Chapter 4
Chapter Four
ELIJAH
I had never been both so disgusted by a place while also somewhat intrigued.
Although the latter was because I couldn’t possibly imagine how this empire had survived so long when everything seemed so breakable.
A house built on glass, ready to shatter at any moment.
We had been here three days, and in the time spent silently observing others around us, I had quickly learned that this empire was far different than our own.
There was no stability here, except that the Emperor’s word was law. An Emperor whom I'd heard many things about, absolutely none of them good.
I kept my expression controlled as my gaze moved over the entrance to the gothic castle, the doors open wide but not welcoming in the least. The structure radiated a level of malice that I didn’t know was possible for a place to contain.
Not for the first time, I realized the importance of this mission and why we had crossed the Cursed Divide to gather information about the empire across the sea.
The Tridian Empire, the land we resided in, never interacted with the Thaician Empire. In fact, to most, it was but a whisper from across the vast body of water between us. For good reason, obviously. Our two lands were worlds apart.
Which was why it surprised me when our leader put out the orders for us to travel across the ocean to observe and report back.
At first, I doubted the importance of such a mission.
Our land was a peaceful one, but there were still things we could improve, and that felt more important than placing our attention outside our borders.
But now that we were here? I couldn’t imagine having a life here, if you could even call it that.
From what I’d observed on the dock and our journey through the lands to arrive at the castle, everyone in this empire was just a cog in a well-oiled machine, all working to ensure the Emperor and his Lords were satisfied.
I was understanding the volatile nature a threat like this could pose if they decided to make a move against us.
Our mission was simple—gain insight on the Emperor’s personality and his plans moving forward.
Apparently, there had been rumors of him wanting to expand his empire, something that concerned our leader.
Our spies in the empire hadn’t been able to gather the type of information we were looking for—not without blowing their long-established covers.
“This is…” Kolvar started, clearly unsure of how he could describe it considering we were surrounded by enemies.
We were supposed to be silent observers, so we were trying to not draw any attention to ourselves. At the same time, this event really did warrant a visceral reaction that I was attempting to control. I couldn’t show my disgust on my face. It would be an easy giveaway.
Kolvar’s usual lighthearted personality was absent, replaced by a calculated watchfulness.
It didn’t surprise me—there was a reason he had made it so far up in the chain of command.
His loyalty to our empire was one of the main reasons we had eventually become friends, although it had taken several years of the bastard being around constantly.
I wasn’t one who made friends easily, mainly because I didn’t want to, but Kolvar had managed to force his friendship on me.
I seldom admitted it—I wasn’t exactly an emotional individual—but he was like a brother to me at this point.
Although, there were some big differences between us as well. Where I had gone into the guard out of necessity, needing a way to survive with no family to support me, Kolvar had done it out of interest and felt a duty to our empire.
“Fucked up,” Dakath finished Kolvar’s sentiment, keeping his voice quiet enough that only we could hear.
Which was good, because it no doubt wouldn’t look good to have ‘Lords from the empire’s far-reaching lands’ insulting the Emperor’s event.
We wouldn’t have to stay here for long, but the last thing I wanted was to blow our cover.
We stood taller than most of the individuals we walked past, who scuttled out of our way like rats.
It was one nice thing about being so damn big—it was a natural defense from anyone who wanted to bother us with casual conversation.
After all, the more you talked to someone, the more likely you were to mess up your well-crafted story with slip-ups.
“You aren’t wrong,” I murmured in response to Dakath’s words.
Despite the two of us being nearly a hundred years apart in age, Dakath and I had become friends pretty easily.
Well, as easily as I could for someone who doesn’t want to become friends with anyone.
I understood the guy, and I knew that his loyalty to our mission was unyielding—to the point that he was willing to come here.
Before being turned, Dakath had stowed away in a merchant ship that traveled across the Cursed Divide, seeking refuge from his destroyed life.
I knew being back here was going to drag up those haunting memories, so I was surprised he’d accepted the mission to begin with.
The three of us worked together on almost everything, so it would’ve been odd to not have him with us, but I would have more than understood if he hadn’t been willing to do this.
I had the utmost respect for him, being able to see this mission through with us.
“Thralls,” Kolvar said in disgust. “They have Thralls.”
Looking around as we walked up the steps of the castle, I nearly cursed out loud. He was completely right—all the Lords had human servants next to them, fresh blood trickling from bite marks on their skin, their gazes dazed.
Fuck. This was so fucked-up, and while it wasn’t our empire, I couldn’t help but want to change this place.
“And we don’t,” Dakath hissed.
At first I didn’t realize what he was getting at, but then it hit me. We would stand out because we didn’t have Thralls like all the other Lords.
Why hadn’t we considered that? Then again, we hadn’t learned about this event until last night when we had overheard some human workers at the pub.
I felt a stab of disappointment in myself that I hadn’t considered the details of this more.
I think this place was throwing me off my normal level of calculated logistics, and I didn’t like that shit.
This was a huge error, and it was on me to run point on this mission.
“We can just say we didn’t choose one yet, if they ask,” I said, trying to decide if that sounded realistic. I didn’t know the culture here as well as I should. Was it mandatory for Lords to take a Thrall? If so, I could end up breaking a rule I didn’t know existed.
Perhaps we could say we’d drained them too much for them to travel.
“Maybe our Thralls couldn’t make it, but we still wanted to honor him by coming here?” Kolvar offered.
I nodded. If the rumors of the Emperor’s ego were true, that explanation could work. Emperor Malakai wouldn’t doubt that we’d fall over ourselves to be here for him.
Before we could talk further about it, I was bulldozed by the view that greeted us as we walked into the grand foyer—one that was packed with vampyres.
The castle was beautiful, filled with low lighting, the vibration of violins emanating an upbeat tune that wafted through the air from deeper within the halls.
That wasn’t what caught me off guard, though.
No, it was the open display of…well…fucking.
Like some odd exhibit, there were humans—most likely castle servants and guards—fucking on the platforms that lined the hall.
Nearly ten pairs of them. The sound of their moans filled the air, and vampyres and their Thralls stood around them, watching and talking as if this was normal.
Maybe it was. I turned my head as one of the Lords started undressing his Thrall.
Motioning to Kolvar and Dakath, both seemingly as caught off guard as myself, I walked towards the entrance of the throne room, following murmurs of the Emperor’s name alongside moans.
I tried to stand in the doorway to observe before walking in, but the crowd surged behind me, enraptured by the bloody orgy in the center of the room.
The number of limbs present and fangs biting into flesh had me wondering how they didn’t get tired of this shit if it happened at every party.
Hell, maybe they were tired of this shit—but Malakai wasn’t.
As we moved to the side of the room, my gaze darted to the front where Emperor Malakai sat.
One hand was motioning as he talked in animation with someone, his gaze constantly moving back to the floor.
The man was exactly as I’d imagined him, and that was far from a good thing.
The bastard was sleazy-looking, with greasy hair and an unkempt beard.
His other hand was wrapped around a thick chain that led down to…
Everything stopped for just a heartbeat. A single breath escaped me before I forgot how to breathe. My gaze fell on a bent head of dark waves, an intricate design on top of it almost like a false crown.
Who the hell was that?
My heart started to pump again, and I clenched my fists, suddenly needing the woman to look up. It was almost compulsive, and as if hearing me, her head snapped up.
Golden orbs stared across the room for a solitary moment before she curled further into herself, trying to make herself invisible—something that was impossible considering how she radiated light.
Holy fuck. So many sensations slammed into me at once, one of them being the way my cock hardened as I looked over her elegant frame, the way she was kneeling next to the throne causing images to flash through my mind of her kneeling in front of me.
I tore myself from that thought because there was a stronger emotion that quickly clouded my mind—rage.
I wasn’t an emotional person by nature, so the unkempt fury swirling through me at seeing her wrist chained to the Emperor shocked me. I had to use every ounce of control I had to keep myself from moving towards her, needing first to analyze the best way to get her out of here.
My thoughts came to a full stop.
Get her out of here? Was I fucking crazy? Not only would that completely ruin our mission, but what the hell would I do with her? I hadn’t looked at a woman in forever, let alone been with one, and I hadn’t wanted to. My life revolved around my duty to my empire.
So why would I save her? Why would I risk everything—even hurt my empire, if Malakai found out where we were from—just for this stunning woman? She was ethereal, her ivory skin and lithe build almost making it look like she wasn’t truly there, like she was a figment of my imagination come to life.
I had never been so painfully attracted to someone before. If it had been that alone, it wouldn’t be a problem—I could’ve ignored it… I think. It was the emotional urge to protect her that had my mind scrambled.
And it seemed I wasn’t the only one.
My hand came out to stop Kolvar from moving forward, a snarl building in his throat as I looked at both him and Dakath, their gazes trained on her as well. So they felt the same draw? Fuck. This wasn’t good.
Trying to snap all our minds back to the task at hand, I commanded, “Let’s go to the far wall. We wait and watch. Nothing else. Remember the mission.”
Not the woman with golden eyes who was back to looking at the floor, wincing as the Emperor tugged on her chain. I turned my head, repressing a growl, wanting to tear his limbs off for chaining her up in the first place. For making her seem like his pet.
Who was this woman? Was this his Thrall? Dread hit my stomach as we reached the far wall, and despite my instruction to the others, I couldn’t help but look. Malakai was trying to talk to her, but she very obviously ignored him. Something he probably wouldn’t take kindly to.
I was proven correct only moments later when he stood and the room began to fall into a hushed silence, the members of the orgy slowing their show and coming to a halt.
Something that would’ve been comical if it wasn’t such a ridiculous display.
My cock, which was still hard as diamonds, wasn’t focused on the naked women spread throughout the room—instead my focus once again was on the woman at the Emperor’s feet.
“It isn’t very often that we get to gather all of the Lords together!” Malakai boomed, grinning happily. “But it makes me feel proud of our empire to see the strength of not only our numbers, but of the individual ruthlessness of each and every one of you.”
So they prided themselves in cruelty.
Malakai fed off the responding applause, swelling with pride at the cult-like worship his subjects showered him in.
He continued, “We are here tonight to celebrate the wonderful connection between a Lord and their Thrall”—his hold on his chain tightened—“and to remind our Thralls of what an honor it is to serve us. To be chosen by us.”
The woman at his feet shifted, her fists tightening.
I wondered what she wanted to say. The Emperor made it seem that being a Thrall was a willing choice—was that the case with this woman?
Did she want to serve someone like Malakai?
Jealousy hit me like a potent and dangerous drug, my jaw tightening so hard it felt like it would shatter, or at the very least, crack a tooth.
I didn’t want her serving him. If she wanted to serve someone, it would be…
Who, me? Fuck. What the hell was even going on with me right now?
Humans didn’t serve vampyres in our empire; they were compensated for willing donations.
What was wrong with me? Yet the image of the woman on her knees in front of me stayed crystal clear.
Not only that image, though.
The idea of her tied up and blindfolded, completely under my control as I explored every inch of her body, called to me in a primal way.
I looked away from her, unable to stand the thought of her being like that with Malakai.
I hadn’t seen any sign that their relationship was as such, but that didn’t stop the anger and possessiveness that reared up at the concept.
When was the last time I had even felt this much emotion?
When the applause for his words died down, he looked at the woman at his feet. “And to celebrate such an important moment, I have a special treat for all of my Lords.”
The room held its breath in anticipation as the woman slowly looked up at Malakai, authentic fear in her gaze as a tremble passed through her. There was shock there as well, as if she couldn’t believe what he was about to say.
Malakai looked back at the room with a brilliant smile, jerking her chain enough to make her fall onto her hip. “All of you, every single one of my Lords, may drink from my Thrall for the first time ever.”
Fuck no.