knew he had a lot on his mind right now, not to mention the strain the source was putting on him—a strain he either didn’t notice or refused to acknowledge—but that didn’t excuse his easy dismissal of my mate-bond choice.
“Camillia couldn’t possibly be behind the portal,” I told him. “And I highly doubt she’s tainting your source, either. She’s a Halfling Hell Fae.”
“Of unknown origin,” Typhos reminded me. “And Azazel couldn’t locate her parents.”
Okay, yes, that was concerning. As was her disappearing act for the last thirty days.But… “What would she have to gain by tainting the source?”
“Her escape, obviously,” Typhos replied. “Which she succeeded in achieving, then disappeared for thirty days. And in those thirty days, we haven’t had any other disturbances. Is that a coincidence or is it related?”
He folded his thick arms as he stared down at me, waiting for my reply.
“You know I don’t believe in coincidences,” I told him.
“Neither do I.”
“But I don’t think she’s responsible,” I continued. “I think she’s resourceful and took advantage of the opportunity to flee.”
Which made her formidable and intelligent, and maybe a little devious. All traits I found to be respectable, not distasteful.
Actually, her cunning behavior turned me on. It was part of what made her perfect for us.
I just had to convince Typhos of that.
Which was an impossible feat in his current mood.
“Just as I think some of our Nightmare Fae chose to take advantage of the opportunity to create a portal,” I added. “Someone or something else is responsible for weakening the source. And their interference merely allowed a few other pieces to fall into place.”
We knew from our discussions with Maliki that he hadn’t expected the portal to work. But he’d attempted to create it with the help of a few hungry Ghouls from the Morpheus Kingdom. The Ghouls hadn’t initially set out to find mates, just to feed on human nightmares. But playing was in their nature.
And they were horny little fae.
So they’d found a few mortal snacks to bring home.
Or that had been the plan, anyway.
But apparently this new reality had contained mortals who were suitable mates for some of Hell Fae kind. An intriguing development, considering the Hell Fae Source was notoriously selective, often rejecting mortals and fae who sought entry. However, something about these mortals was deemed acceptable.
