Page 9 of Hell's Queen

I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. “Circe is working with them. I didn’t see her, and I didn’t need to. I felt her.”

Hazen lets out a sigh. “Let’s get everyone healed and showered, and we can talk about it. Agnus said the force field should help for a bit.”

Nodding, I move from Inarian’s arms to Ledger. I don’t want to spend another moment with people who betrayed me. Hollister heals Ryker and Thorne as Agnus uses another spell to calm the raging flames in me. I failed to do so.

Ryker touches my head before pulling me into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” That sweet flowery smell enters my nose, calming me more than I thought he would. I press my face into his chest.

“Your father hates me,” I mutter.

He chuckles. “He hates me too.” He glances at the conference area that is being rebuilt quickly by fae magic. “So… this is Thorne?”

I pull back, feeling awkward. I look at Thorne, who is currently trying to wipe the blood off himself. “Yeah, this is Thorne.” He looks up, crimson eyes meeting me.

“And can we trust him?” Jigsaw asks.

Thorne cocks a brow.

“Sadly.”

He looks at me. “Asura…”

“Thorne,” I simply say back as he narrows his eyes.

“Were you guys… a thing?” Ledger asks. He had already guessed it before, but maybe he didn’t believe himself or was just teasing.

“No,” I answer, while Thorne answers, “Yes.”

“I need to fucking shower before I burn someone.” I move up the stairs, hearing people follow me.

“Asura, can we talk?” Inarian asks, trying to follow close behind.

“Unless you want to get burned, I would say no. Everyone is safe besides Ozias and Khazon. Let’s leave it that way.”

“We need to talk.” He grabs my hand and stops me at the top of the stairs.

“Were you guys a thing?” Thorne teases.

I glare at him. “Ryker, show him a room before his reign of thousands of years ends.”

Thorne snorts, moving with Ryker. “Trouble in paradise, Asura?”

Heat blazes through me, and I can tell he’s pissing Inarian off. But Inarian looks… handsome… when he’s pissed, and it reminds me of all the times I made him mad just to see this side of him. His jet-black hair is a mess and matted with blood. Luckily his face was saved by Hollister. He towers over me, dark eyes looking down at me. He’s just as tall and broad as Ledger is.

“Asura—” Inarian starts.

“I’m trying to keep your reputation good with your friends,” I snap.

“I’m not his friend,” Ledger throws in. These men are pissing me off to no end.

“I don’t care what you think about me because they would have done the same thing I did, and you know it. No one wants to be at that academy, but if we don’t, we don’t get a fucking job. You guys treat us like we are expendable while we must protect you!”

“You guys?!” I snap. “I have never treated you like that! I have never used you for your magic.”

“You used them for their bodies.”

“You failed to realize that maybe I just fucking love them enough to treat them like human beings.” Silence falls between us. I don’t even care that I confessed that, and I am more concerned that I called them humans… What the fuck were they? “I have never used Hazen or Ledger or Jigsaw for their bodies. I… If that was true, I would have fucked you long ago, but look at us. You were the one wanting to fuck me.”

He rolls his eyes.

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