Chapter 23
Twenty-Three
When we returned from Wrath, I deposited the angel in the arms of one of my men and ordered him to take him to Pride’s finest examiner. Examining recently fallen angels was his specialty, so he would have a field day with this one.
Eros was waiting for us at the palace door. Saying his goodbyes to fellow Lusts who knew better than to try to ask him to come home with them. They had tried before, and they had failed a number of times.
I smirked at him from across the pathway, lined with hundreds of pink astilbe flowers that surrounded the palace completely. People passed us, eyes lifting to ours, prying to get something—anything—exciting out of the rest of the night. Like pure animals.
Emery stumbled out of the palace next to Tonia. A sly smile was stretched across her face, and her eyes were beyond hazy. She pulled her lace shawl over her shoulder and walked down the path toward us, her fingers grazing against the flowers.
When she reached me, she curled her fingers into my chest. “Luci”—she kissed my cheek—“I missed you.” Her breath smelled like Passion Delight—and a lot of them.
Eros stood with his arms crossed over his chest, biceps flexing, as he smirked at us.
After glancing briefly at Tonia, whose hair was disheveled, I raised a sharp brow at Emeralda. “You slept with another woman, Everi?”
Her eyes widened, and she wiped that hazy look off her face. “No, I didn—”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to hear it. You’re supposed to be the queen of Pride, and here you are, seduced by a Lust.”
Green tinted her dark eyes. “You were seduced by two of them.” She put her hand on her hip, eyes lingering on Dani. “Thought I wasn’t smart enough to figure it out?”
Dani smirked and brushed her fingers on the bottom of her chin. “Nobody can resist me in my kingdom,” she said quite boldly, but it wasn’t a lie. “Even you.”
Emery scoffed. “You think so highly of your—”
Dani’s fingers brushed softly down her jaw, and suddenly, Emery’s eyes became hazy with lust. The green tint totally disappeared. She grabbed Dani’s arm lightly.
I grazed a finger against Emery’s chin, making her look at me. Locking on to her eyes and intertwining my mind with hers, I said, “I’m very disappointed in you, Everi. You should know better than to sleep with a Lust.”
Dani continued to keep her in that hypnotic state.
“The only way for me to trust you again is for you to bring me the Two-Faced Prophet.”
She shook her head, and her voice was softer than I had ever heard it before as she said, “I can’t. I don’t know—”
I broke my lock on her. “You must.”
When she nodded her head, Dani dropped her fingers, and Emery’s eyes faded back to their normal color.
She took a deep breath, her cheeks flushed.
Gazing over at Dani briefly, she fiddled with her shawl, trying to cover herself.
But I could see her nipples pressing against the front of her stolen silk dress.
Dani held her eye contact for a moment, then walked past her as if nothing had happened.
I followed, leaning close to Emery when I passed her. “I expect you to do this soon, or there will be consequences.” And with that, I walked to the palace stairs, where Eros and Tonia were waiting.
“You seduced her?” Dani smiled at Tonia.
Tonia smiled back. “It would’ve been better with you.”
Dani raised a brow. Eros choked on his drink. God, I nearly took a step back.
Tonia was getting bold. It had only been her first real night in the kingdom, but she had her eye set on one person and one person only. And by the angry look on Eros’s face, I could tell he didn’t like it. Not at all.
We watched Dani eye Tonia. She had that glimmer in her eye again. A glimmer that she had used on Everi a few moments ago. Dani was searching for Tonia’s inner desires, already fabricating dreams in Tonia’s mind that Dani would probably use tonight, preying on the new addition to the kingdom.
Everyone needed a proper welcome to the kingdom, and Tonia had only received the celebration part.
She hadn’t received Dani. If she had, she wouldn’t have been able to take her.
All of her. Dani would suck her soul straight out of her body when she was on the brink of orgasm, her body seizing from too much pleasure that Dani couldn’t resist.
Dani stepped forward and grabbed Tonia’s wrist.
Eros grabbed Dani’s. “We should go to bed. It’s late.”
I gazed up at the pink and purple canvas above us. The sky never really faded to darkness, the night never really coming to an end in Lust. Endless days, countless nights.
I gripped Eros’s shoulder. “It’s barely evening,” I said. “Let the ladies talk.”
Dani brushed her fingers against Eros’s chin and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I’m just going to show her around, and then I’ll come right to bed.” She pulled away slowly and gazed between us two. “Wait up for me.”
Then they walked down the stairs and down the path, gently brushing against the flowers until they disappeared behind them in the distance, heading toward town.
Eros watched them the whole time.
I squeezed his shoulder. “Nothing will happen between them,” I said. “And if it does … well, why don’t we get her back for it now?”
He raised his gaze to mine. His eyes showed a bit of envy left over from Everi’s presence and a lot of Lust.
So, I grabbed his hand and led us to their bedroom. Save the Lust Rooms for later.