chapter thirty-two
THE CREATURE
T here was no doubt in my mind who had been feeding on Alina. Only one Vipera that I knew of preferred feeding off of spinal fluid. I had assumed that he at least had more important things to do than play with my shadow.
A man by the name of Luka Novikov, the Fixer .
It was his signature. It only became known since he had a habit of taste testing the targets of situations he was paid handsomely to fix. A frequent name on my father’s payroll.
Not only were his methods cruel and torturous in nature, but one’s name in his books meant death was near, and it would not be quick. I was unaware that my father had hired him to find the Poisoner, but I suspected that it was the only explanation for him setting his sights on Alina.
He knew, and he was closing in on a delivery date.
That would explain his scent all over her. He had been feeding on her in her sleep for days, maybe weeks.
Luka was a madman. He was responsible in part for many atrocities throughout history.
Luka was always whispering in the ears of depraved humans in power.
He’d used their insanity to feed himself for decades.
Many older Vipera had fostered Luka as a protégé, setting him loose to wreak havoc on whoever displeased them until he eventually turned on them or found a new master.
Though once he was out of his cage, there was no knowing what other chaos would befall the situation and what he was paid to fix.
I had even heard that he did not bother to use his venom on his victims, a brutal and senseless act of violence.
How could I let this happen? This was why it was best that I stay in close contact with my little project.
She would hate me for it, but she could not possibly imagine half of what that man would do to her before he handed her over to my father.
Deliberate, yet accidental, poisoning of people in the Nest would not be taken lightly.
My ever-talented Alina, if only you knew how good you really are.
Anxiety amplified with every tick of my timepiece. The train arrived at the station. I could spot my raven-haired fixation standing on the platform.
It was not hard to spot someone who looked like they were always in mourning, especially someone with such a unique face.
I always wondered why Alina did that. It was creepy and off-putting, but I found it endearing.
My favorite shadow, always hiding from the world in the most interesting corners that no one bothered to look at.
She was like a comet that appeared only every hundred years, fierce, bright, and devastating to anything in its way.
It only made me want to hide her away from everyone.
To take her someplace where she could feed her curiosity without interruption or judgment, only to see the light return to those unforgiving eyes.
She wore a dark-blue walking suit with black fur trim on the sleeves and collar. She had matching black fur on her hat as well. It looked like she also chose to wear emeralds in her ears today. She was talking to my least favorite church bell, Phoebe.
Phoebe wore something pink. I did not bother to look too closely. I was unable to stop eating up the sight of Alina, tracking her as she entered the train car.
I entered one car down from them to keep my distance. While I said I would leave her alone, I would not let her out of my sight. Ever.
The two sat at one of the tables with singular seats by the window, their bodies facing one another.
Though I remained around the corner, I took a seat at the end of the row so that I could see both of them. At least I could observe them from a distance. Alina was facing away from me, chatting with her talkative companion.
Phoebe’s eyes met mine as I stared. I gave a cheeky wave before she turned her attention back to Alina. She was not going to tell her I was there. She knew better. Her defensiveness regarding me was amusing. It seemed like fate that we shared the adoration of the same curious creature.