Chapter 8 Kael
KAEL
Trudging through the hallways of Jude’s Castle, I don’t feel even an inch of the man I was before I came here. I’m not sure how much time has passed, but I’m already counting down the seconds until I can leave. It’s the only thing keeping me going.
It’s not as simple as having an exact moment to look forward to, though. A fact made ten thousand times worse with the growing ache in my chest at the absence of Elodie. Deep down in my soul, I know it will be worth it, but only if I get the chance to see her again.
My chest tightens. If this doesn’t go to plan, my chances become slimmer, and the idea of never seeing her again grows heavy on my chest. Now I have to live with the fact that I left without saying goodbye. But the truth is, it will only be what I deserve.
I’ve never really cared about my sins and the consequences that come with them until now.
Until her.
Regardless, as long as I can at least free her parents, and right even a sliver of my wrongs, it will have been worth it.
Maybe I can enjoy her in another life.
Here’s to hoping that they do, indeed, exist.
Clinging to her in any capacity is fueling every breath I take.
Handling my brother isn’t for the faint-hearted, and I don’t think it’s for me either, but I’m trying.
In desperate need of a distraction, I lift my hand subconsciously to my side, inching higher until I sense the outline of her mark beneath my t-shirt.
Pressing it almost makes it feel like she’s right here, and I channel that thought as I take another deep breath, silently taking strength from the girl who owns my heart.
Following my touch, my gaze is drowned in red.
Jude wasted no time in setting me a task. There are no moments of welcome or pleasantries here. Once he deemed me of use, I was put to work without a moment to spare.
I’m already losing myself, my mind fracturing as I struggle to not completely sink into my vampire, hellbent on hiding from the world. Shaking my head, I focus on my surroundings in an attempt to keep myself grounded.
The dark halls and dim lighting only make my reflection look worse in the floor-length mirror at the end of the corridor, and I pause for a second, taking in the state of the man standing before me, who hardly looks recognizable.
My eyes are wild, my vampire senses locked in, but it’s the blood dripping down my chin that captures my attention the most. Crimson stains are matted in my light hair, a stark contrast to the usual shade, but it’s the dampness to my clothes, drenched in the same red liquid, that confirms what I’ve been up to.
I want to wash it all away, drown in a river of forgiveness, and take the time to find peace, but tranquility isn’t coming for me here.
Despite the way it makes my skin itch as my chest heaves and my jaw ticks, I don’t move an inch. It’s better for Jude to see me like this. The impact on my vampire is going to take forever to wash away, but if this is what is required of me, I must commit.
It’s the version of me he likes—bloody, like a soldier at war—and I need to play into that if he’s not going to actually be able to control me with his commands. I must follow them, regardless of the pit that forms in my stomach.
What would Elodie think of me if she saw me now?
My gut clenches. I don’t really want the answer to that question, but thinking it is enough to keep me grounded in a moment where my vampire could take hold forever. I don’t want to know what would become of me if that were to happen and I found myself untethered to the real world.
Really, I dread to think how much like Jude I would come to be.
Raking my gaze over myself one last time, I take a deep breath and turn to the left before making my way down another dark and dreary hallway.
Two more turns, and I finally spy my brother’s office on the right.
The door sits slightly ajar, but as I raise my hand to knock, I pause when I hear his voice carry through the air.
“She arrived at class?”
“Yes.”
“Did she look worried at all?” my brother asks, and I can sense the curl to his lips as he speaks.
“I’m not quite sure what that looks like. She was distracted, to say the least.” I can’t place the other voice; it’s almost distorted, but it quickly becomes clear in my mind that they’re talking about Elodie.
Peering through the tiny gap in the door, I can’t see much, but I can make out that my brother is talking on his speaker phone, not to someone in person.
Desperate for more, I inch closer, my heart thundering with the reality that there’s a spy from The Vale on the other end of the call right now, and I have no idea who it is, despite how close I am.
There’s no way I can alert Elodie and the others though, even if I could figure out who it is. Jude took great pleasure in taking my cell phone seconds before sending me off to do his dirty work.
Running my tongue along my teeth, I consider my options. Entering without knocking in hopes of catching a glimpse of the caller’s name on the screen could be one sure way to piss Jude off. Under his command, would I act like that?
My stomach gnaws at the uncertainty, but I find my feet moving closer to the door anyway. Just as the tips of my fingers find the door, I’m halted in my place by a grunt from behind me. Spinning on the spot, I come face to face with my least favorite person in existence: Walker.
My lip curls as I sneer at him. I hate him more than my own brother for what he did to Elodie.
Was it at Jude’s command? Yes. Would he have done it otherwise?
We will never know. But the pain and terror that clung to Elodie the night she made a run for it, only to find herself back at Institute Thirteen because of the man before me, will forever live in my mind.
I’m going to take great pleasure in killing him eventually.
His stance matches mine as he takes me in, his fists curling at his sides as his nostrils flare. He tilts his head, raking his eyes over me for the third time, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
He’s suspicious of me, that’s for sure, but I refuse to falter under his stare. My brother may have given him the illusion of power, but it sure as hell doesn’t reign over me.
His jaw rocks from side to side as he stuffs his hands in his pockets. “What’s your motive?” he grunts, and I shrug, making sure to keep my muscles relaxed as I fix him with a bored stare.
“I don’t know what you are referring to.”
His gaze travels past me, landing on the door separating us from my brother, and when he opens his mouth again, his voice is lower, barely more than a hushed whisper. “You would betray her for him?”
Like he hasn’t?
Like he didn’t shatter her trust into a million pieces for everyone else to put back together again?
Like none of this that I’m doing is for her?
I don’t voice any of my truth. Instead, I swallow it down as my gaze narrows and my anger boils to the surface. “That’s my brother,” I snarl, jabbing my thumb over my shoulder. “Nobody comes before him. Especially not some two-bit whore who—”
He snarls, charging at me before I can finish my sentence, and I’m thankful for it. His hands find my throat effortlessly before my back hits the wall beside the door. He has the upper hand because I’m giving it to him, because I fucking deserve it after calling her that.
“Keep your mouth—”
“What might we have here?” My brother’s challenging voice echoes around us as he cuts off Walker’s warning.
I can’t decide whether I’m thankful for the interruption or pissed that I can’t question Walker’s motives when it comes to my girl. Instead of deciding, I turn my narrowed eyes on Walker, whose fingers flex at my throat.
“We were just getting to know each other,” I rasp, a cocksure grin curling the corner of my mouth, and the man in question huffs as my brother snickers.
“Then please, don’t let me get in the way.” He waves his hand dramatically, taking a step back as he offers a stage for us.
Walker’s hand flexes for a fleeting moment before he releases me, but not before he shoves me against the wall in one last show of dominance.
Cute.
Being submissive isn’t easy. It burns, unsettling my soul, but I grind my teeth together, keeping my mouth shut as I turn my attention to my brother.
“He’s dead,” I grunt, finally swiping the back of my hand across my mouth, reminding myself of the blood that coats me in layers.
Jude follows the movement, his eyes gleaming with pleasure. “And you’re well fed?” he asks, and I nod. My stomach rolls at the distinct difference in the blood that sits in my gut. Another price to pay to make this worthwhile. “Where did you put him?” he adds, and I point over my shoulder.
“He’s burning in the pit,” I explain, and his smile widens.
It’s almost hilarious that Elodie and Ocean call themselves psychotic all of the time when men like this fucker exist in the world.
Self-loathing rips through my chest at the fact that the man is now burning in the pit, but that one body is nothing in comparison to the remnants already diminished to ash at my brother’s hands. It’s nothing shy of a slaughterhouse.
“Excellent, Brother.” His gaze devours the crimson stains all over my body, his eyes calculating as he brings them back to mine. “Don’t bother changing. You can aid Walker with the subordinates.”
“Like this?” I blurt, distaste pinching my mouth as my eyes narrow.
“Do you have a problem with that?” he retorts, an all too familiar tick tightening his jaw as he glowers at me.
My hands curl into fists at my sides, frustration getting the better of me, but despite my desire to tell him to go fuck himself so I can get the stench of blood off me, I nod.
“I haven’t needed help before, Jude,” Walker grunts, folding his arms over his chest, revulsion flaring in his eyes as he cuts his gaze between the two of us.
Anger boils across my brother’s face, reddening his cheeks before he parts his lips, words exploding from his mouth. “Am I not the one in charge here?” he rages, nostrils flaring as he snaps and snarls. The energy dips in the room, the taste of death already flickering across my brother’s tongue.
“Of course, Jude. We’ll go now,” I murmur, pressing my hands against my t-shirt to wipe them off, only to come up bloodier than before.
“Don’t ever question me again,” he warns Walker, a vein pulsing at his temple, but I don’t hang around long enough to find out what else might come.
I only make it two steps before I realize I have no idea where we’re going. Tilting my attention to Walker, I find him in the same spot, but his eyes are tracking me. Wordlessly, he follows after me, but quickly takes the lead.
Remaining a step behind him, I try to pretend that I can’t hear the squelch of my bloody shoes as we head to the right.
Subordinates.
He means captives.
He means Elodie’s parents.
This is a good thing.
Taking the stairs at the end of the hall, I find a steel, bolted door standing alone at the bottom, but before I reach it, Walker turns, slamming a clipboard against my chest with more force than necessary.
I don’t care to ask where the hell it appeared from; I’m too pissed at his continuous attempt to show dominance. I’m ready to give him a piece of my mind until I tilt the clipboard around to see the sheet of paper awaiting my attention.
It’s a list of the subordinates.
My gaze wildly dances across the sheet, soaking in the information on display. Each line comes with a set of initials, a number that’s been assigned to them, their powers, and the abilities they offer.
Truth teller.
Earth shifter.
Portal master.
With one sweep of my eyes over the list, it’s clear he’s only imprisoning those with great power, those who offer more than the already extraordinary powers that come with being a vampire or a wolf.
Of course he would want Elodie among the mix, but if what Thorne said is true, if her mother was a scythe, why need another?
My mind swirls with questions, but before I can fall down the rabbit hole of mystery that surrounds Jude, I try to recall the names of Elodie’s parents.
Odie and Elle, or was it Ellie?
Regardless, it might be possible to find them by their abilities or supernatural naming.
The hiss of the door unlocking clicks through the air, distracting me from the list, only to widen enough to reveal the subordinates on the other side.
My heart hammers in my chest. My brother has never allowed me to see this.
Ever.
He must be close to thinking he’s got it all figured out if he’s willing to reveal his captives to me. Either that or he trusts me.
Regardless, the door continues to creak open, revealing a confined space.
There are far too many people stuffed into such a tight area, but none of them seem mad about it. It’s as if they’ve grown used to their situation.
My gut clenches. Is this where he put Elodie when she was here?
No windows, a locked door, and only a floor on which to get comfortable…
This is no place for her. I try to tell myself it was different for her, surely. It had to have been, but the second my gaze latches onto another across the room, I know it’s true.
There would only have been one way for her to see those eyes, and that’s by being in this room. It’s without a shadow of a doubt that I know exactly who I’m looking at.
I’d recognize those eyes anywhere because they’re an exact replica of Elodie’s.