His next words followed on the heels of a blissful sigh “this is fine wine”

”I just knew you wouldn’t be able to resist that gift.” The words were faintly sibilant.

Lei Zhao opened his mouth to protest but Yue Yan cut him off with a vicious eye-roll “you know I had to do that, you of all people must understand”

”Understanding and acceptance are two different things, thanks, Yue Yue.” He conceded, his eyes dancing around, looking at everything except her.

”You haven’t called me that in a while” she observed casually, his actions almost endearing

”I guess we’ve both been busy and all,” he replied, a bit morose.

Yue Yan rolled her eyes, and quickly changed the atmosphere with a chuckle “I’m just glad to be alive”

”I’ll drink to that” Lei Zhao chuckled as he raised his glass and toasted her.

Yue Yan carefully picked up her glass and drank, the wine was delicious really but it was the small hint of what it truly contained that made her smile.

Only the discerning palate with the help of supernatural senses would be able to discern the drop of liquid in the bottle, more than a few drops of water from the rivers of Oblivion; one of the many rivers in hell.

It did not affect the supernatural in such minute quantities but even the most from the river had a dangerous effect on human minds. It messed with the mind and consumed its memories, rewiring the brain in a way that could not be healed or removed.

The power in those waters was wild, primal but she could spell them to a purpose that didn’t contradict theirs. With every sip he took every drop of wine he imbibed, the enspelled water coursed through his body, doing its terrible job.

She watched with an amused smile as Lei Zhao refilled his glass and hers, already she could see the effect of it on him. His skin shone with a cold radiance but he looked overheated, he absent-mindedly fumbled with his time and finally succeeded in removing it. He flung the offending fabric on the table and took another sip of wine.

”This is good, I can sense a subtle aftertaste that just improves everything, I’ve never tasted something from their vineyards this good. What year is this? I’m going to buy entire boxes of it for my wine cellar” Lei Zhao commented casually, his eyes riveted on the bottle.

When he had mentioned the aftertaste, Yue Yan had stiffened in surprise before she quickly reassured herself. There was no way he could discern the taste of Lethe under the overpowering taste of wine, but even that didn’t matter. There was one final property that the waters contained that made it dangerous even if a person had only been exposed to the mist of the river.

Addiction, the waters were addictive, it sparked a siren song in the mind of the people it touched; driving them to a need to feed their minds to the rivers until they were washed completely clear of everything that made them who they were. Some even drowned themselves in the mad rush to answer the call of the river.

Lei Zhao topped his glass again and polished it off in a gulp, forsaking his usual good manners in the wake of the need to have more. A man of his personality in his right sense would have no doubt noticed how he was behaving irrationally but he was too far gone.

Yue Yan watched him with an amused smile, going as far as dropping her glamour but her beauty was not even enough of a lure to take his attention away from the bottle and its ruby red contents.

Lei Zhao drank and drank until he had consumed the last drop. That was when he turned and took a good look at her with eyes that shone with the influence of something strange, he smiled. A stretch of his lips before he promptly collapsed.

Yue Yan jerked her leg out of the way as he slid to the ground, the enspelled water finally taking full hold of Lei Zhao. She knew he was going to be asleep, until she told him to wake up but that would come later, much later.

Yue Yan could have just taken the place Yan Mei , wearing a glamour constructed in the manner of her features after she did away with her but she had no interest in that, the idea rankled.

What she chose to do was purge every memory of her from his mind, a three-month coma for him, her funeral, and the rest of their lives ruling him and his world.

Yue Yan looked beside her to see the man sprawled without care on the cold floor, snoring away as if he has nestled in the warmest softest bed.

She got off the chair and walked to the living room just off the front door, and settled down in the armchair I’m her true form, waiting for Yan Mei .

Waves of glee that were almost tangible pulsed from her body, the smile on Yue Yan’s face became vaguely threatening before shifting into downright malevolent with every passings second.

The moment she heard the key rattling in the door, she got up to her feet, glamour snapping back into place before she headed for the door to welcome Yan Mei into what would end up being the rest of her life.

Where is everyone?” Yan Mei called as she toed off her shoes before picking them up and headed for her bedroom, when she turned the corner and saw Yue Yan who had stood there watching from her vantage position she screamed for a short second.

Yue Yan relished the scream and promised herself more.