Chapter 133

I groaned. My ears were ringing. I was so hot like I was surrounded by fire, and my head ached. The world was hazy around the edges, but I smelled blood. A lot of blood, like I had walked into a blood bath, yet I wasn’t covered in it. I looked around as I felt heat getting closer and more intense nearby, like a fire was building.

I shifted, trying to get up though my head was spinning. Had I hit it? I had to have hit my head. What had exploded? I reached up, trying to feel for a bump. My hand came back slick with blood. I didn’t feel good.

Where was Candido?

Could we leave now?

Was it over?

Where was Norton? Sibyl?

“Think about the baby,” Sibyl’s voice whimpered nearby. “What about our child? Our son?”

I frowned, looking over toward where she was speaking. She was still naked. The curve of her stomach seemed highlighted in the firelight as she cradled it and looked up at Damian standing a few feet from her. She was on her knees in front of him. She looked pathetic, but I noticed that the knife wound that I had given her was gone. How had she healed so quickly? Was it because of the baby?

I reached up to my face and hissed as it stung. I was still bleeding. The gash was still open and it smelled a little bit like wine. I looked over to where I smelled blood and almost threw up. Norton’s body was slumped against the wall. His throat had been torn out, but the wound didn’t ooze blood the way I expected it to. The mask he’d been wearing was askew, revealing that whatever had attacked him had gone after more than his throat. There was no pool of blood around him either. Then, I noticed a vampire stealing out the side door. I heard glass break somewhere else in the building. Fire crackled nearby.

The wood strained around me as I heard people leaving the building with quick footsteps. I saw shadows darting past the window.

All the bodies that had been there from when Candido had been fighting were still there. Smoke started gathering in the room above my head.

“You can’t kill me—”

“Can’t?”

“You wouldn’t, what about—”

“Wouldn’t?” Damian asked as he pulled out a gun. “You vastly overestimate your importance.”

“I-I’m carrying your son! Your heir.”

He snorted. “A bastard who I never intended to be born. As if I would ever let my throne be passed on to a werewolf mutt.” He laughed. “Born of a stupid slut who didn’t know how to value her options… didn’t know her history.”

He crouched down beside her grabbing her by her hair and smiled thinly.

“If you hadn’t gotten pregnant, I might have kept you, but I can see that you’re too stupid to even know to take birth control and not worth the time.”

He threw her down and aimed at her head.

Sibyl choked on a sob, sniffling. “You can’t do this to me! You can’t—”

Her head exploded in a gush of brain matter as he fired the gun a mere few inches from her. My stomach lurched, but I couldn’t even scream. I just watched her body twitch as it collapsed. He let out a deep sigh, tilting his head back, and took an even deeper breath like he was free. Then, he laughed.

“Who would have known that Norton actually had a decent gun? Even mangy werewolves manage to surprise me these days.” Damian chuckled and looked at me. “You’ve been nothing but trouble, but finally, you’ve been of use to me Thank you, Hedy, for cleaning that up for me.” He nodded over at Norton. “His ambition was honestly stifling and more irritating than useful. I’m sure if Candido was here, he’d be thanking you too. Take solace in that.”

Damian turned, and he smiled. “I shudder to think what the world would do with another one of you running around.”

He chuckled to himself. “Not that we can’t deal with your kind, and you certainly belong in a class all your own, but it would be so nice not to have to.”

I glanced at Sibyl’s body as it slumped, and the fire began to grow across the floorboards.

“Where… is everyone?” I asked softly. “There… were others.”

Damian shrugged. “Dead. Scattered? Why would I care? Probably tangling with those mutts we have on payroll… Desperate bunch. Much like Francium.”

He tucked his gun back into its holster and looked around. “Shame about the cottage. At least, it served its purpose.”

He pulled out his phone and hummed. “Your last towers should be down soon, leaving the rest of your little organization blind. Wherever you’re hiding, we’ll find soon enough…”

He grinned. “Do you think there are better werewolves to keep as slaves? Sibyl was annoying, but I can’t say having a werewolf sex slave doesn’t appeal to me… Prettier. Less chatty. Obedient… I had considered your friend Claire before she was turned.”

I turned away from him. “That’s disgusting.”

“Disgusting? How entertaining for you to say. I suppose you only approve of your Candido having interest in young girls old enough to be their child.”

I sneered at him. “It’s different. Candido—”

“I’m sure he enjoys your endless blabbering,” he smirked. “I’m sure he especially enjoys your spirit in and out of bed.”

My face heated and he laughed.

“Ah, just out of bed then,” he shrugged. “That propaganda served them well enough; I suppose. Poor thing. Well, when you meet again on the other side, do be sure to give him a good time, hm?”

Then, I glanced towards the trap door where Candido had fallen through. No sooner had I looked away, than he appeared in front of me. I screamed and lunged for the trap door.

“Honestly, it’s like you don’t want to have a chat with me,” Damian said and grabbed me by the arm. “I promise, you won’t die quickly. You’re much too valuable alive for now.”

I twisted, trying to get away, trying to shove him off, but he wouldn’t release me. He was so much stronger. I struggled and he laughed, letting me go for a few moments before grabbing me again. He was toying with me. I lashed out trying to kick him and he slammed his arm into my leg. It cracked and I shrieked in pain. He wrapped his hand around the throbbing area and squeezed.

I screamed and tried to get away from him.

“Let me go! Let me go! That hurts!”

“OF course, it hurts. I said you were more valuable alive right now. I didn’t say unscathed, you idiot.” He chuckled and dragged me across the floor.

“Don’t call me an idiot!”

“Oh, no, are you going to cry?” He cackled, then let me go.

I twisted and shrieked as I rolled partially into the fire. He laughed as I thrashed trying to put it out. I rolled into what felt like a patch of glass that tore straight through my clothes and pressed against my charred flesh. He laughed and laughed.

I cried out, trying to get out of it until I couldn’t think to move much more. I turned over. Everything hurt, but I couldn’t just go easily. I had to fight. My eyes pricked with tears as my gut started to plummet with fear. Nothing had come up from the trap door. I didn’t hear anything, not a growl, not a howl—nothing.

“You smell desperate,” he said. “Is it sinking in yet?”

I didn’t want to cry, but the tears came and slid down my cheeks. Blood was everywhere. I felt sick. Everything hurt and burned. I smelled burning flesh. I felt like my shoulder and back were still on fire even as it started to itch and heal a little.

I crawled away and I felt him stalking me across the floor. If I could just get to the trap door. I could get to Candido. I could get there. I could, but I didn’t hear him.

He had to be alive. He had to be. He wouldn’t leave me alone.

“You’re so close,” he mocked, walking ahead of me, and checking his watch. “Maybe, if you manage it in five seconds, I’ll even let you take a peek down at what I’m sure is his mangled body.”

I felt him coming up behind me. He grabbed a hand full of my hair and pulled my head back, crouching down beside me.

“You have truly been amusing,” he said. “More amusing than annoying, I have to give you credit for that, even if you are a mutt.”

“Let me go.”

“Unfortunately, your time is up, and I have things to do. Care to scream for him, just to let him know you still love him?”

My jaw trembled and tears slipped down my cheeks.

“Candido, help me!”