My throat tightened. I picked up the menu, focusing on my options. The small portions reduced the risk of making myself sick. Even though I didn’t need to eat anymore, I still enjoyed food from time to time. Spices hot enough to burn my mouth, meat cooked extra rare, desserts so rich and sweet more than a few small spoonfuls could overwhelm your taste buds. Having to limit myself sucked, but I already knew exactly what I wanted.
Mouth watering, I glanced over at Cyrus. Would he even let me order for myself?
He lay his folded menu on the table and looked at me expectantly. “I rarely indulge. What would you recommend?”
Who is this guy? A cordial Cyrus was like a lion at the zoo, looking all cuddly until you got close enough for him to rip your arm off. There were enough people around to keep my limbs attached to my body, even Cyrus couldn’t compel them all to look away if he—
“For god’s sakes, Lydia, I’m not going to hurt you.” Cyrus smirked when I arched a brow at him. “Well, not here anyway. Can’t we enjoy one meal together?”
Unlikely, but I shrugged. “The ‘Donkatsu of Death’ is amazing. They’ll bring you milk in case it’s too spicy for you. I never need it.”
Cyrus let out an incredulous laugh. “Milk? I haven’t had milk since I was an infant. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Twenty minutes later, I smirked around my fork as Cyrus’s eyes watered. He cleared his throat, tugging at the collar of his shirt. Then he reached for his water.
“That’s a bad idea.” I took another bite, relishing in the intense burn as he glared at me. The pork cutlet, covered in a blood-colored chili sauce, both savory and tender, tempted me to keep eating every last bite, but I had to save room for dessert.
That most people gave up after a mouthful gave me the perfect excuse to push my plate aside, but I couldn’t help taking one more nice sized chunk just to watch Cyrus squirm.
He shook his head and took a gulp of water. Then choked on it.
“Told you.” I sat back, folding my arms over my chest, snickering as he grabbed the milk. He gulped down half the glass and my smile widened. “You might wanna slow down before you make yourself sick.”
His eyes narrowed, but he put the glass down. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you.”
“Very much.”
“Bitch.”
“Mmhmm.” I nodded to the waitress who came over to collect our plates. She had a smug look on her face, likely used to patrons thinking they could take on the challenge of eating the fiery dish and get their food free.
I’d done it once, irritated when one waitress told me, in a condescending tone, that I should ‘let my man choose something else’. Daederich hadn’t even lectured me when I’d spent most of the night puking up my guts. By then I’d known how much my body could absorb, so I rarely overdid it, but my pride overruled common sense.
Thinking of Daederich rubbing my back while I shivered, blood-tinted sweat slicking my flesh as my body rejected the food it didn’t need, brought a sharp pain to my chest. I forced a smile when the waitress returned, and ordered the brownie fudge, not commenting when Cyrus suggested we share.
I was ready for this fucked up little date night to end.
“I hadn’t considered the memories would make this so unpleasant for you. I apologize.” Cyrus rubbed his jaw, studying me. “Perhaps I can make it up to you?”
“You let me out of my cage. That’s something at least.” I took a small sip of water, knowing it would intensify the burn, needing it to last a little longer. “Why are you doing this anyway?”
“I spoil my favorite pets from time to time.” He lifted his shoulders, then rested his elbows on the table, folding his hands together. “You lost your past after I took you. How would you feel if I gave some of it back?”
I picked up my spoon as the waitress set the brownie fudge in front of me, admiring the beautiful plating. Vines and tiny leaves had been painted on the plate in dark chocolate. Fine, the visuals didn’t change the taste, but since I couldn’t eat much, every single detail added to the experience.
And gave me an excuse to ignore Cyrus’s question. Until I could absorb what he’d offered, at least. Food was easier. Food didn’t terrify me.
Filling the emptiness where my memories should be? Did I even want that anymore? The little I’d learned about my former self told me I wouldn’t have liked that young woman very much. She’d been a daughter my father could be proud of.
Which meant she’d probably been a heartless bitch.
Cyrus reached for the brownie. I smacked his hand with the spoon.
His brow shot up.
“Don’t offer me chocolate, then mess with it. You can torture me later. I’ll break your fingers now.” I gently spooned a small piece of brownie, careful not to ruin the design, watching him as I brought the spoon to my lips. “As for my past… I don’t want to know.”
“Really?” He sounded genuinely surprised. “You don’t believe knowledge is power?”
“The right knowledge? Absolutely. But what could you possibly tell me about my past that would help me now?”
Lips curving slightly, Cyrus lifted his shoulders. “Only why Rosali hates you so much. But you’re right. What good would it do you to know that?”
I sucked my teeth, turning my attention back to the brownie. He was right, but I’d rather be boiled alive than admit that to him.
He chuckled, reaching out to wrap his hand around my wrist, his tone low. “If it wouldn’t ruin this body I enjoy so much, I might consider showing you exactly how that feels.”
Fisting my hand on the table, I glared at him. “I’m happy you’ve stopped pretending not to be a sick fuck.”
“When have I ever pretended to be other than what I am?”
“You’re pretending to be nice.”
“Can’t I be both?”
I blinked at him. Was this his idea of a joke?
“Yes. Now laugh.” He let out a heavy sigh when I chewed on my bottom lip. “You really must lighten up. Now would you like to know or not?”
This back and forth was getting us nowhere. I inhaled slowly. Nodded.
Cyrus smiled, relaxing his hold on my wrist, though he didn’t release me completely. He lightly traced his fingers along my pulse, a distant look in his eyes. “Whatever else your father may be, he is a very good teacher. Daederich getting as far as he did was impressive, but really, not all that surprising. He’s a hardened soldier with decades of experience. You were little more than a child.”
I set my spoon on the table, forgetting my dessert.
“Most of your kills happened under your father’s watch. Rogues no one would ever miss. Your first solo hunt, he expected you to go after more of the same. Instead, you began investigating the deaths of several children, in different cities, that no one else had connected. Rosali can be rather messy.”
“I went after her? Alone?”
“Yes. You were a cocky little thing.” Cyrus’s lips slanted. “You haven’t changed much.”
Rolling my eyes, I motioned for him to go on.
“Her guards didn’t watch her so closely then. She has highly skilled assassins to protect her during the day while she sleeps, assuming hunters will come for her when she’s most vulnerable. You’d seen several taken down by them and decided you’d stand a better chance against her, one on one.” He shook his head and laughed. “She would have killed you instantly if she hadn’t been so shocked to see you stepping into her bedroom, gun drawn, smiling at her as though you’d already won. It helped that she’d never been shot before.”
Well damn, I’d managed to shoot the bitch. Go me!
Cyrus let out an abrupt laugh. “Yes, well you were quite impressed with yourself. So impressed you pulled out your sword rather than shoot her again and make sure she was down for more than a moment. You then proceeded to tell her how she deserved a slow death, but it would be enough to simply end her before she harmed another child.”
“Fuck.” I shook my head
, pretty sure I knew how this story would end. “Why didn’t I just cut the bitch’s head off?”
“You tried. But this was your first time attempting to take the head off an immortal who was still mobile. The blade barely touched her before she was across the room, calling for her guards.” He shook his head. “You managed to shoot her again and escape before they arrived.”
“Why would she… She could have come after me herself. Snapped my neck before I made it to the door.”
“Absolutely. But you frightened her. Rosali doesn’t react well when she’s overwhelmed. She relies on manipulation and poisons rather than strength, preferring to feed on children because they’re easy prey.” His tone softened, his smile almost tender. “The way she lures them in is a sight to behold. All they see is a beautiful young woman with a sweet smile. I’ve seen young mothers hand their babies to her, completely enthralled, never suspecting a thing until—”
“Jesus…” My stomach turned and I pushed away from the table. “No wonder I wanted her dead.”
He inclined his head. “Well, yes. Unfortunately, you failed to kill her, but I admired the effort. I decided I had to have you.”
“Lucky me.”
Pulling out a stack of bills, Cyrus dropped them on the table, then stood, offering me his hand. “If it’s any consolation, you put up a hell of a fight. When it became clear you couldn’t escape, you tried to bash your own skull in against the cement wall of your first cell. I killed the first three doctors who gave you up for dead. The forth was much more motivated.”
My mouth went dry. I brought a shaky hand to my head. “I did this to myself?”
Cyrus gently cupped my cheek as I sat there, stunned. “Does that shock you? You don’t fear much, Lydia, but you panic when you feel trapped. Keeping you with Daederich distracted you with the hope of breaking free. I never truly believed you’d ever escape me though.”
“But I didn’t.” I pressed my eyes shut. “I won’t as long as we’re both still alive.”
“But you want to live and you can’t kill me.” Cyrus tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Maybe I can make you want to stay.”
I let out a rough laugh, cutting it short when Cyrus pulled away, but he simply held up my jacket, waiting patiently as I slipped it on.
Once we were outside, Cyrus started in the direction of Forsyth Park, strolling along, holding my arm like we were a regular couple, simply enjoying the scenery. Even in early spring, there was plenty to enjoy, but I couldn’t focus on the majestic oaks with their wispy veils of hanging moss. The scent of blood called to me every time a young couple passed us. Tempting, but I could resist. I rarely killed to feed, and my victims were never innocent.
The monster at my side didn’t share my discerning tastes. Even now he was watching two teens making out on a park bench, touching his tongue to a fang as his eyes took on a predatory gleam.
“Don’t.” I tightened my grip on his arm when he took a step toward them. “Please don’t. Not them.”
His brow rose. “Then who, Lydia?” His lips curved. “Actually, yes. I do like that idea. Pick someone for us to share. I’m curious who would be to your ‘tastes’.”
Shit. I’d walked right into that one. I turned my head, desperately searching all those fresh young faces for a hint of cruelty, a stray thought that might make them easier to condemn to death. I’d take a shady drug dealer at this point.
But there was nothing. The park might as well be filled with angels.
“I won’t pick someone for you to kill.” I tugged my bottom lip between my teeth, hugging myself as a chill slithered over my skin. Nothing I said mattered. One of them would die and he’d force me to take part. I wouldn’t trade a single one of their lives for Alrik’s.
Cyrus rubbed my shoulder. “Now now, no need for this to be unpleasant. What if I let them live? Who would you choose then?”
I blinked at him, not sure what game he was playing. “Have you ever fed without killing?”
“I have. From you, if you recall.” He turned me to face him. “They won’t even have to remember whatever we do to them. Consider their life my gift to you.”
There were so many things wrong with that statement, but no point in trying to explain that to him. I didn’t want him to change his mind, so I started down the path, rejecting one cute couple after another, finally settling on a handsome young man, standing alone near the fountain, smoking a cigarette and staring at the water. I couldn’t read his thoughts, but his expression was troubled, as though he’d had a horrible night and wasn’t sure what to do next.
His night wasn’t going to get any better, but maybe I could make him forget whatever had him looking so sad. If Cyrus kept his word the man would wake up tomorrow, tired, maybe a little confused, but still alive.
“Interesting choice.” Cyrus motioned me forward. “He’s all yours.”
I took a deep breath, approaching the young man quietly. Fuck, nothing at that fancy restaurant smelled as good as he did. Better than melted chocolate and coffee brewing first thing on a cold morning. Barbequed steak in the summer, slathered in a spicy sauce. All my favorite foods wrapped in the perfect package, beckoning with every beat of his heart. Resisting him was like saying no to a plate full of food while your stomach growled and your mouth watered. Only worse, because my hunger had the control of a dog kept tied up and starved, only holding back because it had been beaten into submission.
Jerking on the leash of my savage side, I forced myself to see him as a living, breathing person. Not food. He was tall, shoulders broad, with a nicely angular jaw and smooth, tanned flesh. Such soft skin, with a nice rosy tint, his blood nice and hot under the heavy layers he didn’t need. Person, not food. His hair, light brown and slightly overgrown, reached the collar of his grey wool jacket, spilling over his dark brown eyes.
He looked up as I stepped to his side, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Do you have an extra smoke?” I gave him my sweetest smile, tamping down the automatic awkwardness of approaching a stranger. I’d never done this before. The handful of times I’d fed from a killer, or a rapist, Daederich had grabbed them, knocking them out cold before holding their limp body out to me like a very big bag of chips to snack on.
No conversation. No doubt. They were guilty and deserved to die.
“Sure.” The young man pulled out a pack of cigarettes, shaking one loose and handing it to me. He flicked a lighter as I held it to my lips.
“Thank you.” I pulled in a bit of smoke, not fond of the taste, but feeling nothing. Coughing would have been even more embarrassing than trying to find something to say. “Are you from around here?”
“Just up the street.” He braced his foot on the edge of the fountain and shook his head. “I used to love coming here, but I haven’t in so long. Just didn’t have the time, you know?”
I nodded as though I understood, but I really didn’t. If I had a normal life, I wasn’t sure I could stay away from a place like this. Being able to walk through a beautiful park every day, even just to take in the peace, the scent of the humid air, see the branches hanging over the path gently swaying in the breeze, was everything I’d never have. So simple. So easy for most to take for granted.
He shook his head and sighed. “You’re a tourist, aren’t you?”
“It’s that obvious?” I grinned and brought the cigarette to my lips, sure I’d been holding it too long without doing so.
“You’ve got that look in your eyes. Like everything is so shiny and new.” He shrugged, his lips curving slightly. “I haven’t felt that way about anything in a long time.”
The sadness in his tone made pushing aside the urge to put him on the menu much easier. I could almost forget Cyrus standing there, waiting for me to do just that.
Nodding again, I followed his gaze to the fountain, watching the circular flow spill into the bubbling pool below. “I’ve been there. But I lost the chance to enjoy moments like this, so I guess I don’t take anything f
or granted. Tomorrow I might not have the chance to just…be free to see anything beyond those same four walls.”
He pressed his lips together, turning to face me. “There’s nothing worse than feeling trapped. I get that.”
Why did it seem like he knew exactly what I meant? Not the vague ‘four walls’ people talked about when they hated their job, or their home, but the walls of a prison you couldn’t escape.
Maybe I just needed to believe this conversation meant something. That I hadn’t slipped up and exposed my reality to someone who couldn’t possibly understand. Sure, I had Elah, but he wasn’t here now. He was still in that cage, while I’d been given a brief respite.
A gift from Cyrus. One that would make going back even harder.
But only if I let it. I couldn’t. I had to remember why I’d chosen this man. Had to pray Cyrus would keep his promise to let him live when we were done with him.
I let out a tight laugh and took another puff from the cigarette. “I’m sorry, you look like you’ve been having a rough night already, and I’m not helping.”
“You are, actually.” He ducked his head, a boyish smile on his lips. “I was feeling pretty alone, and it’s nice to have someone to talk to.” He glanced over at Cyrus. “But you should probably get back to your boyfriend. I’m surprised he’s not annoyed that you’re ignoring him.”
Cyrus letting me ignore him for so long was pretty awesome, but I eyed him cautiously, not sure how patient he’d be if I didn’t make a move soon. He caught my gaze, lips curving slightly, then turned his attention to the teens who’d left their make-out session on the bench to take selfies in front of a tree.
Biting the tip of my tongue, I scrambled for a way to move things along with my chosen target. “He…we…we’re trying something different tonight.”
The man’s brow lifted. “Oh?”
“Yeah…” My cheeks heated. I brought the cigarette to my lips, pulling the smoke in hard. “It’s a stupid game, but we’re trying to spice things up. I…I’ve never done this before, so I’m not sure where to start. But I noticed you, standing here alone.”
The End (Deadly Captive Book 3) Page 9
