Chapter 23 Roman
The smack of the body hitting the concrete floor did little to satisfy my rage. Even as Blaise dragged the limp corpse along the ground and tossed it into the corner of the old wine cellar, my skin boiled with the need to take revenge on the entire world.
Not only had the Crescent Coven invaded my home, but they had also attacked us, killed someone, and rendered each of us useless against their magic.
They’d stolen Katarina. Our Katarina, who’d been sent to the House of Shadows as a test and who now belonged to me.
Belonged to us. Not the fucking witches of New Orleans.
I’d grown lazy. Complacent. They no longer feared me, and that was a mistake I would never make again.
After nearly one hundred years, the coven decided to challenge my reign, and I’d be a fool not to admit they’d almost broken us.
But admitting that wasn’t easy. No one liked to lose power… especially me.
“How long do you think he’ll keep this up?” Aiden whispered to Dorian. The fae leaned against the wall in the corner opposite the pile of broken bodies, the ball cap covering his blond hair also there to try and cover up his face. He knew I’d be able to hear him, yet he decided to speak anyway.
Dorian, who liked to pretend he didn’t want to partake in the violence, whispered back. “No one is talking.”
“They will!” I growled at them both as I opened the door to our makeshift holding cell and dragged another victim to my torture center.
Some of the bars were still dented from the blast when the witches attacked.
When they’d killed Pasha. My heart ached for the loss more than I was willing to admit.
But then, for a moment, the rage subsided as I remembered that this was the cage we’d held Katarina in for a night after she tried to steal from me.
She’d been so fierce and beautiful. And it hadn’t taken long before she had all of us wrapped up in her spell.
And then the coven stole her.
They killed Pasha and stole Katarina.
They directly challenged my rule and almost won.
Anger seized hold once more, and I gripped the man’s ankle so hard it popped under my fingers.
He screamed in pain and in the corner, Dorian let out a curse.
I ignored the wolf. If he didn’t like what he was witnessing then he could fucking leave.
“You know this is the one who trapped you in a partial shift, Dorian,” I shouted over my shoulder.
That had the wolf standing a little taller, his hair pulled back in a low bun and his chest covered with a dark tee shirt.
He’d dressed for torture yet hadn’t participated.
“Then kill him, Roman.”
Blaise growled at Dorian from the shadows.
That was where he was most comfortable—in the darkness trying to be invisible.
He’d changed a little since Katarina entered our lives, but he still hated what he was more than anything else.
“We need information,” Blaise finally said, giving me a nod of approval when I picked up the man and forced him to sit in the bloodied chair.
“They’ve been spelled Roman.” Aiden pushed off the wall and walked toward me. Being sure to step over the puddles of blood, guts, and other liquids, he shook his head when he looked at me. “Even your compulsion isn’t working. Your compulsion. There is no one else in this city older than you.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, the red rage in my head impeding my ability to understand what he was getting at.
Aiden blew out a breath. “Dude, the witches had help.”
“He’s right,” Dorian muttered just as Blaise let out another growl.
When I didn’t say anything, Aiden continued. “You’ve been down here for three days trying to access their memories.” He waved his hand behind him toward the pile of dead bodies. “You are one of the most powerful vampires I know, and yet you can’t get into their heads. Why is that Roman?”
Not liking his tone, I flashed my fangs at my old friend. “You think I’m not capable?”
“No, man. Jesus.” Aiden took off his ball cap, ran his fingers over his head a few times, and then tucked the hair back underneath again.
“Their brains are wiped clean. They went on a demented suicide mission when they agreed to attack us because as soon as it was over, they lost everything. All their memories are gone. All their personalities are gone. Everything was stripped away so you wouldn’t be able to interrogate them. ”
“He’s right,” Blaise said.
“I know I’m right.”
“Who could do that?” Dorian asked, walking a little closer. His eyes glowed their wolf yellow, the scent of blood bringing his animal very close to the surface.
“A vampire,” Blaise answered in disgust. “An ancient vampire.”
Aiden raised his hands and sighed. “Exactly what I was saying.”
“Okay, so who?” Dorian asked again.
I shook my head. I had a few guesses, but why would they come to New Orleans and help the witches? It just didn’t make sense. “I don’t know,” I finally said.
“Well, we need to find out.” Aiden looked at Blaise. “You have any ideas half-breed?”
“Don’t call me that,” he warned, the tension in the air thickening to an unbearable level.
Aiden snapped his fingers and a spark of flame lit up in his hand. “Don’t threaten me.”
“Enough!” I shouted, watching Dorian shake with the urge to shift. Looking at the warlock now passed out in the chair behind me, I rubbed my face. I felt the fresh blood on my cheeks, but I gave about zero shits what that might look like right now. I was tired. And angry. And broken.
I’d been betrayed by one of my own, and I didn’t like what that meant for all of us. Dorian watched me until he got his wolf under control. But when he turned to leave the room, I cleared my throat with a command. “I need you all to clean this up.”
“No fucking way,” Aiden complained until he caught my glare. “Are you serious?”
“I need some time to myself,” I said. “I need to figure out who did this to me.”
“To us,” Aiden clarified.
At first, I wanted to punch him for mouthing off, but he was right. We’d all been harmed and embarrassed. And we’d all lost Katarina. I gave him a nod and walked toward the door. “I’m going to see Pasha.”
“Should we burn them?” Blaise asked me and Aiden huffed.
“Should we burn them, master?” he said with way too much sarcasm as he imitated Blaise.
“I will kill you,” Blaise warned, stepping closer to the fae.
“You can’t,” Aiden goaded.
“I will—” Blaise jumped toward the man with hands ready to grab him by the throat. But Aiden blinked out of existence and reappeared behind me.
A growl rumbled in Blaise’s chest, and for just a moment, I thought I scented his animal who had never been freed. “You’re dead.”
“You’re pathetic.”
“Guys,” Dorian pleaded. “If you keep this up, I’m going to let my wolf have my skin and he will eat you.”
“He can eat the dead witches,” Aiden offered, eyes firmly on Blaise in case he tried anything.
“You,” I snarled to Aiden as I poked him in the chest, “will burn the dead witches and dispose of anything left.”
“No.”
“Do not fuck with me right now,” I roared, and whatever he saw in my face shut him right up. “I need you all to clean this up and leave me alone for a few hours.”
The guys rumbled their disagreements to my back as I left the cellar.
I didn’t turn around because I was having a hard time holding it together.
Over the past three days, I’d buried my closest blood companion, killed dozens of witches, and kept ignoring the calls from a very nervous mayor and senator.
And none of that had gotten me any closer to finding Katarina.
As I walked through the dark, damp hallways and the muted complaints from the men disappeared behind me, I thought about her.
Those fiery red curls, her plump lips, and the green eyes that sparkled when she was around us.
I missed her, and I would never forgive myself if she were harmed in any way.
We would get her back, but I worried about what the witches might do to her before we did.
They may kill her to get to me. Just like they did to my Pasha.
I made it to the abbey’s first floor and saw Grim sitting at the front doors. They were both open as they’d been for the past several days while he waited for Katarina to “speak” to him again.
Grim had been badly injured in the attack, but he wasn’t just a regular dog, and he’d healed way quicker than any of us thought possible. It was good, though, because he and Katarina had a psychic connection. Or at least they did when they were both alive.
She isn’t dead, I admonished myself at the same time Grim growled at me, no doubt thinking the same.
“Anything?” I asked him as I stepped up to his side.
His head was high enough to reach my hip, so I didn’t miss the way he completely ignored me.
He hadn’t moved since hobbling to his post three days ago, and none of us would make him.
With a sigh, I walked past the demon dog and started down the stairs. “Keep at it, Grim.” He may very well be our only connection to help us find Katarina.
As long as she was still alive.
My heart burned with regret and fear and anger.
How had I let things get this bad in my city?
I’d lost the respect of my fellow supernaturals.
I lost people close to me. And now, I may have lost the trust of an ally.
If an Ancient One was collaborating with the witches to take me out… well, damn. This wasn’t good at all.
No.
Fuck this whole situation.
I was Roman Fucking Zarka. I’d made a name for myself over the years, and I’d be damned if I was going to let anyone take that away from me. The time for complacency was over.
This was my fucking city, and I was not going to stand by while it burned down around me.