Page 35

CAMI

Several Days Later

I f Typhos hits me with one more blast of power, I’m ? —

A scream ripped from my throat, one born of fury and pain as fiery energy overwhelmed my being.

“Ty—”

“Stay out of it, little prince,” Typhos said, his voice radiating a coldness that contradicted the heat flourishing through my veins.

“Typhos is right,” Az added. “This is between them.”

Traitor , I thought with an internal growl. But another wave of furious energy wiped out my ability to think. All I could do was absorb and fight like hell not to expel .

That was the point of this—to siphon Typhos’s power without giving it back.

And without giving it to Vivaxia .

“The key is to isolate the source of her connection,” Typhos had said the other morning when this hell all began. “To do that, you need to figure out where that link exists inside you.”

“Okay,” I’d replied slowly. “So how do you want me to go about finding this link?”

He’d merely smiled. Then uttered two words that had been repeating in my mind for the better part of a week. “ By surviving .”

All the tenderness I’d witnessed in that shower the other day had vanished behind the Hell Fae King’s mask and had quickly reminded me why I’d once mistaken my lust for hatred.

At least until after his torture exercises ended. Then he let me witness that male again—the one who had shown me care and compassion—thus conflicting me all over again.

But right now? Yeah, right now, I hated him. And he knew it, too. Because I kept saying it.

Unfortunately, he didn’t care.

As evidenced by the inferno growing around me.

I could feel Melek’s growing unease. This was unlike the previous days, Typhos having decided to escalate our training session to a catastrophic level.

All in his Hell Fae Palace Courtyard.

Where everyone could see me being annihilated by his power.

Where everyone sees you becoming the Hell Fae Queen , Ajax corrected in my mind, his mental voice flat. They’re all gaping at you in awe, Cami. Now show them what you can do by swallowing the power down.

As if it’s that easy, I thought back at him with a snarl.

You swallowed Az just fine this morning, he returned. And we both know how big his explosions are. His amusement would have made me smile any other day.

But not today. Glad you’re finding some humor in this.

It’s the only way to accept this, little rebel. Otherwise, I’ll be tempted to punch Lucifer in the face.

Now that is a plan I can support , I thought as I wove invisible bands of power around my arms and legs in an effort to ground myself.

Typhos said something in response, words that sounded mysteriously like praise . But I wasn’t interested in that from him right now. I just wanted to show him I could do this.

Then drown him in a wave of heat afterward , I decided.

Only, I suspected that would defeat the purpose of our training. He’d accuse me of releasing all the power back into his Source.

Another growl rumbled through me, frustration mounting as he hit me again .

There was a piece of me that longed to open, a cavern I desperately wanted to fill. A place I avoided… Because it was my link to Vivaxia. Or the cusp of it, anyway.

I could sense it now, but I didn’t know how to manage it. Or thwart it. Or break it.

However, I did know how to block it. Which was a start. Except I had no idea where to expel the excess power. And Typhos was pumping me full of too much.

I can’t take this, I thought, my insides beginning to burn . I’m going to combust.

You can take it, Az returned, his mental voice reminding me a little too much of Typhos. He’s only pushed you a little harder than yesterday.

I barely survived yesterday, I gritted back at him.

Which earned me a snort from the Commander. Are you talking about training with Typhos or all those orgasms I gave you last night?

I snarled at him through our bond.

But I also warmed for an entirely different reason.

Because yeah, he and Ajax had taken turns making me come, the two of them trying to drive Melek mad with envy.

All my mates might have played with me together the other day, but a hint of rivalry remained. Although, it seemed to be more of a playful game now than a serious competition. Because once Ajax and Az were done, Melek had scooped me up for a bath.

A bath Typhos had supervised .

I shivered, the action at odds with the intensity flooding through me. But thinking about Typhos and water had me craving another experience.

One where we did more than kiss.

Because that was all we’d done this week. But oh, that male’s mouth was positively divine. I was addicted to him.

Which meant I didn’t totally hate him.

Not even as he hit me with yet another wave of ferocity.

Oh, but it was close. Because this was just… too much .

I needed an outlet. Somewhere to push my excess power. Somewhere that isn’t connected to Vivaxia , I told myself.

The whole point of this exercise was to force myself to handle influxes of magic, to control my siphoning ability, and to try to find a way to permanently push Vivaxia out.

So there were a lot of goals. But I also required a redistribution point, one I could manage.

Like Typhos has with his Source, I thought. And Vita…

He pushed memories and power into Vita, and took some out as needed. The book served as a gateway of sorts, one that was probably less consuming than his Source.

So I need a Vita , I decided.

Except I didn’t have one.

But maybe Typhos could help me create one…

I considered that for a moment as the inferno inside me grew even larger, swirling like a cyclone of intensity that threatened to take me into the sky.

Perhaps not literally.

Or perhaps I’ll grow wings, I mused deliriously.

“Ty,” I heard Melek say again, a hint of urgency in his tone.

“I see it,” Typhos replied, sounding disappointed. It was a tone I didn’t like. One I wanted to change by doing something unexpected. By… by surprising him.

But I can’t keep all this energy inside me … It was making me lightheaded, to the point where I felt like I might fall despite the roots of power I’d created around my limbs. Think, Cami, think…

However, I already had an idea. An act that would be a statement, one I could then explain as I asked Typhos for help…

What’s the worst thing he can do? I thought with a mental snort. Chastise me?

Or maybe he’ll punish me, another part of me considered with an anticipatory quiver.

Okay, enough of that, I told myself, focusing instead on my plan.

It was about time I called for Vita. That damn book always plopped down at inopportune times for me, getting me into trouble and taking me on unexpected journeys.

Well, now it could do something for me.

“Cami,” Az said out loud. “Don’t?—”

But it was too late for me to listen to him or anyone else. This was me taking charge and doing what I needed to do with all this excess power.

And I would prove to Typhos that I could not only handle an outlet, but control it, too.

I hoped, anyway.

Pushing the doubts aside, I focused on Vita. Come here, you troublesome book, I demanded.

“Camillia,” Typhos growled.

I ignored him, all my desires centered around his infamous text.

Which appeared right before me on the ground, the pages already spread to reveal an image of a bedroom.

Probably not something I want to know, I thought at Vita.

A fact that became a reality as a strand of inky black hair appeared like a beckoning ribbon. It was too dark to belong to Typhos, and it certainly wasn’t from Melek.

Ignoring that disturbing picture—a former conquest, no doubt—I knelt and pressed my palm to the pages. Then unleashed everything Typhos had given me.

His roar of fury echoed in my ears.

But I didn’t stop.

It was his power anyway. He might as well take it back. Maybe this will create a memory for him, I thought darkly. A memory where I take charge of my own training and prove that all this power handling is futile.

Az and Melek both spoke at once, their words melting into the background as I closed my eyes.

Because this required focus.

I didn’t want to give Typhos any part of me, just the power he’d provided today. Which meant I had to decipher his energy from mine, an action I found oddly simple. Because I could see his strands of power, the ribbons warm and full of intensity, just like the man himself.

I unbraided his essence from mine, carefully giving it all to Vita, then sighed as my soul balanced once more.

As soon as the last tendril left my fingertips, I pulled back, triumphant. “ There ,” I broadcast, smiling. “I didn’t give too much, just enough.”

But when I looked up at Typhos, I didn’t find pride in his expression. Instead, I found a hint of wariness. “That’s not how Vita is supposed to work, Camillia.”

“It’s not?” I asked, my brow furrowing. “But Melek said you store your memories in the book, and memories are power, right?”

His lips curled down, his palm going to the back of his neck. “Yes, I suppose they are, but that’s still not Vita’s purpose. She holds my memories because I’ve lived too long to keep them all inside my mind. Any power I feed her is tied to those experiences, not everyday energy exchanges.”

My brow furrowed. “Okay, but you still use it—er, her —as an outlet?”

He squeezed his nape like he was trying to work out a kink. Then he dropped his hand and squatted before me and Vita. “She’s an outlet for my mind, not my power. They’re different exchanges.”

“Oh.”

“Oh,” he echoed, but there was a soft smile teasing his lips. “It was a clever idea, though, little queen.”

My eyebrows lifted. “You’re complimenting me?”

“Would you rather I chastise you?” he countered, arching his own brow in return.

“Well, I mean, Melek has told me you like punishments…” Gods, I’m flirting, I realized, my cheeks burning. I’m flirting with the Hell Fae King.

And I couldn’t be prouder of you for it, Melek drawled into my mind. I’m sure it hasn’t escaped Ty’s notice at all that you’re on your knees already, little angel.

Typhos’s heated gaze suggested that Melek was right.