Page 148 of Hell Fae King

But we were all concerned about Ty.

And rightly so.

I could feel the power shift in the air. This was bigger than all the previous incidents combined, yet so much lessviolent.

That alone told me this was no ordinary attack.

After all these years, it seemed Vivaxia was about to deliver her final play.

Or maybe it was just the beginning.

It was hard to anticipate her moves. She was never forthcoming, and her plans were always layered.

And time meant nothing to her.

I curled my hands into fists at my sides, my stomach twisting. Ty had grown a lot, his power immense.

But Vivaxia would always be older. More vindictive. Moreflexiblein terms of what and whom she was willing to sacrifice.

That was precisely the difference between them.

Vivaxia approached life as though she had nothing to lose. Because she didn’t. She had no ties to anyone or anything other than herself.

While Ty… Ty had grown roots everywhere. They were all around us now in these enchanted tunnels, the very fibers of each kingdom born from his robust power. Crafted via his will. Protected by his heart.

And Vivaxia would use that against him.

She’d useeverythingagainst him.

Hurt whomever she desired. Torture whatever poor creature stepped into her path. Dismantle his beautiful creation right before his eyes.

Because that was what Vivaxia did. That was who she was.

A fact that became even more evident as we entered the Morpheus Kingdom.

The vast fields that usually greeted visitors from this angle were nowhere in sight due to a thick, cold smog that had settled into the air. I couldn’t even see the dark spires of the Strigoi Palace, only a haze of reddish clouds illuminated by the blood moon above.

The stench of decaying roses assaulted me as I stepped out of the tunnel, the scent one I knew well.

Vivaxia hadn’t always smelled like a dead flower bouquet. She’d once radiated a rather pleasing floral aroma. But as her intentions became clearer, so did her natural perfume.

She was rotten from the inside out.

Yet she masqueraded as an angel in disguise, her beauty an allure that seduced many Virtuous Fae to her side.

At least until they realized the evil lurking beneath all that pale skin.

But by then, it was usually too late. They’d already been ensnared by her infamous deals—deals that were always drafted in her favor.

Ty had learned from the best but chose to use that knowledge for the greater good. That was why Cami’s negative commentary about his arrangements had hurt him; he didn’t want to be seen in the same light as his former mentor. He wanted to be a leader his fae respected, not a king they feared due to distrust.

“Does it always smell like this?” Cami asked, her voice low.

“No. Vivaxia is here,” I replied, my gaze scanning the concealed scenery once more.

This wasn’t a natural fog, nor was it enchanted. It just felt like an ominous cloud of death.

Surely that’s a bad omen…