“We want to visit your world, and you’ll prepare a feast for us,” Marigold declared.
“Done,” Killian agreed without hesitation.
“They’ll eat us poor,” Barbie muttered under her breath, though everyone heard her.
“Each house will take turns hosting our new friends,” Rowan said, smoothly stepping into his diplomatic role. “We will finalize the details after you take the God of Ruin off our hands.”
“What does void look like?” Cade asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Marigold flicked her wrist, and a sequence of holographic images streamed before us.
The first showed the valley of monsters—a nightmarish landscape where creatures with far too many teeth and claws prowled amid jagged rock spires. The caption indicated these monsters specialized in eating gods like candy. They liked magical beings like me as their snacks. The thought turned my stomach.
The second image revealed the Void Dungeon, a massive complex of three domes where the most powerful andnotorious beings in existence were imprisoned. Its unbreakable architecture radiated dark menace.
The third displayed a spectacular carriage fashioned from gold and precious gems, drawn by over a hundred mythical beasts. It waited on the other side, ready to carry Marigold and her mates wherever they desired.
Show-offs.
The final image showed an ivory tower stretching impossibly high into a starless sky. In its courtyard, hundreds of stunning women lounged in various state of undress.
Barbie threw her hand over Killian’s eyes. I was cleverer, forming a ribbon of white light around my mate’s eyes. He didn’t need to see those women; he had me.
“Shit! They’re all hot!” Silas breathed, his shifter instincts going haywire.
Marigold laughed knowingly. “Can’t show you Mom, though. She values her privacy. She’s a knockout. If you saw her, you wouldn’t look at anyone else. No man has ever refused her, except my Hector. He kicked her into a pool when she tried to seduce him.”
Barbie’s jaw dropped.
“She’s single now, but she’s too busy hunting Lucifer, her ex,” Marigold added.
Silas was practically drooling.
“As King of the Kingdom of Shifters, I’ll host you first, Lady Marigold, and demigods Hector, Axel, Paxton, and Zak, along with your royal entourage,” Silas announced, his eagerness almost pathetic. “Feel free to bring all those…lovely ladies.”
Louis shot him a glare, clearly regretting he hadn’t made the offer first.
“You know what, our new friends,” Louis said, flashing his most brilliant smile with a hint of fang showing. “What if we arrange a further trade?”
“You’re a natural-born vampire!” Marigold called out with delight.
Paxton frowned. “A trade?”
“Like an international student exchange program from the mortal realm,” Louis offered. “You visit our Shades Academy, and we visit that ivory tower you showed us to meet all those lovely students.”
“They aren’t students,” Zak said with a knowing smirk. “They’re the most vicious half-siren Amazon women. Seduction is one of their primary skills.”
“Just my type!” Silas exclaimed. “The program is on!” He punched Cade on the shoulder. “Are you in, Cade? We’re the realm’s most eligible bachelors. The Brides Selection doesn’t have to end. We should expand our horizons.”
“Well.” Cade shrugged, though a spark of interest was clear in his eyes. “I’d love to visit and study the void.”
The demigods from the other side traded looks, then broke into unified grins. A bad feeling settled in my stomach like a lead weight.
“Can we now send Ra, the abomination, into the void?” Nephthys hissed, his patience clearly spent. “This foolishness has gone on long enough!”
“Do you have somewhere to be?” Silas rolled his eyes, then instantly ducked behind Louis, hands flying to protect his groin.
“Princess Marigold,” Rowan said diplomatically, “will you kindly lower the ward so we can send the package through?”
