Page 14 of Last Hope
Victoria listened intently for a sign of life coming from the snake woman and when she found none, she turned to where Isis’s girlfriend lay and went over to her. Her breathing was shallow and Victoria smelled blood. Quickly and efficiently, Victoria switched back to her human form and knelt beside the girl. She could smell blood on her, along with snake poison.
She lifted up the girl’s hands where she saw the cut; it was deep and swollen, already oozing with puss. Victoria swore and, using one of her long nails, she made a slit in the wound and squeezed the puss out. It was yellow and green and it smelt gross, but when it was clean of all of that, Victoria wiped it away and bent and pressed her mouth against the wound to suck the poison out.
She spit it all out to the side and continued the process until she was positive there was no more poison in her system. And then she looked at the girl. Her hair was a dark auburn color, and her skin was a little dark. She looked European, Victoria thought with bored disinterest. Then again, she could care less where the girl was from, as long as she was alive.
With a sigh, she stood up and placed her hands against her hips. Why was it, she thought, that every time she expected her day to go peacefully, stupid shit like this had to happen? She would walk, hoping for a peaceful conversation but the situations always ended with her standing in the middle of someone’s house buck ass naked.
Terrance would never let her hear the end of it…
9
“If you’re here to tell me that you’ve failed, yet again, I promise you I will not be as lenient as I have been…”
“M-m-master,” he stuttered. “I am afraid it is my obligation to be the bearer of bad news.” There was a long pause before he continued. “It seems this woman is protected by many a supernatural. Vampires, werewolves, the FBSI and it has come to my attention that she is involved with a witch…”
“A witch?” Azizi’s attention snapped up and he turned around to face the one who was talking to him. He had met very few witches in his time, perhaps one or two. They were highly uncommon in the supernatural world, mainly because they kept to themselves in the Romanian part of the world and preferred not to get involved with politics, among other things. If this woman had a witch on her side, then he supposed hehadunderestimated the extent of her advantage.
“Yes, Master. A real witch, with real powers.”
Azizi made an impatient noise at the back of his throat. Of that he had nodoubt,that her powers were real. It was other things that he needed to know. “When you sayinvolved,specify your meaning…”
“Involved as in ‘in a romantic relationship,’ sir; a romantic involvement, if you will.”
“How very curious indeed.” Azizi stroked his chin in thought. Already a plan was beginning to form in his mind, and what a plan it was.
“Sir, would you like us to send someone else out there to get rid of her?”
He snorted. “Why? So that my men can all continue dying? I don’t think so. No, I have a better idea… I want you to observe the woman and the witch, observe them most carefully. Follow their every move; learn their whereabouts, their routine, everything there is to know about both of them. Report back to me when you have everything I’ll need.”
“But, sir.”
Now, what?
“How will I know what it is you will need?”
Azizi released an exasperated sigh. Amateurs, all of them, and it was quite tiring. Especially since what he had in mind was such a cliché, a technique that had been used by everyone throughout time. And, usually, Azizi was one for originality but, however, considering time was short and he grew more irritated each time his men failed, well, he had to defer to the classics.
“Tell me, have you ever been in love?” Azizi asked calmly.
Startled, the man raised his eyebrows. “Love, sir?”
“They say that love is the fruit of all that is beautiful and living within every being…”
“Sir, I’m afraid I do not understand what you mean…”
“Imagine if her love results in being a poisonous fruit.” He continued as if he hadn’t even spoken. “A few bites and what will happen?”
“Sir?”
“She will fall.” He smiled malevolently, more to himself than to his companion and turned around to stare at a blank wall. “Observe her whereabouts and bring to me something that may be useful. And take a special interest in this witch and their behavior towards each other. Discover what coven she is bound to… I must know everything…”
“Yes, sir.” He felt the man behind him bow and turn to leave. When the door clicked closed, leaving Azizi alone, he smiled at the wall, revealing fangs, as sharp and as pointy as kitchen knives.
“Yes, she will fall,” he whispered, thinking about what it was he had said only moments ago. About love being a dangerous fruit that poisoned those foolish enough to bite into it. He thought of Isis and how terrified he had been, thinking about how her misfortunes could be someone else’s and how he would wish that fate upon no one.
“Fear is the heart of love, and because she loves she will fall…”
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