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A kind voice and the cramped space inside the cart gave me comfort and relief from the dungeon, even to escape temporarily.
Someone knocked on the door and the creak echoed as the door opened. The wheels spun, groaning, and my body shifted from side to side, my head bumping the surface.
“Hold on a minute,” the same demon guarding the door said.
I held my breath and stuck my fingers inside my boot, clasping around the wooden handle of the dagger.
“Here’s the plate. The cake was delicious.” The demon sounded grateful, even in his deep monstrous voice.
The plate thumped above me on the wooden tray. “I’ll bring you more when I can.”
I imagined him staring after Clara as the wheels turned, then faster.
“Hurry,” Elizabeth snapped. “She should be at the dining room now.”
“I’m going as fast as I can,” Clara ground out as we turned the corner. She tapped the wooden tray to get my attention. “Don’t worry, my lady. While you’re dining, we’ll see what we can find of your friends.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Dinner
Evangeline
Elizabeth and Clara went back to their duty, and four demon soldiers escorted me down the hall and through grand doors to the expansive dining chamber. No soldiers flanked the walls like the throne room.
I stepped into an enchanted dream. Hundreds of lit candles of varying sizes lined against the walls, fluttering from the gentle breeze that filtered in when we entered and casting shadows along the walls.
My boots crushed delicate rose petals and their scent rose around me as I sauntered toward the round wooden table in the center of the room. Moonlight poured down from the grand dome-shaped glass ceiling.
Tall glass vases brimmed with ebony and scarlet roses in the dimly lit area. Without my enemy being present, the ambiance could have been quite romantic. I almost forgot the discomfort of the dagger inside my boot.
Instead of feeling relaxed, a wave of anxiety washed over me and my plumes quivered in alarm. Servants clad in all black stood behind each chair. Golden goblets with ale were already placed in front of everyone.
“There she is,” Asmodeus announced as if I were his guest and not someone he wanted to kill. “You look absolutely stunning. And the ruby necklace suits you well. Have a seat.”
My treacherous gaze homed in on Victus and I felt his intense stare burning into me. His eyes stayed fixed on my body, examining me from head to toe. Then when his irises changed from dark to red, possibly aroused, he looked away.
All the chairs were taken except for the one between Asmodeus and Victus. I had no choice but to take that seat.
Victus, Markane, and Abacus hadn’t changed their attire, but the three other demons sitting on the other side of Levia wore black velvet tunics and breeches with gilded trim on their sleeves. Precious gemstone rings glinted on their fingers—royals in human form.
What position did they hold to attend such a meal? Generals? Councilors? Advisers? The guests pinned their gazes on me. Markane’s canines exposed themselves and he licked his lips as if I was a delicious meal walking toward him.
Levia next to Asmodeus looked stunning as usual. Her red lustrous hair was the same color as her dress that dipped low in the front. She had no shame that her breasts practically popped out. A necklace around her neck was similar to mine but a sapphire instead.
A male servant pulled out the chair for me and I sat. Asmodeus clapped once and servants entered from the door at the back of the room. They held golden trays of rice, vegetables, and one huge roasted pig. And even a few cakes with chocolate frosting.
They placed the platters along the table. I had never seen such a plethora of food.
I blinked when Clara walked from the servant door with a tray of red wine. No, not wine. The stench became strong when she neared the table. Human blood. She placed the goblets in front of the vampires, and even the guest demons.
Clara backed away with the rest of the servants and remained standing in a line. Since she didn’t say anything to me, I assumed there was no clue to the whereabouts of Zander, Dawn, and Snow. I sighed. Her being here meant one less person searching.
Asmodeus raised his goblet, his gemstone rings sparkling against the candlelight. “I’d like to make a toast to a new future. The trinity symbol you’ve seen on my soldiers’ armor and in my throne room represents demons, vampires, and humans.” He arched an eyebrow at me. “And angels who join our union.”
The three demons, Markane, Abacus, and Levia raised their glasses. Victus and I did not.
“To the trinity union,” they said and drank.
