The Prince of Cups (Villainess Book 2)

by Melos,Alana

  “I knew it!” she squealed, her German-accented English thickening as she spoke with emotion. Happiness, of all things, lay plastered over her pixie like features, giving her an almost sublime delighted expression. “I knew it! I knew it!” The girl, the girl captain if that could be believed, jumped up and down, clasping her hands together like a teenage fan might do at a concert.

  Though Regulus was uneasy, he smiled. “You are very pretty, but I don’t know what you’re saying,” he said in German, giving his good-old-boy-gosh-golly-gee look and shrug.

  She surged forward and hugged him, catching both of us completely by surprise. “I knew you’d come for me, Father!”

  Regulus and I shared two very different reactions. My mouth opened in shock. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked, dropping out of German to go to my native English. Him? A father?! He fucked women pretty damn often I knew from his memories, but to be so careless as to leave a child behind?

  My partner, on the other hand, doubted… but hoped it was true. I already knew his depravity differed than mine here and there, but the thoughts of taking the young woman and fucking her stupid on the desk right here made me blink and stare at him. It was so vivid for him that my sight doubled for a moment as I shared his daydream in aching, exquisite detail. Lust surged as he thought what he wanted to do to his daughter. He actually lost control of himself at the thought, the cesspool of his mind opening clearly to me for perhaps the first time since we fought in his entry way. He never thought he’d have a chance to violate a part of himself like that--because it always came back to himself--and the darkness I saw in him wasn’t just sick, it was dirty… filthy. He had no limits, none at all. The more perverse it was the better, so long as he came out on top.

  His thought continued to race, but they faded away from me as I pulled out of his mind and put a hand over my mouth, staring at him in disgust.

  “That is sick,” I said, my voice flat. “That is… that is sick.” The thought of incest turned my stomach in ways I had never even contemplated. Sure, I dreamed about matricide, but… that was murder. Murder was cleaner. That was just wrong.

  Regulus gathered himself quickly, sensing that I’d seen more than he’d intended me to see, and stepped forward, hugging the girl tightly. I could only stare at him, disgust coiling around my stomach. I was a lot of things, but I had my limits… or did I? My thoughts went back to that cop’s family. I remembered well the heads I’d placed on the mantle, and my stomach flopped over. No kids, I told myself. Not again. Watching how badly Regulus wanted to possess his daughter made me lock that rule into place. The innocent shouldn’t suffer. The world sucked enough as it was without some psycho super villain going, well, psycho.

  The girl didn’t hear me, or didn’t care, and pulled back, grinning from ear to ear. “I knew you’d come for me,” she said again. “I’ve waited my whole life for this.”

  “I’ve waited my whole life for you to come for me too,” he said, dropping back into English as well, matching her grin with one of his own. He cupped her cheek tenderly, and drew her closer to him. I lowered my hand and flicked a finger at him, hitting his ear with my teke, hard. He yelped and backed up from the girl, holding his wounded appendage. I think I actually drew blood that time.

  “Behave,” I told him. To her, I turned, “How do you know he’s your father?”

  “My mother told me,” she said, not even glancing to me. She had eyes only for Regulus, drinking in the sight of him like a hungry woman. “And when I could, I confirmed it through the gene records.” She grinned toothily. My own lips tugged in response, and I schooled myself to passivity again. Her smile was positively infectious, even though I couldn’t read her psychically in the slightest.

  “Your mother?” he asked. “It must have been…” Regulus paused and looked her over, assessing her age to be about twenty or so. “...a while ago,” he finished, a bit lamely. I rolled my eyes at him and glanced to the door. I didn’t sense anyone else around, but since she was immune to our scans, others could be as well. It wouldn’t do to be surprised again. I examined her uniform quickly, and wondered about her goggles and mask. I didn’t see any other devices on her which might be the cause for her psychic invisibility.

  The girl’s face fell for a moment, then she smiled brightly, “It was a long time ago. You’ve been busy! I know, being a soldier, you were off on other worlds….”

  “What’s your name?” I asked, glancing towards the door again and switching back to German, hoping they both would get the hint. Odd conversations might be odd to an outsider, but conversations in another language could get us busted if someone passing through the hall overheard.

  “Night Siren!” she chirped in German, but I think I preferred the German version of ‘Nacht Sirene’.

  I shook my head, “I meant your real name. That might help to jog your daddy’s memory.”

  Regulus gave me a dirty look at the word ‘daddy’ over her shoulder, then turned back to the Siren, “She’s right. I’m Gerard, of course.”

  “Oh!” she said. “Rebekah.” She grinned again, “Rebekah Fürst.”

  Regulus groaned in my head as he reconnected telepathically with me, and I stifled a laugh in real time as the thoughts of his daughter being such a bright, shining, happy idiot. Well, maybe you shouldn’t fuck everything that moves, I told him, smirking. That’ll save you some taunts.

  Ugh, just… we’ll talk about it later, he sent to me. We need to get out of here. Aloud, he cleared his throat, “Well, I’m delighted to meet you, but I’m on a mission,” he said, switching back to German easily with us. “And I need to go.”

  “No, you’re not,” she said, frowning. “And what are you doing here anyway?”

  Yes, daddy, what are you doing here anyway? I asked, my mental voice halfway singing the words.

  He retaliated by sending visions of the Siren bent over naked, him ramming her from behind, and I shook my head and groaned, repulsed all over again. Truce? he asked as he smiled brilliantly, “Top secret, of course. I had to get some information, that’s all.”

  Rebekah shook her head, “No… you’re wanted.” The way she announced that so perky and chipper made me want to smack her, but she continued on in the next breath, “And wherever you’re going, I’m going with you.”

  Truce, I agreed finding it odd we taunted each other over the same thing, just with a different twist. Aloud I said, “You want to defect?”

  At that, she glanced over her shoulder at me, “I want to go with my father. I’ve been dreaming about this for as long as I can remember, and there’s no better time than now.” She sighed softly, a vacant look upon her features as she daydreamed aloud, “I’ve read everything I could on you, tried to figure out where you were fighting. Mother had said you were the best, smartest, handsomest man she’d ever met. She loved you so much! With all of her stories, I loved you too, even though I never met you.” She let out another sigh, and regarded Regulus with a solemn expression, but her eyes were shining. “I didn’t know what dimension you were in--I couldn’t get access to those records, but this is even better.” She smiled widely, grinning much as he did. “I know you need access to the portal rooms, and I’ve got it. Besides,” she said slyly, “if you don’t take me, I’ll raise the alarm.”

  Somehow, I wasn’t surprised she resorted to blackmail right away, and with a smile to boot. It must be a family trait. I looked at the door again, still not sensing anyone, then looked to Regulus. Your call, I sent. I didn’t care one way or another.

  I’m not taking her with us, he replied, his thoughts stained with regret as his lust was thwarted by the job. But I can’t sense her at all… and when I press, it’s like… a void. I can’t mind control her.

  Hard way then, I said, drawing my knife slowly and quietly.

  “Rebekah,” Regulus said as he drew an arm around her. “Are you sure? Leaving the Fatherland, and now you here, is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. It’s not something to be
taken lightly because we’re never coming back.” He turned her slightly so her back was fully to me.

  I slid my foot forward, taking a step, and jabbed viciously. The instant my blade touched the leather jacket, she disappeared into smoky darkness, melting away like Nosferatu did. I couldn’t stop my lunge in time, but Regulus jumped back on instinct. The blade only barely touched his uniform. The slight girl stepped out of the darkness behind me, and jabbed me in the back with her fist. Hers wasn’t a normal strength--she was stronger than me, several times over, and I threw up a shield, pushing back. When I turned she was gone again, leaving the ache in my back.

  “Well, fuck,” I said. Now I understood why her name was the ‘Nacht Sirene’; she was a beauty seemingly made out of shadows.

  She stepped out of the darkness near the door, looking hurt. “You were trying to kill me!”

  “Uh, yes?” I said, rubbing my back where she’d punched me. Nothing felt broken. “We can’t take you with us and you threatened to turn us in.”

  “Why can’t you?” she demanded, stamping her foot on the floor. “I want to go!”

  She’s more childish than you are, Regulus told me, holding up his hands towards her. “You’re holding all the cards here, so we agree. Help us, and you can come with. I don’t promise it’ll be an easier world to live in. You’ll be on your own when we get there.”

  Rebekah smiled, her teeth glimmering in the dark room. “I just wanted an opportunity, so thank you.” She looked between the two of us accepting our word on the value of our word alone, even after I tried to shank her. She was too trusting; she wouldn’t last long anywhere, but especially not in Imperial City. “Are you ready? You have everything done for your ‘secret project’?” Her voice turned a little taunting with the last words, as she knew that wasn’t what we were here for.

  “As far as I know,” I said, glancing to Regulus. When he nodded, I turned forward and we both approached her. “So… color me curious… why can’t we read you?”

  “Read me?” she asked, cocking her head to the side, confused.

  “Psychically,” I clarified.

  “Ah, that,” the Siren said, opening the door and striding out. “That’s my gift, what makes me super human. I have no… hm, psychic presence?”

  She’s empty-headed like a bobble toy, I told him, and he coughed into his hand to cover a laugh. “So you can’t be read telepathically? And I assume everything else that goes with it, no influence, no mind control, no brainwashing… that sort of thing?”

  “None at all,” she said, glancing behind her and flashing that wide smile again. “Schattenkraft can’t do jack to me.”

  Well, that’s inconvenient, Regulus thought, and I could very faintly hear another thought below that, thinking absently that he’d have to seduce her the hard way, somehow. I coughed and he laughed in my mind. You don’t have to see it if you don’t go looking, Reece. It also means we can’t talk to her telepathically to share plans which is also inconvenient, especially if we get into a firefight.

  That’s true, I thought back at him as we climbed the stairs. But she’s strong, and she can fight… and she’s got more current information than you. I really don’t see how we’re going to run into a problem.

  You never know, he said. I like to prepare for all contingencies, as much as possible, without over preparing too much. There’s something to be said for spontaneity and improvisation. It could work out to our advantage. He paused as we reached the top of the stairs and moved through the lobby, And there’s another ready made ally for you. Have you thought on that?

  I can’t read her mind, I complained. How can I trust her?

  That’s what trust is, silly, he laughed. You’ve never had to trust anyone before because you could read their minds, when you cared to. Although I seem to remember a certain fixer whose mind you didn’t bother to read deeply… something about turning you over to some people….

  I glanced at him, and bared my teeth in a silent snarl, while he laughed harder in my head. We exited the information building, and the Siren took us to where we were going next: research and development. The portals, once created, were huge and couldn’t be moved. Although I was sure they had other portals in other military or research facilities here and there, this was the first one they’d made here and from what Regulus said, it was at least the size of the one on Prime, if not larger. Big enough to fit most modern military armaments and vehicles. This was one of their main staging areas for their routine invasions of other dimensions, and as such, it was more guarded than the building we’d just been in.

  Much to our surprise, the guards posted at the portal building saluted the Siren, and let us through without even checking her credentials, or ours. We walked in, and while the front area was almost like a doctor’s office, clean and sterile, after a narrow hallway and some stairs, we found ourselves in a massive open area, a railing on the left to protect us from falling and a wall with doors on the right. Below us on the side we’d just entered was the silver ring, looking very much like the one on Prime, but bigger and marked with the Reich’s eagle insignia at the top. There was a wide ramp which led up to it, and in front of that stood military vehicles: personnel carriers, armored tanks, artillery, and so on. Troops milled about, moving crates here and there as they loaded supplies onto transports.

  Looks like they’re getting ready for an invasion, I sent to Regulus.

  He shrugged. “Missing out on the big ops, Rebekah?”

  “Yeah,” she said. “It’s not… I mean, it’s nothing I want to do anymore. I want to explore and talk to people, not you know… subjugate them. I don’t think it’s right.”

  Both of my brows shot up at that. “What about the Fatherland?”

  She squirmed, looking uncomfortable. “I was hoping to meet my father, but even if I couldn’t find him, I was going to leave.”

  Everyone had their limits I mused as I thought about my disgust with Gerard’s appetites and my newly made rule. We continued down the hall towards one of the smaller gate rooms, passing the control room for the big ops portal. There were four in all in this building: the big one below us, and three smaller, man sized portals used for sending individuals or small scouting parties. We had just about reached the other side of the building, and while I was absently noting the large garage like doors at the end open to receive more troops, Regulus elbowed me.

  What? I asked irritably.

  Do you see the coordinates? he asked, pointing surreptitiously at the electronic scrolling sign, which looked like something all banks had outside.

  They’re numbers, I sent. They don’t mean anything to me.

  They’re the dimensional coordinates for the invasion, along with the date, he replied. It’s starting tomorrow. Bright and early at eight.

  So? I asked, getting irritated at this song and dance. Will you get to the point already?

  He gave an aggrieved sigh. Didn’t you listen when I went over how to use the portal? How to program in the coordinates? I gave him another annoyed look, and he finished up quickly, The coordinates are for Earth Prime.

  Chapter Ten

  I stopped in my tracks, but Regulus urged me to keep going. Rebekah waited by the door, looking both impatient and eager, ready to go on her adventure. As soon as we entered the the smaller portal room and she closed the door behind us. I advanced on her, cornering her against the back of the door. Thankfully, she didn’t disappear in a cloud of darkness. Instead, she looked at me with bright, guileless eyes.

  “What?”

  “Did you know they were invading my home?” I snapped, biting off the question.

  “They’re… what?” she said, blinking her big blue green eyes in confusion. “No! How would I know that?”

  “How could you not know?” I said, seething. “You said you didn’t want to do this anymore and just as a coincidence Axis happens to be invading Earth Prime at the…” I trailed off. It was a coincidence. A really awkward and weird one, but it had to be. No
one knew what Regulus and I were doing, so it wasn’t like she could have planned anything. “I… hm.” I backed off, still working it through. The only ones who had even known I was looking for Regulus were Alistair and Malech, neither of whom talked to anyone. Regulus’ contacts may have known something was up when getting the uniforms he’d had made altered, as well as the forged money… but they wouldn’t have any way to contact anyone here. It really was just a coincidence. The thought of the Nazis in my home was more disconcerting to me than I had thought initially, considering how long it took me to work that out.

  “It wasn’t planned or anything!” she said, shoving my chest and making me step backwards. “I just want to get out of here! I don’t want to kill people no more, and I don’t want to be their rat, running through the mazes, getting poked and prodded… I don’t want that! Jeez!” She huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at me.

  “It’s a pretty remarkable coincidence,” I pointed out, and I could feel Regulus rolling his eyes behind me. I turned and snapped at him, “It is! And we have to do something about it!”

  “What? Do some… no,” he said, waving his hands in a strong negation. “No way, Reece. It’s an army, and your heroes on the other side will take care of it.”

  “At what cost?” I asked. “What if they come through to Imperial City and they have a nuke? What if they have a… I don’t know… biological weapon engineered to kill metas or something?”

  “We don’t have that--” Siren started to say, but Regulus cut her off.

  “We don’t save things, Reece,” he said. “We’re villains, remember? We take things. Kill people. Who cares if some people die? If a city or two gets leveled? It’s not like it’s going to succeed, and the heroes will drive them back. The Reich doesn’t have a chance.”