21. Carnal Temptation
Carnal Temptation
SORVA
Gliding through the throne room, draped in layers of sheer black fabric that left nothing to the imagination, my heels clicked against polished marble.
The material flowed from my waist to the floor, moving as if it were the very darkness that crafted my essence.
Its ethereal silhouette blanketed me in elegance—the guise I had worn for centuries—but my true form highlighted my intentions.
Desolation.
Under minimal layers, my freshly carved relics pulsed with ancient magic.
Inky lineage coagulating each jagged edge, the intricate silver harness that adorned my body only accentuated my power.
Ornate filigree pieces framed my chest, connected by delicate chains that draped across my curves before curling around my back.
The symbol of Serevalen, the Capital that now belonged to me, rested at my midsection to serve as a reminder to the man I was meeting with.
Chairs vibrated against the floor as those in attendance rose respectfully in my presence.
Amongst those who bowed to me stood the king, his human features standing out in a sea of otherworldly corruption.
Blonde locks combed and slicked back just as I preferred, I couldn’t help but smile at the man who bowed before me in more ways than one.
Rounding the table his servants had brought in, I trailed my taloned fingers over his chest. Lips ghosting over his pulse point, I hummed with the seduction I knew he craved. “You look dashing, Octavius.”
“As do you, my Beloved Other.”
Forked tongue flicking against my canines, my touch slid down his abdomen before stroking along his waistline. Starved for a taste of him, a purr tumbled from me as I palmed his cock once, preparing myself for what I planned to take after our meeting adjourned.
“Please,” I started, stepping around him to take the chair at his right, “sit.”
One by one, they sank into their seats—Evrexiths, Vrax, Maulix, Kyrn, Octavius—and I joined them.
The freshly buffed oak carried our reflections, painting a masterpiece of the anathema we wished to cast on the realms. Our existence grew from the seed of control and the desire for conquest, to rip the gods once worshipped from their thrones and take their place.
And we had.
Divided between veiled lands, the masculine and feminine pieces of each ethereal being would never join again.
The only hope the Damned had rested in their Children, part human, part divine, little devils who believed they could oppose us without the other portion of their parent.
With the mirror separating them, the chances of reaching their counterparts remained minimal.
As such, the realm of Narvaelira would remain ours, and the world we walked below would soon asphyxiate the lands they trusted those we overpowered to protect.
“Respectfully, Dark Goddess Sorva, what have we gathered to discuss?” Vrax crooned, her accentuated grin growing as my infernal stare met hers.
“First, we shall toast to all we have accomplished thus far.” Reaching for the knife to my right, I tapped the crystal goblet once to summon those responsible for bringing us our meal.
“Second, with the Divari encroaching on the artifacts, I wished to discuss my thoughts on the matter and what I deem necessary moving forward.”
Before they could prompt any further, the double doors swung open, and the servants wheeled in our dish.
Gagged, the male thrashed against the chains binding him to the contraption that I demanded the blacksmiths create.
The hinges were locked on either side, but with a quick flip, the makeshift altar would invert if necessary.
Sturdy against his struggle, I couldn’t help but grin as his crystal eyes met mine, auburn hair ablaze to match his continued hostility toward the gods he should’ve been crawling for—us.
Attention downcast, the two women positioned him in front of our dining arrangement. Standing with their hands tucked behind their backs, they waited for my permission to leave, and when I ordered such, they vanished just as quickly as they’d arrived.
Palms flattening against the armrests of the chair I occupied, I pushed myself to standing and snatched the serrated blade from the table. “Humans serve two purposes beneath our rule. Which are?”
“Obedient hounds,” Kyrn giggled as she peered up from her analysis of her nails.
“Or food.” Vrax’s split tongue shot out between her lips, each half working to lap outward to the edges of her mouth. “You are blessing us with such a feast?”
“I am,” I mewled, spinning the hilt between my fingers. “And on the menu tonight is one of Kaelivan’s loyal guards, one who continues to remain defiant regardless of the opportunities he has been given. Brix.”
“Mmm!” Shout muffled, his brows furrowed to display his continued loathing. “Mmph—”
With a harsh kick, my foot collided with the locking mechanism. The hinge flipped, and the flat wood he rested on flipped vertically, the chains tightening to ensure he remained bound to his fate. As he exhaled through his nose, I positioned myself beside the contraption.
“To ensure we can indulge to completion, I will enlighten you all on what awaits our reign.” Tossing the knife into the air, I caught it with an overhand grip before driving it into Brix’s thigh.
He screamed, the sound a harmony I knew wouldn’t last much longer as I purred, “Hold that for me, will you?”
“What of our ruling?” my Son finally asked as he leaned back in his chair, arms folding over his chest. Dominance radiated from him in the way I’d always wished it to—a prince to a dark throne, a lord of a realm.
“As you are aware, other mystical creatures have infiltrated Wraelira and are working to dismantle all we have accomplished. That damned Shifter proved sufficient in her wielding and weapon handling. If we wish to rule, then we must act fast.”
“My prized prince,” I crooned, dragging my talon over the wood that suspended the man who would soon fill our hollow stomachs.
“Your concerns are valid and heard. The report you delivered upon your return from Hollowmere, alongside the change I’ve felt in Caspian’s bind, is why we will be shifting course, if only a little. ”
“The tides are quelling a hunger that will not be sustained, Sorva,” Maulix spoke, lengthened fingers folding over each other as he interlaced them to settle his chin on their perch.
“With Ellira’s Daughter and Elaros’s Son awakening, it is only a matter of time until the other Divari follow. We must act.”
Agitation caused my timbre to pitch, a ripple of magic rolling through the throne room in warning.
“It is pertinent you remember your place. Challenges within our ranks are unnecessary when we are on the precipice of the scales tipping entirely.” I paused, waiting to see if any of them wished to test my slipping patience.
When I was met with silence, I continued, “Caspian remains leashed to me, though his fated ties with Rohen have begun to rouse.
“Originally, such a discovery was unnerving. But now? It has become a point of leverage. The bind I’ve set in place feeds off his life force, meaning the more he pulls, the worse his health becomes.
We are cognizant that, for the Divari to overpower us, they must all join in arms, meaning those spread throughout Narvendor as well.
So,” I grinned as my magic built, “we have a rebellious pirate, a guilt-ridden assassin, and scattered godlings, but most of all, we have one of the gravest weaknesses—love.”
“Are you suggesting Ellira’s daughter has begun testing the waters of her draw toward Elaros’s Son?” Kyrn asked as she shifted to lean her head on Maulix’s shoulder. “If so, we weaponize their yearning.”
“Precisely,” I confirmed. “As Caspian continues prying his greedy fingers beneath the tendrils I’ve wrapped around his essence, I loosen my hold just enough to give him hope—a sense of feeling, self-realization that he truly has never known who he is, and a building sense of his dedication to the woman he is soul-tied with.
And when their connection sparks, I yank on his leash, and in return, the formed link between them serves in my favor. ”
Evrexiths dropped his elbows on the table, his skepticism palpable. “How so?”
“They are Mizani, of course.” Ripping the blade from Brix’s thigh, his weakened whine indicated that he was ready for us.
“When love flares between two fated, injury translates. While my bind may not inflict as much damage as the extremes Caspian will face, Rohen will still be affected. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, as she feels her lover begin to drift. Every wound is duplicated when two souls are meant to be one.”
“And in dwindling their light, the strength of their attempted rebellion fractures.” Vrax’s palms slapped against the table as she squealed in glee. “Oh, I love this idea. Psychological and physical torment as a means to drive them away from one another, either in death or in loathing.”
“Then the Damneds’ ambitions fade out, and we rule without their interference. They are only as strong as their remaining heirs. Without them, they are nothing, and we can ensure they stay that way.” Craning my head to the side, I peered at Octavius. “Thoughts, darling?”
“Aside from finding your conniving mind even more alluring? I have nothing.”
I turned my attention to the four who followed every utterance I offered as if I were their god and not stitched from the same essence as they were. “As for you four?”
“We are all in agreement with your proposition, our Beloved Other.”
Lips upturning, my thirst exemplified. “Then let us feast.”
Blade in hand, I secured my hold around the hilt before slashing the sharpened edge across the soft flesh of Brix’s throat.
Crimson splattered, pouring from his neck—a waterfall of pure ecstasy.
Bringing the steel to my mouth, I flattened my tongue against it, sucking off the intoxicating lineage of yet another human life squandered.
Evrexiths stood, chalice in hand, and wasted no time filling it like one would gather water from a spigot. Once satisfied with his take, he brought the glass to his lips and swallowed. “Blessed be, dark goddess, Sorva.”
Stepping to the side, Vrax followed and repeated the action.
Maulix was next, and then Kyrn. By the time Octavius made it to Brix’s deceased frame, I slipped from the silver that kept my body cloaked in thin layers of darkness.
Allowing it to fall, I peered up at him beneath my lashes, and he aided me with the other strap.
Dress falling from my marked skin, my pebbled nipples perked at the sudden chill that brushed across my nude flesh.
Stepping from the material pooled at my feet, I took Evrexiths’s and Maulix’s hands as they aided my step onto one of the chairs before I lowered myself onto the table we’d all sat at.
Lying down against the polished oak, I trailed my fingers up my bare thighs before finding my cunt.
Quick to massage my clit with gentle circles, my back arched, a shuddering breath slipping from me as I offered them my command. “Indulge in my regality. Bathe in my essence. Baptize yourselves in my pleasure.”
They wasted no time circling me. The king stood at the edge of the table and spread my legs.
Dropping his trousers, he buried himself in my core, leaving Maulix with just enough space.
The latter positioned himself where my fingers had been, tongue replacing my touch.
Kyrn lapped at my nipple, and the carnality I craved consumed my essence.
My lips parted in response, but my moan was silenced as Vrax lowered herself on my face.
As they feasted on me, greedily taking whatever I would offer them, Evrexiths downed the rest of his blood before slipping into the shadows from which he was born and leaving me to tip over the edge of temptation.
For this was just the beginning of my rule.