I frown at her foolish question, fighting to gather patience. “If we destroyed the veil, the mortals would be unprotected. Unprotected from the kind of misuse they’re subjected to here.” I glare at Lucian.
In response, the vampyre king grins and pushes all of the buttons at once, holding them until Beatrix is quivering. Not only does she spill the glass she’s carrying, it falls to the floor, and she scrambles to pick it up, before draping her body over Lucian’s lap for her spanking.
I clench my fists, trying to channel my aggravation and to resist making any comment about this appalling behavior. Vampyres have always been cruel, not to mention far too fixated on sex, but this king’s behavior is beyond the pale.
“The humans who remained here in the Darkness,choseto stay,” Lucian says. “Didn’t you, my pet.” He pinches Beatrix’s reddened bottom as she passes by him, but she manages to keep her tray balanced.
“Theirancestorschose to remain,” Vespera interjects. “That happened hundreds of years ago. Humans here now had no say in the matter.”
I nod toward the Fae queen, grateful that at least one other superi at this table seems to find Lucian’s behavior deplorable.
Eleanor turns toward me. “Why don’t your people simply fly through the veil?”
I glance down at the shiny black table. “Without access to Darkness, our dragon forms have limitations.” That’s all I want to disclose until I’m sure who to trust.
“Because of this supposed hex,” Eleanor says.
“No.” My patience is thinning. “The hex trapped us, but the veil suppressesallmagic, including our ability to shift forms. That is how the veil was designed.”
“Well, the design seems foolish then,” Eleanor replies. “Without magic, superi have little power.”
“That was the point.” I growl, but Rosomon strokes my hand, easing my desire to tear this mage’s head from her body.
“One of the founding principles in the Kingdoms of Light,” I tell her, “was that no superi can access their magic, without the cooperation of mortals.” Which is why we require humans to ride us in the Light.
“I see.” Eleanor folds her arms over her bodice. “So, since you were instrumental in creating the veil, you did this to yourselves.”
My chair scrapes on the floor as I shoot to my feet. “No! We did not!” I glare at thebasicmage. Even thinking the wordrootboundannoys me.
“Once the veil was complete, no superi were meant to remain in the Light. The veil was designed to keep usout. But someone trapped me and my people. Trapped us in forms from which we could not escape.”
“Calm yourself, Zogar,” Aryxia says. “Sit.”
I drop back to my chair and shift my hand to Rosomon’s thigh. Touching her calms me.
Beatrix spills a drink, and the sounds of buzzing and sharp spanking again fills the air, lifting my anger along with each slap.
“Now we understand why your people remain trapped.” Lucian bucks Beatrix off his lap. “Can’t Xendus and Surath free all your people immediately?”
I growl, but Rosomon puts her hand over mine, and I’m reminded of the stakes here—not to mention the dangers. I’m powerful but can’t afford to anger these superi sovereigns. If I do, Rosomon could be the one to pay the price.
Rage builds inside me as I imagine my wife in Beatrix’s place, draped over Lucian, or hung on the wall in his club. And vampyres aren’t the only risks to my wife in this room. She could be caught in an elven glamor, trapped in an illusion cast by any one of the mages. Or even worse—I shudder—she could be trapped in a demon’s torment.
None of those things can happen. I can’t leave her alone in this city, not ever. The few moments I stepped away from her in Lucian’s club were too many.
Drawing a deep breath, I remember Lucian’s question. “It could take considerable time to free my people. Few humans are brave orstrongenough to mount a dragon—especially the largest amongst us.” Pride expands my chest as I turn toward Rosomon, but she’s looking ahead, her gaze on the human who just retrieved another martini glass and is walking gingerly toward the table.
“We’ve spoken enough of my kind,” I say. “It’s time for my questions. First, why does this council allow abjectdepravityin this city?” I lean back in my chair, glad that I’ve regained some control and command of this meeting—over myself if I’m honest.
“This is the City ofDarkness, my friend.” Lucian pushes all the buttons again.
Beatrix stops walking. Her pelvis shakes, but at least her tray is empty. Still trembling, she quickly moves to pick up another drink. Lucian’s handprints have merged, her ass is bright red now, and she’s shaky on her feet, even with the vibrators turned off.
“All of us here in the Darkness.” Lucian leans back in his chair. “We are who we are.”
I growl, but Lucian has a point. This intrinsic power imbalance between humans and superi is the primary reason why the council agreed to help the humans who sought refuge in the first place. Especially from demons.
But since I’ve been gone, this place became unrecognizable—so much worse than what it was. The utter absence of Light has changed this place, in so many ways. I can only hope that the other cities and the rural areas are better.
