Page 183 of Hell Fae King

Hell Fae Rule #7: When You Can’t Win a Fight, Run into the Shadows.

Vivaxia couldn’t be defeated in the traditional sense.

But her darkness could be contained inshadows.

Cami lifted her hand as power swirled around her, the ribbons invisible to me, yet I could hear her processing them in her mind. She was unraveling Vivaxia’s essence and siphoning it into the stone… while simultaneously freeing all the souls inside.

Souls that had been trapped for fae only knew how long.

Energy and vitality swirled in response as the lost spirits joined a new form—the Hell Fae Source.

It was so natural. Soinvigorating. I could sense their presence around us, their existence possessing new meaning. These were beings who had died and hadn’t been allowed to move on. But they could reside in our realm, in our beacon of power, andthrive.

Cami shivered, their cool essences slithering all around her. Or one in particular. One she recognized.

Dad,she thought, a tear pricking her eye.

But the furious hive vibrated too close by for her to focus on the spirit for long. Though, I swore it wrapped around her in a hug as it guided her hand higher toward Vivaxia’s form.

A whisper of a kiss graced Cami’s being, eliciting another tremble, then the presence disappeared and left her to finish this.

Her jaw set, her gaze narrowing as she took in the seething mass vibrating in the wind.

It wasn’t just Vivaxia, but the power she’d created, the souls of hundreds or maybe thousands of Virtuous Fae. Cami could see them all, hear their screams, and feel their pain.

Ty sensed it all, too, his ire mounting by the second.

The Source tried to shove the furious energy out, to remove Vivaxia from our realm, but Cami connected to Vivaxia via an invisible strand—her own essence reaching out tosiphonthe furious swarm of energy.

Only, she didn’t pull that energy into herself.

Sheunraveledit.

Freeing the souls that didn’t belong to Vivaxia while ensuring the darkest thread remained. The swarm shifted and writhed, the mass lessening by the second, until only smoke persisted.

“You’ll never befreeagain, Vivaxia,” Cami said in a voice underscored with determination. It was the voice of a queen.Our queen. “No choices. No independence. Just a life inside a rock where you won’t be able to move, breathe, orspeak. Because that’s what the death stone desires and you are its newpet.”

A scream wavered from the mist, or what I assumed was meant to be a scream. But it came out as a raspy whimper instead.

A whimper that slowly disappeared as the stone absorbed every wisp of Vivaxia’s form.

Cami didn’t move for a long moment, her focus on the place the Virtuous Fae had just been. Her brow furrowed, her lips quivering a little. “I… I guess those camping trips were more important than I ever realized. And yet, Ihatedmy parents for… foreverything.”

Ty slowly turned her in his arms, his palm reaching for her cheek. “They were under Vivaxia’s control, Camillia. There’s no way you could have known.”

His words were kind for her, but his thoughts weren’t so kind for himself. Because deep down, he felt he should have sensed it. At least in Pierre De la Croix.

Vivaxia was in your head, my king, I reminded him softly.

I should have sensed her, too,he muttered.

Maybe, I agreed.But it’s over now.

It’s over now,he echoed.

“Your parents are free now,” he added out loud to Cami. “All the souls Vivaxia had imprisoned and controlled are free. Because of you.”

“You mean they’re dead,” she replied, swallowing.