Page 46 of Queen of the Wicked (Afterlife #1)
“I am tired too,” he admitted. “We have been searching for an answer for many years, but Alessia is here now. She is the harbinger the Makers have sent, and I have to have hope that the answers to our past lie within her. She will restore the balance, and by doing so, she will right the wrongs dealt to us.”
“Perhaps,” she replied. A shrill laugh filtered over from the dancefloor, causing Izara to sigh. “If it is all right with you, I want to turn in. I have a long journey ahead of me tomorrow.”
“Of course.” The lord tipped his head in farewell, and as Izara disappeared, he allowed himself to sink further into the shadows, daydreaming of emerald eyes and the brightest smile in the realms.
“Thank you all for joining me,” Erebos said into the microphone.
A stage was placed before the dancefloor, where the lord stood front and center to kick off the ceremony.
Hundreds lined the crowded room, some watching from the balconies on the second story and most lingering on the floor.
“Tonight we celebrate a monumental occasion to recognize those who have chosen to repent for their sins in the hopes of starting a clean slate.” He flicked his gaze around the room, noting every demon he had the honor of reconfiguring into someone they were proud of.
“Most of you are aware of the recent shortages in the soul yard, so unfortunately, there is only one demon this year who I feel has shown exemplary progress since she arrived in Hell.” He sought out Isla amongst the sea of people, standing hand in hand with Eryx.
“This person has motivated me with her optimism and resilience, as she has patiently strived for her chance at redemption for two decades. She is a constant light rarely seen in this realm, which I will deeply miss should she choose to be reincarnated and leave us tonight.” Hot tears streamed down Isla’s face when he added, “But there is no one more worthy of this decision than her. It is my honor to present you with your freedom, Isla Valor. Please join me. ”
The entire room exploded in applause, nothing but shouts of encouragement as Isla navigated her way through the crowd. She was a greatly respected demon amongst the realm, one others looked up to, and if she chose to return to Earth, there would be plenty of disappointed faces tonight.
Isla approached Erebos on shaky limbs, grinning from ear to ear that seemed to cast a golden aura around her. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” she whispered, accompanied by a trembling lip. “I cannot express how much this means to me.”
“You have proven yourself,” he assured. “As I’ve said, there is no one more deserving of this opportunity than you.
I am immensely proud to have watched your progress unfold.
” Pulling a pin from his pocket, she released a wet laugh when he fastened it to her dress.
It was a golden flame that happened to match the shade of her dress—a symbol of the triumph and work she had put herself through to get to this moment.
“Now, the final question is…” He lowered the microphone to rest between them. “Do you wish to remain here in Hell, or would you like the chance to be reincarnated on Earth?”
Isla looked out at the crowd, at a beaming Eryx and a woman who robbed Erebos of all the breath in his lungs.
Alessia stood beside the general, tears of happiness trickling down her cheeks for the handmaid she had grown so close to, but Erebos couldn’t keep his gaze off of her angelic features, which were only highlighted by a dusting of blush and coal around her eyes.
The woman was a masterpiece, cultivated of every desire and allurement he could imagine, and it only got worse when his attention settled on her dress.
That damn dress.
Coated in darkness, the black skintight gown showcased every dip and curve she possessed, with corathin petals stitched into the bodice before flaring at the knees.
It caused her to sparkle in the glow of the candelabras, her hair in perfectly curled ringlets that stopped at her breasts, with a neckline so low it was an effort not to rip the dress right off her.
Those ruby-painted lips and a sinful smile to match were the embodiment of a temptation so wicked that he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that if he were a demon striving for freedom in this realm, he would have failed in epic proportions the second he laid eyes on her.
She was the light at what he assumed was a never-ending tunnel, a rare glimpse of the sun in a world that had been so dark.
He had been drowning, seconds from being submerged, and she reached her hand out of nowhere to bring him to shore. In that moment, with the luminous glare causing the corathins to sparkle, she was a lethal combination of wicked and righteous, and he’d never been more proud to call her his mate.
“I would like to remain here in Hell,” Isla answered.
Erebos had been so caught up in Alessia that he had forgotten he had asked the handmaid a question.
“So long as I can remain here at the castle? I have grown rather fond of tending to Alessia, and I would prefer to maintain my job rather than seek a new one.” It also helped that she would remain near the general, who looked like he had one thought on his mind as he admired Isla from afar.
“I would be honored for you to remain on staff, Isla.” He only spared her a glance before seeking out Alessia once more. “Please enjoy the rest of the night, everyone. Right now, I have other matters to attend to.”
The realm could judge him all they wanted for cutting the ceremony short. Erebos hardly paid their response any mind before the musicians resumed, and he strode for Alessia in the center of the dancefloor.
A hand on his arm stopped him from doing so. “Your Majesty.” Catalina dipped into a curtsy in a flowy, red dress with panels that had slits so high they nearly reached the apex of her thigh. “Are you leaving?”
Aggravated at the interruption, he sighed heavily through his nose and shrugged out of her grasp. “It appears so.” What he wanted to tell her was that he was about to fuck his mate into next week, but he kept his mouth shut, impatiently tapping his dress shoes against the pristine floor.
“You do not wish for my services?” She cocked her head to the side and studied him.
Services. He hated that term. Catalina had been the only one he truly indulged in of all the women in the realm.
Others were used as a facade for Bastian’s annual visits, but he had formed a genuine friendship with Catalina that eventually developed into something more.
He had never loved her, but it was far more than services.
“Your services are no longer required, Catalina. Now, if you’ll excuse—” His voice trailed off at the sight of Alessia storming out of the ballroom, leaving shadows in her wake.
Thankfully, the demons were too invested in the party to notice, but Catalina arched a perfectly plucked brow at Alessia’s display of power.
“That is interesting,” she mused. “She has powers?”
The mating bond kicked into place, a wave of protectiveness that had him towering over the escort in seconds.
“You speak of this to no one,” he warned.
Of all the demons in the realm to discover the truth, Catalina was the worst. She frequently visited Heaven, although Erebos warned her to limit her visits.
Word could easily spread to Bastian if she so much as hinted that Alessia was powerful.
“I won’t,” she whispered, darting her eyes to the lord's tight hold on her wrist. He instantly released her when he noticed, but the bond was still frantic in his chest, seeking reassurance it couldn’t get.
That, or he was feeling Alessia’s emotions.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he muttered while brushing past. There would be a later time to speak with Catalina, but his priority would always remain Alessia. Judging by the tendrils of smoke oozing from her body, she didn’t take kindly to his conversation with the escort.
Picking up his pace to the double doors, he hoped the Makers would be on his side as he prepared to face his mate’s wrath.