Page 29 of Blood So Brutal

Did these people all know Asmodeus was the evil bastard he was? Or were they living their lives in ignorance, pretending everything was okay? Pretending darkness wasn’t swarming the entire world because of him?

Thatmade me even more nauseous than the thought of swallowing mouthfuls of blood.

“Remember what we talked about,” Wolf whispered. I shivered as his breath hit my cheek. “You’re playing their game now. You can’t win if you don't play by their rules.”

“How could I forget? It’s my damn life on the line.”

I felt him stifle one of his arrogant laughs as we made our way to the front of the crowd. A massive wooden table was set up, spanning nearly the entire length of the ballroom. Black glasses of wine and black and gold plates of food lined the entire thing. It was grand; I couldn’t believe that these luxuries even existed.

Was this what the entire city looked like before Asmodeus corrupted it all?

“Ah, there you are.” Asmodeus pulled himself away from a female angel and walked over to us. Wolf rolled his shoulders back and lifted his chin. I did the same but held on tighter to his bicep. “Enjoying your party so far?”

I forced myself to meet his cold, uneasy gaze. “It is indescribable.” My smile took all the energy I had left.

“It is, isn’t it?” When he smiled, his teeth reflected the red wine he had clearly been drinking. I held onto Wolf even tighter to stop myself from backing away. “Sit, sit. Now that you are here, we will begin the feast!”

He turned to the crowd of people filling the ballroom. “Everyone sit!” Spit flew from his mouth along with the words. “Our guest of honor is here! The party may finally begin!”

Asmodeus turned and ushered us to the head of the table. We walked around to the backside, Wolf pulled out the chair beside Jessiah. “For you, Huntress,” he whispered. I blushed at his sultry voice but nodded, taking the seat. At least it was Jessiah sitting next to me and not a total stranger.

Wolf took the seat to my right, putting a barrier between me and the head of the table where Asmodeus sat. Luseyar andanother angel I had seen before sat across from us, not even bothering to glance in our direction.

I sat in silence as the rest of the guests funneled to the massive table. I couldn’t have seen them all if I tried, the table far too grand to accommodate actual conversation.

“Attention everyone!” Asmodeus pushed himself to his feet as everyone else sat. “I would like to thank everyone for coming to celebrate our special guests. You see, Huntyr is not simply a fae who survived Moira.”

Starting with a big speech about me. Great.Both brothers shifted uncomfortably beside me.

“No, Huntyr here is someone special.” His snake eyes landed on me as the room of people fell eerily silent. “Huntyr is only half-fae. Isn’t that right? Half fae and half something else. Half something powerful.”

This could not be happening. I rubbed my palms on my thighs and tried to stay calm. Why would he announce this here? Why now? I still had no strengthened powers, nothing to prove I really was the blood queen.

“Hyntyraina Fullmall Gawerula, Queen of Scarlata Empire.”

Silence fell.

Then, the room erupted in chaos. Men further down the table began shouting, asking Asmodeus if it was really true and what I was doing here.

“Scarlata has fallen!” someone yelled. “What are you going to do with her? Kill the blood queen! Kill the blood queen!”

A wave of nausea hit me again, and I feared this time, it had nothing to do with my hunger pains.

“Enough!” Asmodeus said. “There is no need to kill the blood queen! Not when she is here in our kingdom, ready to give us her power.”

Another wave of men shouting questions. I tried to tune it all out, tried to focus on my breathing, on picking up the chalice of wine in front of me and taking one small sip.

My hand shook. I nearly dropped the glass.

Wolf’s hand slipped over to my knee, squeezing gently and not moving.

“How do I plan on securing this power?” Asmodeus continued with his speech, pausing to take more drinks of his wine and nearly falling over as he stood. “Well, that part is easy. I am not blind. I know she is a risk to us on her own, which is why I plan on changing that. Huntyraina here will be marrying one of my sons, and our bloodlines will forever be merged as one!”

What. The. Fuck.

I replayed the words in my head over and over again, making sure I hadn’t missed something. Surely, I heard him wrong. Surely, he wasn’t being serious.

“Right, boys?” Asmodeus asked. Wine sloshed over the edge of his cup and splattered on the table.

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