Page 11 of The Salvation

It shouldn’t surprise me that he is the first to crouch and launch himself at me. I seize his throat in a powerful grip as he gnashes his teeth, baring his fangs in his bloodthirstiness. His pale, unseeing eyes glare at me right before I plunge him into the pool, holding his head beneath the surface and forcing him to drink.

Hands at my sides, I make my way out of the pool, casting the blood from my robe and boots and returning it to its source. I remain at the apex of the stairway, observing the Founders as they acclimate, not offended, nor impatient at their more...carnal needs rising.

Naked, apart from the blood coating their forms, Valeryc and Arkenthorne crouch before one another in a battle. One I alreadyknow Valeryc will win with his supreme lightning-binder ability vs. Arkenthorne’s ice.

Kaelyndra and Valeraine engage in a different sort of battle with Seraphys. The seductive women circle the vampire, their eyes gleaming with predatory lust. He dances around them, baiting them with his fancy words, beguiling them with his charisma until he is buried hilt-deep in Valeraine from behind while Kaelyndra weaves her arms around the female and kisses her ruthlessly.

“Merikh...” the third feminine voice coos as she emerges from the surface a few feet away.

“Azurienne,” I greet the one Founder most loyal to me who has never given me any trouble. Her light-binder power renders her the leader of the lowest founding clan, but she was still one of the first to drink from Malachor’s veins and helped establish the Court of Hollows.

Despite the blood coating her skin, it’s obvious her full breasts are heavy, the nipples erect and in need. Her dark curly hair falls along the sides of her tempting hourglass figure, stopping at her hips. The scent of her lust consumes me. And I recall many a night buried in her, knowing I could make her burn unlike any other.

The thought of sinking my cock into her wet and warm depths now only makes my dick go limp.

I shake my head upon her approach. Flicking my eyes to the other Founder, I direct her to him, saying firmly, “Arkenthorne.”

Too much unresolved tension in his body now that Valeryc has defeated him. At first, she parts her lips, and I believe she will protest. But the moment Azurienne glances at Arkenthorne, the warrior feels her eyes upon him…and growls. Azurienne doesn’t hesitate. Nor will she hold my rejection as a personal grudge. Vampires are too old for such petty fucking battles. Wereserve grudges for ancient blood feuds and deep scars and inner demons.

In no time, Arkenthorne has her up against the wall, fucking her bare bones with his hair restored to natural silver locks.

I consider the one deep scar lingering in the depths of the pool. The vacant casket without a Founder. But when Reaver pledged his allegiance to fucking Kronos, I tore into the damn devil myself and watched the life fade from his eyes as I drained him dry.

After the Curse, I took his corpse with me into the Waste. And spent those early days playing with the remains, using scraps of his skin for our demon masks, giving his bones to my skeletal hounds to gnaw upon, and scattering what was left to the Sea.

Dividing his territory among the remaining Founders was no difficulty.

I remain where I am, waiting patiently until all six stand upon the center of the wide stairway before me. Sated. Restored. Their age may extend far beyond mine, but they still kneel before me, pledging their allegiance. Valeryc doing so with gritted teeth does not escape my attention. Damn vampire has always believed he is supreme due to his born vampire blood vs. my bitten and made status.

I prove him wrong every time. I prove him wrong with the reminder ofhowI became the God of Blood.

“The Feast of Souls commences at midnight,” I inform them and bid them to rise. “The proclamation has been made, but you will return to your regions and summon your clans.”

“How many, Lord Merikh?” Kaelyndra wonders, smiling with her eager fangs gleaming. Slicking back her shorter red curls, she unashamedly sets her hands on her hips, though her high breasts face Valeraine who lingers next to her.

“All,” I state, observing their surprise while my jaw stiffens. “Tonight, the Court of Hollows will have its first Blood Crest.”

Pupils dilate. Veins throb. Their pulse quickens with both intrigue and lust.

“A worthy quarry has been selected?” Valeryc asks with notes of skepticism in his tone. With his close-cropped dark hair, he seems more menacing, but I’ve always managed to control the vampire with either favors like granting him the largest portion of Reaver’s land or a simple show of dominance.

“No quarry.” I shake my head and strike my eyes upon them all. “The Queen.”

Gasps and growls reverberate through the cavern, and even the blood stones smolder to greater radiance at the mention of the word from my lips. The hunger of my Founders is palpable, potent with their muscles primed, their bloodstream surging with raw, restored life force.

I snicker cruelly. “Any of you are more than welcome to enter the battle. I promise I will only maim and drain you to the point of requiring one regenerative cycle. But death will come to many tonight.”

With an unbalanced ratio of vampires to humans in my Court of Hollows, which was present at the pronouncement of the Curse, I will have no qualms or regrets about thinning the population. Once I place Quintessa upon the altar, they will come for her. It’s only a matter of how many.

How many bones will I break? How many skulls will I crush? How many will I send to the Unseen?

All the Founders prepare to depart and follow my command, except for Valeryc.

The vampire sneers, crossing his arms over his chest, careless over his inferior dick hanging between his legs. “How do we know thisQueenis worthy of the Blood Crest?”

I chuckle darkly and deeply in my throat. Dominance and supremacy are required tonight. I’m still chuckling when I slam the Founder to the floor of the Chamber, sink my claws into his chest, and stab my fangs into his throat. He squeals like a fucking stuck pig, thrashing and trying to rouse his lightning, but I slow his bloodstream, slow the very beats of his undead-born vampire heart.

Not one Founder interferes with my action.

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