“We’re in my home away from home,” he says, but the words come out like a hissed purr.
“Your home away from home?” I ask.
He hums, then walks toward me again and crouches down. When he reaches forward and circles my nipple, I gasp. I hadn’t realized that I’ve been naked this entire time. He literally plucked me from Tiberius’ bed, maybe even while he was still inside of me.
“If I tell you, then there is no fun in that,” he says with a grin. He tugs on my nipple, hard, and I let out a cry of pain. “You’ll get used to the pain, Drucilla. It is all I deliver. You must learn to find the pleasure in it, or eternity will be miserable for you.”
“Eternity?” I ask.
He chuckles, his voice deep and harsh in a way that I have never heard before. Then I have to remember that he isn’t human, his sounds and mannerisms are just attempts at being human, but he is not.
“Yes, you will be at my side for eternity.”
“How?”
He clears his throat. “The gods have their set of rules. One is that we cannot live amongst the humans, when this is done, you will go to the Underworld with me.”
“And you’ll rule this world from the Underworld?” I ask.
I should be asking these questions to stall and take up time, but I’m asking them out of pure curiosity. I want to know the answers and since he’s not acting like a raving lunatic right now, I’ll keep asking until he’s done answering me.
“Through the venefica, through the men I’ve appointed, I will.”
Pressing my lips together, I shake my head a couple of times. “So you’re going to kill me, then?”
He lifts his hand, touching his index finger to my nose. “You aren’t as stupid as you look. This is good. While I do enjoy using pretty things for my own pleasure, I would also like to be able to converse with my partner for eternity.”
I want to open my mouth and tell him that I will never be his partner, not even for a single day, let alone eternity. I don’t. Something distracts him before either of us can say another word. He snaps his head to the side and quickly stands, then he disappears, leaving me alone in the room.
Pinching my eyes closed, I try to concentrate on going home to Tiberius. If Birdie can spirit herself away, then maybe I can too. I really can’t do that much that I’ve discovered, but maybe I can do this.
Take me back to Tiberius.
Take me back to Tiberius.
Take me back to Tiberius.
TIBERIUS
Sitting straight up, I look around and realize that I am alone. The sun has yet to come up. Where could Drucilla be? She is always beside me in bed. Never has she not been beside me when I’ve awakened.
Thinking that perhaps she couldn’t sleep and has gone in search of one of her sisters, I slide out of bed and walk over to the wardrobe. Grabbing one of my togas, something I never wear, I quickly put it on and go in search of my mulier in the domum.
It only takes me a few steps down the hallway to know that she is not here. There are no voices coming from anywhere in the silent domum. Walking toward the gardens, I’m not surprised to see the maga and Decima.
“Aeliana,” I call out once I’ve stepped outside. “What are you doing?”
“Torturing her,” she replies without even looking back at me. Decima’s head is dropped down and she does not move, not even a flinch at my presence.
“I cannot find Drucilla,” I admit.
Decima’s head snaps up, her eyes widen, and she looks directly at me. Her lips curve up into a grin. “He comes,” she whispers. “I can feel it. He is here, somewhere.”
“You feel nothing,” Aeliana snaps before she turns to me. “Though she feels nothing, I knew that Diaboli was coming. I just didn’t think it would be this soon.”
“Are you telling me that the God of the Underworld has my mulier?” I growl.
Aeliana nods her head. “I had hoped that he would come here, so that we could battle it out together. I was wrong. Apparently, he is more of a coward than I gave him credit for.”
My body trembles with rage. I can hardly hold it in, knowing that there would be no use in releasing it in this moment. I must have control over it, over myself before I release my feelings. I must only unleash it on the correct person—on Diaboli.
Aeliana Looks behind her to Decima, then back to me. “Playtime is over,” she oddly announces.
Before I realize what’s happening, she turns to face Decima. A sound escapes Aeliana that is unhuman. I take a few steps backward, my eyes widening at the sight before me. Decima’s back is arched as much as it can be in her chains.
It’s now Decima’s turn to make an inhuman sound. It escapes her throat. It is a high-pitched whine. So high in fact that I hear the wolves whimpering in the distance. I’m afraid that they are going to come in and attack, but Aeliana is not afraid, she doesn’t stop what she’s doing.
Aeliana lifts her hands, she continues to whine, then I hear her say something in another language before it happens. Decima’s entire body goes limp, her head drops and a few moments later Aeliana’s knees go out from beneath her and she lands on the ground.
Everything goes eerily still. It is still quiet because it is the dead of night, but now it is more than just quiet from the night, it is bigger, so much bigger. Before I can ask Aeliana if she needs help, she slowly rises to her feet.
She turns to me, her eyes bright purple, almost glowing. “She is gone and I have potentially sped up the war with Diaboli. Gather the sisters, I will need
