But I ignored his words. Instead, I whirled on my heels, my eyes meeting Parthenay’s.I do believe that I warned you. Contradict me again and I will feed you to them.
Her nostrils flared, the challenge clear in her eyes.
Suddenly, Andromeny spoke up—acting like a herald for us—perhaps in an attempt to divert the akadim’s attention.
“Ra Maraak, Ra Maraaka.” Your king. Your queen. “Teka!Bow before their majesties.” She turned in a slow circle, eyeing the akadim. They had formed themselves into two small armies. One collared by me. The other by Aemon. “Moriel and Ereshya have been reborn.”
The vorakh’s eyes widened, their faces stunned. Several looked at each other with questioning eyes, searching for answers that none of them possessed. My akadim fell at once. Because Rhyan bent the knee. He was already the one they looked to for leadership. It was just my luck that the akadim form tended to amplify certain personality traits of the person they used to be. It was a kind of compensation for the parts of them that were lost—the parts tied to their soul. Rhyan had beena soturion with an almost absurd amount of discipline. Now he was an akadim general with the ability to control hundreds of his kind with a single look.
Aemon’s soturi knelt, and at last, the vorakh sank down in compliance.
I waited a moment, allowing them to spend some time on their knees, to fully embrace their new roles. And ours. And then I lifted my arm. “Rise.”
“Thank you, and welcome,” Aemon said, his voice booming and full of all the authority of a God. “Your queen and I have liberated you from your oppressors.” He turned to face the chayatim. “From your masters. No longer shall the Empire abuse your abilities, nor will they be allowed to vilify you for how you were born; for magic and abilities you did not ask for. In the world we will build from Lumeria’s ashes, no one is born illegal. No one is born taboo. Today we honor you, the sacrifices you’ve made, the injustice you have suffered.”
Someone clapped, and another mage joined in, and then another. There was a cheer rising through the crowd, and a call of victory. My heart leapt.
We were doing the right thing.
Aemon’s eyes sparkled. “Each one of you was dealt a fate you did not deserve. But today you have the chance to turn things around. To make a new world. Together, we shall break apart the Empire, brick by brick. You shall have your revenge if you seek it. And together, we’ll remake this world into one that honors you and who you are. For being a part of this at the beginning, you will all be rewarded.”
More claps followed, more cheers, and several of the chayatim raised their fists.
Behind me, the akadim growled.
I turned, feeling Aemon move beside me.
“You shall also be rewarded,” he said. “You will have the power you’ve been denied. The opportunity to live naturally. To hunt, and feed.” His eyes flashed on me then away. “To give into your natures.”
Their growls turned to roars, and their teeth gnashed, their eyes glowing red. In the light, their monstrousness became clearer as they revealed their elongated canines. Fangs dripping with saliva pushed past their lips. And if they hadn’t already, their natures began to rise—at least it did for those who were male. Everything was on display, and exposed. Between that and fucking Parthenay, I was about to lose all I’d worked for.
I stepped forward, a plan barely formed in my mind.
“You’re hungry?” I shouted, facing my army. “I know what you want. But I don’t give rewards for disobedience. If you want flesh, if you want pleasure, you’ll prove yourselves to me.” My eyes found Rhyan’s in the crowd. “A demonstration of my benevolence to you. Arkturion Rhyan Hart. Come forward.”
His red eyes flashed, and beneath the loin cloth he wore, I could see his own excitement had been ignited. His bloodlust filled the air, and his muscles flexed as he approached.
He bowed. “What do you want with me?” he growled. “Morgana.”
I stiffened. And he seemed to realize his mistake at that moment as well.
So he remembered. Good. If he remembered me, he remembered everything.
I grabbed Parthenay by the shoulders and pushed her in front of him. “You remember Parthenay, don’t you?” I asked Rhyan sweetly. “Remember when she attacked you on Gryphon’s Mount? Tied you and Lyriana up? Brought you to us against your will?”
A snarl escaped his lips, followed by a vicious growl that made my skin crawl. “I remember.” His red eyes settled on her. “You invaded my mind.”
“She did, didn’t she?” I crooned. “So cruel. You don’t like her, Rhyan, do you?”
“No.” His irises began to glow, brighter than before. His muscles tensed, as his knees bent, preparing to pounce. A small stream of saliva slipped from his mouth, and for a second, his eyes shot with venom toward Aemon. He bared his teeth. Rhyan was no fan of Aemon’s either.
Aemon shook his head, emitting a sudden burst of power from his aura.
Rhyan’s eyes went back to Parthenay, even more lust-filled than before. A lust filled with violence.
“You’re hungry, Rhyan? Aren’t you?” I eyed his loincloth again, my heart thundering. His cock twitched in response, the muscles in his arms flexing. “Very hungry.”
“Maraaka,” he said in confirmation, licking his lips, taking a step forward toward Parthenay.
