Page 34 of The Devil of London

I watched in captivated silence as my breathing grew labored with the fear filling the space around us. The magic inside me sprang to the surface, craving to play with him. It took effort to slam the box within me closed to prevent the magic from spilling free.

The black cyclone spun around the man, who opened his jaw to release a bloodcurdling scream that made my ears bleed. It should not have even been possible, but the ravens dove into his mouth. Blood poured from his eyes and nose, dripping in soft, wet droplets to the floor. No sooner had the last raven disappeared into the man’s throat than the first one tore from his torso, and one after another, they punched through his flesh, leaving gaping wounds that exposed organs, bones, and muscles.

The other men shrieked as they began grappling against their restraints. I didn’t blame them. The miserable bastard had a full flock of ravens still seeking to escape his corpse. The wet sound of flesh ripping diminished, and then the guy’s body hunched forward. The ravens blasted from his flesh, sending chunks and fragments of him sprinkling the floor. Khaos raised his hand, and a flurry of cinders and ravens all smashed into it, as if it was a portal.

“So, who wishes to talk to me now?” he inquired, examining the faces of the men. “No one? Shall I continue my way down the line, then?”

“No, sir. The thing is, we don’t know why we were there. Honestly, we have no memory of being around your shipment.” The voice sounded young, which forced me to fight to keep my features cold and detached. He couldn’t be a day older than nineteen.

“That doesn’t sound likely or believable. My men found you five in the truck, unloading the goods. Now, why would you be in my truck if you were not the one stealing my shipment?” At Khaos’s words, my focus shifted back to the men with an impassive eye. I silently scanned their clothing and faces.

I’d set up many things, but this wasn’t my doing. Unlike Khaos, I had boundaries I did not cross. Kids weren’t allowed to be selected, nor were honest folks. It was composed of those who were dispensable. Criminals who cared little about harming good folks or killing others. Pretty much, I’d used those without a moral compass because the world became a better, safer place without their ilk within it. Once I had finished with them, the Feds I’d tipped off picked them up for their crimes and put them away. Plus, my moves were ones that would hurt Khaos where it mattered most. In a matter of days, his clubs would shut down. The assholes running his guns, drugs, and other shit would become ill, leaving a trail of bodies that would lead back to him.

“I know it sounds crazy, sir. Trust me, I know. But I woke up there and I felt compelled to unload the truck. Which we were doing when your men showed up. It’s all there, man. Check it, we didn’t even have another vehicle to load the shipment up on. We’d merely placed everything beside it on the road. Hell, your men couldn’t even get past the shit to park. I swear!”

“Is that true?” Nasir asked. D’Arcy nodded his dark head at Khaos. “You know one another? Which tells me that you’re feeding me a line of bullshit or think me fool enough to buy your half-assed tale.”

“No, sir. Well, I mean—”

“If you lie to me, you’ll die in a worse manner than your friend did, boy.”

“I just meant I don’t know them personally. I’ve seen them in the shelter a time or two.” At the young man’s statement, I scanned their clothing and exhaled a soft puff of air.

“Something to add?” Khaos hissed.

“Look at their shoes and clothes. None of them look clean, Nasir. They’re ragged and unshaven. They look homeless and underfed.”

“So they are,” he acknowledged. “You said you felt compelled?”

“I couldn’t stop. I wanted to because I didn’t want to die, but something inside me didn’t allow it. Even after they’d shot one man, I kept moving like my body wasn’t even mine anymore. Look, everyone in this town knows you are not one to cross. You’re a fucking kingpin, for fuck’s sake. We’d have to be the biggest idiots to think stealing from you would be a good idea.”

“Shut the fuck up, idiot,” the man snarled. “Yapping your lips will not stop him from murdering your ass, stupid fucking kid.”

“Screw you! I didn’t do this. Iwouldn’tdo this to him.”

Tilting my head, I studied the man’s mottled face. There was something sinister inside of him, something dark and oily within him made me feel ill. As the man lunged toward the kid as if he’d be able to reach him in chains, a cruel smile played on his mouth when the kid didn’t back down.

“You best hope he kills us, boy.”

Magic shot forward from Khaos without warning. The man’s shriek echoed in my ears as something black and shimmering cut through his stomach, severing him in two. Blood splattered the kid’s face, but he didn’t flinch or recoil from the horror. Almost as if he’d grown accustomed to being around death every day of his young life.

“He’s not entirely mortal,” I stated for Khaos’s ears alone.

“I’m very aware of what he is.” Biting my lip, I waited to see what Khaos would do. “Can you gain entrance into their subconscious?”

“I can, but it isn’t a simple thing to do. It’ll leave me more drained than I care to be.”

“That sounds like a personal problem. Do it,” he ordered.

“Your wish is my command, Master.” I snorted as I turned, heading toward the center of the room.

Chapter Fifteen

BadOmens“LikeaVillain” pumped through the speakers around the room, and the moment I was out of range of Khaos, I held my hands out as the power rushed to them. Fibers of time and space weaved through my fingertips, until I found a thread I was looking for, pinching it between my thumb and forefinger.

Then, I ripped the space open.

The entire room went silent as the upper room of my shop appeared. While the frayed edges dripped liquid fire, I stepped one foot through the hole. Straddling both places, I glanced toward Khaos, who was standing still, his eyes roving over the shop he’d never stepped foot inside before. A flick of my finger had my altar drifting through the opening and then carefully lowering to the wooden planks Khaos had placed over the ruined flooring when he’d set this place up.

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