Page 110 of Crown of Storm and Silence
But underneath the relief, something cold stirs in both our chests. The way Erlik watched the ritual, the triumph in his eyes, the strange resonance that's been building since the ceremony completed...
"What did you do?" Kaan demands, rising despite his lingering weakness.
Erlik's smile is as sharp as winter starlight. "I did exactly what you asked, my boy. The poison is gone."
"That's not an answer." Kaan's shadows coil around his feet, responding to anger and suspicion. "What else did you take? What did you bind me to?"
Erlik shrugs dismissively. "Family should look after family, after all. And family should... stay connected."
The way he says 'family' makes ice crawl down my spine. Through the bond, I feel Kaan's matching dread as we both realize this ritual has cost us something we don't yet understand.
"Now then," Erlik continues with false cheer, "shall we celebrate? I've arranged quite the gathering for your wedding feast."
Before we can protest, the chamber doors burst open to admit a flood of demons and shadow lords. They flow into the space like a tide of beautiful destruction, their laughter echoing as servants appear with wine that glows like captured souls.
The celebration explodes around us with supernatural intensity. Music that makes mortals forget their names, wine that tastes like liquid desire, air thick with magic that amplifies every emotion beyond reason.
And through it all, Erlik watches with satisfaction that makes my blood freeze.
Something is happening to the assembled guests. The wine, the music, the very air, it's all designed to lower inhibitions, to stoke desires that civilized beings usually keep contained. I watch a shadow lord pull his companion into a passionate embrace, see a demoness laugh as her dress dissolves into smoke.
"The wine. It's enchanted."
"It’s not just the wine, it’s the music too. We're leaving," Kaan announces, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the side exit.
"Kaan, what—" I begin, but shadows are already wrapping around us both as he transports us away from the orgy his father has orchestrated.
We emerge on a balcony high in the palace's eastern tower, the night air cool after the heated atmosphere of the celebration. But even here, the effects of Erlik's magic are visible. Below us, the palace gardens writhe with couples who have abandoned all pretense of propriety.
"Gods," I breathe, staring down at the scene unfolding beneath us.
The sight is intoxicating, overwhelming. And through our restored bond, I feel my body responding with hunger I'm trying to hide.
Hell is on fire below me.
And it isn’t the flames that scorch—it’s the moans. The wet, aching, blood-drenched sounds of every soul in this garden abandoning their last tether to restraint.
The gardens pulse with sin, a debauched playground twisted under Erlik’s enchantment. Lust has become a religion down there. And they are all devout followers.
Shadow lords pound their partners against shattered statues of forgotten gods, stone cracking under the force of thrusts that could break bone. Demonesses scream with wicked delight as they ride their lovers across scorched grass, wings beating with every violent bounce. Moans echo like war drums. Bodies glisten with sweat, blood, and magic. The air is heavy with sex and brimstone, and I can feel it settling into my skin like a fever.
At the fountain, a horned demon grips a succubus by the throat, bending her over the rim as water splashes over her writhing form. His cock slams into her with brutal rhythm, and her cries are anything but human. On a stone bench nearby, a shadow lady straddles her lover, clawing his chest open as she rides him—blood streaking her thighs, her head thrown back in rapture.
A woman hangs suspended between two rusted iron stakes, arms stretched tight. Vampires swarm her—one licking her nipple, another biting the soft flesh of her thigh, while a third drinks from her neck. Behind her, a massive demon drives into her ass, his thrusts so savage her body jerks like a marionette. Her scream pierces the air and blends into the garden’s obscene music.
“You’re aroused.”
Kaan’s voice slices through me like velvet over a blade. He steps close, and I feel the heat radiating from his chest before he even touches me.
“I’m not—” I try to lie, but my body betrays me. My nipples are tight under the sheer fabric of my gown. My thighs are pressed together. I’m soaked.
He presses into my back, hard and sure, and I can feel his cock through his leathers—thick, demanding. His hand slides over my belly, grounding and claiming in the same breath.
“You are,” he whispers, lips brushing the shell of my ear. “I can feel it through the bond. Smell it on your skin. Watching them makes you ache, doesn’t it?”
His hand trails lower, cupping my sex through the thin silk. I jolt at the contact, grinding into his palm.
“Reminds you of how you sounded in that alcove,” he continues, voice dark silk. “When I fucked you against the wall. When you screamed my name so loud, the Shadow Court went still.”
