Monsters we Crave: A Dark Mafia Romantasy by Mae Royal & Natalie Bennett

Author:Mae Royal & Natalie Bennett [Royal, Mae & Bennett, Natalie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BB PUBLISHING
Published: 2024-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

A tall, distinguished-looking man opened my door. Stepping out, I was momentarily speechless, taking in the estate from outside the car. Aidoneus approached, extending a hand which I hesitantly took. With his grip both comforting and possessive, he led me up a set of wide stone stairs that culminated in grand wooden doors. They parted with the assistance of two men also wearing a staff uniform.

The opulence inside surpassed the exterior. Sparkling chandeliers dangled high above, their reflections playing on the polished marble floors below. Exquisite rugs with threads of gold and silver adorned the ground. The solemn faces of Triad deities gazed at me from their perches on the walls. Another lineup of staff members watched us with keen interest.

“Is everyone present, Cael?” he asked the tall man who had opened my car door.

“Yes, Kyrios.”

“Good.” Drawing a breath, Aidoneus surveyed the room.

“You all know what this day means, and the significance of the woman beside me. Now, you can put a face to the name you’ve heard so often. Korinna Hearst. My betrothed and your future Elysian.”

The weight of his words nearly bowled me over. Betrothed? Elysian? My mind raced with questions, but a stern look from him silenced me. With fluid grace, he switched to the lilting tones of the Vercretan language, leaving me lost amidst its unfamiliar sounds. He turned back to me and gestured for a few elegantly attired women to step forward, their heads slightly bowed as a sign of respect.

“These are your Lysari. Follow them, and they will assist you in getting ready.”

“Ready for what?” I asked, my voice a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

“For one of the best nights of your life.” Aidoneus leaned in, his eyes locking onto mine with an intense, possessive gaze. He placed a fleeting kiss on my cheek, his touch both commanding and intimate.

With one last order in Vercretan, he turned and departed through the doors we’d just entered, leaving me standing amidst the overwhelming grandeur and a group of strangers. I’d never felt so on display in my life, not even when I transitioned from homeschooling to an academy where half the student body had grown up together. I was relieved when a kind-faced woman, older and with a demeanor that radiated authority, stepped forward.

“Greetings, Miss. I am Meridith, head of the Lysaria.” Following her introduction, the other women chimed in with their names, each nodding politely in my direction. “How about we get you cleaned up?” Without waiting for a reply, Meridith gently took my arm and began leading me away from the foyer.

As we ascended another wide stone staircase, my attention was drawn to the walls, which were lined with regal portraits of the Maelstrom lineage. There was an obvious gap on the wall at the first landing that caught my attention—a space where a portrait once hung but was now conspicuously absent.

Meridith seemed to sense my curiosity, but it was a younger woman who had an adorable mousy appearance that whispered, “The Kyrios ordered it removed some time ago.

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