Chapter 34 #2
Everyone was on edge, and Lanais was growing very irritated. She felt like she was being circled, cornered. Soon even her club suffered from the continued random attacks, as Beings wanted to visit less and less.
Though it galled her, she left it to the Jackals, with Alek included; to patrol the streets. She continued going to the Shade attempting to draw out the enemy.
At one point, she started working, as she went from floor to floor taking inventory and accounting for the loss of customers.
Her instincts told her this was the quiet before the storm, but every time she watched another person weeping at the loss of their loved one on TV, she felt intense anger course through her body.
They were cowards, what God? What True One?
They were killing people that had nothing to do with their fight, if they wanted her, they should come for her in the open.
She was growing more impatient, and if the enemy didn’t show up soon, she was going to take things into her own hands. It was a statement to her patience, when something occurred a week later. Once again confirming this plan with Lanias in mind was a waste of everyone’s time.
“Hi,” Lanias called to Chelsea who stood behind the counter, “Did the delivery of the mystics arrive?” Chelsea, one of the bar girls, glanced at the clock on the wall. “Yeah, it should be here already.”
Lanias thoughtfully tapped the countertop. “Yes! I’ve been dying to know if that brand is actually worth all the hype,” she said, heading to where they picked up deliveries.
“I’ll send a few of the girls to you when they get here to help with stocking.” Chelsea called after her as she walked away.
Call her crazy, but Lanias had gotten swept back into the rhythm of her club. She hadn’t forgotten about the Surrem, but the only way she wouldn’t climb the walls in restlessness was focusing on the functioning and managing of the Shade. Though Alek complained when she took account books to bed.
But she enjoyed it when he got irritated and pushed her books from her lap and distracted her. She grinned. It was a win-win situation. She got some work done before he gave her the good dick she was so very appreciative of.
Love was a beautiful thing.
Walking through the kitchen, she stopped when she smelled something burning. Pausing, she gave a look around but didn’t see anything. She felt a ripple of trepidation run down her back.
“Hello?” she called out, but the staff who should have been preparing for an opening didn’t answer back.
As she fully entered the room, she saw no one immediately she materialized a dagger in her hand.
Grabbing it, she slowly made her way forward.
“Chef?” Just as she turned the corner, she saw the passed-out people on the ground. She took a step back in alarm.
“It’s almost pathetic how easy it was to infiltrate this place.”
Lanias spun around, lifting her dagger only for a cloud of white dust to hit her in the face. Gasping in surprise, she coughed as the white dust filled her lungs. Her limbs grew heavy, her knees went out from under her. With a thump she hit the ground, the dagger in her hand slipping from her hold.
“I’ve been looking into Witches and Humans, and guess what I learned,” the person said, crouching near her. He picked up her dagger. “You’re susceptible to dust made from Night Shade. For others it’s a poison, but for you Witches it only paralyzes you.”
Something about the man’s voice was familiar. Lanias felt frustrated as she found she couldn’t move. He leaned down, so that his empty eyes stared into hers.
Giving her a malevolent smile, he added. “I am eager to see those eyes filled with hopelessness.” He cackled, as he stood.
She felt her body lifted up.
“Now, the only question is what should be done with this club?”
He whistled as he pulled a small red candle from inside his pocket. A sharp grin came to his lip as he lit the wick without a match and tossed it onto the kitchen floor.
Lanias’ insides froze, as she watched the red candle hit the ground immediately, a loud boom shook the walls, as a fire spread. She screamed, but nothing escaped her unmoving lips. Her world was burning around her, and there was nothing she could do.
Plan?
Be bait?
Fuck that, the minute she could move she’d kill the man who was carrying her. She closed her eyes, searching as deep as she could for even a string of her power.
“Come on, Come on,” she mentally pleaded, her eyes going to the fire alarm. Focusing as hard as she could, she grunted as she felt some magic slip out. The handle of the fire alarm handle was yanked down by an unseen hand.
Releasing a mental sigh of relief, she felt her magic still inside her. She was being carried outside into the alley, the stranger threw her in the back of a truck. Her back slammed into something sharp, and she couldn’t even find the strength to let out a gasp of pain.
“I should take you to them right away, but I’ve decided I much prefer seeing them rampage a bit more,” he said. “Your father stopped my destruction; he even dared to suppress it. But he’s not here to do that now,” he said gleefully.
Taking his words in, Lanias burned with anger and shock. “The True Ones are so stupid. So easily manipulated, they will slowly eat away at this fake world and then, I’ll return to my proper place.” His gaze was sinister. “But first, let’s decide just how I’ll pay you back for what you did to me.”
“Zaharis?!”
Damn, she’d thought she’d dealt with him.
If he was the one behind the True Ones, then there was no telling what he had planned. She had to do something, first she had to focus on her paralyzed limbs. She would focus her energies on working the poison out of her system.
Zaharis must not be able to use his magic, if he needed tricks to get to her. That’s why probably no one noticed him when he entered.
Right, so the quicker she regained control of her limbs and magic, she’d be able to shove his head up his ass. She slowly counted back from ten, falling into the place within herself.
Patience, Lanias had plenty of practice as of late.