Page 51 of Queen of the Wicked
Her gaze snapped to hers. “What makes you say that?”
“Well, Erebos had a similar conversation with me yesterday, and since you’re part of his inner circle, I’m assuming you share the same beliefs.”
“What I believe or not is none of your concern.” Her eyes narrowed into slits as she rose to her feet again. “All you need to know is that a few decades ago, I escaped here to Hell, and Erebos took me in when I had no one else to turn to. I was terrified, alone,and the powers running through my veins were dangerous when I had zero control over them.”
“But what were you escapingfrom?”
A haunted expression passed across her face, as if trying to remember. “I…don’t know. That is what Erebos and I have tried to uncover for years. He believes my memory may have been swiped, so for me to have made it here at all was impressive in itself. There are bits and pieces of my past that come to me at times, but I’m clueless for the most part.”
Alessia recalled Erebos telling her a similar story ofhispast, and there were no doubts in her mind that they were connected. Still, she couldn’t imagine showing up in an entirely new realm with no recollection of how she got there. For that, she felt sorry for the standoffish soul seeker.
“You don’t even remember your family?” Alessia asked. They headed towards the clearing, where the castle slowly came back into view.
“I remember nothing, Alessia. Nothing aside from showing up here and begging Erebos for help.” She cleared her throat, swiftly changing the subject. “In other news, Erebos has found a place for us to practice with your black magic.”
Racing out of the woods, Alessia didn’t have time to enquire more about it when her eyes settled upon the latest addition to the castle grounds. She came to a dead halt, her eyes growing wide at the sight before her.
A corn field.
Thousands of stalks lined almost an entire acre of the land, flowing in the breeze, courtesy of the glamourIzara had cast. A thick lump in her throat threatened to bring tears to her eyes as she raced to the field and brushed her fingers against the greenery, evoking a sense of familiarity and home.
“When did this get here?” Alessia asked.
“This morning. Erebos requested it last week.”
After their conversation?
After she confessed how much she missed them?
She cursed her heart for thumping loudly, blaming it on the aggressive run rather than the budding emotions she refused to acknowledge for the Lord of Hell. “Oh. Well, that was…nice of him.”
Izara’s lips twitched. “Indeed.”
“But why…” Alessia’s feet were still rooted to the ground as Izara passed her and headed for the castle. “Why would he do this for me?”
“I think you’d be amazed at the lengths the Lord of Hell would go to please you,” Izara mused. “Now, hurry up. Eryx is waiting for us.”
With a victoriousthudin the makeshift ring, Alessia smiled deviously. This was the third time she’d pinned the general, and it made her pride soar.
Eryx and Izara seemed doubtful when she insisted she had been trained for combat and self-defense, adamant abouttaking it easyuntil Alessia swept Eryx’s legs out from under him and sent him sprawling on the mat. From there, Eryx didn’t hold back, but where she lacked in strength, she made up for with agility, and itresulted in the general cursing her with every hit and jab tossed her way.
The area Erebos deemed safe enough to practice her black magic in was on level one. While Alessia was downright terrified of the circular stone platform surrounded by lava and everything to do with the intimidating cave, this cell wasslightlyless daunting. It was in the opposite direction of the main chamber, where she had visited during Kael’s visit, and it was furthest away from the pits. They’d navigate the maze of beasts soon enough, and Alessia shuddered at the realization.
Izara informed her that this cell was used for torture methods, but Alessia could have pieced two and two together by all the racks showcasing various weapons hung around the room. Spots of dried blood were scattered amongst the stone tiles, and Alessia tried her best not to imagine all the souls that died here—the souls that Erebos sent to the Unknown.
Level one was the only place Erebos was certain no one could venture to without his permission, so that no one would stumble upon Alessia and her black magic during training. As much as she hated the feeling of unease being on this level, she didn’t have another choice. It was this cell or nothing, and she was determined to master her power and discover all she could before they left to find the Seeker.
“Okay, you’re officially trained in combat.” Eryx held his rib, spluttering a cough as he rolled out from beneath her knee. “Who was your instructor?”
“My mother,” Alessia replied with a smile. “I tried to tell you that physical combat isn’t my weakness, but youdidn’t want to listen. It’s manifesting my power that I’m struggling with.”
“It comes from a place of willpower.” Izara hopped into the ring, shoving Eryx with the heel of her boot. “Go and grab some ice. You’re useless to us now.”
“Charming as always, Zara,” he muttered, shakily rising to his feet. With his hand still clutching a rib, he hobbled to the cell door, the heavy metal shutting loudly behind him.
“You aren’t aware of everything you can do with your powers yet,” Izara explained. “I think that is why you are having difficulty manifesting it.” Balls of fire suddenly appeared above her palms, steady and controlled. “With the flames I carry, I will them to appear. It is the same with casting a glamour. But you aren’t privy to the extent of your powers, so you are unsure what to manifest. It makes sense.”
“The only thing I’ve noticed is the black smoke,” Alessia whispered. “And that I killed a seraph. It…ate away at his body until he was nothing, Izara. He was there one minute and gone the next.”
