Chapter 36 Ezra
Ezra
Leaving Aurora behind so I can deal with my sibling and the vampires is agony. But there’s no world where I get to keep her safe and stay by her side. Not right now.
She’ll be alone, and I hate not knowing what state Louie will be in when she wakes up.
I’m certain the Disciples won’t go after her again so soon. They’ve lost the upper hand. Now, they’re scrambling after Renato’s attack.
At least he’s not completely worthless.
The idea of seeing Renato again makes me seethe. But if he has real intel on the Vermilion Maw, it’s worth the detour.
I turn from the house, the early light casting long shadows at my heels. The ones bound to me? They hesitate.
A few hover around the edges of the house, reluctant—no, fucking refusing—to leave. One slithers toward the window, pressing against the glass like it’s starring in a goddamn Shakespearean tragedy.
Another lingers near the doorway, vibrating with pure emotional need.
The absolute drama.
I exhale slowly, warning them back. When they don’t move, I grit my teeth, dragging a hand down my face.
“This is positively ridiculous! You’re like a fucking Greek chorus of sentient simp gremlins!”
They tighten around me. Splendid. They’re insulted now.
I stop, close my eyes, and take a deep breath.
“Oh, you’re offended? You’re shadows. You don’t even have souls! And yet, here we are!”
The shadows vibrate. They disagree.
I pinch the bridge of my nose with all the patience of a black hole spitting light.
“Christ on a collapsing star. Do you think whining is going to help her? If we don’t handle this, she won’t be safe. So, let’s go!”
They hesitate.
One makes a movement that feels suspiciously like a sulk.
I exhale hard. “Unbelievable,” I mutter, forcing my form to dissolve into shadow. The simp gremlins reluctantly follow.
I can feel their resentment.
Pathetic.
Hours later, I reach the vampires’ neighborhood.
Just before the inevitable mayhem, I take a moment to appreciate the vibrant smear of purple and pink across the sky as the sun sinks behind the Chicago skyline.
When was the last time I admired something so naturally beautiful?
I think of her. Then I shut the feeling down.
A few blocks from their residence, I shift into my L?kkda. There’s no need to draw attention or bleed secrets.
As I approach the mansion on foot, my lip curls in distaste. Somehow, it’s even more garish than their last estate.
At the end of the driveway, two golden wolves sit like sentinels. A matching gate looms behind them, opening without a sound once I announce myself to the armed guards.
Even though Renato invited me himself, I stay vigilant while I stroll to the front of the house.
That vigilance immediately dissolves, though, when I notice the bat-shaped bushes lining the property.
How fucking predictable.
The “children of the night” schtick is so goddamn tired.
When I reach the entrance to their McMansion, the lack of guards flanking the front door surprises me. It’s odd, but maybe they’re on a break.
As I lift my hand to knock, the door flies open, revealing none other than Vesna Sokolovi?, Renato’s twisted other half.
Putain de merde. I don’t have the patience to grovel at this violent bitch’s feet tonight.
“Hello, handsome. I’ve been waiting for you,” Vesna purrs, roughly grabbing my hand and yanking me inside.
The moment her skin touches mine, my shadows snap, recoiling like struck snakes. A few wrap around my wrists, pushing with barely restrained fury. Others tremble mid-air, just shy of ripping her fucking arm off.
Absolutely not, one of them seems to hiss against my throat, tendrils slithering up my back like the raised hackles of an enraged beast.
I grit my teeth and tune back in.
Her thick Bosnian accent scrapes against my nerves. Not because of the sound. But because every word drips with provocation.
Civil. I have to be civil.
The inky drama club disagrees. They cinch around my ribs, vibrating with barely restrained disgust.
“It is nice to see you again, Vesna,” I say with a bow, shoving my irritation into the deepest pit of my mind. “You look ravishing, as always. To what do I owe the honor of your personal welcome?”
If Renato is savage and bloodthirsty, Vesna is something worse. She’s cruel, bordering on depraved.
Even though I have no patience for her, maybe if I play along, she’ll hand over the notes, tell me where the vampire and my sibling are, and allow me to leave.
Mon cul. She’s up to something.
Vesna drags her fingers down my chest, her gaze flicking up beneath thick lashes.
The Greek Chorus freezes in horrified silence, too appalled to react.
And then—
Absolute. Fucking. Mayhem.
The shadows convulse, writhing and seething, trying to shove her off me. One coils tighter around my ribs, practically radiating a silent Nope. No. Just no. while another retreats so violently that it nearly yanks me backward.
I school my expression, but the shadows don’t bother.
Vesna doesn’t notice the shadow rebellion. Or she doesn’t care. She probably just assumes they’re part of the whole “moody shadow man” aesthetic, right alongside the accent and the three-piece suits.
She’s too busy preening in a dress that probably cost more than Aurora’s entire wardrobe and book collection combined.
Aurora deserves gowns like that. Not the lukewarm meat standing in front of me.
The vampire is lovely, I’ll admit, in the same way an Elios filter is lovely. Both are cheap, empty, and polished just enough to sell lies to women who deserve better.
She’s tall and thin with shiny chestnut hair that falls past her waist and light brown eyes the color of butcher paper.
Her facial features are sharp and pale, accented by the iridescent violet lips that all vampires obtain through their diet of souls.
She wears a sheer satin gown with a plunging neckline that accents her small, perky tits, and shows off the tattoo of a winged menace placed right over her heart.
The dress leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination.
But between her vapid personality and her utter disregard for life of any kind, Vesna is lackluster, to say the least.
“Ah, you flatter me, Ezra. I knew you were coming tonight and wanted to see you again. I remember the last time you were here. You’re very handsome, and the way you handled Renato made me want to get on my knees for you.
I thought we might have some fun tonight since my husband is out of the country and I’m all alone.
It gets quite lonely here,” Vesna whimpers.
Her violet lips curl into a wicked smile, framing her fangs.
She’s talking, I think.
I wouldn’t know.
I’m currently being strangled by my own shadows.
When she stands on her tiptoes and nips at my neck, they lose their fucking minds.
One slaps at her face while others claw up my jaw, recoiling with silent, seething horror. The rest just vibrate, trembling with pure, violent indignation.
I peel her off me as gently as possible, and she pouts, somehow playing the victim in a situation she caused.
Meanwhile, the simp collective won’t stop losing their ever-loving shit.
“Vesna,” I say slowly, swallowing down the urge to vomit. “I’m honored by your words, but I’m only here to collect the notes Renato left and to get the location of my sibling and your vampire. I’m determined to pay my debt, as promised.”
I flash her a forced smile, while a shadow drags across my stomach in a motion that can only be described as dry heaving.
“Oh, you needn’t bother with any of that, Ezra. I will cancel your debt if you spend the night with me. You’ll no longer be obligated to rescue Luca. You’ll have your notes and can go home in the morning, provided I am fully satisfied.”
Vesna steps closer, brushing her tits against my chest.
The off-off-off Broadway poltergeists recoil like I just canceled opening night. A tendril curls tight around my collarbone, flexing beneath my skin. The rest cinch around my gut, so tight it aches.
I close my eyes and inhale slowly. Violence won’t solve this, even if it would be fun to remove Vesna’s limbs and make her beg me to put her back together. But I need those notes. I must get home to Aurora.
“You flatter me, Vesna, but Renato holds my debt, not you. I’m afraid I must honor the deal I made with him to mediate the release of his son. A new deal with you does not mean I’ve honored my deal with Renato. I would appreciate not being treated like a goddamn fool.”
I grind my teeth until my jaw pops. The absolute audacity of this disgusting woman is almost sad.
My shadows seethe. They curl tighter, sharpening under my skin, begging to be turned loose.
One coils near my ear. Not playful. Not teasing. Just cold.
Let us end her, it seems to whisper. We could make her scream.
The darker part of me, the part older than rules, older than restraint, hungers to say yes.
Not to command them. Just to stop holding them back.
Unfortunately, I have no choice.
You see, vampires have terrible tempers, which makes them impulsive.
But I’ve learned to control the screaming, violent rage in my head and use it strategically.
If this vile woman threatens me, I won’t hesitate to systematically destroy everyone in this house, possibly even the neighborhood.
“Son?! Is that what he told you Luca was? Ha! Renato deceived you, Ezra. Luca isn’t his son. He’s a slave that old gnjida forced into his bed. Luca fled after a mission, desperate to be free. He left by choice. You owe him nothing.”
Vesna’s lips curl into a delighted smile. “But me? I saved your life that day, sjena. You should be on your knees, willing to do whatever I ask. It would be a shame if I had to remove your handsome head from your mouthwatering body.”
Vesna gasps with delight as she roughly wraps her hand around my flaccid cock.
For a moment, I don’t even move. I just stare at her.
And then all hell breaks loose.