Page 64 of Hell Fae King
I swallowed. “And what about my father? What group does he fall into?”
He considered that for a moment, his expression giving nothing away. “He exchanged your life for his own freedom, something I would typically consider to be selfish. But if your mother influenced him with her Virtuous Fae magic, then his situation was unique.”
“Do you evaluate someone’s soul before agreeing to a deal?” I wondered out loud, curious if he’d taken note of my father’s intentions while engaging with him.
“I evaluate objectives more than souls,” he replied and stepped around his desk to lean back against it. His long legs stretched out before him, one ankle resting over the other as he slid his hands into the pockets of his dark slacks. “Your father’s objective was clear—he wanted to cut ties with my Source so he could be with your mother. I didn’t think to dig further into that need; he wasn’t the first or the last Hell Fae to make such a request.”
“Did the fae before and after him offer you the lives of their daughters, too?” I asked, unable to keep the snark from my voice.
His lips twitched. “No, Camillia. Yours was a unique case. Most of them offered a task or a service in exchange for me releasing them from the Hell Fae Source. But your father seemed to think I needed a better offer, something I’d found amusingat the time.” He glanced away, his gaze turning thoughtful. “In hindsight, I should have wondered why he felt such a high price was required. It’s not like my Hell Fae are prisoners.”
I snorted. “We’re not? Because it certainly felt that way during the trials.”
“For you,” he murmured, returning his attention to me. “Hell Fae Bridal Candidates were kept in the paradigm for observation and testing, so yes, you were a captive. But my Hell Fae—the ones with free rein through my realm—are not. Free will is something I very much value. I would never force someone to remain here who didn’t want to be here.”
“Unless they’re a bridal candidate.”
“A different situation entirely.”
“In your mind,” I pointed out. “But not in mine.”
“Because you don’t understand my world,” he replied. “And thus far, you’ve been too closed-minded to try.”
My eyebrows flew upward. “I’m standing right here, aren’t I?”
“Yes, and throwing off an attitude that’s making my palm twitch,” he bit back. “Being here and being willing to learn are not the same concepts.”
My jaw clenched. I had no idea what he meant by thepalm twitchcomment, and I didn’t want to ponder that for too long. So I focused on the latter part of what he said.
“I want to learn,” I told him. “I want to understand. But I can’t ignore that a deal—one I had no say in—is why I’m here. I also can’t just forget what I felt in that dungeon or what I experienced as a bridal candidate. So if I’m giving you anattitude, it’s because you deserve saidattitude.”
“Because I agreed to an offer that in the end has benefited you more than anyone else?” he asked, his eyebrow winging upward.
My teeth ground together even more as a retort taunted my tongue.
But he wasn’t done speaking.
“You’re mated to my Prince, my Commander,andmy Warden.” He pushed away from his table to come to his full height. “You’ve been given access to the deepest depths ofmyrealm. You’re now standing in a sacred place, surrounded by secret agreements. I even took you to my lair, a placeno onehas entered except for those inside my inner circle. Yet you want to harp on a deal I wasn’t responsible for crafting. A deal I would have been a fool to refuse. A dealyour fatheroffered.”
“Ty—”
“No,” he bit off, his gaze still on me. “This is on me to fix. I accept that. But we can’t move forward while these emotions simmer between us.” He moved into my personal space, his hand suddenly on my nape. “You’re angry with me? Fine. You want to punish me for your father’s choices? Fine. But consider what it’s doing to your mates, Camillia. What it’s doing tous. Because I can’t teach you if you’re unwilling to learn.”
I glared up at him. “I’m not unwilling.” And I was really tired of him saying that. “Questioning you and your motives is a natural response to the situation, Typhos. I can’t just trust you, not after everything we’ve been through.”
“You meanwon’t, Camillia. Youwon’ttrust me. Faith is a choice, not an inherent feeling. I’ve wounded your faith in me. I understand that. But we can’t change the past. We can only move into the future. Which means either you’re going tochooseto trust me, or you won’t. That decision is yours, darling queen. Not mine.”
Darling queenechoed in my head, overriding everything else he’d said. Because all I could hear was the wordqueenon his tongue. Not spoken as a noun so much as an endearment.
Why? I wondered.Why would he call me that?
Because he’s starting to realize your potential,Melek whispered back, obviously listening to my thoughts. Or perhaps I’d broadcast them.He respects you, little angel. You might not see it, but I do. This lesson proves it. He’s being patient and taking responsibility for his faults, all while trying to answer your questions. Ty wants to fix this. But he’s right—the success of this endeavor relies on your acceptance. Either you allow him to make amends, or you continue to hate him.
I don’t hate him,I replied via our mental connection.
Just as he doesn’t hate you, he murmured, his voice a caress to my mind.Look into his eyes. Really look. And you’ll see that his feelings are anything but hatred.
I swallowed, my attention returning to the male before me—the one standing far too close. His gaze held mine with a dominance that caused my heart to skip a beat.
