Page 15

MERCY

I knewdaylight had finally broken because the world was falling apart around me. My phone rattled in the back pocket of my leather tights and my help was casting me worried looks with each passing moment. They were wary around me today, but rightfully so. I had to slice two of their throats for trying to sneak into Cecelia’s room last night. They avoided me like the plague, not daring to meet my eyes and pretending to run errands. Good, I wasn’t in the mood to have any company today, anyway.

I shook my head as one scurried past the door frame and pulled out the device from my pocket with long slender fingers, tapping the ignore button once more and tossing the dreaded thing across the counter. Let them go to voicemail. My arms rested on either side of the island and I dipped my head between them.

Blood. I needed blood.

The kitchen was by far the most extravagant part of my home, but easily the room that I spent the least amount of time in. I couldn’t even remember what food tasted like anymore. The room was empty, though, and after the events of yesterday, I needed the quiet. My hands pushed off the island and found their way to the handle of the fridge. It was the thought of food that made the burn in my throat immediately unbearable. I hated the fucking thirst. It was a constant fire that sat at the base of my throat, the metallic taste of my saliva not doing a damn thing to relieve it.

What was worse was the ever-lovingneed. There was a long-standing acceptance that the thirst for blood was the price you paid for immortality, but the gods never once mentioned the eternal desire for sexual pleasure. The feeling at my core pounded just as bad as the one in my throat, and I only had the solution to one of those problems right in front of me.

I meant to only retrieve a freshly bottled jar of blood from the fridge, but stood staring open mouthed at it instead.

It wasn’t empty like I had been expecting, Narcissa had filled it, after all. I was so sure she wouldn’t, despite my threat.

The shelves were full of colors, something I hadn’t seen in a long time. Green leaves and yellow bananas, and jars of things that had labels I didn’t even bother to read. There was a stirring in my dead chest at the sight; seeing the fridge full of something other than a monochromatic array of reds in bottles moved something within me. I could feel nostalgia wash over me, a lifetime so long ago I couldn’t even remember it properly if I tried.

My hand hovered over a bag of yellow citrus fruits before pushing them aside and grabbing a glass bottle. The blood sloshed over the rim, staining a few runaway lemons, but I closed my eyes and shut the door. My lips turned up in a curl and I brought the bottle up to my lips. No, not even pretending like this was a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade distracted me from the taste.

The thick syrup didn’t quite quench the thirst, but it kept the fire at bay long enough for me to focus. I drained the bottle in one large gulp, wiping at the traces left across my lips.

One need, satiated.

The sound of the phone rattling against the counter again pierced my momentary focus. Despite my reluctance, it was time to return back to the world that was falling apart, so I grabbed the phone and my nail tapped against the green answer button.

“What do you need?” My voice carried from the hollow kitchen and into the hallway. I learned early on that pleasantries were a weakness, it became a habit to just get right to the point, and loudly.

“Cut the crap princess, we’ve got a situation on our hands,” the voice was familiar, but certainly not welcome. Thankfully, I was already prepped for this conversation, though Ididwant to continue avoiding it as long as possible.

“A problem? There’s always a problem in Sin City. It’s sort of whywe’rehere.”I do assume you mean the situation where I killed Nathaniel though, correct?

“I’m not kidding, Merc.“ The voice sounded rough and ragged, like it hadn’t had a chance to wake up fully yet. I glanced at the clock on the oven and smiled. I expected them to find Nate’s body much sooner than ten past seven in the morning; we must have been better at hiding the body than I thought.

“Fine,” I seethed at the tone, “then you better be more specific, Warren, because I don’t know how to respond to you when you don’t give mespecifics.”

There were cluttered sounds on the other end of the receiver, but I couldn’t decipher what they were. Warren took a deep breath, as if he was annoyed at me.Good.

“The boss isdeadMercy. Dead. Like not the immortal kind, but the permanent kind. He is six feet underground, somewhere in the desert. I don’t fucking know how, but it’sbad.”

“What do you mean, dead?” I asked, feigning shock.

“Don’t be naive, Mercy, you know exactly what the fuck I mean.”

Fuck. I guess Warren knew me better than I gave him credit for. Here’s to hoping I didn’t underestimate him anymore than that.

“Okay, fine,” I snapped, “Dead is dead. What’s the big deal? We knew he was going to die eventually, he had a huge target on his back. Shit, he probably got caught up in a deal, or pushed a blood bag too far. You never know anymore. Nate wasn’t careful, you know.”

“Cocky son of a bitch,” he agreed. I breathed a sigh of relief.

The ever revolving door of empire influencers was something to be wary of in my quest of attaining the newly emptied position, but it was nothing that stopped me from wanting it. Nate, too. He was reckless because he didn’t think he could die. He thought he was invincible and it cost him, I wouldn’t be that stupid.

“. . . It’s hard to say what their next move is. They’re being too quiet about it. I think they know who it is.”

The dreadedthey, the Known and the Authority. It was the closest form of government that we had. The hairs on my arm stood straight up and my brows furrowed. There was no way, no way in hell they could know. I was too smart, I covered my tracks.

“How could they know that quickly?” I asked. I’d have to make a mental note to speak with Narcissa about her clean up last night.

“I don’t know, it’s just what’s circulating. Sounds like they have a lead though. I’ll let you know if I find out more.”