Chapter 23
ANASTASIA
Bogatyrs Draka
cordially invites you to witness greatness
“Mogily”
The night calls to its own
Midnight — Alexandria
For those who don’t fear the night,
because they were born in it
When I got back to my room after classes today another invite was waiting for me.
And because I finally caved, now here I am with Ro.
I still don’t really know what I’m doing here or what this even is, but here we are.
And good thing I’ve got her with me cause I don't think I would have found this place without her. How was I supposed to know that Alexandria was referring to the library? Well, underneath the library. As in the lost library of Alexandria. I gotta give it to them though—It’s clever.
It’s actually a lot more crowed than I thought it would be. Almost everyone is here. So much for this being a secret.
Ro was catching me up on what this all is. Apparently these brutes get a kick out of beating each other up. Leave it to men to be all “macho” like “me man, big and strong, grrr.”
I start weaving through the crowd following Ro over to where her sister and cousin are standing.
As I’m walking through the room my eyes land on someone familiar.
Him. He’s standing there shirtless in all his glory, his hands are wrapped in white bandages.
And because I’m the luckiest person ever—our eyes meet.
Damn why does he have to be so gorgeous? It really isn’t fair. How am I supposed to hate him when he’s just existing like a damn Greek God. I don’t even know why I hate him. Call it women's intuition. And I always trust my gut.
I see his best friend, Caine, bump his shoulder and whisper something in his ear as they both stare at me. They probably sent me the invite.
“Is there something going on between you two?” Ro asks, “What all happened at that bar?”
“Between who?”
“Eryx,” she nods over to him and now we’re all looking in their direction. Smooth, real smooth, make it obvious why don't you.
“Um, no. Absolutely not. I don’t even know him like that. We just share one class together.” And some tacos, and conversation, and maybe an orgasm. Or two. Or three.
I don’t think I can bring myself to tell her he was waiting in my room after my date with Dean, or that he’s the reason it was cut short. Or that I let the man spank me in Ms. Valenzuela’s class. And I liked it.
“Well, he can’t keep his eyes off of you. Whatever happened left quite the impression on him.”
“Says, the one sneaking around with R—” Shina tries to chime in but is cut off.
“Shut up, don’t say his name. And don’t think I haven’t seen a certain tattooed someone sneak out of your room at 3am. Whats that all about?” Ro snaps back at her.
“Uhh, don’t go there bitch. You know men repulse me.”
Watching them bicker playfully brings a small smile to my face. I’ve never had a family like this, its always just been me. Makes me wish I had sisters I could bicker with myself. Just then we hear the announcer step into the ring. A hush falls all around us.
“Welcome, brothers and sinners, to the hollow beneath the library, where knowledge once lit the world, and now fire lights the fight.”
He pauses letting the words breathe.
“Tonight, the ground remembers pain. Stone remembers blood. And you—you will remember the name…”
A whisper moves through the crowd before he says it. The energy is so loud all around us. I look around the rooms noticing his eyes have never left mine.
“Mogily, The grave made flesh. The myth that breathes. The end of all challengers. This is his arena” He looks out at the faces in the dark. A sly grin spreading across his face.
“The gravewalker. The unbeaten.” He points over to Caine. “Odds are posted. And if you’re foolish enough to bet against the grave…I hope you brought a shovel. Fortune favors no one here, but the flame remembers who it burns.”
A few gather where Caine is. Money getting passed around.
“Many will rise tonight. Fools wrapped in courage. Warriors wrapped in pride. But only one will carve his name in blood.”
Eryx is joined in the arena by another—Jason. Can’t stand that prick. He has some muscle on him but you can see the hesitation in his eyes. His demeanor gives away his unsureness. I hope Eryx puts the hurt on him.
The announcer moves off to the side. The bell rings and the fight starts.
Eryx circles his opponent, his gaze like a void and hollow, cold.
A completely different person is in that ring.
Jason, throws a left jab, it’s quick and desperate, but he’s too slow.
Eryx dodges and sidesteps to the outside, countering with a right hook to Jason’s jaw.
He stumbles back, blood spraying across the canvas.
His eyes lock back on Eryx, he starts advancing on him and throws another jab, his full weight connecting to his cheekbone.
Jason doesn’t wait. He rips another jab to his eye, cutting him. Blood now dripping down Eryx’s face.
My fingers dig into my arms leaving little crescent moons on my skin. I can feel my heart racing. I’ve never liked to witness violence, but I can’t deny there’s something majestic about watching him move. So stealthily. He’s merciless, living up to his nickname. Mogily—Graves.
He tries again but Eryx is quicker, dodging again, giving him the chance to upper cut Jason.
He tries to block the hit but Eryx doesn’t give him the chance.
He closes in on Jason, each stepped measured like its a ritual.
Left hook, low and vicious, right under his ribs.
Hs eyes wide with doubt, knowing he fucked up.
He repeats the motion two more times, an audible crack like wood splitting.
Jason gasps, the air clearly torn from him.
“Why doesn’t anyone stop him?” I ask Ro.
“They can’t, this isn't some fight for fun, he was challenged. There’s no backing down. Even if he hadn’t challenged Eryx, backing down would be a sign of weakness. And death will always come first,” she replies.
Jason’s breaths now coming in heavy as he holds his side and tries to block the next hit.
Right hit to the temple followed by the left to his nose.
Crunch. Blood runs down his nose, his head snaps back and he falls to his knees.
Eryx steps behind him, putting Jason in a headlock.
One, two, three… four, five, six.. Jason goes limp in and when Eryx lets him go he slams forward.
Body flat on the canvas head smacks down to the side.
Out cold. The room is silent for a beat.
Only the sound of Eryx’s calm and steady breath can be heard.
Just like that the fight is over. Cheers start ringing through the room as everyone try’s to gather around their champion. If looks could kill. I’m staring daggers at him as I make my way to him. Ro tries to stop me to no avail as I get out of her grasp and reach him. I shove his shoulder.
“Lets see..stalking, breaking and entering, destruction of property, and you trying to add murder to the list too? Why did you invite me tonight? Trying to show your peacock feathers?”
“How are you so sure I was the one who invited you?” A coy smile on his face. “And I thought we stablished this the other night, again, when you were dripping on my fingers, exactly who you belong to. I don’t need to flutter my pretty feathers, everyone here knows exactly who you belong to.”
I scoff, the audacity of this man. “Fuck you!” I can just feel my blood pressure rise every time I’m around him. Breathe. “And who else would have sent the invite? I don’t know anyone here.”
“That mouth,” He chides, a smirk on his face. “And why did you show up? You knew what this was, I’m sure your friend over there brought you up to speed. You were just dying to see me again weren’t you?”
“Uh, what, no! Maybe I was just curious.”
“Careful with that one, you know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat.”
How does one smile without actually smiling, but also looking so damn menacing and delicious?
“Maybe so, but satisfaction brought it back.” I quip back. My eyes divert to the cut above his eye. “You’re bleeding.”
He touches the cut and brings his hand down, staring at his bloody fingers. “Yeah, I guess I am. Does blood make you nervous?”
“The human body can hold up to 10 pints of blood, losing more than 2 can lead to organ failure.” Me and my stupid facts, he doesn’t care Stass.
“You worried about me now?”
“Not a chance, just trying to calculate how long it’ll take till you pass out.”
I hear arguing behind him. I look over and see Ro, then Chris yelling at her, his hands wrapped tightly around her upper arms and he’s trying to drag her away.
Fuck no! I’ll be damned if I let anyone man handle my friends.
I side-step Eryx and head to her. “Hey wait a minute!” I feel Eryx right behind me.
I’m stopped in my tracks, a wall of muscle crashing into me.
I watch as Roman, grabs the guy by his throat.
He towers over him, whispering something in his ear.
Whatever it is has the guy scared. He tugs at Roman’s arm, trying to get free.
Roman keeps him there a beat longer before he lets go of him and the guy grabs at his throat trying to catch his breath before running out of there.
Then I see Roman haul Ro over his shoulder and sneak off with her, leaving her sister behind.
“Come on she’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I tell him.
“Nastasya.”
“Eryx,” I mimic.
“We’re leaving,” he commands.
“Ok, caveman. Is that supposed to work or something?” I sass back in an amused toned.
“When I say something, people usually listen, they heed my warnings too.” He tries to sound stern, but that shit doesn’t work on me. Nice try buddy.
“Yeah, well, I’m not most people. Your warnings don’t scare me.” He’s going to need to try harder than that. He must not know who raised me.