in their dark home had left some permanent scars on my soul, in a way. I didn’t wish that experience upon anyone, even with the Elders gone.
“I think we can discuss this further at dinner, later tonight,” Petra replied. “We’re about to enter the throne room.”
A sprawling hallway opened up before us, with white walls and golden lights, pristine silk drapes and perfumed flowers in painted ceramic vases. My lungs were instantly filled with sweet scents of late spring, making me close my eyes for the briefest of moments.
Beyond it, visible through a tall archway, I could see the throne room.
We went in, and I was instantly struck by its enormity. Its walls were covered in black wallpaper with delicate gold embroidery details—leaves and vines stretching and swirling up and down, thickened at the corners.
Titanic columns held the domed ceilings, connecting the luscious black marble floor to the celestial paintings above. Gold leaves adorned the capitals, their stems following the carved lines of the shaft.
Guards were present here as well, along with an Aeternae whom I assumed was their captain. His helmet was bigger, with a variety of colored feathers hanging from the top. He stood close to the throne platform, which was elevated so the Lord and Lady Supreme were always above the people, looking down on us.
Black dragon-like creatures sculpted from raw, black marble blocks were positioned in all four corners of the room, in groups of three, all snarling at us, their beady eyes so dark, I could almost swear there was life in them. They reminded me of Shaytan’s Infernis sculptures—only those were horrible creatures that he could bring back to life, using the snippets of swamp witch magic he’d tortured Lumi for.
“Your Graces.” Zoltan was the first to greet the lord and lady, who sat in their distinctly elaborate throne chairs. They were equal in size and similar in their construction, with soft leather cushioning and gilded armrests. “The foreigners have arrived.”
We stopped about twenty feet from the platform, rendered speechless by the sight before us. The Lord and Lady Supreme of Visio were splendid Aeternae, tall and beautiful in every respect. The lord was a dashing specimen, with vibrant, crude green eyes and soft brown hair, which had been cut short beneath the elegant gold band which he wore as a crown. There was a small dimple in his chin, and two more appeared as he smiled at us. I could see why he made a good ruler—his charm and charisma were blatantly obvious. This Aeternae could get anything he wanted with just a smile.
The lady was a gorgeous creature, an aura of mystery lingering around her. It was difficult to read her expression or even get a glimpse of what she was thinking, but she had stunning features. Her hair was a golden river flowing down her back and shoulders. Her eyes the color of fresh amber. Her neck long, giving her delicate, curvy figure a certain air of unending grace.
Their clothing was equally stupendous, as they’d opted for matching pale blue brocade with gold velvet capes and embroidered details. For the lord, a well-fitted tunic brought out his athletic frame, with long, knee-length calfskin boots to complete the outfit. The lady’s dress hugged her torso before widening beneath her hips. I could see the toes of her gold-tipped shoes from where we stood. Artists from across the worlds would’ve had a field day painting them, all day long, without getting tired of their splendor.
“Lord Supreme Acheron Nasani and Lady Supreme Danika Nasani welcome you to Visio,” the captain of the guards announced, his tone sharp and loud enough to echo through the entire room. “State your names for Their Graces.”
Zoltan, Corbin, Petra, and Kalon stepped to the side, giving their rulers a full view of our group. In perfect synchronicity, we bowed before them and introduced ourselves, following a previously discussed script. Back home, we’d drawn several possible scenarios, many leading beyond this meeting point. The “take me to your leader” jokes had been plentiful at the time.
“I am Derek Novak, of Earth’s Shade. A vampire and a leader of my people.”
“Sofia Novak. His wife. His partner. Also a vampire,” I said, my gaze fixed on Danika.
“Esme Vaughn, vampire, anthropologist, lieutenant in my people’s protectorate.” We’d agreed not to use the GASP name straightaway, but Esme and Tristan had made a good point of at least letting them know that we had one military figure among our ranks, not wanting to come