Page 24 of Queen of the Wicked (Afterlife #1)
Alessia
A fter another week of training, Alessia began to gain control over her power.
She still couldn’t summon it quite yet, relying on Izara to provoke her until it manifested, but the black flames were beginning to bend at her will.
Although Alessia felt she had only reached the cusp of the powers she wielded, she was making progress and was satisfied with that.
Izara seemed to think she should be progressing faster, and she pushed her to her limit every session.
Endurance training began at five in the morning on the days of the week, and together, they’d both run around the castle grounds.
Alessia didn’t mind, though, given that the run gave her a sense of normalcy from her life on Earth.
To feel the familiar burn of her lungs, to have her muscles ache and feel sweat dripping down her back…
She felt more herself than she had since she arrived.
Every Saturday, Izara took the day to herself.
Even though both of them practically spent every waking moment together, Alessia hardly knew anything about her personal life.
She didn’t give anything about herself away, but, as she had recently discovered, she was a soul seeker.
She didn’t suppose soul seekers gossiped in their free time, so she never took offense at Izara wanting to keep her life private.
With a free day for herself as well, Alessia allowed Isla to dress her in a finely-woven cotton gown that allowed room for her to breathe—recently arrived in her closet, courtesy of Erebos, she was told. It was baby pink, with a low, squared-off neckline and an empire waist.
Alessia traced the embroidered flowers on the front skirt with a smile as Isla secured the matching pink bow in her hair. It held back a section of her curls, leaving two strands loose to frame her face.
“I feel beautiful,” Alessia beamed.
“I am glad, Miss Alessia. You are positively glowing , might I add. His Majesty will not know what to do with himself.”
Alessia’s cheeks burned. “This isn’t for Erebos, Isla.”
She quirked a brow, a knowing smile on her face. “He seems quite taken with you, and you with him.”
“Why? Because we’ve finally stopped biting each other’s heads off every day? That doesn’t make us taken with each other. And I’d really like for this realm to get caught up with the times on the whole slang thing. I feel like I’m living in an actual Bridgerton novel.”
“What is Bridgerton?”
Alessia laughed. “Oh, Isla, how deprived you have been. Those books would help you a lot with your longing for Eryx. They’re filled with so much sex it’ll make your?—”
“Alessia!” Isla seemed mortified, her cheeks scorching. “We do not speak of such things in this realm.”
“Why? Because society expects that of you? There is nothing wrong with pleasure, Isla. In fact ? —”
“It is not because of that,” she said quietly, finishing her hair.
“Given my past life, I have experienced enough to be content with never having sex again. However, when we swore our lives to Erebos, we also let go of those pleasurable desires to serve him in the highest regard. I assume speaking of it is against the rules as well.”
“So that’s why you can’t date Eryx? Because Erebos said you couldn’t?”
“Do not make it seem like he is a bad person, Alessia. We made our choices in our past lives and were given a second chance by coming here. I am grateful, and I will gladly let go of those desires if it means I will be able to try again one day.”
“Try what again? Life?”
She set the brush down on the vanity in front of her with her lips pursed. “There are things I am not allowed to speak of. This is one of them. I am sorry.”
With a huff, Alessia crossed her arms over her chest and rose from the stool. “Fine. I’ll drop the subject. For now . ”
“Oh, Miss Alessia.” Isla rolled her eyes. “You are insufferable. If you truly wish to know the answers, just ask His Majesty. I am certain he would confide in you.”
“Why? Because you think we’re so taken with each other?”
Isla lunged and playfully smacked her with a comb.
Despite their first formal encounter, they were becoming friends .
Even on Earth, Alessia never had them. She didn’t know what it was like to have sleepovers or paint someone’s nails until the wee hours of the morning, but with Isla, Alessia could imagine doing all those things with her.
But for that to happen, she first needed to be free. Alessia just had to figure out how to achieve that.
Howling with laughter, Alessia waved her goodbyes and had a pep in her step on the way down to the main foyer.
She planned to study in the library whenever she could locate it.
Hopefully, she could find something on black magic and earn extra credit points with Izara during their training session tomorrow.
She could even snag a detailed map of Heaven to try and figure out where her mother may have been taken.
“Jesus!” Alessia flew her hand over her heart when Ambroz rounded the corner, almost bumping into her. His skeletal body jumped back, but she couldn’t tell if he was concerned, given the lack of flesh.
“My deepest apologies, My Lady,” he said, bowing his skull.
“I am never going to get used to you. No offense.”
“It is quite a common reaction from mortals. I am used to it. His Majesty requested your presence for breakfast this morning. I came to retrieve you.”
Breakfast? The only meal she shared with Erebos was dinner, and even then, it was always with Eryx and Izara, as long as she wasn’t on a mission of hers. This was the first time he’d requested her presence for anything but an evening meal.
“Of course,” she replied. “Am I expected to follow you?”
“Yes, My Lady.” He twirled around and floated down the hallway, slowing his pace to remain only a few feet ahead of her.
“You don’t have to call me your lady , you know. You can just call me Alessia.”
“His Majesty instructs me to call you as such. Until I am ordered otherwise, of course.”
“Right,” Alessia muttered. “By himself or his mate , whoever that will be.”
“Whenever she decides to claim the title,” he added. “Then she will be able to establish all the rules she pleases.”
The thought of anyone belonging to Erebos didn’t sit right with her.
Selfishly, she enjoyed the quiet and private moment they shared after her nightmare.
Although it hadn’t solved all her resentment towards Erebos for dragging her to Hell and involving her in this mess, it had felt like they had turned a new leaf.
Imagining Catalina in her place instead created a bitter taste in her mouth.
She assumed they would eat in the grand dining room, but instead, Ambroz led her out the back door, which opened up to the backyard and the gardens behind it.
A table set for two was placed right beside the hedges of the flowers Alessia had so hopelessly fallen in love with when she first arrived, and Erebos sat in one of the white wooden chairs with hand-painted floral designs.
The heat of his gaze on her made Alessia weak in the knees. Ever since they met, their interactions had become more intense. Just being in his vicinity felt like all the oxygen was stolen from her lungs, and after what felt like a breakthrough last week, she had hardly seen him.
He rose from the chair to meet her halfway to the table, giving Ambroz a nod. “Thank you, Ambroz. I will take it from here.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
When they were alone, Erebos extended his elbow for her to take. “Are the new dresses more to your liking?”
“I love them,” she admitted. “I can breathe in these, and the colors are beautiful.”
He held a chair out for her, ensuring she was comfortable before he took the place across from her.
The table between them displayed eggs, toast, pancakes, bacon, pastries, and two identical flutes of orange juice.
This gesture—going out of his way to put together breakfast for the two of them — felt intimate.
Doing what she did best in situations she was too flustered for, she rambled.
“Pink is my favorite color. When I was little, I begged and pleaded with my parents to give me a princess room. It was like, my dream to be a princess. As a kid, Cinderella was my favorite movie, so that’s probably where I got the idea from. ”
Erebos produced one of those rare laughs again.
Alessia arched a brow. “Hm?”
“Nothing,” he replied. Lifting the orange juice to his lips, he took a long sip from it, and Alessia was infatuated by the working of his throat. Even those muscles seemed strong and prominent, just like the rest of him. “The color suits you.”
“Breakfast and a compliment?” She looked around, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Do you not wish for us to be cordial?”
“What I wish is for you to tell me what all of this is for.” She waved around the table and the garden splayed like a damn scenic piece of artwork behind them. “You’ve never invited me to breakfast.”
He shrugged. “I’ve had a lot of time to think the past few days, and I have concluded that our situation would be best handled if we got along. After all, if we are going to embark on a dangerous expedition beneath level one, it would help to go into it as friends rather than enemies.”
Where was all of this coming from? Sure, they shared a moment last week, but was that really the catalyst for Erebos to act differently towards her?
The cold, merciless demon was nowhere to be found as he reclined in his seat, waiting for an answer, wearing an infectious smile that caused a set of dimples to appear.
She hummed, deep in thought as she weighed her options.
“What does friends mean, exactly? Because the last time I checked, you’ve avoided including me in any decisions regarding not only your powers, but mine, too.
Given the black magic and all, we’ve established that I’m more than a mortal, so I should have a say in the planning. ”