Chapter 170 Feed Me

Chapter 170 Feed Me
Vaelric

Florian followed a respectful step behind me as we emerged from the hidden vault beneath Kade's private study.

Far below us, the shattered iron door still lay where I had left it, ripped from its hinges as though it had been made of parchment instead of iron. For generations, it had protected House Kade's greatest secret.

Now it protected nothing.

The blood was mine.

Behind us, the spiral staircase disappeared beneath the sliding desk as ancient gears rumbled through the stone. The mechanism settled into silence, restoring the study to exactly as it had been moments before. As though no one had ever descended below.

I placed the chest upon Kade's desk and rested a hand upon its lid.

Such a small thing. A handful of glass vials. Yet within them rested the future of an empire.

At last, Serafina would cease being my greatest obstacle. She would soon become my greatest weapon.

Movement near the doorway caught my attention.

General Sallow stood speaking quietly with Lieutenant Dread, whose black armor was smeared with soot, ash, and dried mud. The lieutenant leaned close, whispering urgently into the General's ear. Neither had noticed our return.

My brow furrowed.

Dread should still have been commanding the assault upon the Cursed Forest.

I cleared my throat. Both men stiffened.

Sallow bowed at once while Dread dropped to one knee.

"My Emperor."

Neither wore the face of victory.

A quiet irritation settled over me. "What is it?"

Sallow glanced toward Dread before answering.
"Your Majesty," he hesitated, "our army has fallen."

Only moments ago Sallow himself had reported the rebels were retreating.

"You informed me they were winning."

"They were."

"Then explain."

Dread raised his head. "The earth opened beneath them. The battlefield split apart without warning. Entire companies vanished into the chasm. Catapults. Ballistae. Supply wagons." He paused. "Hundreds simply... disappeared."

I studied him. Lieutenant Dread was not a man prone to exaggeration. If anything, he understated disaster.

"No ordinary mage commands the earth itself," I said quietly. "Certainly not a refugee from Dust."

"I witnessed the aftermath personally," Dread replied. "Our army no longer exists."

Impossible.

Serafina was at the Penitentiary...

Only a Celestial wielded authority over the earth itself and the other Celestial remained asleep in Arcanis.

Yet...

Slowly, I rested one hand upon my crown. "Mereth. The boy."

The black gemstones pulsed. A familiar voice entered my thoughts.

"When I left him, the boy still slept."

Good. So that possibility was eliminated.

"Forgive me, cousin." Pain strained her voice.
"I abandoned my watch. The violet light burned my face... and my arms. I could no longer remain near it."

I lowered my hand and turned toward Florian. "When you were among the refugees..."

He straightened immediately. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Did you see another Celestial?"

He frowned as he searched his memory. "I... cannot say with certainty." After a moment he shook his head. "I saw no red-haired boy."

I had expected as much.

My attention shifted back to Dread. "Did you witness any violet light?"

"No, Your Majesty." He folded his hands behind his back. "I was positioned near the rear of the army. By the time I reached the front..." His jaw tightened. "...there was no one left."

If Serafina had remained within the Penitentiary and the boy had never awakened, then someone else had intervened.

Someone I had yet to identify.

No matter. Soon enough, Serafina herself would answer my questions.

Dread broke the silence. "Your Majesty."

"Speak."

"The dragon." A cruel smile spread across his scarred face. "I broke his mind. The Veilbreaker performed exactly as intended. He no longer resists. If we collar him, he will obey every command without question. We can order him to burn the entire forest."

I nodded once. "Very well. But understand this... The dragon dies at sunrise."

Dread bowed. "I require him alive only until morning." Absolute confidence filled his voice.
"By dawn, there will be no refugees left to save."

I lifted the small chest from the desk. "Come." I turned toward Florian. "Attend to my sister. Wake her. Between the two of you, begin preparations for the wedding."

Florian bowed. "As you command, Your Majesty." He departed without another word.

General Sallow, Lieutenant Dread, and I descended toward the laboratory beneath Palace Aetheria.

Heat greeted us as the heavy doors opened. Rows of furnaces cast an orange glow across polished stone. Glass tubes twisted between brass machines while steam hissed from hidden valves. The air smelled of hot metal, herbs, and alchemical reagents. The moment we entered, every alchemist abandoned their work and bowed.

The Master Alchemist hurried toward me. "Your Majesty."

I placed the chest upon his worktable. "Begin."

He opened it. For the briefest instant, awe crossed his face. "So," he whispered, "the child truly exists."

I met his gaze. "Less admiration." My voice hardened. "More work."

He nearly flinched. "At once."

With practiced precision, he uncorked a vial and drew the crimson blood into a slender glass pipette suspended above a narrow brass conveyor. Upon it rested dozens of polished silver bracelets.

He pulled a lever. The mechanism rattled to life. The conveyor advanced.

The first bracelet stopped beneath the pipette. Two crimson drops fell.

The instant Celestial blood touched silver, every bead embedded within the bracelet burst into dull green light.

The metal drank the blood greedily. The glow faded.

Outwardly, the bracelet appeared unchanged. Yet I could feel the power sleeping within it.

Bracelet after bracelet passed beneath the pipette until every vial had been emptied.

The Master Alchemist stepped back. "It is finished."

I picked up the first bracelet. Then the second. One disappeared into my pocket. The other I handed to Lieutenant Dread. "For the dragon."

He accepted it with both hands. "As you command."

General Sallow gathered the remaining collars to distribute among my officers throughout Aetheria.

I turned toward the laboratory doors. My fingers brushed the bracelet concealed within my pocket.

A slow smile spread across my face. "Come. The Penitentiary awaits."

And so... did my bride.

\----------

Moriath

I did not move.

Not while Vaelric stood only a few paces away. Not while his shadows lingered in the room. Not even when one of them slithered across the floor so close that it brushed the hem of my cloak.

My chameleon spell held. Barely.

I had woven it into the tapestry itself, matching every thread and every fold until I became another wrinkle in the ancient fabric.

Then my elbow betrayed me. The tapestry shifted. Only slightly. But just enough for Vaelric to notice.

His dark eyes swept across the corner where I hid.

I forgot how to breathe. One of the shadows hissed. Another glided toward me. Its featureless face stopped less than an arm's length away.

Then it turned aside.

"I have another task for you," Vaelric said.

Thankfully, the shadows abandoned the room.

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding, remaining perfectly still as I watched Vaelric's every movement.

Only when the study doors finally closed behind the Emperor and the others did my knees threaten to give way.

Still, I did not move.

One minute. Two. Five.

Only after I was certain they would not return did I allow the spell to fade.

Color returned to my skin. The tapestry no longer wore my shape. I staggered away from the wall, my legs trembling.

A nervous laugh escaped me. "He almost caught me."

Then my gaze drifted toward the desk. Curiosity overcame caution.

I pressed the tiny bronze button beneath its edge.
With a deep rumble, the massive desk slid aside, revealing the spiral staircase hidden below.

I descended.

The lanterns still burned.

With every step, the stench grew stronger until it became almost unbearable.

Rot. Filth. Human waste.

At the bottom, the enormous iron door lay crumpled upon the stone floor, its hinges ripped clean from the wall as though some giant had torn it free.

Even that did not surprise me as much as what waited beyond.

A child, small and hairless.

His pale skin was almost translucent beneath layers of grime. Heavy chains bound him to a thin mattress soaked by years of neglect. Glass tubes disappeared beneath filthy blankets.

One disappeared into his arm. Another into his nose.

Beside him, a strange glass vessel rose and fell with slow mechanical rhythm. The machine breathed for him.

Yet he was neither alive nor dead.

My eyes settled upon his arm. A fresh cut. Blood still seeped from the wound. The Emperor had taken what he needed. He had left the rest.

I stepped closer.

The smell should have driven me away. Instead, I smelled only the blood.

Warm. Sweet. Inviting.

The smell of Celestial blood was intoxicating.

My mouth watered. I had never hungered for blood before. Now it was all I could think about.

I knelt beside the child. A crimson trail continued to creep down his arm. Such a waste.

Without thinking, I lowered my head. My tongue brushed the wound. The blood touched my lips. It tasted like honey.

Then, agony.

Heat exploded through my body.

A cry escaped my lips before the pain swallowed everything. Fire raced through every vein, every artery and every nerve.

My heart hammered once. Twice. Then, it stopped.

I collapsed onto the stone floor. My eyes remained open. I could not blink. I could not breathe. I could not move.

Darkness swallowed me whole as I prayed to the gods for mercy.

Something answered. But it was not mercy.

It was cold.

It stirred deep within my chest before spreading through my body like liquid ice.

My heart lurched. Then, it began to beat once more. For a single glorious moment, I thought it was over.

Then bone cracked. The sound echoed through the vault. Every joint twisted into something new.

My fingers lengthened. My nails split apart, hardening into black claws.

My jaw throbbed. Pressure built behind my teeth until two long fangs slid painfully from my gums.

My spine arched violently. My legs grew. Muscles twisted beneath my skin until every movement felt foreign.

Then...

Peace.

I lay there breathing.

I could hear everything. Water dripping somewhere above. Footsteps, voices and...

Heartbeats.

Dozens. No, hundreds.

Every servant in the palace. Every guard. Every frightened soul.

Each heartbeat thundered inside my skull like a war drum.

I opened my eyes.

The darkness had vanished. I could see every crack in the stone. Every speck of dust drifting through the air. Every vein beneath the child's paper-thin skin.

The hunger returned.

I seized the child by the throat. My fangs tore through the fragile flesh with almost no resistance.

And I drank. Every last drop. I did not stop until his body had become an empty husk.

Only then did I look toward the machine laboring beside him. Its glass chamber continued to rise and fall, forcing useless breaths into lungs that no longer needed them.

I reached out and pushed it aside. The mechanism shattered against the stone floor. The slow rhythm ceased.

"He has served his purpose," I murmured. "It is only fitting that he finally be allowed to rest."

Yet, his blood was not enough. The hunger remained.

It clawed at my insides. It whispered, Feed me.

I staggered toward the staircase. With every step, the heartbeats above grew louder.

By the time I reached the study, I was no longer thinking.

Only hunting.

The first servant never saw me. She rounded the corner carrying folded linens, humming softly to herself. Her heartbeat thundered in my ears.

Before she could react, I was already upon her. My claws slammed her against the wall. The linens fluttered harmlessly to the floor.

She opened her mouth to scream. My fangs found her throat first. Warm blood flooded my mouth. The hunger eased.

But only for a heartbeat. Then it returned. Worse than before.

I let the body collapse onto the marble. Already another heartbeat called to me. Then another and another.

The palace had become a feast.

And I...

I was starving.

\---------------

Elyndra

A scream tore me from the darkness.

My eyes flew open.

For one disorienting moment, I could only stare at the ornate canopy above me, unable to remember where I was.

Silk curtains. Marble columns. Golden chandeliers.

Moonlight spilled through the tall arched windows, bathing the chamber in a pale silver glow that shimmered across the polished floor.

This wasn't Castle Valcor nor was it the Veiled Sanctum.

I pushed myself upright too quickly. Pain exploded through the back of my head.

"Ah..."

My fingers found the tender swelling beneath my hair.

Helga.

The barbarian truly possessed an exceptional swing.

Another scream echoed beyond the chamber doors. Closer this time. It ended abruptly.

I frowned.

That... did not sound like a battlefield.

The doors burst open. Kier hurried inside wearing an oversized servant's tunic, its sleeves rolled clumsily to his elbows. His hair was disheveled, his face ghostly pale.

The moment he saw me sitting upright, relief flooded his features. "You're awake."

"I had noticed."

He hurried to my bedside. "We have to leave," he said breathlessly. "Immediately. There's... there's some kind of beast roaming the palace." Fear flickered in his eyes. "Cedric was right. His prophecy... it's come true."

Another scream echoed through the corridor. Before I could respond, the chamber doors flew open once more.

I instinctively covered my mouth to stifle a cry. Relief replaced alarm when Florian stepped inside.

"My lady." He bowed despite his hurried breathing. "It is a pleasure to see you awake. Unfortunately, our timing is less than ideal."

"Indeed?"

"I'm afraid there is a monster loose within the palace."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed.

"And by 'monster'..." Florian swallowed. "...I mean something that is draining people of their blood."

"Draining?" I asked.

He nodded grimly. "It leaves nothing behind."

Now, that was unusual.

I rose slowly, steadying myself against one of the marble columns until the dizziness passed. "Before we flee from blood-drinking monsters," I said calmly, "perhaps one of you might explain how I arrived in the Imperial Palace."

Florian blinked. "Oh. I used the white travel orb hidden in your hand."

I frowned thoughtfully. "So we escaped."

Florian nodded once. "Moments before the cage we were in fell into a chasm."

A faint smile touched my lips. Florian remained dependable, even under impossible circumstances.

"And where," I asked, "is His Majesty?"

The faint smile disappeared from Florian's face. "He has gone to the Penitentiary."

I sighed. "So they are there."

Florian inclined his head. "Yes, my lady. I had no choice but to tell His Majesty Lady Serafina was there. Had I concealed it, he would have questioned both your loyalty and mine."

A reasonable decision.

I slipped a hand into my pocket. Empty.

My brow furrowed.

I checked the other pocket. Nothing.

"My glass case."

Kier looked between us in confusion.

"The specimen," I clarified, turning to Florian. "Where is it?"

"I'm afraid Lady Helga confiscated everything from your pockets."

"Everything?"

"Everything except the travel orb concealed in your hand."

Of course she had. "And the case?"

"I believe Lady Helga still has it. She accompanied Lady Serafina to the Penitentiary."

Another scream echoed through the palace. A crash followed. Then the frantic pounding of running feet somewhere below.

"We truly should leave," Florian said.

I crossed to a nearby vanity, picked up a silver-backed brush, and calmly drew it through my hair, undoing the worst of the tangles left by Helga's assault.

Kier stared at me in disbelief. "You're brushing your hair?"

"I dislike looking untidy."

"There's a monster killing people!"

"Yes."

"And...?"

"I fail to see how disheveled hair would improve the situation."

Florian nodded in agreement. "My lady has a point."

Kier blinked. "No, she doesn't!"

Florian ignored him. "What Lady Elyndra means is that we are not heroes. Fighting whatever stalks these halls would accomplish very little."

Kier let out a defeated sigh. "So... we're escaping?"

I set the brush down. "No."

His shoulders slumped. "The Penitentiary?" he asked weakly.

I nodded. "If Helga possesses my specimen, I intend to retrieve it." A faint smile curved my lips. "And if Serafina succeeds in freeing the dragon..."
I straightened the sleeves of my dark gown. "...I would very much like to witness it."

I looked toward Florian. "Magnus."

"Still where you left him, my lady."

"Excellent."

Another scream echoed through the palace. Much closer. This time it was followed by the wet sound of something striking the marble floor.

Kier visibly paled. "The beast is coming. We've wasted too much time."

I walked to the wardrobe and placed both hands against its carved frame. With a firm push, the heavy furniture slid aside, revealing a narrow passage concealed within the wall. Cold air drifted out from the darkness beyond.

"Then we shall simply avoid meeting it." I stepped into the hidden passage. "Come along."

Florian followed immediately. Kier cast one terrified glance toward the corridor before hurrying after us.

The wardrobe slid silently back into place behind us.

Hidden within the palace walls, we moved, while somewhere in the darkness above, another servant screamed.