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Chapter Five
For over two years, Daeva has been helping her mates feed souls to the beast. She would’ve thought it would’ve become easier by now, but each time they approached the creature’s mystical well, she felt a sickening twisting in her gut and a void in her soul as if all happiness had been sucked right out. She held tightly to Cyrus’s hand, very grateful for her thoughtful gamma.
Jezebeth walked beside them, her form blinking out like a ghost the further they traveled from the djinn’s lamp. Daeva kept looking over her shoulder at Tor Thunderfoot and her second alpha, Dragomir, behind him, his glare boring holes into the back of Tor’s head. Her protectors looked much more threatening with onyx fur, red demon eyes, and ram-like horns that curled out of their skulls, not to mention they were a head taller than Tor. She still knew Tor would put up a good fight if needed. Unlike Jezebeth, Tor was still in his solid form, a wall of brown, furry muscle.
Her other two mates, Horatiu and Lucian, brought up the rear while dragging three chained souls behind them. These souls had been sinners in the mortal world, humans who’d either raped, murdered, or thieved their way into eternal damnation. Daeva felt not an ounce of pity for them.
The walk through the village’s cobblestone streets took too long, making Daeva more nervous with each passing minute they wasted, but every demon within a mile’s radius wanted to pay their respects to Hecate.
The village had grown almost overnight, brick and stone homes and businesses lining the streets beyond the palace. They had an old-world charm to them, with Latin inscriptions written on curved porticos reminding her of ancient Rome. Hecate made it a point to go outside the palace every day, yet the demons still rushed her as if they hadn’t seen their queen in years. Perhaps they were afraid another evil coven would take away their benevolent ruler.
Daeva’s nostrils flared at the various scents along the streets—roasted meat, ginger, and cardamom. She placed a hand on her abdomen when it loudly growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten lunch. Even though Horatiu had made her a big breakfast, she was already famished.
“Do you need me to get you some food?” Cyrus whispered as he squeezed her hand, ever the thoughtful gamma.
“No,” she whispered back. How could she possibly eat while her sister was languishing in a hostile wasteland?
They followed the mists that chased the cobblestones in long tendrils until they finally reached the wide, stone well in the center of town. It had been no small feat that they had moved the beast from the mountain to the town square. It had taken quite a bit of heavy lifting by her mates and even some of Hecate’s magic. But now the beast, an ancient djinn, granted wishes for all the citizens of Atlantia.
Hecate stayed behind when they reached the well, choosing instead to talk to a few of the more prominent merchant demons who had pressing trade questions, no doubt. They’d been pressuring her to open trade between dimensions ever since rumors started circulating that a crystal had been recovered.
Daeva wasn’t surprised when Jezebeth surged forward, a determined look in her eyes. She blinked out more here, like an old television with bad reception.
The djinn slowly rose to the surface of the water. The ancient beast resembled a primordial toad, with a big, bulbous head covered in warts and a toothless smile with lips so thin they were merely a slash in his leathery, green skin. His slitted nostrils flared as he angled over Jezebeth, looking down at her as if she was his next meal.You smell like Abera.Though his lips didn’t move, his voice echoed around them.
Jezebeth had the good sense to bow. “Sh-she’s my mother.”
He slunk back into the water, his head bobbing above the surface.What is your wish, djinn?
“I need three wishes.” She held up three fingers. “One for each soul.”
Daeva’s mates jerked on the prisoners’ chains, dragging them toward the beast. They stumbled and fought their restraints to no avail. Her mates were far stronger.
Very well,the beast rumbled, then blew out a long breath, causing acidic bubbles to rise from the water. Human souls obviously caused some serious indigestion.
Lucian and Dragomir pushed the souls into the water. They fell in with violent splashes, their terrified screams quickly muted when the beast sucked all three into his wide maw at once, chains and all.
Daeva looked away from the sight, doing her best to block out the beast’s slurping sounds. She clutched her gut again to quell her uneasiness. Her stomach rumbled louder, reminding her she’d need to eat soon, depression or not.
“The first wish is an answer to a question,” Jezebeth said. “Has Queen Elria been reincarnated as Eilea Lupescu of the mortal Amaroki wolves?”
Good question. Everyone had just assumed Eilea was the reincarnation of Elria.
The beast let out a burp that fogged the air.She has.
