34. Fall from Grace
Fall from Grace
SORVA
Lush velvet trailed behind me; the red tailcoat I wore extended to glide along the floor with my approach.
Tailored slacks hugged my waist and cinched at my ankles, highlighting my black laced heels.
Brassiere fitted with leather straps, the rose petals etched into the sheer fabric did little to hide my assets, but it was intentional.
I was the main course anyway.
My silk gloves greeted the large doors, and with one shove, they parted.
From the granite round table, the three awaiting my arrival stood.
Clad in similar regality, those who held positions of power alongside me trained me with their gazes.
Kyrn dipped her chin in admiration, her skintight crimson dress blanketing little of her otherwise visible frame.
Beside her, Maulix stood, his sooty blazer draped over his bare torso.
At the far end, my beautiful son towered, his form-fitting battle leathers displaying the weight of his rule.
The lesser born of their regions shifted from their perches on the grandeur staircases lining the throne room.
Without pause, they bowed in submission, not only as a sign of respect but a request for mercy.
Stories of my decision to spill the blood of the disobedient and paint my obsidian floors with it had traveled from Vyrkhalis to Nyxthral, to Zerathis, and Morveth, leaving no living creature willing to challenge my wrath.
Satisfied, I progressed into the chamber; a chamber built to inspire fear, a byproduct of perfection. Every stone, shadow, and impossible angle existed to proclaim a single truth—this is where power sat, and that power did not fucking apologize.
Admiring the flags embroidered with my infamous sigil above, the chains responsible for bearing their weight coiled around cathedral-sized pillars.
The links bore no other purpose than symbolizing restraint, not mine, but that of the world.
The columns they adorned faded into the shadows beyond, denying the eye any comforting measure of scale because I never intended it—infinity belonged to me and me alone.
Placed behind the council table, a perfect circle forged from monolithic stone, was my throne.
It sat elevated above every soul who entered, signifying the climb toward judgment.
Forged from serrated obsidian and crowned with twisting horns and impossible spires, it resembled the skeletal remains of the former gods, the Damned, those we’d swallowed and spit into the confines of oblivion.
Their pathetic children were their only hope, and the reason we had joined in meeting.
The taloned fingers of my servants coiled around my chair. With a quick tug, they pulled it free, waiting for me to slip into its rocky embrace before pushing me back into place. Eyes roving over the beings surrounding me, my lips tugged upward before I offered them my word.
“You may be seated.”
Hooves and feet rustled as every attendee obliged my command. Those at the table returned to their makeshift pedestals, their places in the Ebon Convergence that dictated their titles. As each of them adjusted themselves, finding comfort in the power our realm wrought, I took yet another headcount.
“Where is Vrax?”
Evrexiths leaned back and folded his arms over his chest, displaying his marred features and the absence of his left eye. “Tending to Malrik. They’ve pinned the Divari in Hollowmere, and she figured the foolish human ought to have a babysitter.”
“Watching the skilled assassin was more pertinent than attending a summons?”
“That is not what I inferred,” he shot back, brows narrowing. “Nor am I a fan of having words put in my mouth, Mother.”
Kyrn twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “We all know Vrax is… spontaneous. Isn’t that why you selected her as your right hand, our Beloved?”
I offered Evrexiths a grin and shifted my attention.
“None of this is of importance. I trust one of you will enlighten her on what we are discussing today, as the future of our realm depends on this conversation.” I dropped my elbow on the armrest, curling my fingers inward for examination.
“Caspian Vayne is toeing the edge of delirium, and soon enough, if he is not careful, my influence will taint him entirely.”
“I thought you wished to leverage the soul tie once he and the girl got closer?” Maulix asked, not in a challenge but out of curiosity. “Was it not stated that, with their fate ignited, you wished to kill two birds with one stone? Harm one and have it translate to the other?”
Flicking my gaze to him, I craned my head to the side. “Is that what you feel is the best route to take, Maulix?”
“I’m indifferent.” Resting in his seat, he shrugged. “I just wish to see them dead.”
“Kyrn?” I prodded.
“Likewise.” Her glowing yellow irises found me, the ancient relics etched in her skin pulsing with the potent recharge our realm offered. “I do not feel the method is important, so long as they fall. Our ruling depends on their demise, and I am here to offer aid in ensuring it happens.”
Without having to state his name, Evrexiths uttered, “If he is that close to falling from grace, allow it. Your infestation has proven effective in rendering him senseless. Let him do the dirty work if he is seconds away from apostatizing his lineage.”
A soft giggle rolled from Kyrn. “What? Fearful of getting your hands dirty?”
My Son snarled, “Need I remind you that your position beside my mother is unnecessary when I am here? I do not give a fuck if you are deemed her third in command; you bow to me. Do not test my patience.”
Maulix was about to speak, but I raised my hand to stop the conversation. With a hum, I swept over each of them, relishing their discomfort in my analysis. Only once I was satisfied did I continue with my already elected decision.
“Caspian remains my pet, and at this point, there is one of two ways this could go.” Returning my hand to the table, I drummed my talons against it.
“The first is that his strength falters, and the tendrils of my corruption drag him into the depths of the Soul Pits.
If such a possibility blesses us, as a freshly birthed Other, he will butcher whoever opposes me.
Eradicating the Divari will become an afterthought, because he will spill their blood.
Once they are gone, I will devour the remnants of his ties to Elaros and mold him into one of us.
“But, while appealing, it does not seem probable. He is his father’s child, and stubbornness flows through his veins.
So, our second opportunity lies in their empathy.
” Running my tongue along my bottom lip, my smile shifted into malice.
“With the world falling apart around them, and chaos trailing their every move, it is likely they will return to the Capital. A flawed assumption that, if they do, the implications of our fusion with their lands will narrow to Serevalen. If that is the route they take, the bond between Rohen and Caspian will strengthen with their proximity, but his health will worsen. With him no longer at his full strength, the unraveling of my bind will grant us the ability to diminish them in one blow.”
“And say neither of those things proves sufficient,” Evrexiths challenged. “Then what?”
Mania coated my laughter. “If they entertain us with a fight, we will offer them the same. Perhaps there will come a point I draw the veil and devour those I please.” Turning toward him, the corner of my mouth curled.
“No matter what happens, we prevent the other two Divari from discovering their divinity. When the opportunity presents itself, I will sip on the vestiges of Caspian’s humanity, or we will wipe him and his lover from this plane.
Whether that is done through breaking the bind or rendering them prisoners of our realm, I do not—”
Palms slapped against the table, shoulders heaving beneath a shredded cloak.
Blonde hair disheveled, Vrax lifted her head, but it wasn’t her scarlet glare that served as a cause for alarm.
It was the layers of missing flesh, lacerations carved deep enough into her arms, chest, and face that bone was visible.
The sigils indicative of her commitment to my rule had been severed, marred beyond recognition by one of the worthless cunts I held control over.
Ellira.
“What the fuck happened to you?” Maulix asked, protectiveness glinting in his eyes at the sight of such an atrocity.
“That little bitch,” Vrax spat as her parted flesh worked to mend itself. “She summoned—”
“Yxalune,” I finished for her as I stood. “Caspian’s torment did not prove effective in stopping his other half?”
Huffing, her nostrils flared. “The Terror of the Deep continued to scream for a handful of minutes before the former assassin called her off.”
“So it took a seizure robbing Caspian of his functionality to redirect Rohen…” My nails clicked against the monolithic stone. “Interesting.”
“The rest of them showed up to aid in Caspian’s unresponsiveness. With them gathered, we—”
“No,” I crooned, nipping at my bottom lip as pleasure built between my thighs. “We continue playing their game, allow them to nurse him back to health, and just when they believe they stand a chance, we will tear it all apart.”
Kyrn’s sweetened tone drifted from her position beside Maulix. “What would you like us to do in the meantime, Beloved?”
“Return to Serevalen.” My fingers brushed over my skin as I freed myself from my tailcoat before gliding along the clasp of my brassiere. Unclipping it, I allowed the material to fall, heated air caressing my breasts. “But first,” I breathed, tracing a talon over my pebbled nipple, “feast.”