When I awoke, the air tasted like incense and judgment.
Delicious.
I was seated in a grand courtroom, wrists bound in divine iron, ankles shackled to the base of a cold marble dais. The ceilings stretched into gold-veined heights, beams of holy light cascading from stained glass windows depicting various martyrs I probably insulted in a past life. Robed figures loomed above in rows of stone benches—the Council. And at the far end stood the Church's second-in-command, Cardinal Iareth, his expression like sun-baked parchment and his aura colder than a celibate's chastity.
He raised a single bony hand. "Cecil Valen."
"I'm sorry, were you expecting someone more repentant?" I grinned. "I can do tears if you like. I've practiced in the mirror."
There was a shuffle of fabric, a mutter of divine incantations, and a sharp tightening of the manacles around my wrists. Ah yes. Court. So dramatic.
"You stand accused of heresy, treason, defilement of sacred grounds, impersonation of clergy, and the unauthorized redistribution of angelic relics."
"You forgot public nudity," I added. "I'm hurt."
The Cardinal leaned forward. "We are prepared to execute you now. Speak your final words."
"Ah, but here's the thing," I said, smile sharpening. "You can't. Because I happen to be holding onto a very valuable chess piece. Hollow. Your golden boy. Your divine pet project. He's currently tied up in velvet chains back at my base, sipping aphrodisiac tea and struggling with a moral crisis."
Silence.
One of the council members straightened, voice clipped and harsh. "You lie."
"Oh, I'd never lie," I said, fluttering my lashes. "Unless it's about my age, but even then I still look fabulous."
The atmosphere cracked with tension. Cardinal Iareth's gaze narrowed, and behind him, several scribes whispered furiously into glowing scrolls.
"I propose a trade," I said. "My freedom and immunity from all past charges, in exchange for Hollow's safe return… unspoiled. Relatively."
The Cardinal's fingers curled. "You dare blackmail the Church?"
"You threatened to kill me first."
Before anyone could respond, the stained-glass window above shattered into a rain of divine glass. A gust of holy wind whipped through the chamber.
Roderick dropped down in a blur of shadow and steel, dual blades drawn and eyes burning. "Nobody touches him!"
My heart did a traitorous little flutter. "You dramatic idiot."
He moved like a whirlwind, taking down two guards with brutal efficiency. The council cried out, a barrier of light shimmering to life across the upper dais. One of the acolytes raised a hand and shouted an incantation.
Chains of light burst from the floor, tangling Roderick mid-strike. He grunted, twisting, but they coiled tighter. A golden aura pulsed over his body, draining him.
Damn it.
"Cute entrance," I muttered, watching him collapse to one knee. "Shame about the execution part."
And then it happened.
A pulse deep in my chest. Like the tolling of a hidden bell. My vision flickered—no, not flickered, expanded. Something shifted within the mark I bore, the connection I shared with those I'd bonded.
A voice echoed in my mind. Not quite divine. Not quite mine.
"New Skill Acquired: Velvet Aura. Your bonded companions now exude an aura of irresistible temptation. Enemies within range suffer weakening effects—loss of divine focus, draining of willpower, and increased vulnerability to suggestion."
My eyes widened. Oh, this was going to be delicious.
"Elian. Lysaria," I whispered. "Come."
From the shadows behind a marble column, two cloaked figures emerged.
Elian's smile was soft and deadly. Lysaria's was bored but glinting with cruel promise.
The council's attention snapped toward them—but too late. As they stepped into the hall, the air grew heavy. The scent of rose oil and desire, of stolen breath and whispered promises. It rolled across the room like a velvet fog.
One of the guards lowered his weapon, eyes suddenly glassy. Another dropped to their knees, flushed and trembling. Even Iareth stumbled, gripping his staff like it might ground him.
Elian pressed a kiss to my cheek, his fingers tracing my jaw. "May we?"
"Seduce them senseless."
And they did.
Lysaria's steps were predatory, hips swaying as their gaze locked onto a councilor in the front row. One wink, and the man swooned, practically collapsing over the railing. Elian whispered into a scribe's ear, and she gasped, eyes rolling back as her hands dropped the scroll.
The courtroom descended into chaos. Shouts. Moans. The shattering of holy composure.
Meanwhile, my bonds loosened. The divine iron hissed against my skin—corroded by sheer indecency—and fell away. I rose, stretching.
"Roderick?" I called.
He grunted, the chains slackening as the seductive aura pulsed through the chamber. I walked to him, brushing his cheek. "Next time, wait for the signal."
We turned together.
Cardinal Iareth's eyes were bloodshot, and despite the overwhelming pressure, he still stood. "This is blasphemy," he croaked.
I sauntered closer. "This is negotiation."
Behind him, one of the high councilors tried to escape through the rear passage. Lysaria darted forward, tackling him in a tangle of limbs and flirtation. He screamed. It was very undignified.
Moments later, he was bound in enchanted rope, lipstick smeared across one cheek. We dragged him to the center of the courtroom.
"Here's what's going to happen," I said, brushing glass off my coat. "You will clear my record. I will no longer be hunted. You will forget this entire evening—except the parts where I looked stunning—and in return, Hollow returns home safe and untouched."
"You expect us to trust you?" Iareth spat.
"Of course not. But you'll trust your own fear. You know what I can do now."
Silence.
Then, a slow nod from the captured councilor. "Agree. Just… gods, get them away from me."
I clapped. "Marvelous. Now let's all pretend this never happened, shall we?"
The glow of divine authority began to dim. The Council's eyes were dull with exhaustion, their spiritual defenses crushed beneath waves of pleasure.
Roderick joined my side, wiping blood from his jaw. "That was reckless."
I winked. "That was brilliant."
We strolled out through the broken doors, my bonded beauties flanking me, dragging the captured councilor along like a prize.
And behind us, the Council stayed quiet.