Chapter Six
The cruelty of their situation was almost unbearable.
Finding his mate should have been something to celebrate, but Viktor was left silently mourning the life that had been stolen from them before it could even begin.
It was a vicious twist of fate. A flagrant mockery of everything he had fought so hard for.
Despite his own pain, he was even more devastated by how this would affect her.
He wished he could say something to comfort her, but it wasn’t like they could have a private conversation at the moment. And speaking to her now would give away that she meant something to him. That would put an unwanted target on her back, and that was something he would never willingly do.
He was confused when her beautiful eyes narrowed as she suddenly frowned at him.
It was definitely not the admiring look of a mate.
Evidently, she didn’t feel the connection between them.
While he should have been glad about that, it made his heart ache a bit.
If she really was a human with no magic, it was better that she didn’t know who he was to her.
That would be a small blessing. It was far better if he carried the weight of what they lost alone.
“Well, hell,” she muttered. “Now, it makes sense.”
He had no idea what that meant, and she didn’t bother to explain. Instead, she slapped her hands together to dust them off. Resting one of her elbows on her bent knee, she turned her full attention toward Sybil.
“Do we really have to resort to name-calling? Bitch, slut …gender specific terms like that are so passé. Especially coming from another female. Why not call me an asshole or try using something more descriptive, like saying I’m brazen or reckless?
Although, that’s not really much of an insult since I’ve always considered being brazen more of a compliment. ”
“How did you make it through the portal?” Sybil demanded, clearly not amused.
“Like this?” the female said as more of a question than a statement as she lifted a hand and used two fingers to pantomime walking.
“You dare to mock me?” Sybil hissed before raising a hand to issue a magical slap, but she lowered it again when the female on the ground simply laughed.
Viktor had to admit her laughter sounded slightly unhinged, but he couldn’t blame her for being a little hysterical under the circumstances.
Even as her laughter trailed off, she wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed her palm against her side as if she had internal injuries.
That was confirmed when she suddenly turned her head and spat some blood on the ground.
“Disgusting human swine.”
The female chuckled again. “Now, now. Are we back to the name calling? Okay, I guess I can play along. So, you’re the crazy cunt who traffics people?
What’s your deal? Did mommy and daddy not love you enough?
Did someone drop you on your head when you were a kid?
Or did you suddenly wake up one day and say, hey, you know what? I should start selling people!”
For a second, Sybil looked like she was going to explode with rage, then she surprised them all when she threw her head back and started laughing.
Viktor had to admit he was slightly unnerved by the behavior of both females.
His mate seemed to have a reckless disregard for her own safety.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t dare bait the lunatic in front of her.
Then again, what sane person jumps through a magical portal without knowing where it would take them or if they would survive?
“I find you quite amusing. You have a lot of courage for a mortal. People usually cower before me, but you…you are different. Or maybe you are just too foolish to know better.”
“I’d say I am wholly unique,” the female said dryly.
“Most people like to think so. As for why I do what I do, I suppose you could say it is sort of a family business. My father was a reaper of some considerable power, while my mother was nothing but a useless human. While he had the foresight to understand how advantageous the black market could be, he unfortunately lacked the patience and expertise to maximize it to its full potential.”
“So, you have daddy issues.”
Rather than getting angry, Sybil let out a delicate snort of derision. “Hardly. If he hadn’t gotten himself killed by another reaper, I probably would have had to get rid of him at some point for being a hindrance to building my empire.”
Sybil settled back comfortably against her throne and manifested a crystal goblet filled with dark red wine in her hand. She leisurely took a sip, then swirled the wine in the glass as if they were just two females having a leisurely chat.
As Viktor silently watched the exchange between them, he wished with every fiber in his being that he could free himself.
Hearing that she was a demi-god made sense, considering her power level and her access to devil fire.
But that only made her more dangerous. Hybrids could have unpredictable magic, and she clearly wasn’t the most stable individual.
“Unlike my father, I have a talent for business. It became clear to me at an early age that dealing in supernaturals was far more lucrative than simply trading ancient relics and magic potions. The powerful are meant to make use of the weak. That is simply the natural order of things. Those with strength, influence, and power will always be on top, while those without exist to serve or be of use some other way. Otherwise, they have no purpose.”
“That’s a pretty callous way of viewing the world.”
Sybil shrugged before taking another sip of wine. “Callous? Perhaps. But that does not make it untrue. It is simply the way the worlds work. Pretending otherwise does not change anything.”
“So, anyone weaker than you is just a commodity to be used?”
“Of course. The strong are meant to rule, and the weak either adapt, submit, or get crushed. That has been the way of things since the beginning of time. Supernaturals have a hierarchy for a reason. Do I provide a service that exploits that hierarchy? Yes, but it wouldn’t work if there weren’t already a demand for it. ”
“And that justifies what you do?”
“It explains it.” Sybil smiled faintly, her eyes gleaming with cold amusement.
“There is a difference. I do not feel the need to justify or defend my actions. Power creates a hierarchy, clearly dividing those who command and those who obey. The supernatural world has always operated that way, whether people want to admit it or not. While many cling to a semblance of morality, there are plenty of sellers and buyers using the black market network that proves there will never be a shortage of people willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want.”
“I’d say that’s a fair assessment…for a psycho,” the female stated blandly.
Sybil’s eyes narrowed. “Careful, human. You are amusing me less now.”
She opened her mouth again, but swallowed down whatever she was going to say when an explosion outside the chamber made the entire chamber shake. Dust drifted down from the ceiling, and Sybil quickly rose to her feet just as another guard ran into the room.
“Boss, more guardians just showed up.” The male lowered his voice and added, “Including Killian Black.”
Sybil’s expression shifted from anger to what looked like a hint of fear. She and the guard hurried from the chamber, but before she left, she turned back at the entrance to glare at them.
“You better hope that I survive. Otherwise, none of you will.”
With that, she slammed the door shut with enough force to make the entire chamber tremble.
The instant the door struck the frame, a pulse of strong magic rippled over the stone wall with a brilliant flash of light.
The entrance began to dissolve until the door completely vanished as though it had never existed, leaving a smooth stretch of stone that was indistinguishable from the surrounding walls.
She had sealed the chamber with magic, ensuring that none of them could escape without her.
“Well, that sucks, but it isn’t surprising.”
The female on the ground wrapped her arm around her waist as she struggled to push herself off the ground.
Pain flashed across her face, and she grimaced as she slowly rose to her feet, clearly suffering from whatever injury had been inflicted on her.
For a moment, she stood there taking slow, shallow breaths.
Her shoulders were tense, and her movements were stilted.
Despite her obvious discomfort, she stepped forward, walking directly toward the edge of the pit until she was standing right in front of Viktor. There was no fear in her expression, nor any hesitation. Whatever pain she was experiencing, she refused to let it show.
When their eyes locked, his breath caught. She was even more glorious up close, and he had to stop himself from simply gaping at her. He couldn’t let himself get distracted. There was too much at risk for that.
“You have to get out of here,” Viktor ordered. “Figure out a way to break through the wall and get out while she is distracted.”
“Take my cousin, the girl in the cage with the bright red hair, with you,” Cassian demanded.
She shook her head. “There is no escaping this place.”
“Who are you?” Viktor hadn’t meant to ask, but he needed to know the name of his mate.
“Naomi Locke. And you?”
“My name is Viktor Ze, and this is Cassian Daga. Were you injured after you came through the portal?”
She nodded. “The welcoming party wasn’t exactly thrilled to see us.”
“How did you make it through the portal? What are you even doing here?”
She seemed more amused than annoyed by his rapid-fire questions.
“I came here to see who the asshole in charge of this mess was. But I guess she just left. Do you know who she is?”
“Just that her name is Sybil, and she seems to be in charge of this particular operation. Who did you come with? Are you working with the Guardians?”