Page 29 of Queen of the Wicked (Afterlife #1)

Crafted by pure temptation, Catalina was a woman who had probably never faced rejection in her life.

Between her dainty frame and innocent features, Alessia was unsurprised that she had shared Erebos’s bed.

The lord never confirmed it, but she wasn’t an idiot.

They had slept together, and regardless of whether or not it was in the present, it happened, and that fueled Alessia’s anger to a full boil.

Catalina in his sheets. Catalina draped across his body. Catalina giggling softly into his ear as he whispered sweet nothings to her after making love.

Catalina.

Catalina.

Catalina.

The urge to wrap the black smoke around her tiny throat was all-consuming. It sickened her that she’d find enjoyment in watching her disintegrate like Godric did, the flesh peeling from her skin and melting into nothingness. She wanted to mar every inch of her skin that Erebos touched.

In the back of her mind, she knew she was being irrational. Alessia hadn’t even spoken to this woman. For all she knew, she could be sweet and nothing like Alessia depicted her as, but for whatever reason, Erebos was a hard limit for her, and that unfortunately put Catalina in the crossfire.

The buzzing intensified, and she felt the person inside her crack an eye open, awakening from a deep slumber. Is it time to take what is ours?

What is it that we’re supposed to take? Alessia replied.

The voice laughed in a melodic tune, so unlike the poison Alessia knew it was capable of spewing.

You will find out soon enough, dear girl.

I am unqualified to speak on such matters, but the Makers will see to it that things fall into place.

Avoidance will not deter the balance from righting itself.

Why are you in my head if I can’t ask you questions?

Don’t you see? I am your conscience coming to light. I am the darkness that swarms inside of you, repressed for years but existing for eternity.

Stop speaking in riddles, she hissed. How do I call on my powers?

The voice tutted. You already have, Alessia.

Opening her eyes, she was surprised to find black smoke drifting around her, remaining an inch around her body as if waiting for her to command it. The smile on Alessia’s face grew as she tested the waters a bit, moving her arms and watching the darkness coil around her wrists in a gentle caress.

It was hers to call on.

Hers to beckon.

Hers to control.

Shifting her focus to the other side of the ring, Izara stared gapingly at the sight before her, joined by Erebos.

She hadn’t heard the Lord of Hell enter the cell, but she was grateful he was here to witness this moment.

His expression was a mixture of intrigue and something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Breathtaking,” he murmured.

The darkness was a part of her, just as the voice had said.

It had been repressed for twenty-six years, waiting to see the light of day, and now that she had a full grasp of them, she wasn’t afraid of the smoke anymore.

The way the tendrils caressed her was almost comforting, a reminder that she wasn’t alone here.

She wished her parents were here to experience this, too.

“Very good,” Izara noted, slightly breathless. “Can you control them?”

Now that the cobwebs had been dusted off, Alessia got the hang of the deathly smoke rather quickly. Like learning how to ride a bike, it suddenly clicked into place, and it didn’t take any time at all before she sent a tendril snaking along the mat towards Erebos.

Izara made to step in front of him to get in its path, but Erebos held a hand out to stop her.

“You plan to hurt me, Little Mortal?” He cocked his head to the side, studying her in a way that made her feel completely bare.

“No,” she hummed, sending the tendril to snake up his calf.

Her power nearly bursted at the seams to be explored, and it seemed hellbent on practicing on Erebos.

“But I could.” She willed the smoke to travel higher, ordering the tendril to brush against his inner thigh. It obeyed without a lick of hesitancy.

The lord stiffened from the contact, but not out of fear. His onyx eyes drank her in like the finest whiskey, heating her bloodstream and coaxing that decadent scent of cherries to drift between them.

“Leave us,” he ordered Izara, keeping his eyes locked on Alessia’s. “Her training is done for the day.”

With a bow, the soul seeker took her leave, and when the door clicked shut behind her, Alessia walked a slow circle around Erebos, unable to shake the grin from her face. “You should stop calling me Little Mortal. I think we’re both aware now that I am far from human.”

He arched a brow when she paused before him. “I’m rather fond of the nickname. Aren’t you?”

“Not when it isn’t accurate anymore.” Sending the tendril along his body, she watched the darkness wrap around his neck, dancing across the skeletal hands inked on his flesh.

Her eyes zeroed in on the way Erebos’s eyes slightly rolled to the back of his head.

Watched them close in an attempt to hide his reaction, inhaling deeply through his nose before expelling it out of his mouth.

“Are you not afraid of me?” she whispered, taking another step closer.

“You are powerless, Erebos, and black magic runs through my veins. I could kill you without a second thought.”

“And go against our blood pact?” Regaining control of himself, he glanced at the tendril caressing his neck and leaned into it. “You are incapable of hurting me, Alessia. I am not afraid of you, I’m…” He scanned her eyes, an unknown emotion clogging them. “I am in awe of you.”

His praise sent a barrel of lust shooting through her.

It was so unexpected that the tendril disappeared for a brief moment before reappearing.

Alessia swallowed the thickness stuck in her throat, sending the tendril to brush through his curls instead, and the fluttering of his lashes stole her breath away.

Alessia wished she were an artist, if only so she could paint a still life of his chiseled face.

Despite what she wanted to believe, this connection they shared was likely because her powers were mixed with his.

She couldn’t determine if the urge to replace the tendrils currently stroking his hair with her fingers was due to his powers seeking their owner or her actual feelings, and it infuriated her.

They had agreed to be cordial for the sake of their upcoming mission, but between the intimate moment in her bedroom and the corn field he surprised her with, Alessia couldn’t help but wonder if they were starting to become more than cordial.

And that couldn’t happen.

She refused to fall for the Lord of Hell.

With that thought in mind, she tested the smoke a step further, her eyes lighting up with glee when they successfully bound his wrists behind the lord’s back and held him hostage.

Erebos tested the strength of the grip, tilting his chin towards the ceiling when Alessia’s chest pressed against his. “Are you still fearless , Erebos?”

Being in control like this shouldn’t have been so arousing to her, but knowing the Lord of Hell—a man feared by the entire realm—was at her mercy made her feel immensely powerful.

Erebos surveyed her face, smiling sinfully when the scent of cherries flowed between them again. “ I am yours to play with, Little Mortal. What shall you do to me first?”

Alessia failed to stop her imagination from running wild.

She wondered how Erebos would handle it if she ordered him onto his knees before her with his wrists bound by her power.

Would he enjoy it if she pulled her pants down and allowed him to please her?

Would he like it if she tugged on his hair and held him between her thighs, knowing his hands were useless to him?

Would he trust her enough to allow him to come up for air?

“Want to find out?” Erebos arched a brow, feigning nonchalance when he was anything but. It was in the way his body trembled. How his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were bleached, like fighting off the instinct to grab her and bring all of her fantasies to life.

Instead of feeling embarrassed, she rather enjoyed sharing these images with him and watching him struggle. It turned her on even more. “Why are you in my head, Erebos? I thought we agreed to privacy.”

“I didn’t penetrate your mind,” he replied. His voice shook, as if hanging onto his self-control by a thread. “Projection, remember?”

“Mm.” Forcing space between them again, Alessia shook her head to clear her thoughts. They couldn’t be alone without that damn scent overpowering them. It was the biggest aphrodisiac she’d ever encountered. It muddled her thoughts and made her question her feelings towards him entirely.

It wasn’t real.

“Why did you ask Izara to add a corn field to the glamour?” she asked.

Erebos was still panting when he replied, “Because I want you to feel comfortable here.”

“And that’s the only reason?”

He held her stare, breathing a sigh of either relief or disappointment when her power freed his wrists from the bind. “It’s the only reason you’ll accept, so for now it is the only one I’ll give you.” Then, after a heartbeat, “Did you like it?”

“I loved it.” She hummed, calling on her power again to ensure she hadn’t suddenly lost the ability. The smoke responded immediately, drifting along her skin before rolling onto the stone floor. “It reminded me of home.”

“Then I have accomplished what I set out to do.” He glanced around the cell before jerking his chin for the door.

“Would you like me to escort you to your room, or did you have other plans in store for today?” A smile graced his lips before he added, “Aside from knocking my general on his ass again, that is.”

Alessia’s face beamed with pride. “He told you?”

He shook his head. “No. We passed each other on my way here, and he did not look well. I assume that was your doing.”

“He should have known better than to doubt my abilities,” she quipped. “To be fair, I did try to warn him. He didn’t listen.”

Erebos held the door open for her, attempting and failing to hide a smile that wasn’t so rare anymore. “Duly noted. If we are to spar in the future, I will not take it easy on you.”

“I would hope not. If you do, you will find yourself more than in the bind I just put you in, Lord of Hell.”

His arm brushed against hers as they walked down the stone corridor that led to the elevator.

That feeling of contentment flowed between them, a natural easiness that shouldn’t exist with a man she hardly knew.

Still, she leaned into the connection because it felt right, maintaining a closer proximity to Erebos when they shuffled into the elevator.

Erebos noticed, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he relaxed against the wall, allowing her shoulder to rest against his bicep when he said, “I look forward to all the ways you will punish me in the future, Little Mortal, especially if the binds are involved.”

The doors opened, and without another word, he left her open-mouthed and speechless in the elevator.