Page 26 of A Realm of Fire and Ash

My lips twist into a tight line as he hesitates. I can feel the tension in the air thickening as he struggles with how to answer.

Finally, taking a deep breath, he speaks. "There is a phoenix fae. Her name is Morte."

A searing heat of envy swirls in my chest, and my grip tightens on his chin, spilling crimson liquid dripping down my fingertips and to the ground. His pupils dilate as he swallows hard, eyes wide with fear. The vulnerability reflected in his gaze is like a dagger piercing my heart, and I'm reminded of how much time has passed since I'd last seen him in this state of fear. Fear ofme.

It's been hundreds of years.

My entire being aches with a sadness I can't explain.

Blinking, I release him and bring my fingers to my mouth. "Morte," I murmur, tasting his blood on my tongue.

And someone else's.

The name stirs something inside me, something primal and untamed. A searing bitterness coats my tongue as I demand of him, "What has she bargained for?"

Caius swallows again, and he doesn't meet my eyes, but the guilt is written all over his face. He shifts uneasily, and I hate her with everything I am. Who is this creature who's taken my most loyal demon from me? My lover. My mate. My reason for being.

I don't care who he kisses or flirts with. Or if his feral beast stalks another during the Wild Pursuit. But to taste someone else's blood?

He only drinks when he's making love to me.

To feed from someone else... I shake my head.

"Morte," I whisper again, the name filling me with rage. I glance at Irid, her gaze locked on me, waiting for her next command.

"Find her," I spit. "Bring her to me."

She takes off without another word, and I turn back to Caius. He rises from his kneeling position, his features heavy with remorse and pain, but also determination.

"Leave," I boom.

The rest of the room clears, leaving the two of us to face off against each other.

The silent anguish etched on his face mirrors my own shattered heart, as the full weight of his betrayal crashes down upon me.

Is he conspiring with the very one who’s to doom us all?

How could he do this to me, to us? How could he shatter everything we had with a single, thoughtless act of infidelity? The questions swirl within me, a tempest of agony and betrayal.

"I'll hang her from the rafters and rip her apart," I snarl. "Flay her and strip the meat from her bones. You belong to me, Caius. That creature has no power here. Tell me, when you were fucking her, did you think of me?"

"I didn't sleep with her." His nostrils flare. "She loves another."

"So, she rejected you?" I spit. "Is that all my love is worth to you?" My heartbreak is palpable, as though you could puncture it with a knife, and it'd spill its remains at his feet. I've never been so blindsided by betrayal.

A tear spills down his cheek, and in all our years together, I've never seen him cry. "Answer me!" I shout, the words fall from my mouth like shattered glass. I don't know what to do with him in this state.

"I made several deals with her," he whispers. "She wanted answers, and I gave them to her. Where she was, how she can get home, what's happened with the man she loves, and she begged me to remove her chains." By the time he finishes, his eyes plead with me to understand. "She is untouched."

"Unbelievable," I hiss. "No one who comes here is." I don’twantto believe it’s her.

"She is."

I collapse onto my throne, shock and despair clouding my mind. "What do you want with her?" I know the answer, but I need to hear it all the same.

"You already know."

I nod once. "You won't be the only one coming for her." My words tumble out of my mouth like the trappings of a defeated soul. Taking someone’s virginity almost grants you as much power one would gain from having multiple mates. It’s rare and coveted.

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