The Devil's Masquerade: The Poison

by Jennifer Loren

  “What is it?” Terrance whispers, trying to catch his breath. I look through the small clearing and see two guards. There isn’t much of anything here to guard. I turn to Eddy, and he instantly takes out his body heat monitor which suddenly begins reading, right below us. “They are underground.” Terrence smiles, looking up at me. “What do we have here?”

  We both turn to Eddy as his eyes go wide, and he shrugs his shoulders. “This place is highly protected, so whatever is here means an awful lot to someone,” Eddy says.

  “What do you want us to do Kayla?” Terrance asks.

  “I want you to do what you do. Penetrate the enemy, from the inside out.”

  Terrence and Eddy spend days scoping it out. Terrence’s intelligence is unbelievable and alongside Eddy’s technology skills, they are able to find weaknesses in the compound. Terrence smiles wide at me as he lays out the information they gathered.

  “This here. This place, Kayla, is Savage’s central headquarters. Everything he runs is run from here. All his money is controlled from here; his intelligence system is run from here. Everyone he is watching and keeping tabs on is watched from here. You want to hurt him, and I mean cut his heart out hurt him, then this is the place to do it.” Terrence watches as my smile grows.

  “Kayla, this isn’t going to be easy. Now, Terrence and I have found some weaknesses in their system, but they will only allow us seconds and nothing more. That isn’t enough time to get enough men in there to take it over,” Eddy says.

  “Then, we just get one man in to destroy it completely,” I say.

  “Kayla … this man is incredibly powerful. There is no telling what we could learn about him if we control the place rather than destroy it. Nick’s father gave us some great notes, but it is broken and unconfirmed. This place could fill in those answers we don’t know. If there is a way to control and own, rather than to destroy, I think that is our best answer. If we can figure out a way to do that.” Terrence suggests the impossible, but we have managed the impossible before.

  “Alright, then we will do that, and I guess we will need to get some help too.” I say watching them both sigh. Time to share our information.

  The decision to bring in Elijah and Ryan is an easy one, but knowing I am going to catch hell for keeping them out of the loop until now is not going to be enjoyable. Terrence and Eddy go through all their findings before I step up and explain my plan for the takeover. I face Elijah and Ryan with a smile and roll my eyes at their less than thrilled expressions.

  “How the hell did Nicky have enough energy to put up with you every day?” Elijah sighs.

  “Don’t waste your breath, Eli. Kayla always does only what Kayla wants to do, and she doesn’t care what anyone else has to say about it,” Ryan says. He stands up and looks down at me. “However, this time, I’m glad you did, but stop leaving us out of the loop. You need us, and we may not want to listen, but you know how to force us to so please try that next time. We have been going in circles for days working on these other ideas when we could have concentrated on this the whole time. As far as this takeover, I am going to lead it.”

  “Why you?” Elijah asks.

  “Because I know how to get in unseen,” Ryan announces as if we should have already known that. He leans down on the table with both hands, “I know how to do this, and all I need is for you all to trust me.”

  Chapter 32

  Savage

  “Alright, Dennis, I am going to be straight with you. I think you are overstepping your ground. I cannot sit by and let you destroy Amery. He had every right to sentence Belinda. We both know she killed Haile without just cause” Gideon says as if I should care what he thinks.

  “Haile was a nuisance. She needed to go,” I say.

  “She wasn’t so much of a nuisance when you called for her to entertain you. If she had not of turned you down for Amery, I am sure you would feel differently about her.”

  “I am growing tired of this conversation, Gideon.” I wave my hand for Rabbie to give me a new drink while Gideon sits back and sighs.

  “Why did you agree to meet with me if you were not going to be reasonable?” Gideon asks. “I’m sorry, Dennis. I can’t support you anymore. Unless you are willing to compromise, I am going to have to side against you.” I don’t bother to speak until I know for sure he is finished. “Are you listening to me?”

  “I’m listening. I’m hearing one of my longtime friends say he is going to side against me.”

  “You know that’s not what I said. Fine, Dennis. What is it that you want? What will end this feud?” Gideon asks finally.

  “Oh, good! We are going to get to what I want now. About damn time. Rabbie send for Galena. Gideon, my friend, I think you have been holding your position too long. It is time for you to step down from the Lord of the Sixth and move to … well just move. I have someone else to take your position.”

  “Damn it Dennis! You need me to fight the others,” he yells.

  “No, I don’t. Not anymore. Have you met my grandson?”

  “I guess you think you can simply replace me with Nicholas?”

  “Of course not. That would be a step down for him. Galena will be taking over the sixth until I can clear the eighth position for Nicholas,” I say proudly.

  “Have you lost your mind?” Gideon stands in a rage. “I refuse to bow down to you. When the High Council hears of your plan, they will force you down! You will never regain the ninth again!” he yells as Galena arrives with her men.

  “Don’t worry, Gideon. The High Council will never know anything other than that you kindly stepped down to allow someone younger and more capable to handle the position. You will be allowed to come back once I take care of the others. For now, you will be in a private prison I have had designed just for you. Get him out of here. It is nearly my dinner time.” I don’t bother to listen to his huffs or look his way as he glares at me. I wait for him to be gone before sending for Nicholas to have him join me for dinner. He is coming along quite nicely, and I couldn’t be more proud.

  When Galena returns, I meet her in the study and send Nicholas to handle some light business for me. “Everything go well?”

  “It went as expected. Thank you for the opportunity, Father. I promise I won’t let you down,” Galena says with excitement.

  “It is nothing. Just make sure to protect Nicholas. That is your only job right now,” I say to her.

  “I don’t think he is going to join you like you think. He is still connected to his previous life and his family. He fears what they may think of him, if they find out what he does for you. He allows Delin to do most of the killing.”

  “We are his family now. They are nothing. Outside of young Nicky, the rest mean nothing to me. Although, if we can gain Ryan too, that could assure us pure dominance. You at sixth, Nicholas at eighth, and I could put Ryan at seventh. We already have Keel at first. Marius is of no threat. He is too stupid,” I say, glancing her way to force my point. We can bring back Gideon once the others are in place and give him the third as reward for keeping his mouth shut. Once young Nicky is ready, we push Marius down to first, move Keel up to second, and move Nick into fourth. Having complete control, will force the High Council to back off of me, and to stop sending their watch dog, Kamini, out after me.”

  “Clearly, you have a complete plan, but you still have obstacles to overcome, Father,” Galena says, snapping me out of my daydream.

  The reality of my world is unsettling. “I want his wife killed and his youngest as soon as it is allowed. I want Nicky placed away from Nicholas until he is able to handle his father.” I look Galena over. “You keep him. It will be your opportunity to be a mother. Just make sure you don’t get too attached – he is not yours. Once Nicholas is placed in his position, I will take Nicky in and train him. In the meantime, we need to find the perfect mate for Nicholas. I need him to produce another. Fagan’s daughter, how she is coming along?”

  “She is quite anxious to meet Nicholas fro
m what I understand. Apparently, he has made quite the impression on her,” Galena says, not realizing the position I put Ria in hoping she could help rid Kayla from my worries. So far, she has failed.

  “I am afraid that she is too weak. Not sure she will do. Gather some other possibilities just in case. My grandson is quite powerful. I don’t want him killing the woman as he fucks her, at least not until she bares his child.”

  “How do you plan to get him to forget his … forget Kayla and the children he already has? He is quite dedicated to them,” she says in confusion.

  “With each battle and each kill, he is becoming more and more distant from them. Eventually, he won’t be nearly as concerned. It will take time of course, but it will be well worth the trouble,” I say excitedly.

  “Oh really? He seemed quite excited to tell me about the last birthday party they had for young Brayden today. He seemed to recall every detail with no problem at all, even adding in how wonderful of a mother Kayla is,” Galena says with a smile. “He is not forgetting them at all.

  Slamming my fists down onto the desk, I stare off, trying to figure out how that could be possible. “He is still seeing her somehow. Get Ria in here!” That woman is not as good of a chameleon as she has led me to believe, and that is grounds for termination.

  “I will talk to her, but what can she do to help? Nicholas is not going to accept her unless she is Kayla, and she has already said that he was too powerful for her to be able to hold Kayla’s image on him.”

  “Maybe she can be of use in another way. Nicholas is going to need a distraction. I am obviously going to need to inflict him with the poison, and I can’t do that in his sleep. I need him to be awake and strong.”

  “Are you sure that is a good idea? What if it kills him? You said yourself only the strongest survive it.”

  “Are you questioning me?” I ask, and she instantly cowers. “There needs to be another attack on Nicholas’s home, on his family. They need to go through a terrible tragedy. We will need to be able to show Nicholas his precious Kayla’s lifeless body and convince him that there is nothing to go back to. Once he believes that, he will trust us to help him seek revenge for her death, and then, the dragon can take him.” Galena looks my way with fear. She does not believe he can survive, but I know my grandson, and he can survive the harshest of treatments. This is for his own good, for our family’s own good.

  Chapter 33

  Galena

  “Good morning,” Nicholas says to me with a sweet kiss to my cheek. I hate to have to lie to him, but it is best for him. “Is there something wrong?” he asks, looking at me with concern.

  “Nephew, you should sit down.” I comfort him into a seat. “Something happened last night, and I hate to have to tell you this, but your home was attacked.”

  “What? Why are you just telling me this now? Why didn’t someone wake me? I have to go,” he says jumping from his chair and racing toward the door.

  “Nicholas no, you can’t. The scene is a horrible sight. Father is trying to find out right now if anyone survived.” The heartbreak in his eyes hurts me. “We believe your brother managed to escape with young Nicky.”

  “And Kayla? Brayden?” he asks.

  I shake my head, unable to say the words. His expression tears me to pieces. “I can take you to her,” I say, wanting to drop to my knees and beg him for forgiveness. He doesn’t speak. He just forces me to take him right away. I have our driver ready to go when we step outside, and we rush straight to the hospital. I glance his way during the ride there, and he makes no movements. He is barely breathing.

  Nicholas’s stiff presence does not change. Even as he walks through the hospital, he seems to be in a daze. When we come upon a nurse alongside Father, he perks up enough to look away from the floor. “Where is she?” Nicholas asks them.

  Father pats him on the shoulder with a calming approach. “They tried to revive her, but her injuries were too much to overcome. I am sorry, Nicholas. My men were scattered so much trying to protect your brother and Nicky. Kayla must have been scared and ran off with Brayden, giving them the opportunity they were seeking,” Father says to him as he begins to vibrate from fighting the tears filling up in his eyes. “Your friend tried to fight them off for her, but they were too much and were very brutal in their attack. They made sure that she would not be able to recover. The poor young one was taken from her arms and killed in front of her. She refused to run at that point, apparently. She was determined to seek revenge until her last breath. If it is any comfort, she managed to kill several before she died. Your brother and Nicky have been hidden away until we can take care of this. I don’t want either to be in the middle of this. Ryan is not ready, and Nicky is way too young.”

  “I want to see her,” Nicholas says to him. I look up in shock, but Father nods and leads him to a room where a body lies with a sheet over it. Nicholas walks up to the side of the bed and breathes in and out several times before taking hold of the sheet and tossing it back to reveal Kayla’s lifeless body underneath.

  “No! Kayla! Oh God please!” His screams force me to run out of the room. Father drags him from the room, trying to comfort him, but I don’t know how he could ever be. His pain is so heartbreaking and disastrous that I think it even surprises Father.

  “Where is Brayden?” Nicholas asks through his tears.

  “Oh Nicholas, you don’t want to see him. Besides, they took him to the morgue already,” I say quickly.

  “He was beaten so badly, Nicholas. It is a terrible sight. You should not see such a thing.” I grab my head and cringe, crying myself at my father’s words. How could he tell him that? Does he not see what he is doing to him? Does he not care how broken he is? All I can hear is his cries and pleas for the nightmare to be over. As muffled as Nicholas’s cries are from his fisted hands that are forced against his face, they still make me want to rip my own body apart, piece by piece, and try and locate the rapidly spreading painful poison taking me over.

  With the help of my father’s men, we manage to get Nicholas home. He is beyond consolable. I am afraid to approach him, afraid to look at him, but he desires nothing but my embrace to help relieve his pain.

  “I’m sorry. I am so sorry,” I cry to him, but my words mean something different to me than what he believes them to mean. My father watches me closely, daring me to step beyond his orders. He is not only torturing Nicholas. He is torturing me, forcing me to listen to his cries and screams for his wife and child to be brought to him. The torture continues until Nicholas passes out from exhaustion, but he awakes in confusion and calls out for her. I have to explain to him all over again that she is gone. I hate my very existence. I am so exhausted and numb by the time Nicholas finally calms that, if he asked me, I would confess everything to him and slit my own throat for him.

  When he finally wakes without tears and without a hazy understanding of it all, Nicholas stands and searches the house doggedly until he finds father. “I want to know everything. I want to know who did this. I want them dead,” Father eagerly talks to him about the attack and what they found at the scene before reluctantly confessing that he knows who did this. “Who? Tell me who it is now,” Nicholas pushes.

  “I worry about telling this to you, but I understand how your revenge needs to have a face. Amery Luvis did this,” Father says with a wicked smile. “We are already organizing a counter attack on him. I have all the plans laid out in my study. I am going to handle this for you Ma Joie. You should stay here and rest and grieve in peace. I will return once I have avenged our family’s loss,” Father says.

  “No! He killed my wife and my son, and I am going to make sure he, and everyone he knows, dies.”

  Father waits anxiously as Nicholas storms through the house towards Father’s study, demanding to lead the attack himself. Father doesn’t even bother putting up a fight. He happily steps aside and allows Nicholas to organize. I begin to tense, desperate to leave, but Father won’t let me. The moment the dragon beg
ins to breathe, I hide my eyes. It isn’t the bite that bothers me, it’s the screaming of agony after.

  “Ahhh!” Nicholas screams out as he falls to his knees. His shivering torment vibrates the whole room. His tense eyes look up at us in shock as he tries to fight it.

  “Don’t fight it Nicholas. It will be much easier on you to just let it in,” Father says.

  I fall to the floor and grab his shoulders, “They aren’t dead Nick. Kayla and Brayden are not dead. They are fine. I’m sorry!” I yell to him repeatedly until he finally collapses into a coma.

  “Oh Galena, you are so pathetic sometimes. Why did you do that? He is never going to remember what you said to him.” Father sighs behind me.

  “Maybe not, but I will,” I say.

  “Now that we have what we need, I am going to see to it that we dispose of Kayla. We can’t have her damaging the poison that is now inside him before it has completed its job. He should be well transformed by the Masquerade and ready to be the son I have always wanted at my side.” Father breathes in with pride before looking at me again. “I am going to leave it to you to continue to search for this other possible child of Dante’s. I assume you can handle that Galena? If she exists, I need her found immediately. I can’t have her out there possibly helping Kayla in any way.”