Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
Josiah
The suite I’d been appointed to while employed in the palace had been sumptuous, luxurious, and filled with amenities. It was the same one I’d been assigned to now, just freshened up with fruit and beverages.
Glasses decorated with garnets and rubies were provided along with multiple carafes of fresh blood, and an assortment of the finest liquors and wines.
An overflowing basket of deep, violet grapes and juicy pomegranates sat on an etched golden platter atop a low table placed between plump, cushioned couches. A fire roared in the hearth to my left and a sense of nostalgia filled me. Nothing much had changed here, over the years, and that was a comfort I could not easily disregard.
My home in the Third Realm was comparable in many ways but it wasn’t home . It didn’t contain the same spirit or atmosphere, the sense of belonging that enveloped me while I was here in the Second. Eventually, I’d be more comfortable, but that would take time, and somehow, Della.
As much as I tried to lie to myself and convince my soul I’d do the right thing, it was a foregone conclusion I’d disobey those who ruled. The thought of my defiance grated against me, squirming under my skin and threatening to flay me alive, such was my ingrained loyalty. Gritting my teeth, I shoved the feeling down.
My heart wanted what it wanted, and it’d chosen the brunette beauty who was waiting for me back in the Third.
Was she waiting? I was certain I’d made my intentions clear to her, but humans could be obtuse and fickle.
I just had to get through the choosing ceremony and figure out a way to create the illusion I was cooperative and then go home and claim my bride for good.
Between Della and my company, Ipomoea, there was much to be done. Not wanting to wait any longer, I refreshed my appearance by showering and changing into a new set of clothing. I smoothed my hair back from my face, tucked it behind my ears, and examined my skin.
I hadn’t spent time in the Third Realm until recently and the atmospheric differences between there and here were obvious on my face. I looked more human than ever. Vampire DNA shared its cellular matter with humans in many ways, so it was relatively easy to blend in without any spell work or disguises. If anything, the contaminated air of the realm people referred to as earth had done me a favor. The finest of lines creased my forehead, giving me a more distinguished appearance. I probably looked to be around thirty-five years of age.
Satisfied, I exited my dressing room and went to a chest of narrow drawers. Lightly waving my fingers at the front panel, a flat shelf slid open, and my gaze dragged over my assortment of knives and other instruments. Blades, daggers, and other tools of the highest quality glittered back at me. I’d brought my favorites with me when I’d left, but I’d kept some choices pieces here for possible future use.
Gently, I lifted a razor thin, narrow stiletto from the bed of velvet and ran my finger along one side of the double edge. Like butter, it split the skin of my index finger, peeling back the flesh, curling it. The sweet twinge of pain was delayed, the blade too fine to let the corresponding sting hit immediately. When it arrived, my dick pressed against the zipper of my pants and an image of Della entered my vision, her back arched and her mouth gaping open in bliss while I drank from her.
Oh, the plans I have for you, my Little One...
I pocketed the blade and licked my finger and palm clean, instantly sealing the wound before I slid it inside the interior pocket of my suit coat.
At the last moment, I decided to embrace the more decadent side of my ancestry and added both a glittering tie pin studded with onyx and garnets and a pair of matching cufflinks to my outfit.
I would perform the ceremony, and then set an appointment with my parents. I had things to do.
Ezra spotted me in the entrance foyer. “Immaculate, as always. I always said it was such a shame I preferred women,” he practically drooled, his gaze dragging lazily up and down before he shook his head. “Women do indeed die for you.” He laughed at his own joke.
“Mm, perhaps,” I gave him a small smile.
He faced me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “You’re making me proud, son. We’ve always counted on you to have the Realms’ best interests at heart, and you have never let us down.”
He waved his hand dismissively as we began walking. “One could say you’ve been distracted in the past, as with the infant, but it happens to the best of us, and we learn from our mistakes.”
Modulating my increasing temper, I replied, “Learning from one’s mistakes is invaluable.”
I spotted the other four Ancients, their robes flowing, appearing to glide down a hallway to our left. “Thank you for meeting with me,” I said politely. “I know your time is precious.”
“That it is,” Ezra agreed as we came to a stop in front of a set of ornate doors, all black ironwork with intricate scrolling and whorls. “I am certain you will find the selection to your tastes and preferences; I curated it myself.”
He flicked a glance at the entry and the metal panels drifted inward. “Enjoy and fill me in later.”
He took his leave after I bowed my head.
A curtain of Bloodmoon flowers and long ivy pendants fashioned from emeralds hung directly inside the doorway and I parted the screen. A rushing wave of desire, longing, hope, and a dash of lust wrapped around me as I slowly made my way into the scene spread out before me.
Vampire and demon females of the highest classes and most exquisite beauty were clad in breathtaking finery, lounging on cushions, chairs, and sofas. One swung from the ceiling on a bird swing, with her aura and a sparkling cloud of tulle trailing behind her.
The scent of blood, vanilla, and exotic flowers assaulted me, tempting me to indulge in each woman, one by one. My dark gaze flickered between the auras, instinctively searching for the most compliant, and the best match for my personal DNA.
Ezra had been understating the quality of the goods in this large parlor, each specimen was an example of the finest craftsmanship the known universe could offer.
Each would have been celebrated in the Third Realm. They’d have been turned into a high-end lingerie model, married into royalty, or immortalized on the silver screen, and memorialized forever. These were the women that drove humans to war or inspired suicide over rejected advances. Men would crash their ships into the sea rocks, drawn by a siren’s call, for just one smile from these beauties.
A feast lay before me and the blood in my veins raged as saliva gathered on the back of my tongue. I allowed my canine teeth to elongate and let the chemistry in the air seep into my tastebuds.
All the flavors and emotions coursed through me, somewhat sating my desire but not quite quenching it. Rather, it was an appetizer.
My blood was now on fire.
My vision clouded, foggy with a light orange mist, my sight marred as the heat waves in the atmosphere careened and swirled about me in an explosion of ether. Gold, crimson, ruby, sapphire. Then the emerald tone of jealousy when my eyes singled out a female for a second too long, depriving another worthy soul of my attention.
A woman with cornsilk tresses past the small of her back approached me, sheer silk-clad hips swaying to the beat of the background music. She ran her long, lacquered nails down my chest and curled an arm at my waist, thrusting her hips toward my own. I know she felt my rock-hard erection. Her ever-heightening moisture was trapped in a cradle of satin between her thighs releasing a fragrance my nose was all too eager to scent.
She met my gaze, hesitating a fraction of a second when she noticed my unique irises. No one had ever had eyes like mine. No one had ever seen pearlescent black, not in recorded history. It was a novelty among novelties, and I hid my gaze from no one in the realm, no matter the effect. But I’d never met these women before.
This particular woman was a witch, one of two others I sensed in the gathering. The rest were demons and vampires, and everyone was pureblood—no crossbreds, and absolutely no humans.
I was expected to indulge in their bodies, and I knew how this worked. I’d arranged similar collections for the same purpose while employed under Sem. The event would turn into an orgy and serve the purpose of a mated pair and open the possibility that perhaps the man’s seed, or the woman’s womb, would contribute to birth another superior creature.
There was no “hi how are you?” or “what is your name?” Not until after the act had been performed. Perhaps in other circumstances a lack of manners and consideration would be discouraged, but not here, not in this den of decadence.
I gripped the blonde’s head and spun her around as she gasped. Sliding my hand to the side of her neck, I pulled her skin and tugged her head down, licked my lips. Then I stretched my jaw and descended on her, sinking my teeth into her flesh. Her blood burst into my mouth, coating my tongue in a thick, succulent blanket of euphoria that nearly brought me to my knees.
But I wouldn’t touch her in any other way. My intimate caress belonged to one woman and one woman alone and as I drained the lifeforce from the witch, I kept the thought of Della close and guarded, but never far from my heart.
“You asshole!” A woman rushed me the moment I tossed the depleted body to the ground. “What have you done to Anna?”
Wiping the corner of my mouth with my thumb, I answered, “She wasn’t to my liking. Perhaps you will be?”
The woman shoved at my chest to no effect. Incensed, she pulled a blade from the skirt of her dress, but I had her flat on her back before she could wield it. I planted my shoe between her breasts, pressing her into the carpet, and leaned down. “ You are to please me . Have you not been paying attention?”
The women were trained for months, once they’d been selected, in the arts of decorum and seduction, compliance. “Yes, I’m sorry. It's just, she was my friend,” she whined, grappling my ankle. “I will comply.”
“You’ll give yourself to me freely, as expected?”
“I will. I do. Please.” She whimpered. “Just please don’t do to me what you did to her. Have mercy.”
I removed my foot from her chest and straddled her, lowering myself to my knees. Anxiety and fear steamrolled from her, filling the air with a savory tang. “As you desire, so shall it be.”
Bending my neck, I found her own and nudged her hair out of the way. Trepidation flavored the fine sheen of sweat coating her skin and I trailed my lips through the dampness and inhaled. She stiffened below me for a moment before her arms began to rise. I locked them in place before they rose more than a half inch from the rug. Then, I waved a finger over her face, paralyzing her and ceasing her protestations.
Inhaling, I slowly drank her essence and ingested her soul, letting the thin tendrils of ether slip and slide down my throat. She was a witch from a high-standing family and briefly, I considered what I was doing. Was I singlehandedly and permanently ending a line of elite magic workers? No matter. A feast had been presented to me and nobody could blame me for doing what came naturally. Her pulse fluctuated in a moment of desperation before it blinked out, the corpse deflating and sinking slightly into the fibers below.
I’d given mercy when all I’d wanted to do was rip her to shreds. None of these women would ever be able to replace Della, it was an insult of the highest order to suggest they could.
Rolling off her, I shuddered, letting the ecstasy of all I’d consumed in the last several minutes run through me. Every cell of my being was alight with fullness of joy and a massive surge of elation. Power coursed through me, my blood delighting in the stolen sorcery of the witches. I couldn’t use it, but it filled a craving deep in my soul. It wasn’t every day a being such as me received the privilege of the taste of magical blood, though it was highly sought after by all.
Drunk on blood and ether, I laid on the floor staring at the dual moons visible through the skylight overhead. Relaxing, I enjoyed the incredible sensations and soundly ignored the thread of terror wafting through the room.
Was I a monster? Yes. But that couldn’t be helped.
What mattered was I would never be a monster to my Della. I’d be a monster for her, when needed, but never to her.
After the initial rush subsided, I sat up. The beauties around me did their best to act like their plans for the evening hadn’t taken a gory turn but even the woman on the swing had stilled. Starlight glistened through the overhead windows, reflecting off the iron bowers and glittering in the crimson drops surrounding me.
Before anyone set off to dominate a sector of the Third Realm, the Ancients would specifically state they were supposed to be “in the world, but not of the world,” and they expected them to behave with separation. As much as I loved the Second Realm, now that I’d had a taste of earthly delights and seen what I’d been missing, I knew there was no way I could remain here in any permanent fashion even though it was my home.
There was nothing for me to conquer here that I hadn’t already conquered or had handed to me on a golden platter. Everything was too predictable, too available, and too inevitable. If I claimed one of these demon or vampire princesses, I’d likely be looking over my shoulder for eternity and have to close a blind eye to the machinations of my bride as she displayed faithless behavior in a bid to rise in society. She would always look for the next, best thing.
I’d be drawn into futile games I lacked any desire for. I’d be expected to continuously rise in pointless power, gaining titles but existing with ever-tightening parameters, bound by ceremony, and shackled to a beautiful but conniving wife.
There were those who thrived on those types of games—mainly the demon clans. I was not one of them.
I’d heard the stories over the years of vampire and demon gods rebelling against the system and succeeding. If they’d found a way, I would, too.
Standing up, I cast my gaze around the room. I was sated, there was no need to feed anymore, but instinctually, I still hunted. Fresh blood and fear flavored the air, the combination working its addictive powers over me. Slowly, I stalked across the floor, eyeing the candidates one by one and watching them rein in their auras and temper their glowing eyes. The sole remaining witch attempted to hide her growing lust, and I smirked at her, shaking my finger. She shrunk backward, trying to hide in the potted ferns and dahlias.
I paid her no mind, allowing my demon side to imbibe on as much of the potent emotions suspended in the air as it desired. Finally, I took a deep breath, rebuttoned my suit coat, and spun on my heel.
“Thank you, ladies, for your time and attention” I said, and tipped my head to them.
As I stepped back out into the hallway, the physical relief that coursed through the crowd was a light breeze that ruffled my hair. The doors shut behind me and I began laughing, still high from my recreation, just as Ezra approached. Vernon was at his side.
I’d fully expected Vernon to have returned home to the mountains in the east, where he was known to have a compound. It was a surprise to me he’d remained.
“You look well-fed, Josiah,” Vernon eyed me solemnly. “We trust you found your options suitable?”
Dipping my head, I answered, “Yes, thank you. The finest quality.”
Ezra spoke next. “Whom have you selected for yourself and Micha?”
I bit my lip and glanced at the floor, shuffling my feet. “I’m afraid I got a little carried away. A clean-up crew would be useful before the room is available again.”
Ezra blinked at me before letting out a deep breath, his eyelids shuttering. “Josiah....”
Arranging my face into a sheepish expression, I said, “My deepest apologies, Sir. My only excuse is that I have become unused to such exquisite specimens.”
Vernon held his hand out toward the door and then dragged it down his face. “Two of the three witches. You do realize what you have done, don’t you?” His anger built. “They were irreplaceable; from families of the highest standing.”
If I had to guess, my assumption would be he’d remained behind for the witches. They might’ve been his wards, or he’d had other designs on them.
He lowered his voice and continued, “Those bloodlines are the only ones in existence to ever birth sources .”
I’d been unaware of that tidbit of information, regarding the two women I’d killed but I knew the demonic race were obsessed with obtaining a certain caliber of witch, referred to as a Source. They were said to be incredibly gifted and have the power to fundamentally change worlds or realms.
Vernon had just disposed of what the Ancients considered sacred knowledge, and I knew better than to remark upon or repeat what he’d just given me. “My sincerest apologies, I was overwhelmed.”
Ezra shook his head at me. “Come, I will send in the wraiths. Creator knows the Lessers would gossip endlessly.”
Vernon cast me a glare as I walked by Ezra’s side. “I will take my leave and visit my parents shortly,” I stated. “I am looking forward to it, it's been much too long.”
“I am more than aware you are attempting to distract me. Your attempt to mislead is a grave dishonor. I will overlook your foolishness just this once as I am no stranger to the power of a beautiful creature, or to the hunger. But do not insult me by attempting to convince me you do not have more self-control than you do.”
Pressing my lips together, I avoided meeting his gaze. No one would touch me due to my association with the man and I wanted to maintain the advantageous relationship. Keeping my feelings quiet was a wise course of action.
We came to the entry of my suite, and I kept my head bowed slightly in deference. “Yes, my Lord.” I chose the more formal title in a desperate bid to placate the man.
“You may visit your parents but don’t fret, nothing has changed, and you will choose a suitable mate for yourself and Micha from our offerings.”
With my head bowed, I waited until my superior vanished around a corner in the distance before I entered my living quarters. My pleasant intoxication was thoroughly marred by the continued edict he’d handed me. I pulled my favored blade from my pocket and licked it clean before stowing it away again in the drawer.
I wasn’t going to do it—not to myself or to my friend. All it had taken was one taste of freedom and one glimpse of Della, and my decision had been sealed. There was no force in the universe that would sway me from my path. My ingrained loyalty to the Court was a cancer I needed to root out completely if I were to have my way without injury.
If I had to leave the Second Realm awash in the blood and entrails of the Ancients, so be it. I would do so and feast on the carnage for eternity with Della seated right by my side.