Because she saw you as an animal, not a person,I translated.
Yes. But Typhos sawme.And he vowed to me in secret that he would do whatever it took to free me.
Why?I wondered.Not that I blame him, but if he was raised in this environment where Virtuous Fae are superior, why would he consider helping a “lesser” being?
Because he’s always believed that power doesn’t equate to superiority.
That seemed surprising, given my experiences with the Hell Fae King, but I didn’t comment.
Typhos feels that those born with certain gifts need to protect their creations, not torture them. And he never agreed with what happened to the beings marked asdefective. He has always believed that all life should be cherished and rewarded, unless the soul has committed a sin, in which case the soul has earned its torment. Hence, his version of punishment for those who renege on his deals.
The dark souls,I realized.That’s why some of those Nightmare Fae have black auras.
You can see them?
I nodded.Sometimes.
He considered that for a moment.Interesting.
Silence fell between us, his astute gaze stirring goose bumps along my arms. Despite the serious nature of our conversation, I couldn’t help but indulge in the view before me—a shirtless man with defined chest muscles, sculpted abs, and low-slung pants that fit his thighs rather nicely.
Melek’s residual energy was clearly messing with my libido.
Or maybe it was the dream.
I really didn’t know, but having Az sit so casually across from me like this almost felt like an invitation. One I was considering accepting.
He’s my mate,I told myself.Of course I want him. But can I trust him?
His nostrils flared, suggesting he’d overheard those thoughts.
I really need to master this whole channel thing,I thought with a sigh.
Yes, you do,he agreed, his tone serious.And yes, you can trust me.
I swallowed, willing myself not to reply or to think because he would just overhear every word.
After that first deal, Typhos became obsessed with besting Vivaxia,Az continued, giving me a reprieve from my thoughts.Thus began their long relationship where she played the part of his mentor, all while he attempted to beat her and she tried to find a way to steal his light.
His light being his energy,I replied.
Yes. That had been her goal all along. She recognized his power and wanted it for herself. So she began testing the limits of her deals, seeing if there was a way to borrow his abilities. Meanwhile, he bargained for more nights with me. As I said, she thought it was because he fancied me as a pet. It pleased her to no end to be able to use me for her personal gain.
My jaw clenched, the notion of Az being used in such a way souring my mood considerably.
She thought he was fucking me,Az went on.My Black Phoenix is sensual. A lot of her admirers wanted me for that reason. But Typhos was the only one she granted the privilege to because she thought he would be easier to manipulate if he was distracted by my Phoenix charms. Because of that, she let my leash slip a little more each time she gifted me to him for a night, knowing that I needed the ability to shift into my humanoid form to properly please Typhos.
What was he actually doing?I wondered.
Talking to me like an equal,Az replied quietly, his gaze momentarily lowering as if he was embarrassed to admit those words.He wanted to know how I’d become hers, and I told him about my mother.He swallowed then, his expression hardening.It turns out, my deal with Vivaxia held the same flaw—a time clause.
His violet irises flashed as he met my stare again.
The nesting accommodations only lasted a week. That was how much effort Vivaxia felt her side of the deal was worth to imprison me for life.The fury in his mental voice burned into my thoughts, his words inspiring a similar reaction on my end.
But a note of concern also followed.
Because if Vivaxia hadn’t upheld her part of the bargain…What happened to your mom?
