Page 4

H.A.Z.E

A n ominous presence settles in the air tonight, colder than a winter night and twice as dark. I tilt my head, pressing my elbows into the balcony and stare at the numerous guests forming a line into Queen Maya's Silver Palace.

Maya's castle lay atop a large hill that once overlooked New York—at least, that's what it was called before The Tearing. Now, none of it really matters. Countries, governments, borders, politicians—they're worthless. The lies were simply too big this time; what did it cost?

Too much, a normal person—no, creature —would say.

Person seems far too humane for what we've become. Survival is all that matters now. Humanity has been forced to its basest desires; we're nothing but animals now, no matter how pretty we like to dress up.

Once known as North America, this is District 2. There are no states, no regions, no borders. It's just one of the four lands that survived The Tearing.

The mansion stands like a beacon of light over the dozens of high-rise buildings cleaved off and abandoned on the streets.

A deep-red glow illuminates far in the distance; the area riddled with destruction and acting as a barrier to separate the broken from the slightly less broken.

If I listen closely enough—past the music, the chattering guests, the sirens, the fire crackling—I can hear them; Their prayers.

Their cries, right down to the tears shattering against broken concrete.

And I'm not the only one.

I glance down at the party, watching those obnoxious smiles, the bodies wrapped in jewellery and clothes worth thousands, turning a deaf ear and a blind eye to the pain bleeding red right before their eyes; acting as if they can't relate, as if they're not half as broken behind those complacent masks made of shadows.

I'd like to say I'm different, but I'm not. I'm wearing a low-cut silver slip dress that hangs around my neck. The material leaves my back completely exposed, but its length is decent and clings to my hips.

But I guess that's the problem, isn't it? The world doesn't stop for anyone; in this day and age, you could witness a rape or a murder in the town centre, and no one would stop. No one would care. So, I guess I shouldn't, either. It wouldn't be in my nature to, anyway.

Pathetic, aren't we?

We let a single man break us, break humanity. It's been five years, and the world still struggles to stand on its feet and rebuild what its lost. I guess the scars ran too deep this time.

"It's not the prettiest view, is it?"

A large man stands beside me, taking in the scene with a sad frown on his handsome face. He looks distressed and runs his hand—covered in fat, gold rings—over his bearded jaw. I pretend not to notice his leering gaze drag down my body.

I smile, and murmur softly, "No, Your Majesty, I can't say that it is."

Valadez Imperium—the Fae King—turns to me in surprise, his gaze finally meeting mine. "You know who I am?"

Suspicion knots his brows, deepening the lines on his face as he watches me with newfound interest.

"Well, I'm here under orders from General Axel Black of the Fourth District. Our leader, His Majesty King Rayan Akram, won't be joining you tonight, but he sends us in his steed."

King Imperium's eyes glint at the mention of his peer, or maybe it's the fact I discreetly revealed I'm human. Since the world broke, the different species rarely mingle. The Gods gave them each a land to lord over, and they obeyed without argument. Unless they’re Royals, of course.

The Royals like to come together every once in a while to show unity amongst the Districts, and it happened to fall on the same night as Grimm Crux's memorial.

The human leader is King Rayan Akram. To even mention his name reveals what I am, as I pretend not to know about His Majesty's selective taste in the kind of women— species— that catch his eye.

"Dressed like that?" His eyes roam my figure, tongue darting out to moisten his lips before once again meeting my shy gaze.

"General Black insists we blend in." I play with the ends of my dress, pulling the fabric down in a poor attempt to contain what little modesty I have. But the act only seems to bring him closer to me, like a moth to a flame. "I don't mean to cause any offence."

"No, no, it's alright." His Majesty chuckles, his large hand suddenly on my shoulder as he stares down at me through piercing, cobalt-blue eyes. "I just never knew Axel kept such a gorgeous woman around him."

"I'm on break now, actually… if you want to grab a drink, that is?" I smile, leaning into his touch and releasing my dress. I pretend not to notice as his gaze shifts to the fabric as it slides back up my thigh.

"I have a few minutes to spare; why don't we go somewhere more private for that drink?

" His Majesty smiles, taking my hand in his large one.

I bite my lip, nerves tightening in my chest. Valadez watches me with that same warm, effortless smile—the kind that has likely coaxed countless women into letting their guard down, luring them into his orbit with nothing more than quiet charm.

It's easy to trust a man like him. Who would fear someone known as the Healer ? A man who spent fortunes—not for power, but to stitch the broken remnants of civilisation back together.

And District 1, once known as Europe, bears his mark. Not an Empire, but a sanctuary; a refuge for the displaced, a home for the lost. He turned its streets into lifelines, its ruins into hope.

I allow His Majesty to take me away from the beautiful scenery and the chaotic silence behind me. To fill the quiet, I wonder aloud, "I admit, Your Majesty, General Black never mentioned you would make an appearance."

He chuckles lowly. "Yes, well, my presence is a bit of a secret." He turns to me, blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Let's keep this between us, shall we?"

I giggle behind my hand and lean closer to him. His hand slides from my wrist to my waist, and his large arm presses across my back to secure me at his side.

We stop outside a room. The low hum of the orchestra warms the silence as Mr. Imperium shuffles to find his keys. The rumours are true; he's an eager man.

Valadez's arm tightens around my waist as he slips his key into the lock, but his impatience practically rips the door open.

He lifts me up with one arm and carries me into his room.

I frown as he shoves me against the door so hard, it cracks in protest; a noise that I'm sure the creatures mingling below would have heard.

If I were human, the force would have broken my back, and if Valadez was in his right mind, he would have realised that.

I can feel his nails piercing into my skin as he peels the dress from my body, grabbing my ass and forcing my legs around his waist. The moment my sex makes contact with his erection, he growls low. "Fuck! I can feel your heat."

Can he? That's strange; I have no warmth left inside me.

He plants his lips on my neck while loosening his pants. I let my head drop to the side, watching the world through the backdrop across the room. I'm not sure I ever had a favourite colour; I never thought about it, but I like the bright red shining into the night.

His lips move lower, and I can feel the sharpness of his teeth move toward my breasts. I run a hand through his hair and pull his head back. "No biting."

If he tastes my blood, it'll only spur him on more.

He snarls, his hand coming around my neck as he growls, "Don't give me orders, Human." The word falls like venom from his lips, and I arch a brow, watching the Fae King lose control of himself.

His pale skin shimmers; a faint glow ripples just beneath his surface. His magic lingers there, as tiny specks of green flicker across his skin—elusive, ever-moving, as if the very air around him breathes with power.

With his pants finally loose, he throws me over the couch.

I practically fly across the room when the back of the sofa punches into my stomach.

I grunt, instinctively grabbing the cushions while my ass is in the air.

Valadez doesn't hesitate and plunges himself into me without any goddamn restraint.

I snarl, gripping the couch for support as he starts to fuck me. Something cold trickles down my leg, and I turn my head enough to see his nails buried deep, ripping apart the skin on my waist.

I can't help it; I laugh. He's gone crazy.

Is he so consumed by his pleasure that he doesn't see the colour bleeding out of my skin?

"You're so tight," he moans, sliding his hand through my hair, and I narrow my gaze. Before I can rip his hand away, he pulls my head back and sinks his teeth into my neck.

Dammit! This is getting out of control.

He comes the moment my blood touches his tongue, but he keeps going. I scowl and rip myself away from his teeth before flipping us over. The action is so sudden, he falls onto his ass, but now that Valadez has my blood on his tongue, he'll have the energy to fuck me for days.

He grabs my bloodied legs and forces me to straddle him; the moment he's back inside me, he continues to fuck like a mindless animal. I snatch his neck and pin him to the ground right when a bitter taste engulfs my tongue, and I slowly release the pressure.

Without thinking, I sink my teeth into his neck to remove the effects of my blood from his veins, which causes him to come again. By the time I'm done, Valadez lays limp on the floor, falling in and out of consciousness as I sit above him, his deflating cock still planted inside me.

"That…" he breathes, breathless, "... was amazing."

I blink, watching him. I don't bother to speak, allowing him to live in his mindless, blissful state a while longer.

A loud explosion suddenly shatters through the silence far in the distance, a blinding white light engulfing the sky before slowly dying out; it's not long before the cries and screams of creatures in the area disturb the night.

"It seems the monsters beyond the wall strolled too deep into our territory," I mutter as Valadez remains completely still below me. I smile as the taste of fear slowly penetrates the air.

"W-What i-is this?"

"I don't usually allow my targets to fuck me, but the ones that do always end up so…" I glance at Valadez, and smile as he stares at my body covered in black. "Disappointing."

“W-What are y-you?!” He tries to get up, his fangs extending over his lips, but I place a hand on his thick neck and shove him back down. Hard. His eyes widen, his fear becoming a drug that I greedily consume.

I chuckle softly and lean down until my breasts press against his chest, and my eyes are level with his.

The monster inside me opens her eyes, peering at Valadez so he can’t escape my golden eyes.

His own eyes widen as he sees my true form: the tattoos trailing down my arms, up the side of my neck, along the side of my face, and connecting at my forehead; a pattern of intricate swirls and circles with foreign letters that I never bothered to understand.

I whisper on his lips, "You know."

Even as Valadez trembles in absolute terror, I feel his cock hardening inside me, and he whispers, "N-No."

I sit up as Valadez shakes below me, completely paralysed, as I slide my free hand over his chest—right over his heart. "If you weren't such a prisoner to your lust, you would have known." I smile. "Not that it would have saved you."

My hand tears through skin, muscle, and bone, until I've got a hold of his still-beating heart before ripping it out of his chest and presenting the pulsing red muscle before him.

Valadez's eyes are wide, filled with horror and fear. His blood drips down my knuckles and falls onto his cheek, sliding down to his jaw. And there, he's frozen, his face a picture of terror and helplessness.

I let his heart roll off my fingertips and splatter onto the ground. His Majesty, Valadez Imperium, lost in the darkness—for eternity.