Page 126 of Hell Fae King

It hadn’t felt that way before. Or… or maybe it had and I hadn’t noticed it?

“Cami,” Az breathed, seeming to appear right in front of me. I wasn’t sure if he’d ashed or if he… if he’d just run really fast.

But I was in his arms in the next moment, his hands roaming all over me like he was trying to assure himself that I was real.

Ajax joined him in the next second, his lips suddenly in my hair. “Fuck, little rebel,” he whispered. “We… we couldn’t hear you?—”

“We thought…” Az added, trailing off. “Melek.” He released me and leapt toward the fallen prince. “What the fuck happened?!”

“The quill stabbed him,” I said numbly. “I… I think he’s alive, though?” It came out as a question. Because everything felt so unreal.Like a dream,I marveled, blinking. “Vivaxia did something.” I couldn’t define it, but I felt it.

Frowning, I tried to trace the strands of energy—the ones that seemed to be intensifying with each passing second—and found myself staring at Vita again.

Why are you cold?I wondered as I slipped free of Ajax’s arms and knelt by the table.

Lifting my hand, I hovered my fingers about an inch away from the chilled text. “I can’t feel Typhos,” I whispered. Which was strange. Every time I touched this book, I sensed heat; I sensedhim.

Yet right now, I felt nothing.

Just… ice.

My frown deepened as I flattened my hand on the pages, determined to solve this puzzle.

Az and Ajax said something in response, or maybe to each other. I wasn’t sure, as I couldn’t hear them over the rhythmic beating of my heart.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Cold.

Cold.

Cold.

It didn’t make sense. I’d just pushed all that energy into Vita. She should be thriving with life, not resembling ice.

I flipped the pages, searching for anything useful. But she revealed nothing.

Why can’t I read you?I demanded, closing the book to scowl at the cover.

A cover… that looked tattered and old.So, so old…

And so unlike the Vita I knew.

She… she looked like a normal book.

No, a journal,I thought, my heart stalling in my chest as a whooshing sound echoed in my ears.No…

I opened it again, my gaze scanning the first page.

A page filled with a script I didn’t recognize, the language ancient.Typhos’s mother’s words,I thought, blinking at it. “That’s impossible,” I whispered. It was like Vita had reverted back to her original form. “Where did all of Typhos’s memories go?”

And what happened to the energy I’d pushed into it?

Vivaxia… touched the… and Vita…Melek had said to me.