He brought his other hand up and cupped the opposite cheek, now cradling my face in his large hands.
“It can be.”
“Reyes…” I exhaled a shallow breath, entirely speechless for once.
“She and every other woman I’ve been with are irrelevant. You can reject and deny our union all you want; it changes nothing on my end. You are my queen, and I will worship you as such. I’d never disrespect you that way.”
He prohibited me from saying another word, sealing his mouth over mine in a kiss that nearly stole my soul. When he drew back, he still kept me close.
We remained in solitude, and it was almost nice. If he hadn’t mentioned that he may or may not have killed the mother of his child—if only I weren’t so disturbed that him doing so pleased me—I think it could have been perfect.
~14~
We walked back down the grand staircase side by side, with my arm linked through his. I was still in my gown from our walk but had redone my hair and washed my face.
There was a large crowd that parted as we passed, bowing respectfully without any hesitation. Seeing this large number of supes inside the citadel was the first sign something was about to go down.
“Are you going to tell me where we are going now?” I whispered up at Reyes.
“No, because that would ruin the surprise. Be patient; we’re almost there.”
I pursed my lips but remained silent, following his lead. As we swept through the halls on our way to wherever it was we were going, everyone continued to kneel or bowed their heads. For all his cruel ways, Reyes' number of supporters was astonishing.
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye; he looked over and caught me staring, responding with a shit-eating grin that had me narrowing my eyes and looking straight ahead again. Before I knew it, we were at a set of doors with torches lit outside of them.
As we entered the room beyond, I saw there wasn’t a ceiling, just a round, dome-like opening. The center of the room held a raised stone stage in the shape of a large rectangle. Right behind it was a raised dais with tall chairs. Long stone benches went around the room in a circle, all currently filled with spectators—supes from the citadel halls.
“What is this?” I asked Reyes, holding tightly to his hand as we began to climb the steep stairs. At the top, Scarlett and Jacinda were already seated. The grave expressions on their faces had me turning to Reyes and repeating my question.
Only once we were settled in our chairs did he respond, “My second favorite day of the week.”
“What does that mean?”
The booming of a microphone dragged my attention to the center structure in the center of the room and had everyone falling silent.
A tall lycan in servitor uniform walked to the center of the rectangle, a wheelbarrow wheeled out behind him.
The lycan that was ordered to have his teeth pulled was dragged out next, already begging to be spared.
My stomach twisted as I realized what this was.
I looked at Reyes and shook my head, unable to believe he would bring me to this—his reckonings. In a room full of Purgatory supes, I knew better than to test him, but that didn’t mean I was okay with this.
“Kneel,” the announcer’s voice boomed over a microphone.
When the first tooth was pulled from the man's mouth with a pair of over-sized pliers, I thought I would be sick. The echoing of the lycans’ tortured screams resounded in the executioner's mic.
I cast my gaze downward, studying the skirt of my gown intently. Each tiny plink on the stone floor was a sharp reminder of exactly what region I was in. I dared look up when it was over, seeing the man was a sobbing, slobbering mess. Blood and saliva coated his face as he was carried off the stage by his arms.
A boy no older than eight ran forward and swept the teeth away.
At least, I thought he was eight; with vampires, one could never know for sure.
The next supe was the vampire woman who had cheated on her husband.
My heart broke for them as that same woman was forced to watch her lover die. Reyes studied me calculatingly through the whole thing.
Jacinda attempted to flee the room, but Hades snatched her up and pulled her to his lap, playing off her frantic behavior.
Two vampires held the other down, and the executioner swung an ax, severing the head cleanly. The crowd was silent before cheering wildly; my pulse stuttered as the man dropped to the ground, choking on his blood.
I forced myself to sit and watch death after senseless death, playing my role with a resolve so iron-clad I deserved an award.
When two demis were dragged forward, I looked to Reyes questioningly. They most certainly hadn’t been at the High Council.