Page 162 of Hell Fae King

I suspected she needed Typhos for something. Only, he was nowhere in sight.

Because he fell, I realized, noting the hole in the wall. A hole that was framed with burn marks similar to those of that crater out by the fountain.

All the pieces seemed to come together in my mind—Typhos knocking himself out and relinquishing his hold on his Source. Which allowed his Source to prosper without his influence.

And now his Source was talking to me.

Filling me with knowledge.

Granting me access to Typhos’s memories.

Turning me into a live version of Vita.

Only it was more than that. With each passing moment, I felt more and more powerful. Like the Hell Fae Source was forcing me to absorb energy, just as Typhos had done while pushing me to my limits this week.

Except this was more gradual. Moreintentional.

However, I had no idea what to do with it. If the Source fed me too much, I’d be at risk of opening that connection deep inside me to Vivaxia.

Is that actually the point?I wondered.Is she doing this?

My head spun with theories, making me miss whatever she’d just said out loud.

Several things, actually.

She’d been talking this whole time, and I’d been too lost in my thoughts to hear her.

And the thunderous expression on her face told me she didn’t appreciate it one bit.

I cocked my head. “You don’t like being ignored, do you?” I wasn’t sure why the taunt left my mouth, but it felt right.

This bitch had created me to be her little toy. Hersiphon. And I really wasn’t interested in playing along.

My parents had taught me to fight authority. To think of only myself. To put myself first.

Hell Fae Rule #6: Only Look Out for Yourself—No One Else.

A whole slew of rules followed that one in my mind.

Hell Fae Rule #3: Know Your Enemy Before Engaging.

Hell Fae Rule #4: Don’t Trust Anyone.

Hell Fae Rule #5: Be Prepared for Anything.

Hell Fae Rule #1: Don’t Die.

That last one echoed the loudest. It was a rule I fully intended to take to heart.

So I guess the rules still apply, I thought.

Maybe it’d been seeing my mother that had triggered them to possess more meaning. Maybe it was just my own rebellious spirit. Or maybe I needed the reminders to ground me in the moment.

All the power swimming around me was enough to make me feel a million miles away, to toss me into a torrent of energy and never resurface.

But I had to focus.

To find Typhos.