Page 83 of Queen of the Wicked
“Erebos,” she whispered shakily as she approached his side. He cracked an eye open, offering her a weak smile. “I heard you were ill.”
“My staff is dramatic,” he replied. Attempting to sit up, he erupted into a fit of coughs. “I will be fine in a few days. No need to worry.”
“Well, I’m going to regardless.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.” He grabbed her hand with a clammy one of his own, reassuringly squeezing it. “I apologize for not being there this morning when you woke up. This cough was rather distracting, so I retreated to my room before it interrupted your sleep.”
“That’s a relief,” she replied with a teasing lilt. “I was afraid you regretted last night.”
“Impossible. I have done nothing but replay it in my mind since it happened.” He pulled her closer to the bed until she sat beside him, his fingers toying with the end of her braid. “I have asked Eryx to accompany you and your mother to Allegra’s. He is unaware of the reason behind the trip, but I wasn’t feeling well enough to explain it.” At the disappointed expression on her face, he added, “I cannot predict when I will recover from this illness, and we don’t have any time to waste.”
“Where is Izara?” she asked.
“On another soul-catching trip. She will return tomorrow.”
Alessia nodded slowly, thinking everything through. “Okay. When do we leave?”
“I would leave as soon as you can. If Bastian is aware of the amulet, we must act now before the decree is up and he can infiltrate this realm. Speaking to Allegra to see if she has a hint to the whereabouts of the gem in Hell is one thing, but finding it will be another task entirely.”
“No, you’re right, I just…” Her eyes softened when another flurry of coughs erupted from his throat. “It doesn’t seem fair to leave you like this.”
The lord swiped his mouth with the cloth on his forehead, sighing, when he said, “I have been through much worse than a cold, Alessia. This is merely an inconvenience.”
“Are you sure?”
He ran a large hand down her waist before playing with the ties on her dusty blue dress. Since last night, their relationship seemed to have shifted, but Alessia couldn’t figure out why. Where she had reservations about falling for him before, they didn’t exist now as she stared in those onyx eyes she’d grown to adore. She had heard stories of girls falling too fast for their first, so maybe it was that. Perhaps she was a love-stricken fool because she lost her virginity to him.
Whatever the case, she didn’t want to leave him.
“It will only take a day or two at most,” he reminded her. “Eryx can Travel you or instruct you how to do so. Your choice.”
After a few moments, she relented, pushing a stray curl off his forehead. “Okay. I’ll have Isla pack me a bagand leave first thing, but I’m making this a quick trip so I can return and mend you back to health.”
Her heart fluttered at the shit-eating grin that appeared, causing a dimple to poke out on his right cheek. “My imagination will run wild in the meantime as to how you’ll make that happen.” Reaching up to caress her face, he lingered longer than usual. It only caused her to lean into his touch and nuzzle against his palm. “Return to me safely, Little Mortal.”
“Shouldn’t I technically be callingyouthat?’ She waved a hand over his sickly state. “As I’ve told you, I am no mortal,Lord of Hell.”
“No,” he mused. “You are not, but as I’ve also toldyou, I’ve grown rather fond of the nickname.”
Feeling energized and buzzing from his affection, she rose from the bed and left him with something to look forward to. “Perhapswhen I return, you can show me just how fond you are of it, Erebos. I will see you shortly.”
Chapter 34
Alessia
“Since I was requested to go on this mission with you, shouldn’t I be aware of what, exactly, it is we’re looking for?” Alessia’s mother walked alongside her and Eryx towards the gates of Hell, where they’d hopefully Travel to Allegra’s house.
Alessia looked to Eryx for advice, but the general threw his hands up. “Divulging information is your call,” he said. “I was only ordered to be here for your protection.”
Eryx was the general of Erebos’s army, and Elyana had rescued the lord when he desperately needed it. He trusted them both, allowing her mother to see the glamour in Hell when it could get him exiled. If she were to trust anyone, it would be them.
“We are looking for Mose’s amulet,” Alessia eventually admitted. Elyana’s eyes widened while Eryx seemed perplexed. “It’s rumored that if one completes the amulet, they can decimate the realms and rebuild one of their own accord. There are supposedly three gems, onehidden in each realm, and since Bastian has been so adamant about ending King Amos’s decree…”
“Shit,” Eryx muttered. “You think Bastian knows about the amulet?”
“Well, we hope not, but if he does, we need to be one step ahead of him. If we can find the gems for the amulet, that’s all we’ll need to restore the balance of the realms. We can run Heaven and Hell the way King Amos did.”
Elyana’s eyes softened, a rare display of emotion before she cleared her throat and continued towards the gates. “If anyone had information, it would be Allegra. She is the oldest witch in the realms, possibly the oldest immortal.”
