33
“Flawless victory!”
Diana bowed while Constantine massaged his bruised backside. She had succeeded in an impressive front flip with her hands on the floor, but instead of landing, she’d wrapped her legs around his neck, squeezing. He was still struggling to inhale.
All right, perhaps he had underestimated her. With that move, the vampire would take down at least one of the tournament’s contenders. And she had much more to show.
It was fascinating to watch her, to provoke her into revealing her full potential, and to offer her advice and guidance on refining her technique.
But the more he tried to dissuade Diana from entering the tournament, the more determined she became to join it.
Offering advice had been his original Plan B – in case Plan A, convincing her to quit, failed.
Yet, his annoying need to be close to her had led him to the training hall day after day.
Instead of talking her out of the tournament, he had strengthened her resolution.
If only he’d been able to use his secondary form, Constantine would have shown her the level of opposition she would face in the tournament. But he still couldn’t.
Sometimes, he was surprised by how these sparring sessions affected him.
He discovered the time spent with Diana distracted him from his desire to stuff his body and mind with the dirtiest and most vile things.
When he was with her, he didn’t think about Mada and his restraints.
Sure, sex was on his mind, but in the normal way it was for any man in the company of an attractive woman – a basic instinct, not a necessity to feed his twisted mind.
He still couldn’t decide what he wanted from her, or whether it was worth chasing after, but he intended to give her his gift.
No better time than right now.
Constantine went to the locker where his clothes were stored and took out the sleek SIG Sauer from his jacket.
The pistol had an intricate design. A dragon tail was encrusted on the length of the slide, while a fire-breathing dragon snout marked the handle.
The decoration was delicate and didn’t hinder the grip.
It was a small, exquisite weapon that would feel right at home in Diana’s hand.
He approached her and handed it to her. “It’s for you.”
Diana lowered her eyes to the gun. “I…”
“Take it.” He held her palm and placed the metal in it. When her fingers wrapped around the handle, Constantine felt like he’d just slipped a beautiful diamond bracelet around her wrist.
“It’s gorgeous,” she said after inspecting it. “But you know that firearms aren’t allowed in the tournament?”
“It’s small and easy to hide. I want you to stash it somewhere in your clothes, and if you feel someone is about to take your life, use it to fill the fucker’s head with bullets.”
Diana laughed. “If I break the rules, the tournament guards will kill me on the spot.”
“Nonetheless, you will have an extra thirty seconds to escape.” Constantine smiled, but he wasn’t joking in the slightest. He hoped Diana would listen.
In complete contradiction, he also didn’t want the moment to feel more sentimental than it already did, so he added, “Come on. Hide it somewhere and let’s continue. ”
Diana nodded and tucked the pistol away in her gym bag. They were starting another round when his phone went off. It was Nyavolski, letting him know they’d returned from the temple.
“I have to go,” Constantine told Diana. She’d taken the gun out of her gym bag again and was staring at it, her expression softer than usual. He decided to take advantage of the moment. “Diana, how about I take you out to dinner?”
She frowned. Damn. This woman couldn’t be impressed.
The gun rolled between her fingers as she toyed with it. “I… drink blood, Constantine.”
His lips twisted into a thin smile. So, that was it. Diana was one of those creatures who adhered to their species’ traditions. It wasn’t unexpected that she’d only consume the basics.
“Leave that to me.” He winked. “After all, it’s not right to leave without once being served blood in a champagne glass, right?”
He’d intended to say it wasn’t right to die , but suddenly, the phrase felt too grim, even if meant in jest.
She looked at him from beneath her black eyelashes. “I suppose you’re right.”
***
Constantine strode into the Council meeting room, still wearing his workout clothes.
An uneasy hush hung over the room like a shroud.
Helena Nyavolska sat in her usual spot, her gaze fixated on her long nails.
Her husband leaned beside her, scowling.
Viktor paced around the table with his hands clasped behind his back, while Alex was huddled in a chair, eyes cast down at her shoes.
Amelia stood by the window with her back to the room.
Closing the door behind him, Constantine glanced at Zacharia absorbed in his phone. The tension emanating from the group reminded him of the stillness before a storm unleashed its fury. At least they were all present and appeared unharmed.
“Well, did you have fun, friends?” Constantine settled into the chairman’s seat.
“I. Will. Kill. Her,” Helena seethed, emphasising each word.
Viktor stopped mid-stride. “That’s enough! She said she was sorry. She’s apologised a thousand times…”
“She’s sorry?” Helena shouted. “She’s sorry ?! Do you know what they do with thieves to teach them a lesson? I’ll tear off your hands, you little brat!”
Viktor was at her side in a heartbeat. “You lay a finger on her, I’ll tear off your head!” He leaned over the table.
“Would you both shut the hell up already?” Nyavolski roared. “You’re all to blame! We never should have gone there! Those damned genetic tests! We almost ended up as crispy critters!”
“The important thing is that it all ended well…?” Alex ventured, her voice thin and uncertain.
Helena shot her a withering glare. “Shut up, you little—”
Nyavolski slammed his fist on the table. “ You shut up, woman!”
Constantine waited a beat, then said, “Can someone explain what happened?”
Amelia stepped forward, arms crossed. “We obtained the genetic material as planned and were heading out, but after Zacharia and I exited the temple, the entrance sealed itself, trapping the others inside.”
Nyavolski gesticulated. “The vampire, who seemed like some kind of damned doorman, claimed we stole something, so the temple locked us in. There was some sort of enchantment that prevented items from being taken out. We assumed they were talking about the genetic material…”
“Yeah, but then that vampire started rifling through her stuff!” Helena jabbed a finger at Alex. “Turns out, the temple locked us in because she stole a golden plate.”
“I didn’t think anyone would notice!” Alex mumbled. “It was such a rare opportunity. I wanted a keepsake from the temple…”
Constantine raised a hand, silencing her. “What happened next?”
“They seized my bag with the genetic samples and said they’d burn it because it contained ‘unholy tools’!
” Helena fumed. “Can you imagine, necromancer? My cursed luck! If I’d been ahead of the little thief, I’d have been out of the temple with the samples, and she’d be the only one stuck inside, punished under their warped laws!
But I was behind her and got trapped. They bound us and dragged us through a maze of tunnels to a meadow in the mountains, where there was a ritual fire and a bunch of dancing lunatics…
” Helena glared daggers at Alex. “The whole wretched Beduin tribe was there! We had no idea what was going on, so we waited for the right moment. Then they brought out a sarcophagus with a mummy and placed it next to us. They were going to sacrifice the mummy… and us!”
“After Zacharia and I found ourselves stranded outside, unable to reopen the temple entrance, we sought another way in,” Amelia continued.
She recounted how Ban Ban had carried her to the same meadow, and had planned to take her for his bride as the vampires worshipped the Horned God.
She had proclaimed herself the Oracle, which had caused a diversion.
“Amelia’s performance distracted the vampires just long enough for me to sneak in and untie the others. Before they realised what was happening, we’d already made our escape. Then I grabbed Amelia and sprinted through the mountain,” Zacharia added.
“And now, here we are,” Viktor concluded, a bitter smile playing on his lips.
Constantine reclined in his chair. They hadn’t just desecrated one of the most sacred sites in the immortal world with his damn approval – they had also failed to secure the genetic material they had sought. Now, he had nothing with which to negotiate Mikhail’s release.
“Ah!” Helena interjected. “I almost forgot – we stole the mummy they were about to burn. So at least we can proceed with the tests.”
Constantine felt a knot tighten in his stomach. “Say that again?”
“You heard right.” Nyavolski shook his head. “My bloody wife made me carry a damned mummy while we fled from a pack of crazed vampires!”
“I wouldn’t say crazed…” Helena murmured.
“How the hell did you do it if the temple locks down at every theft?” Constantine asked.
Zacharia beamed. “We did not steal the mummy. It was already out of the temple, on the field. We just carried it across the alternative route I found in the mountain.”
“ I carried it!” Nyavolski barked.
“We don’t know if the magic catches living beings at all. We might have made it out the first time if she”—Helena pointed at Alex—“was not a creepy little thief.”
Constantine sensed an invisible noose constricting around his neck. “Whose mummy did you take?”
The nymph wrinkled her nose. “I told you, some poor soul who was about to be torched.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Why?”
Constantine struggled to keep his face impassive. “Let’s hope they don’t come searching for it.”
“They can’t. They don’t know who we are,” Helena said. “Besides, Amelia didn’t succeed in proving herself as the Oracle. They’ll probably think it was some charlatan pretending to be her.”
“I hope you’re right.” Constantine rose from his seat. “Keep me informed when you have results from the genetic tests.”
“Wait! Aren’t you going to punish her for what she did?” Helena jerked her chin towards Alex, who still stared down at her feet, guilt etched on her face.
Punish her? Was this yet another task he had to take on as the head of the Council?
Constantine’s expression darkened for a moment. He was expected to maintain discipline.
“I sentence Alex to be the mummy’s guardian, around the clock,” he declared. “And, needless to say, no one must know there’s a mummy in the Hospital. Matter of fact, it’s even more imperative that no one finds out you went to the temple.”
Alex’s eyes widened in alarm. “How long do I have to guard it?”
“Until I figure out how to return the mummy to the temple without any suspicion falling on us.”