Page 33 of Frosty and the Reaper
According to the information he extracted from Amon’s mind, the God of Slumber made a habit out of opening a nightclub for a few years, selling it, then moving onto the nextcity where he did it all over again. That pattern allowed him to lay low and stay off the radar.
To the public, Somni was a respectable businessman who had grown up overseas. However, under that polished veneer, he specialized in trafficking visitors from his clubs and selling them at private auctions. People went missing every day, and crimes committed in different cities were rarely connected unless there was a distinct pattern. That had allowed him to get away with his crimes for centuries.
For that alone, Somni deserved to die.
But his death had already been determined long ago.
Zander scanned the crowd, searching for a sign of his target. He wanted to get the task over and done with so he could get back to his mate. It had been less than an hour away from her, and he was already aching to see her again.
It had been a long time since he’d had to scan the minds of so many people at once, and he was getting a headache from all the noise. He attempted to focus on the employees, hoping to gain some insight into where the God of Slumber might be, and hit the jackpot with a bartender with pink hair.
“That bartender with the pink hair is preparing bottles for the owner’s suite in back. I think the server will lead us right to him,”Zander said to Devlin.
“Good. I forgot how much I hate these types of places.”Devlin paused, then added,“I also forgot to mention our presence here might be noticed if we linger too long. Strong magic interferes with tech. That means phones, the security system, and cameras will all be glitching until we leave.”
“This won’t take long,”Zander promised.
As a bouncer unhooked a velvet rope to allow the server carrying a tray of bottles through, Zander and Devlin followed her into the back room that was sectioned off by thick curtains. There were a dozen people seated on dark blue sofas with highscalloped backs. A few scantily clad females danced together, while more fawned over the different males seated on the couch.
In the center of it all was Somni. He was dressed in a gaudy shirt he’d left unbuttoned almost down to his navel that looked like it was covered in gold chains, brown pants, and a belt with a wide gold buckle. His brown hair was cut into a shaggy mane, and he wore thick gold chains around his neck and amber-tinted sunglasses.
“He looks like a seventies porn star,”Devlin said in disgust.
“I don’t even know what that means.”
“Be glad of that. I’ll clear the room so you can have some alone time with that asshole.”
Devlin suddenly disappeared from the room, taking everyone else except for Somni with him. Once Zander was alone with Somni, he allowed himself to be seen. Somni glanced around in confusion, then his gaze locked on Zander. Sheer terror made his eyes go wide, and he pulled off his sunglasses as he scrambled to his feet.
“War! It’s been a long time!Look, what happened to you and the other reapers really sucked. I get it. But it wasn’t my idea. I was coerced. I swear. That bastard Famine lied about what would happen. It wasn’t my fault. Seriously, man. It happened a really long fucking time ago. Don’t you think it’s time you sort of, you know, just got over it?”
“Got…over…it?”
“Yeah, I mean, you’re awake, aren’t you? You’re alive and looking better than ever! See? No harm, no foul.” He let out a nervous laugh as he backed away a few steps.
The distance did him no good.
Using his magic, Zander called Somni to him so that his hand wrapped around his throat. Lifting him off his feet, he stared at the frightened male with blazing red eyes. He ruthlessly delvedinto the male’s mind, searching for any information he might find useful.
Somni showed not the slightest hint of regret for any of his actions. Instead, he reveled in the belief that it was not only acceptable, but an honor for those with power to dominate and exploit those who were weaker. That was the same mentality that had gotten him hooked up with Famine in the first place.
While Famine had planned to become the emperor of all the supernaturals, Somni had wanted control over the celestials. And once he had control, he would have used their combined power to take Famine out.
There was no honor amongst betrayers.
“You have been sentenced to death.” His voice rang with power as he spoke. “Never to return.”
“Wait! You can’t just—”
Zander ripped his soul out before he could finish that statement. He crushed the soul, making sure that kind of evil would never be unleased within the six realms again, then he recalled the magic into the iridescent mark on his palm and returned it to the source.
“Are you finished here?” Devlin asked as soon as he teleported back into the room. “A couple of those girls had been drugged. I purged it from their systems and sent them home. I also sent the males off to a few of my people to teach them a lesson since I can’t be bothered with scum like them. All in all, this didn’t take us long.”
“Night’s not over yet,” Zander said regretfully. “There is a secret room hidden in Somni’s house that has all the evidence the human authorities need to break down their business. But first, there is a human trafficking auction going on in a building a few blocks away with a lot of nasty people attending. How do you feel about committing a little slaughter?”
Devlin grinned. “Have I told you how much I’ve missed you?”
“You can tell me just how much after the bloodshed.”