Chapter 30: The Mistress’s Chains

𖤐••{DELILAH’S POV}••⛧

The hairs on my skin stand on end as I walk through the castle halls.

Every time memories from earlier flash before my eyes, a shiver runs down my spine.

The scent of her blood... so sweet... so enticing... I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. And the rush I felt afterward... I find myself craving it all over again.

What happened tonight was not supposed to be possible.

There’s no way in seven hells the blood of a mere human made me—made all of us—behave like mindless beasts.

Who really is Rhiannon Aurelian?

Better yet...

What is she?

That one question plagues my mind until I finally reach my chambers. I open the doors, shutting them behind me as soon as I enter.

"Finally. I was starting to get impatient waiting for you, Delilah."

My eyes widen and my whole body freezes still. Then I turn my head very slowly until my eyes lock with Queen Lilith’s.

She’s sitting on the chair in front of my vanity, her expression void of any emotion as she stares at me through the reflection in the mirror.

My heart begins thudding painfully in my chest.

"My Queen," I say quickly, lowering myself into a deep bow.

She finally turns to face me.

"Rise," she says.

I straighten slowly, and before I know it, my fingers are already fidgeting with the skirts of my gown.

"Yo–your Majesty," I stammer. "I’m surprised to see you here. I thought Azræl commanded all the guests to leave immediately."

"He did," she says.

She rises from the chair and starts walking toward me.

"But tell me, Delilah... if you discovered something capable of turning an entire ballroom of ancient vampires into starving beasts..."

She stops directly in front of me.

"...would you really walk away?"

For a few heartbeats, I stare at her in silence.

"No," I whisper.

Lilith lifts her fingers and touches her lips absentmindedly.

"The scent of her blood," she murmurs, staring at nothing in particular. "It was so sweet... so strong that I could taste it on my tongue."

Her eyes meet mine.

"I want it again," she says, her tone low and dangerous. "More importantly, I need to know what that girl really is because she is definitely not human."

She crosses her arms over her chest, tilting her head slightly.

"So?" she shrugs. "What do you have for me?"

"What do I—" I swallow. "What do I have for you?"

"Don’t be stupid, Delilah," she hisses. "Tell me everything you’ve learned about the girl."

My gaze immediately falls to the floor.

"Uh... Rhiannon is a princess from some distant kingdom called Astragarde," I say quickly. "And Azræl abducted her and—"

"Oh, shut up," Lilith cuts me off sharply.

My heart jumps into my throat.

"Everybody already knows that," she continues. "Why did he bring her here? Why was he insistent on breaking age-old tradition by marrying her?"

"I apologize, Your Majesty," I say quickly. "But I don’t know. Azræl has become even more secretive lately."

Lilith places her fingers under my chin and lifts my head so I can look her in the eyes.

"Then what do you know?" she asks, narrowing her eyes.

My heart begins hammering violently against my ribs, my jaw trembling as my lips slowly part.

"...Nothing," I answer.

Lilith grips my throat and before I can even blink, my back slams into a wall at the far end of the room. The impact knocks the wind out of me and my head hits the stone, sending a sharp burst of agony splitting through my skull.

Her nails bite into my skin as she tightens her grip until my eyes bulge and I begin to choke and gasp for air.

Lilith slowly lifts me higher against the wall until my feet leave the ground. I start kicking wildly, clawing desperately at her wrists as I struggle to draw even a single breath.

Through the tears stinging my eyes, I can see the fury burning in hers as she glares into mine.

"My Queen..." I rasp. "Please."

"I hope you’re not getting too comfortable and forgetting yourself, you wretched whore," she hisses through clenched teeth. "I planted you in Azræl’s life and pulled every string until you ended up exactly where I wanted you. Your only mission was to gain his trust, give him your cunt whenever he pleases, and find out every little secret he keeps hidden."

Her grip tightens until my vision blurs at the edges.

"Are you becoming useless or does Azræl not trust you anymore?" she growls.

"He... still... trusts me," I wheeze, my voice strained. "I was the one... who told... you of... his travels, remember? A few... months ago... I informed you... that he was... searching... for something."

Her brows slowly pull together.

"And then..." I choke out, "he came back... with Rhiannon."

Lilith immediately loosens her grip completely and I crash to the floor, coughing violently as I try to catch my breath.

You’re right," she whispers, her eyes widening as realization dawns on her. "It all makes sense now. Rhiannon is what Azræl has been searching for all these years."

I remain on the floor, wrapping my arms around myself as tears run down my face.

Lilith crouches beside me and yanks me up by my hair, forcing me to meet her gaze.

Her gaze softens as she stares at me for a few heartbeats, then her lips pull into a small pout.

"Delilah," she says softly. "Do you want your sister... poor little Deborah... to die?"

"No," I say quickly, pressing my palms together as if in prayer. "Please—please, no, I beg you."

"Then start proving yourself useful," she snaps, pulling my hair harder. "Find out everything there is to know about that girl."

"Yes, My Queen," I cry, my words tumbling out fast. "I’ll find out everything—everything, I promise."

"Ugh, I hate when people grovel," she grumbles, her lips curling with disgust. "Just look at you, drooling all over the floor."

She suddenly lets go of my hair and I fall, hitting my head hard against the floor. Then she straightens, smoothing the front of her gown as if nothing happened before turning toward the door.

When she reaches it, she stops.

"You better not disappoint me again, Delilah," she says without looking back. "Because the next time will also be your last."

The moment the door slams shut, I finally break.

My body trembles as I curl in on myself, my chest heaving as I let out the ugliest, most painful sobs.