Hell Fae Prince (Hell Fae #4)

17. Cami

CHAPTER 17

CAMI

V ivaxia’s cold eyes brewed with malicious intent. She wove her feather through the air, inscribing gold-colored spells that scorched my skin on contact.

Her jaw ticked when I didn’t scream or make a sound. When I didn’t submit .

My mother stood behind her, a look of confusion on her face. “Why isn’t the spell taking?”

“Because your child is stubborn.”

I nearly smiled at her obvious irritation. But each stroke through the air reminded me of Ajax waving his wand around in a similar fashion. And the silver binds holding me against the building reminded me of the snake-vines he’d once used to bind me to a chair.

In fact, this whole situation had me recalling that experience in the Midnight Fae Realm.

Az and Ajax interrogating me.

Which led to them eventually believing me.

And now they’re mine.

But I couldn’t hear or feel them. I wasn’t sure why. My memories of them also kept fading at the edges. I hadn’t even remembered them at all while strolling with my mother through her twisted version of utopia.

Hearing Vivaxia’s name had brought everything back in a rush.

But I could feel the knowledge flickering away, disappearing into coerced compliance.

Only for Vivaxia’s feather to draw my attention again, thus making me think of Ajax’s wand, and the cycle continued.

It seemed pretty clear that her spell was meant to alter my recollection of the past, or perhaps convince me to forget it entirely.

But I refused.

So maybe I was stubborn. Because fuck this Virtuous Fae bitch.

If I had my hands free, I’d try to punch her again.

Her gaze narrowed like she could read the desire from my features. “I created you, child. You will do what I tell you to do.”

“If you think that’s true, then you don’t know me very well,” I bit back.

“ Camillia ,” my mother hissed. “I taught you better than this.”

“No, you taught me to be independent through a series of trials,” I informed her flatly. “You taught me to fear and embrace abandonment at the same time. And you taught me to never trust anyone. Especially not you or Dad.”

She bristled.

But I didn’t care.

My parents had raised me in an environment of torment. Being strapped to this building didn’t frighten me or make me want to submit. It made me want to fight .

Which was exactly what I did when Vivaxia tried yet another spell.

Instead of her voice whispering the incantation, I heard Ajax. I felt him. His magic. His power. Our bond. I just couldn’t hear him.

Az was there, too, his power humming through my veins, his Phoenixfire a very real presence inside my heart.

Why can’t I hear either of you? I wondered, examining the blocks in my mind. They were unfamiliar and sticky, the weblike substance not one I’d put there.

Ignoring Vivaxia and her foreign words, I started focusing on untangling the web. On finding my mates. On getting the fuck out of whatever mess I’d landed in.

All while piecing together my mother’s cryptic statements.

I’d thought I was lost in a dream before, not fully understanding each word she’d said until now. Until I’d realized this was real , that I wasn’t dreaming at all, and that my mother… isn’t human.

A shiver traversed my spine with that thought, my mind struggling to accept what was right before me.

Two Virtuous Fae.

That meant I was part Virtuous Fae. Is that why I can read Vita? I wondered. Why Melek was drawn to me? Did Melek know?

Thinking about him had me wondering if I could somehow reach him. The blocks I’d built between us were still there, the structure Az had helped me construct holding remarkably well. Apparently, it was something he’d learned through his mating with Lucifer.

I’d consider that more later.

But for now, I focused on those blocks, trying to take them down piece by piece. That sticky substance didn’t exist here, just the barrier I’d created with Az’s guidance.

A snap of sound yanked my attention to Vivaxia, her wings having burst out of her back in a flurry of agitation.

Only, the white plumes from earlier were a sooty black now.

Kind of like Lucifer’s damaged appendages, I realized, thinking his powerful form from that day in the Marsh Lands—when he’d been trying to close the portal. Only this female still had some feathers, the fiery remains flapping angrily behind her like a swarm of furious fireflies. My grandmother .

That fact hadn’t really sunk in yet, my mind rebelling against our familial relation. Along with the understanding that she’d created me.

To be a siphon , I thought, trembling.

Fae, it meant I really had been a danger to Lucifer. To his Source . I wasn’t quite sure what exactly that entailed with being a siphon, but it seemed pretty clear to me that I’d been designed to steal Lucifer’s light. To shatter his Source.

“ You’re a siphon, darling, ” my mother had said. “ Created with my blood and that of one of his Hell Fae creations. You were designed to absorb the light and restore Virtuous Fae kind. ”

I wasn’t sure how that worked exactly, and I didn’t want to find out.

“Listen to me, girl,” Vivaxia snarled. “You will follow my command and heel .”

My back bowed as a bolt of pure, unadulterated power hit me right in the chest, lighting a fire within me that had me gasping and seeing white all around me.

White buildings.

Perfect sidewalks.

A glittering fountain.

White wings tipped in gold.

I frowned at that last part, Vivaxia’s form having taken on a renewed appearance. A false one.

Melek , I thought dizzily. Those are Melek’s wings.

Another crack of energy left me wheezing, my mind flickering in and out of reality. Gray and white. Polluted and pristine. Fiery feathers and golden tips.

I blinked, then shook my head, trying to clear it.

But a beautiful face, so feminine and angelic and kind filled my view.

No, not kind, a smart part of me whispered. Those gray eyes are cruel. Wicked. Exuding evil.

However, the being smiled, like she was pleased with me. And that had my lips curling in kind, liking her affection. Her acceptance .

“Much better,” she cooed, tucking a feather back into her wings.

White tipped in gold, I repeated to myself. Melek…

“Now where were we?” the woman asked, her name escaping me.

I knew her. Recognized her. But my memory of her was blurred.

“I realize you have some of your father in you and that might be making you somewhat sympathetic to the Hellbeasts, but you have to understand the hierarchy, darling. Virtuous Fae made all this possible. We are the gods of this world. The creators. Our way of life is the superior existence to everyone else’s.”

Her words rolled through me, making me want to bow my head in acceptance.

But the small voice inside me that recognized her feathers disagreed with every word. It’s a facade. A lie. Don’t listen to her.

I followed that strand of thought, my instincts firing.

Melek, my mind whispered.

Who? I wondered. Then blinked. Yes, Melek.

Virtuous Fae.

My Virtuous Fae.

I returned to the barrier between us, pulling away the pieces while Vivaxia prattled on about the glory of her— our —kind.

“That said, our superiority gives us a certain amount of responsibility, too. We have to protect those who are weaker than us. Unfortunately, though, living for eternity can morph certain morals and perspectives. And, sadly, that’s what happened to Typhos Lucifer.”

I faked confusion because I suspected she was the reason my mind kept blanking and the world around us shifted between white and gray.

Vivaxia clearly wanted me to believe something.

I wouldn’t, but I would feign interest if it meant she’d stop hitting me with her brain-numbing enchantments. Because the world around us was still white, suggesting my mind was close to falling completely under her spell.

I couldn’t allow that to happen.

I refused.

Come on, I thought, focusing on the wall in my mind. Let me through.

“At some point, he fell victim to his own creations,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “You see, his unnatural beasts clouded his judgment and altered his mind. It’s like he completely forgot how and why he’d created them all. Very sad, really.”

I frowned, that last part not registering correctly in my head. “Created?” Was she talking about the dark souls he’d turned into Nightmare Fae as punishment?

“Well, yes. Did he not mention his penchant for Shifter Fae pets?” She laughed, the tinkling sound irritating my senses. “Typhos was the king of abominations, which is why he fell into a pit with them in the end.”

That… didn’t match the story I knew.

Well, it was reminiscent of certain parts—that he fell into what was now the Hell Fae Realm—but he wasn’t the one who liked Shifter Fae pets. Vivaxia did.

“It’s only suitable that he rules his own mess, I suppose. But I would love for him to rise again, to return to us and restore the light,” she continued. “He made a mistake playing with life the way he did. However, I think he’s been punished for long enough.”

I fought the urge to gape at her.

She was making it sound like Lucifer had created all the Nightmare Fae, but Az had told me many of the Virtuous Fae enjoyed playing with souls and life, thus manufacturing various types of Shifter Fae to keep as pets.

“I see you’ve not been told about any of this,” she said, sounding sad. “Let me guess—he told you he fell as a result of a deal with me?”

When I didn’t respond, she heaved another sigh.

“The ‘deal’ he refers to is one all Virtuous Fae agree to upon birth—to protect and cherish life. It’s more of a vow, but the term is moot, as the moral behind it is what matters. And he broke that moral when he chose to carelessly create souls for entertainment purposes.”

She paused, her energy humming around me.

The world pulsed in shades of brighter whites and blues and greens, my hand nearly rising to shield my eyes from the blaring sun.

But a flicker of murky skies blinked in and out of view, reminding me that this was a mirage.

That she was crafting a careful lie.

One that painted Lucifer as the villain, not her.

A few months ago, I might have believed her. However, her story didn’t match what I’d seen through Vita, what Melek and Az had both told me about Lucifer.

He wouldn’t do what she’s saying he did, I thought, returning to the barrier in my mind again. I was almost through. I can’t believe her. I won’t believe her .

Even if her words resonated somewhere deep within.

Even if my mother stood behind her with a remorseful expression.

Even if… my heart ached a little at the possibility of Typhos deserving his fall from grace.

“It took eons for us to gather all his experiments up and give them a new home,” my grandmother informed me, her tone holding a touch of sorrow. “They were such broken creatures, their souls morphed for wicked amusement.”

Her gaze fell, a hint of regret crossing her angelic features.

But that sadness didn’t reach her eyes. Which was strange because there were tears glittering around her irises as she looked at me again, real remorse displayed there, yet all I could see was the cruelty lying deep within. Like those gray orbs were imprinted on my mind, skewing my vision of the sight before me.

“We couldn’t kill them,” she said, swallowing visibly with the words. “We… we just didn’t have the heart for it. So we provided them with a new home, then sent Typhos to join them, hoping he would learn from his mistakes.”

I studied her, trying to discern truth from fiction. Her story was so similar to Lucifer’s history, and yet… utterly different.

What if her version is the truth? I wondered. What if… what if I’ve been clouded by my mate-bonds?

“Instead, his thirst for power only grew,” she continued. “He started collecting pets from all the fae realms, offering them a kingdom to reside within so long as they bowed to his will. That’s why he forbade females from entering—it was a way to control the masses, to ensure they never mated.”

My mother nodded behind her. “It’s true, Camillia. Your father told me all about it. Not allowing mates was a way to keep his Hell Fae loyal.”

“And it worked,” my grandmother said. “For a long time.”

“Until some of the Hell Fae and Nightmare Fae started to question Lucifer’s real reasons for keeping them unmated,” my mother murmured. “That’s when Lucifer devised the Hell Fae Bride Trials.”

“It was brilliant, honestly.” My grandmother— No, I thought, Vivaxia —almost sounded proud. Like she respected Lucifer’s decision. “Like everything else, he crafted the perfect setup, one that he controlled. And he used it as a way to punish those who went against him.”

“Like your father,” my mother added. “He wanted to leave the Hell Fae Realm, and the only way to do that was to sign away his daughter’s life. You.”

I considered that for a moment, recalling the deal I’d read that had determined my fate.

My mother’s summarization matched what I’d seen—my father choosing his freedom over mine.

But something about this explanation didn’t feel right. It didn’t marry up to what she’d said during our tour, either. She’d told me that she’d used my father to create me… then she’d convinced him to sign the deal with Lucifer.

So which story was real?

The world flickered again, my mind seeking the truth. Seeking reason .

I’d been doing something before, too. Something inside me. Beating at a wall …

My eyes nearly widened, the thought crashing through my stilled state. I’d fallen under some sort of hypnosis, listening and believing Vivaxia’s words. Questioning what I knew. Questioning whether or not Az and Melek had told me the truth.

Typhos has been their mate for thousands of years, a part of me whispered. They would lie to protect him.

I almost agreed, the train of thought a dangerous one to follow.

But the use of Typhos in the sentence gave me pause.

I didn’t call him Typhos.

I called him Lucifer.

My jaw tightened. Something—or someone —was in my head.

Magic swirled around me, foreign energy humming through my veins.

The wall, I thought, clawing toward it in my mind while Vivaxia continued droning on about Typhos’s fall, talking about how devastating it had been and the aftermath of his punishment.

“He broke all our vows, but the Source still believed in him. We still believed in him,” she said, the depressed quality of her voice almost sucking me back into the discussion. “So our light followed Typhos into the darkness and tried to renew his purpose. But he never atoned for his sins. Instead, he kept our light, and our Source…”

The sky changed once more to display that polluted state, the gray colors unsettling me inside.

“Our Source shattered because of his selfishness,” she whispered. “He refused to come back to us, refused to listen to the light, and this is who we are now. Broken shells, waiting to be reborn in our glory once more.”

I stared at the polluted sky, the dimmed sun, the fractured wings at her back, and wondered what the true mirage here was—the utopia or the perceived pain.

Perhaps they were both lies.

Visions meant to manipulate.

A sea of dishonesty encased in a single incoming tide.

That tide was Vivaxia.

Her eyes gave her away. No amount of tears or frowns could hide the evil lurking within.

I shoved through the remainder of the barrier I’d crafted with Az and instantly felt Melek’s warmth inside me. Camillia, he breathed. Fuck, where are you? What happened? Are you okay?

I’m with Vivaxia, I told him. She’s doing something to my mind. I ? —

Heat flooded my veins, momentarily stunning me into silence as my back hit something hard. I blinked, confused, as a world of fire unfolded around me.

My eyes widened, my feet instinctively moving to carry me backward.

And I… I moved .

There was no more wall. No more magic binds.

Just flames dancing dangerously in the wind.

And an angel hovering above it all with large black wings. Her matching hair wavered in a violent breeze, fury emanating from her cold gaze. “You will help us right this wrong,” Vivaxia said, her voice carrying on the howling wind and wrapping around me in unwelcome waves of energy. “Or you’ll end up in his prison. For good .”

With a flap of her massive wings, she stirred a gust of air that shoved me backward.

My arms went wide, my hands grasping for something to hold on to. But her gusts were too powerful, her energy a hot wave that crashed over every inch of me and seared my very soul.

I shifted to block my face, trying to protect myself from her angry howls.

Which was how I ended up facing the other way.

And spotted a familiar sight. One I’d seen in my mind, not in person. A crater in the ground surrounded by black scorch marks.

The place Lucifer fell , I recognized, the image perfectly matching what his book, Vita, had once shown me.

Jump , Melek told me, our connection suddenly wide open. Jump, Cami. Jump!

I… I wasn’t sure… I…

Flickers of power shimmered as more flames ignited, the fires encircling the hole… like Vivaxia was trying to block it from my view.

Or maybe all of this was just a mental mindfuck.

But one thing was very clear—I needed to get away from Vivaxia. From my mother. From wherever I was. In the Virtuous Fae Realm, I thought, shivering as ice shot through my veins.

Hell Fae Rule #13: Nothing Is What It Seems.

Fuck it, I told myself, taking off toward the hole. Because what did I have to lose?

Vivaxia screeched behind me, the sound reminding me of a predatory bird.

I ignored her.

I blocked everything out.

Leapt over the fire.

And fell into the black hole.