what that means. There are only a few people within this realm whose soul is strong enough to rebuild the walls of Hell. My husband is one of them. So I will do this to protect him.”
“Put it in a glass of ambrosia, and it will hide the bitter taste,” she offered, handing me the bottle.
I stared at it, noting the way the tiny bubbles fizzled against the plastic stopper. My fingers cradled the vial, and my eyes closed against what its contents meant for Ryder. Slipping it into my dress pocket, I wiped away tears blurring my vision.
“Four days, and then return for my children,” I whispered thickly.
“I promise that you will make it through this, Synthia. You will feel it, but you will survive. Life is chaos in motion, and that motion is beautiful waves of destruction that shape us into what the universe intended for us to become. Good luck,” she said, vanishing into a mass of shadows slithering out of the bedroom window.
I exhaled deeply, staring at the window long after she’d left. It took me time to come to terms with the path I’d chosen. Treachery was everywhere. No one was safe from Thanatos, and we all knew it.
I reached into my pocket, holding the bottle before I looked around the room slowly, noting the vanity Ryder had created for me. I moved to it, opening the drawer. Reaching in, I withdrew a thin velvet pouch used to hold the crown for ceremonies. I wrapped the vial in the soft material and closed the drawer, locking the potion inside.
I left the bedroom and asked a passing servant where I could find Ryder since they all seemed to know where the king was at all times.
“He’s in the feeding room, My Queen.” The servant bowed low at the waist as my heartstrings tugged.
“Why would he be in there?” I asked carefully.
“The king said he was preparing to feed and didn’t wish to be disturbed,” he admitted, albeit sheepishly while his fingers rubbed the back of his neck.
My stomach clenched as unshed tears swam in my eyes, blurring my vision. I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t get words past the tightness in my throat. I shook my head, uncertain if the servant had misunderstood Ryder’s orders, or if maybe he was wrong. I continued down the hallway with shaky legs, threatening to deposit me onto the floor.
The moment I came into view of the guards standing before the feeding lounge doors, I paused. This was the room where the men and soldiers fed from willing women and where orgies occurred, playing out in gluttonous debauchery. Mere feet from the door, the guards stepped in front of me, blocking my entrance.
“My Queen,” one said, scrutinizing me. “You’re not allowed to enter the feeding room.”
“Is the king inside?” I hated the weakness in my voice. When they refused to answer and looked at each other before looking back at me, I asked again. “Is Ryder within the feeding room?”
“You may not enter,” the guard repeated. I brought my hand up, snapping my fingers, catching both guards before they toppled to the floor.
I could feel my heart beating in my throat, and a sick sensation churned through my stomach as I opened the door and stepped inside. It was dark. Candles held in sconces along the walls lit the room in soothing, muted shades of light. The smell of sex and alcohol filled my senses as I moved further inside. Flesh meeting flesh in a passionate rhythm was the only noise other than the lusty moans and groans echoing within.
Slowly, I moved forward, peering into each room I passed until I reached the end. Relief took hold as I saw nameless guards in sinful feeding frenzies, fucking whoever offered their services. Standing in front of the last room, I whispered a silent prayer before opening the door.
Ryder’s back was to me, his arms filled with a nameless feeder screaming for him to fuck her harder. My stomach dropped to the floor