Page 31 of Mortal Desires

Of course, I could believe we had traitors. What kingdom doesn’t have them? But all of them? I shook my head, dismissing the thought.

Maybe it was a plot.

A plot to what? What could the Brumas do? Even in the underworld, they had no power. They couldn’t communicate with anyone that wasn’t me.

“Continue the search, Lagus.”

Becoming paranoid wasn’t an acceptable alternative. I waited years to have the witch trapped in the underworld, and I wanted to give her all my wicked attention.

When I thought about torturing her, I imagined manacles, maybe knives, and fire. I never thought I could torture her with sex.

Even thinking about it, I grew stiff. Pilar had a sweet face, like a good girl no one cared to spoil, but I was starting to doubt if that was true.

An innocent would turn their face and refuse to watch what was happening during our wedding feast. Even before I ordered her to do so, she watched, her scent perfuming the room.

I tortured her by pleasing myself and letting her watch. In the best-case scenario, she’d learn to desire a monster and hopefully feel disgusted with herself.

Summoned by my thoughts, my petite wife abruptly arrived, running through the throne room, her eyes on something only she could see.

“Anora!”

She raced to the exit, leaving even poor Lagus disoriented. With a flick of my wrist, I made the door disappear and her running abruptly stopped.

“Let me go,” she yelled, slamming her palm over the stone.

“What are you doing, witch?” I stood up, going to her.

“I’m—” She looked at me over her shoulder and then back to the stone. “I’m looking for something.”

When I asked her maids to dress her, I never thought they would dress her like a queen. She was indeed the queen of the underworld, so the delicate black dress and the golden crown over her temple matched her new life.

I simply never thought she would fit the role so well.

But she needed to behave like a queen, not just look like one. And on that note, she slammed her palm over the stone, yelling some more.

I flashed a look to Lagus, who was watching his mistress with curiosity. I didn’t want anyone curious about Pilar. She wasn’t for anyone’s eyes but mine.

Lagus walked away before my other eyebrow even arched. I flicked my wrist, replacing the door where it had been. Not sparing me a glance, she yanked it open and took off once again leaving me no alternative but to follow her.

“What are you looking for?”

What could she possibly have lost? She came with nothing.

“Anora.” She jogged, her eyes glued to the floor and every corner of the hall. “Oh, there she is!”

I couldn’t see a thing, but she saw something that made her hurry into the narrow passages of my castle, following her invisible quest.

“Who’s Anora?” I asked keeping up with her.

This time she looked over her shoulder like she forgot I was there for a second.

“My familiar.”

I opened my mouth to say her familiar couldn't sneak into the underworld, but she started running once again, the skirt of her dress blowing after her, exposing her legs.

Distracted by the shape of them, I almost missed when she slowed down and looked at me again.

“What is it doing here?”

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