Page 45 of Queen of the Wicked (Afterlife #1)
Erebos
T he Freeing Ceremony was an hour away from starting, but rather than reciting the speech he had prepared for the individual he had selected, he found his focus drawn to the dance floor, wondering when and if Alessia would arrive.
The ball was in full swing, a grand affair curated for all of the demons in the realm to enjoy. They worked hard for the lord all year, so this was the one night he allowed them to be free of their duties to let loose and have fun.
He still forbade temptation in the realm, so cocktails were replaced by mocktails, an elaborate three-tiered display of the realm’s most sought-after drink, witch’s potion.
Glasses in the shape of cauldrons expelled rolling plumes of smoke, masking the ballroom air in fog as demons whirled on the dance floor.
The ballroom was decorated at its finest, with red and black drapery hung from the ceiling and lit candelabras creating a dark, sinful atmosphere one would only find in Hell.
It was one of Erebos’s favorite days of the year, mainly because he was doing some good for once.
He offered demons who deserved it a chance to start over, granting them forgiveness for sins that might otherwise be frowned upon.
The selected demon had put in the hard work, and he was happy to reward them tonight.
Still, it didn’t stop him from glancing at the double doors as a set of musicians played a dark waltz in the corner. Eryx joined him a moment later, gesturing to the doors. “You could always find her, you know.”
Erebos cleared his throat, embarrassed being caught longing for someone who wasn’t even aware they were mates.
“She has no obligation to attend. I won’t force her presence here.
” The last time they had spoken, they agreed to go to Allegra’s after the ball.
Maybe Alessia didn’t think she was welcome here, and that was Erebos’s fault for not inviting her. “How did things go with Elyana?”
“Good,” Eryx replied. He raked a hand through his slicked back hair before tugging at the collar of his cravat.
Attending the ball included dressing to the nines, and Erebos knew the general wasn’t fond of formal attire.
“We are beginning a new circuit with the troops in the morning. We would have started today, but the ball required us to travel back.”
“Because it is supposed to be a night for all of you to be free of your duties,” he explained. “You are my general year-round. It might be nice to see what a night of being Eryx looks like.”
“Tonight is not a night to be off duty,” he retorted, keeping his eyes trained on the spinning couples.
“Who knows what could happen? Practically every demon in the realm is here.” His expression grew haunted, and Erebos got the impression that the forlorn look on the general’s face was a mirror of his own.
“If it weren’t for my title, I would not be in attendance tonight.
There is—” His voice abruptly cut off at the woman strolling through the double doors.
Isla had appeared like a beam of light, clad in a gold dress that cinched tightly at the waist with intricate beadwork that seemed hand-stitched into the skirt.
Her curled blond strands landed at her waist, and in a rare occurrence, she wore makeup.
Not much, but enough to make her skin look dewy and radiant.
A flower crown sat atop her head, crafted of white ivory roses likely taken from the garden.
Erebos failed to hide his grin at the general’s attempt to hide his utter infatuation with the handmaid.
“You have been patient,” Erebos noted, gesturing to the double doors. “For Isla.”
It was an effort, but Eryx eventually ripped his gaze away from her. “What?”
“I am not dense, Eryx. You have pushed aside your desires for decades because she was not free. It is a testament to your loyalty, and although I am eternally grateful for it, I think it is about time you be selfish.”
Eryx scoffed. “You wish I broke the rules of the realm? Your rules?” He shook his head at the preposterous suggestion.
“Believe me, the thought has occurred many times, but it would endanger her chances of being freed, and she has worked hard for her chance at reincarnation. I have stayed away to prevent myself from tempting her, even though it has been…difficult, to say the least.” He eyed the full bodice of her dress and briefly shut his eyes. “Incredibly difficult.”
Erebos looked at the clock on the wall, mentally calculating how much longer until he had to present the speech. “Well, you have about forty-five minutes to convince her to remain in Hell.”
Eryx snapped his gaze to his. “What are you talking about?”
“I have selected Isla to be freed tonight, where, as you know, she will make the decision to either be reincarnated or remain here in Hell. You both have my permission to break the rules for the next forty-five minutes to determine which path she will choose.”
The general cleared his throat, which was clogged with emotion. He stood up straighter, then smoothed his maroon waistcoat. “Did you do this for me?” he asked.
Erebos tilted his head in contemplation. “I would not have selected her to be freed if I feared there was a chance of her soul becoming tainted again. She has worked hard for this, and you have been patient. It is a choice that benefits both of you.”
Eryx held his stare for a beat too long, and his admiration for the lord was exchanged without a single word.
“Go,” Erebos urged. “She isn’t going to ask herself to dance.”
Without hesitancy, Eryx strode across the dance floor and made a beeline for the handmaid like he had planned on doing it for years.
Isla blushed upon his arrival and dipped into a curtsy, but Eryx bent to whisper into her ear instead.
Whatever he said had the blush spreading to her entire chest, and when Eryx held his hand out for her to take, the handmaid found the lord’s gaze across the room as if verifying his approval.
Erebos nodded with a smile, and as the couple headed for the floor, he found himself lingering in the shadows like a wallflower. The burning, aching feeling in his chest only intensified the longer he watched two people fall in love.
It was in the way Eryx’s hand drifted lower on her back.
How Isla eventually allowed herself to relax in his arms until their bodies were flush against one another.
The general was the happiest the lord had ever seen him, and for a heartbeat, he wished they could trade places, if only it were Alessia in his arms instead.
They had made progress; there wasn’t a doubt in his mind about that, but Alessia still didn’t view him as her life partner, and rightfully so.
Relationships on Earth moved much slower than those of fated mates, sometimes taking years before they were married.
It wasn’t uncommon for her to want to take things slow, but the longer he waited without sealing the bond, the more painful it became.
Alessia deserved to discover this information herself. He refused to put another added weight onto her when the Makers had already thrown a boulder in her path, no matter how frustrating it was for him to keep his desires to himself.
Every time she touched him, his restraint was held by a thread, fraying the longer he prolonged coming right out and telling her. She brought temptation a whole new definition—one he didn’t think even the demons in this realm could comprehend.
“Why do you look like a sad puppy?” Izara asked from beside him. He hadn’t heard her arrive. Then again, she wouldn’t be his soul seeker if stealth weren’t one of her best attributes.
Despite the dress code, even at a ball, she chose to remain in a tunic and trousers. Erebos couldn’t bring himself to reprimand her for it, not when she was leaving to go to the soul yard in the morning and had a long journey ahead.
“I could say the same to you,” he noted. “You have been quiet since our return from the pits.”
“I am always quiet.”
“I suppose, but never this quiet.” He glanced around the room of the joyous celebrations, feeling like an outsider in his own realm. “You do not wish to celebrate?”
“What is there to celebrate?” she shot back. Then, as if rethinking her words, she shook her head while scuffing her boot against the marble floor. “Forgive me. This is a blessed occasion that should be?—”
“What happened?” he asked. “Has training Alessia been too much? Are you overwhelmed?”
“No, it is not that. We agreed to resume training next week, now that she has come to terms with everything, but the downtime has allowed me to reflect on our visit with the Seeker.”
“And?” Erebos leaned against the wall, staring at the tiny but vicious woman.
“He didn’t say anything to me,” she whispered. The lord could tell she hated allowing herself to be vulnerable when she cursed before blinking her eyes at the ceiling to hold her tears at bay. “Why didn’t he say anything? He could see futures for all of you except me.”
“That is true,” the lord replied, “but you also did not ask any questions.”
“Neither did Eryx,” she said. “Maybe I am just meant for nothing, Erebos. Perhaps my future is living in this realm forever, and I will never remember my past. Perhaps all of this work is pointless.” Her hazel eyes pooled with another wave of tears, but she somehow kept them inside. “I am tired of trying to remember.”
There wasn’t much advice Erebos could offer when he found himself in her state of mind more than he’d ever admit.
It was traumatizing being unable to remember where he came from.
They were told the longer they existed, the more their memories would fade, but everything?
His family? His childhood? They had disappeared as if they never happened, and the only person who understood that pain was Izara.