Before Eres could go on with the painful execution, she sensed something and to proof get point, a guard knocked at the main door.
"Send the disgusting thing into one of the cells, no single elder is allowed out of this hall until I say so..."
With that she left the hall, Race who was holding his breath, muttered"why?"
Afra did not dare raise her head especially after feeling Enzo seething with anger as he glared down at her.
The guards took her away, Enzo felt like this was all a dream, his mate for centuries just turned her back on everything, their younglings, this kingdom, her best friend and him, he does not give two thoughts about Race, because, his cousin has always been his competitor.
But after this, Lorenzo just wish he had left Race have her for himself.
Eres trusted her, like Afra came first before her own siblings, she just had to bite the fingers that fed her for centuries.
***
"Open the portal", the guards scrunched he'd their faces as the foul smell of a disgusting realm filled their nose.
Ria was trying her best to keep a straight face as the smell of hell hit her nostrils, couple with the the disgusting creatures that followed, why do this particular demons look like this?.
The warriors entered one by one and made sure to stand in straight lines, their eyes all casted to the ground as if they all were scared of something in this new realm.
Then finally their king strolled in with his signature smirk" the queen in person, I always love how sexy you look with that blank look"
Ria asked not paying any mind to his stupid comment"how fast can the weakest feed on a soul?"
Luc shrugged "our deal was just an army, I did just that, so I don't give a fuck about what, they can do or not"
She nodded" fine then, be on your way"
He shook his head" not so fast Imperia, not so fast..."
She raised her brows questioningly
"My mate was your target if I do otherwise, since my own part of the deal is done, I want you to stay away from her" he said seriously.
"I apologize, the only thing I can promise you for now, that no harm will come to her, except you push me, she is an acquaintance" .
Luc wasn't satisfied" what is that suppose to mean?"
"Meaning anything you do or think to do to me, will be reciprocated action or thought to your angel"
****
Eres ordered the hellings to head south, while she followed.
She first went to the palace where she met up with her brothers, looking all confused
" what is that terrible smell?"
Caith asked with his face scrunched up in disgust.
" Hellings, I am doing some clean up, Luc, you go to Osiris immediately, someone is expecting me..."
She waved a guard over"my battle clothing" the guard nodded.
"Ereshkigal what is going on?"
She gave her mate a sweet smile "a clean up, it was long overdue, Race the send out messengers, no soul should be caught out of their cribs, nest,house, two hours for that, another two hours to go through every house, every warrior go home by homemaking sure every soul is indoor"
Race nodded"immediately my queen" he bowed before excusing himself.
Enzo was to step out when Eres added" I know you are facing some crises, but brother, if anything happens to my youngling, I will look into your eyes and painfully take away your life" the look on her face showed how serious she was, he nods firmly, before leaving.
She sighed"there is a soul in the Damned forest, a soul that is so wanted, the very minute that soul is sucked by a helling , there will be attacks from every angle of the kingdom, and from my calculations, they expect me here, at the palace, or at Osiris or maybe at the Janis...so king Caith will be at Janus, anyone you meet familiar or not kill them."
She stood up as the guards came with her golden garments"...the weakest target in our family so far is Tia's mate, I will suggest..."
The guards carefully put on her golden garments, putting each carefully.
"...you run home and make sure she does not leave your sight for any reason...or her stay here will be cut shorter than age"
When finally every part of her garment was worn on her, she grinned, as the war suit adjusted itself"rather, Mitri should be at Janus, the king should protect the crowns" Caith shook his head, there's no way he is staying back here, while his mate and younglings go for whatever this cleaning up adventure is.
" I..."
" Enki, this beings are after me, not you, if you come with me, there is a higher chance that this will be my last battle with you, because trust me if a weapon is pointed to your throat in exchange of a minute of weakness, I will not hesitate to sacrifice you..." She said sadly.
Caith smiled in assurance" I understand, but if I get a a feeling, I won't hesitate"
****
Eres got down jumped down from Hades, the horse looked around the chained forest.
This forest holds a memory, a dark one.
Flashback
"I cannot believe how fast time runs, just yesterday, we all were wishing for a female youngling" Ace said ruffling a 17 years old Ria's hair.
Alger laughed"now look at her been a general and all"
"Father you don't say that about Enzo and we are the same age and he looks older"
Ace scoffed"that little demon, we are so use to seeing the demons grow, the most painful was Mitri, he just got up one day and grew up, he did not even like my jokes "
She shook her head as she mounts Hades, and the others mount their own horses"Tia told me you cried on Vik's 20 birthday"
Alger nodded with a smirk" your grandfather gets so emotional, he cannot bear the thought of seeing anyone grow out of his jokes"
"Papa I still like your jokes"
"Of course you will, we are one person pumpkin" Ace said with a smirk.
***
The forest opened , it was eerily quiet, Alger looks around the thick forest, his red eyes darting around every angle.
"...father why do I look so much like papa instead, we have the same skin even eyes?, We only share a smile"
"You two share the same temper, I think you share a lot with your father than you think..."
She grinned" you think?"
" Yes princess, our only difference is when it come to our hobbies" Alger said with a smirk.
" No offense but singing and painting bores me"
Alger rolled his eyes playfully" your mother used to love hearing me sing"
" Pluto, Valera was a Nymph, Nymphs are meant to love boring stuff" Ace said rolling his eyes
" You all have hearts of stone"
"The satisfaction I get from the battlefield, when I hear the horns of victory, the wails of enemies, at the end of the day, everyone bows in front of me... " She reminisces
Her father shakes his head," you will be happiest when you fall in love, have younglings, travel around the kingdom and out of the kingdom, living your best life" both she and her grandfather burst into laughing fits
"...oh dear, Alger, your own image of happiness is unbelievable...princess, you were specifically made for the battlefield"
Alger shook his head, his father and younglings have a crazy definition of happily ever after.
Eres was to add a word when an arrow missed her face by an inch, she ducked backward and quickly caught the heavy metal causing her to fall from Hades.
Alger flew down and ran to his daughter while Ace caught the spirit by it left wing and slammed it on ground tapping the three horses fast" run"
They were ambushed, the singing of the Damned siren was almost enough to weaken all two males, but what no one except her father knows, and grandfather knows is Eres has grown immune to and enchanted sound.
The spirits were hungry and fighting above expectations to wipe out the three royals.
"Azura, get out of here" Alger said almost weakly, Eres scoffed"and let you all get slaughtered?"
Alger said angrily"get out of this place Ereshkigal, you must make it out of here alive, you hear..." A force slammed the two on the ground breaking trees in the process.
Another one was coming directly on Eres but Ace swept her up" Princess run out of here, we need you alive, this is your only chance"
Neither Alger nor Ace had anymore strength left to fight but Eres, her wings were out.
That was the last she saw her father, not even his soul could be saved, her screams could be heard in all eight worlds, she caught her grandfather's soul before he could open his eyes, and carried her father on her back.
His weight and the weight of his demise was too much but she carried it, even with her wounds.
The eyes of the spirit who ripped out Alger's heart haunted her, she could swear those were her eyes, with a little light in them than hers.
She chained the forest, some of the spirits tried escaping but she ran as fast as she could with her father's corpse on her back, tears falling from her eyes, her grandfather's soul in her mouth, and their weapons.
She ran round the forest making sure every part of it got her voice as she cursed it , the screeches of the spirits, the wailing of the tree.
"You are doomed, your gates are locked, your eyes are blinded and your ears are pierced, your nose is blocked, you are doomed...you are doomed"
She started a reverse journey back home, a journey that on human feet should take a year and 2weeks because their grandparents lived south.
But it took her two days, no sleep, no food, normally as a royal, with very fast horses, it takes few hours, and with all the powers, and no horse it takes a day but she walked like an ordinary subject, her robe dirty, every one who saw her quickly went down on their knees and, the younglings had their eyes blinded from seeing the dead king.
She shook her head to any help even from her brothers as she walked, no her sword, not theirs left her hand, not a word left her mouth.
By the time she entered the palace, her eyes were swollen,she was physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted, her grey eyes black .She had hoped, carrying his body will give her time to accept his death, or will at least make him alive.
The guards open the barrier, news travel fast, the king and his father are dead, every guard, every lord or Lady, every one went on the ground as soon as they saw the youngest of the Pluto carrying her father on her back, three deaths in three days. They lost sweet King Ace, King Alger and the sweet little Ria everyone knew.
Dimitri took the weapons from her, Viktor alongside Matias forcefully took their father's body, while Enzo opened his palm waiting for the soul stone.
She sobbed and spat out the white rock which was an unconscious soul, his eyes were swollen too as he closed his palm and hugged his sister.
"I could not...I swear... Luc..he was. ..then...I don't...it happened so fast"
He let her ramble on, she had not said a word for two days, he stroked her back.
" I know Zura, I Know..."
Tias took the soul stone and carefully grew flowers around it, they had to wait for a sick body, that body was their uncle's.
" Ereshkigal, we need you to clean up, you should do that before we proceed"
She nodded pulling away from her twin and hugging her older brother, who sighed, there was nothing anyone could say or do that will heal this lost.
Okay so I cried a little, a lot, like I'm sobbing.
Sooo my dear friends I took out some tags, I am so sorry, at the beginning of this book I was so sure of it, like I could even see the end, it was a reverse harem. But now I just don't see it the same🥺 forgive me, I got attached to a character.
I also realized the romantic aspect of the story isn't really like...strong, I'm so sorry.