Chapter 5 #2
“But it’s just the odd side job to earn some extra cash. Bouncing at clubs, stuff like that.”
I narrow my eyes, magic tightening its grip once more, making him whimper. “Do I not pay you royally? Did I not set you up with a nice place to live?” I gesture around us. “Or at least, what was a nice place until you dogs decided to desecrate it.”
Alix snickers from a dark corner.
“Please, sir, we meant no disrespect,” Nikolay pleads, desperate to save his skin.
“You disrespected me when you chose to double-cross me,” I snarl. “Do yourself a favor and don’t disrespect me further by lying to my face.”
“He’s properly scared, all right,” Alix remarks, leaning against the wall, tousling his dark hair with his hand. “Doesn’t look like he’s going to talk, though.”
“Guess we need to handle this the old-fashioned way.” I unbutton my suit jacket and pull the dagger from its leather sheath. The blade catches the light from the table lamp, reflecting onto Nikolay’s cowering face.
“Let’s take this from the top,” I begin, tracing the blade of the dagger over his cheek.
“It turns out some fool has decided to take advantage of my absence, sabotaging a significant part of my business. When I first learned of this, I thought it might be a coincidence. I’ve always known I wouldn’t be the only one trying to profit off the backs of inhumans.
Plenty out there, like you, can’t hide their true forms.”
I slash at his face, and Nikolay screams as his left ear drops onto the sofa beside him.
Blood sprays from the wound, and Alix mumbles something about wastefulness.
With his ear gone, Nikolay’s glamor vanishes.
His legs transform into those of a horse, making him grow taller.
Through his pained wailing, his face distorts, morphing into a dog with iron teeth and a single eye in the middle of his forehead.
The bloody ear changes too, returning to its original form.
The silver piercing in the lobe cracks, and magic fizzles away.
Nikolay is even bulkier like this, causing the magical ropes to strain against his skin once more.
Unable to hold back, he howls in pain, blood still leaking from the wound where his ear used to be.
I glance at the dagger in my hand, the blade dripping with his filthy blood, and wipe it on the psoglav’s shirt.
“There are many like you who are tired of living in secrecy and crave a home like this one.” Disgust drips from my voice as I survey the mess they’ve made of the place.
“For centuries, I controlled both markets, always creating less supply than demand to keep prices high while providing generous discounts to those in my employment.” I place the point of the dagger under his muzzle, forcing Nikolay to look at me.
“As expected, someone was stupid enough to try providing the same services at a better price. So I killed them. And the ones after. But now”—I fix my gaze on Nikolay, barely suppressing the urge to gouge out his one eye—“there’s someone taking it a step further.
They’re seeking out the people I buy from and purchasing land and properties from under my nose.
They find my representatives and kill them.
They’ve even gone as far as stealing and destroying shipments of glamored jewelry. ”
His eye shifts to the broken piercing in his severed ear.
“You must understand, Nikolay, this is a serious inconvenience. I just got back, with a beautiful wife at my side, and I’d much rather spend my time with her.
Instead, I’m stuck here with you, a double-crossing, ungrateful piece of shit.
” Losing my calm, I swing the dagger, and Nikolay loses a few fingers on his left hand, eliciting even more screams.
I take a step back, looking away from the man in front of me to find Alix grinning broadly. “What?” I snap at him.
“I really can’t wait to meet her,” he replies.
I roll my eyes and return my attention to the whimpering mess in front of me. “Now, it probably comes as no surprise to you,” I continue, “whoever this is must be receiving information from someone on the inside.”
“P-please, it wasn’t me,” Nikolay whimpers, tears rolling down his cheeks.
I slash at his right arm, cutting deep into his skin. He flinches to the left, and the bindings tighten. “I wasn’t saying you’re the inside man, idiot.”
His face shows confusion, unsure whether to feel relieved or offended. But at least he’s smart enough to keep his thoughts to himself.
“What I’m saying is you could be a middleman, which I suspect you, your brother, or both of you are.”
“What makes you think so?” He sees the warning in my eyes and hurriedly adds, “Lord Deimos, sir,” as if it will somehow improve his chances.
“The money, the bodies. Mostly because Alix has been following you two for a while now. He’s seen you receive anonymous letters delivered right to this address. He’s also seen how you read them and then burn them to leave no traces of your indiscretions.”
Alix stalks closer, emerging from the shadows, his earlier teasing gone, replaced by the promise of a slow and painful death.
He grabs the fur on top of Nikolay’s dog head and forcefully pulls him back, exposing the psoglav’s throat.
“You should really learn to avoid having shit like this delivered to your home,” he chastises, his voice dangerously low. “You never know who’s watching.”
In all honesty, it’s unclear which of us terrifies Nikolay more—me or Alix. I’m surprised it isn’t me, but then again, Alix has already fed on him, which probably works in the vampire’s favor this time.
“It’s clear you don’t know who’s sending the letters or who’s paying you,” I state, and Nikolay’s eye shifts from Alix to me, his neck still craned back. “Who put you up to this?”
“If I tell you, you’ll spare me?”
“No,” I say, abruptly swallowing my laughter. “I’ll just make your death quick and painless.”
He frowns at me, a strange sight for a one-eyed man with a dog face. “Then why should I?”
My jaw sets in irritation, ready to end this conversation. “You need to be made an example of, Nikolay. Your brother, on the other hand…” I let my sentence trail off, and Nikolay catches on.
“Fine,” he grunts, finally realizing he has no other choice. “Some woman. Never saw her face, though.”
I sigh and release my magic, watching the bindings evaporate into the air like smoke.
My fingers flex momentarily, relishing the freedom to use my power without restraint.
Still, I sense the need for caution; I mustn’t overextend myself.
I know the limits of both my magic and me, but it’s like a neglected muscle. Easing back into it is essential.
Alix releases Nikolay’s head, and he immediately slumps in his seat.
Then he raises himself slightly and tosses the dead woman’s body onto the floor before making himself comfortable on the couch.
Alix frowns and moves to stand beside him, observing how Nikolay sheds his fear like a snake shedding its skin.
“I’m going to need a bit more, Nikolay,” I say dryly.
He looks up at me, smiling as if he carries not a single worry in the world. “She smelled like apples.”
“Apples?” Alix repeats, his frown deepening.
“Yes, apples,” Nikolay insists, casting Alix a disbelieving look as if he can’t fathom having to repeat himself. “Or apple pie. Doesn’t matter. She smelled good enough to eat. Looked good enough to eat as well, if you know what I mean.”
Without another word, I plunge the dagger deep into Nikolay’s heart, twisting it for good measure. His eyes widen in astonishment, clearly shocked I would spare him after all, the fool.
With a swift movement, I pull the blade free from his chest, sidestepping the following spray of blood. Nikolay sags in his seat, gurgling as blood fills his lungs, choking him in a grotesque rhythm. I wipe the weapon clean on his clothes before sheathing the dagger. He’ll be dead soon enough.
My gaze lingers on the blood a moment longer. My whole body relaxes as I acknowledge I needed this more than I care to admit. My magic craves blood, and I crave the accompanying violence, my soul feeding off the chaos.
“Well, that was… something,” Alix comments as I walk past the sofa and take a seat at the dining table.
“It was a disaster,” I reply, burying my face in my hands and taking a deep breath.
Alix shuffles around, setting two glasses and a bottle on the table before joining me.
He uncorks the Dead Man’s Drink and pours us both a generous amount.
Raising my face from my hands, I accept the glass he slides my way, not bothering to question where he got it.
I down it in one go and slide the glass back for a refill.
Alix chuckles and obliges, taking a small sip from his own glass and leaning back in his chair, one arm draped casually over the back.
I regard him for a moment—the vampire who is my oldest friend.
As I told Elly earlier, I trust both him and Désirée with my life.
Alix might be the laid-back playboy type who can’t always be trusted with his own safety, but he knows when to be serious and has his priorities straight.
I can count on him—both of them—and I know he has my back no matter what. Just as I have his.
Silence lingers between us until Alix breaks it. “You okay, D?” The concern in his voice is palpable. I don’t particularly like it, but I appreciate him asking.
“This whole situation is seriously getting on my nerves,” I admit honestly, my magic pulsing just beneath my skin, ready for another round. Alix nods in understanding. “Plus, I have a feeling something’s up with the family.”
“Those slimy bastards? I’d be surprised if they even have the balls to step out of line, especially after what you did to the last one who thought himself a hero. They still tell horror stories about him.”
“Yeah, well”—I sigh, staring at the ceiling—“it doesn’t sit right. It might be time to cut them out.”