Shoving my queasiness down, I questioned, “What was it like for you guys when it happened to you? Is it just like the compulsion you used on the possible candidates?”
Lord Xenon spoke, no inflection in his words. “It is a thousand times worse for the male. Because we use the female’s blood in the magic. It amplifies a mating response the likes of which can only be reproduced with drugs.”
I blinked as we marched down the grand staircase to the front door. “So, you’re pretty much telling me that every man who comes tonight is going to be horny as fuck?”
The steadfast lord didn’t mince words. “Yes. Exactly.”
Lord Belshazzar added, “It can get volatile. That’s why we started using this ceremony room. If anyone tries to attack another physically, then magic instantly renders them unconscious.”
Adelie snapped her fingers as we hit the tiling. “It’s the old jail!”
The eldest lord snickered. “Indeed. But it’s all cleared out now.”
“This sounds like so much fun.” I swallowed on a dry throat.
Lord Otto grunted. “Don’t pass out. I did let your friend come.”
“I’m not going to pass out!” I exclaimed, catching one of the enormous front doors with two hands to hold it open after Cato’s rude departure. “I’m just…”
“Nervous,” Lord Pippin supplied helpfully, extremely pleased with himself by the smug grin on his face. “You usually suck with men—no pun intended—so you’re nervous.”
I let the door flop back onto his face.
The thud was immensely satisfying.
“Not nice,” he grumbled from behind the thick wood. “Now I understand why you have issues with the opposite sex. You can’t handle honesty about one’s self told from another person.”
I sighed heavily and almost ran to catch up with my asshole father.
Anything would be better than Lord Pippin’s psychoanalysis.
Adelie linked one of her arms in mine, keeping our side against one another.
I peered into her brown eyes. “You always know what I need.”
“That’s because I’m the most amazing friend in the world.” She shrugged.
I opened my mouth and then snapped it shut.
I really couldn’t disagree with that.
*
I quieted my steps inside the ominous cavern, definitely echoing inside this space. Magic pulsed in the air, pulling up goose bumps along my flesh. The walls were bare and black stone, only lights hanging like dead tree limbs from the ceiling to light the solid black ground below. Folding chairs packed the floor, all empty, and all facing a raised platform at the end of the cave.
The overlord’s chairs must have been moved here because their fancy seating graced the stage, spotlights illuminating them in a harsh glow. Complete intimidation factor.
My eyes caught on Cato. He was slipping into a hidden door behind the stage.
When the door closed, it appeared just like the rock wall. Even to my eyesight.
“I’m glad I never got into trouble,” Adelie hissed, glancing around as if ghosts were spiriting the old jail. “This is spooky on a different level.”
I nodded once. I agreed wholeheartedly.
The rest of the overlords passed us by, all heading to the same ‘door’ that Cato had entered. Adelie’s arm and mine were still linked, so I pulled her at a fast clip behind them. I certainly didn’t want to get stuck down here. And I was positive Adelie didn’t either.
No one’s shoes clicked on the floor.
We were all silent in this arena.
Apparently, some things even disturbed overlords.
Like the reverberating of vampire hearing.
It was damn near never-ending.
Lord Xenon opened the wall-door.
We entered single file, making it so Adelie had to release my arm from her death grip.
I wiggled my fingers down by my sides, attempting to get circulation flowing.
Stone steps led us up into a dark abyss.
I squinted and kept my hands near my guns.
This place didn’t sit well in my gut.
Lord Xenon opened another door at the top of the stairs.
Blinding white light pierced all of us.
Lord Pippin glanced back at me, stating cheerfully, “If you aren’t supposed to be up here, the magic will kill you when you cross the entryway.”
“That’s…pleasant.” I ignored Adelie’s instant jabbing in my back with a pointed finger. “Who grants access?”
“The magic.” He snorted as if I should have known.
“And that’s comforting,” I mumbled.
But there was no stopping me. I knew what I wanted. And that meant crossing the threshold. I quickly followed the overlords the rest of the way up the stairs and grabbed Adelie’s hand. I placed my other in front of my eyes to shade them from the blinding light, but it wasn’t coming from one particular place. It merely came from everywhere—probably even my own body by the way the back of my hand close to my face only hurt my eyes worse.
Inhaling quickly, I rushed past the entrance.
Dragging a struggling and silent Adelie in behind me.
Neither of us died. Instead, a potent pine smell floated around us. The blinding light died away where we stood stock still.
Adelie and I peered at one another, our eyes roaming up and down each other’s frames checking for any injuries. We were healthy and whole, even if a little disheveled and wide-eyed.
Lord Otto commanded, “Over here.”
Instantly, we peered around the sweet smelling room we were in.
A glass pane covered one wall, looking down on the cavern. The rest of the wall was shaped in a crescent moon curving around to make a lopsided circle. There were stars in the ceiling as the lighting, or at least they appeared that way. Red couches, a wooden table and chairs, a small kitchen and bathroom occupied the edges of the room.
And in the center, there was a cauldron.
An honest to God cauldron.
It frothed white at the top, the mixture inside it scalding. Smoke lifted into the air and disappeared once it hit the ceiling. The smell of forests was coming from the bubbling brew inside the cauldron’s depths. And there was no fire beneath it to even warm a single cup of water. Magic danced around the pot, almost tangible in the air.
A small choked gasp emanated from Adelie’s throat.
I merely patted her shoulder, my eyes on the overlords. Then I came closer to their huddled circle around the black pot.
Their eyes were on me as I stepped into their circle.
Curious, I asked, “What is this place?”
Lord Belshazzar supplied, “It was the guard room. Where they took their breaks.”
I flicked a finger at the magic cauldron centered between us. “And this?”
“Well, that wasn’t here before.” He smirked. “We bring it out on special occasions.”
I jerked, freezing in place, eyes enormous on my face.
Cato had rolled up one shirtsleeve and dunked his hand down into the scalding brew.
“W-what the hell?” I gasped. My eyes flew to his. “Are you suicidal?”
His lips quirked, and he chuckled. His arm was still down in the mixture. “It won’t hurt me. Or any other overlord. But, watch… You’ll like this.”