Page 155 of Heartless Heathens
“The virus. She fell sick during pregnancy… or maybe it was when you were a few months old, I can’t recall. She was sick a long time, longer than most. She died in that bell tower you know? The cathedral hadn’t been built yet, it was where she hid away from her father.” He almost looked sad, like maybe he did care about her.
The thought of either of them left a bitter taste on my tongue.
Between the two of them they’d caused me nothing but pain and suffering. Korina’s dreams had been wrong, they had to have been. Otherwise why would mine have led me right back to my destiny?
I was meant to be here, with my men at my side like a shield.
“She was wrong,” I told him, squaring my shoulders and lifting my chin up to look at him.
He was drooling, blood pooled at multiple bite marks and the skin around them was swelled and purpled. I extended a hand and Korina slithered back onto my palm, coiling her body around my arm like a tight embrace.
“Wha-?” He moaned, becoming less and less lucid with drool slipping from his mouth as the venom made its way through his veins.
He was running out of time; I wasn’t going to get to draw it out like I thought I would.
“She was wrong,” I repeated. “Her dreams. I’m not going to bring down the Shrine, I’m going to help it grow. I’m going to destroy everything you’ve built. I’m going to send your God directly to hell,” I whispered into his ear before stepping back.
“Heathen…whore,” He mumbled.
Felix rolled his eyes and extended a hand to his brother, who placed a knife in his hand without question. He walked around the crucifix until he stood in front of Frollo, and in two quick moves he reached into his mouth and sliced the blade over his tongue. It fell to the ground with a wet sound and Frollo’s eyes rolled to the back of his head while his mouth filled with blood.
“Sorry pretty girl, I couldn’t let him keep calling you that. If you need the glory of this kill, I’d go ahead and finish him off before he chokes on his blood.” He pressed his lips to my cheek and slapped the archbishop until he regained consciousness again.
His cries flooded the Cathedral ceilings and I thumbed the black opal handle. I looked between all three men I loved so much and without hesitation I plunged the knife below his sternum again, this time shoving it all the way through. I drug the knife down, slicing past his belly button and cutting through his flesh until his guts came pouring out of his stomach. He shook violently, loud unintelligible wails came from his mouth but they ended just as quickly with his last breath.
I wiped the blood off the steel of my blade on his holy garbs before sheathing my knife. Felix’s arm was there, crushing me into his side while Corvin’s lips pressed to my forehead. Sonny walked in front of us, pulling his phone out and dialing while we walked out of the gaudy golden monstrosity.
“I’d like to call in a bomb threat,” Sonny said. “NotreDame PC,” he said after a few seconds. “How do I know?” he asked with a laugh. “Because I put it there.” He put his phone back in his pocket before turning around, closing his lips to mine, his hand cradling my cheek softly.
He opened the door to the car, and I slipped inside the back. Felix sat in the front and Sonny took the driver's side. Corvin nudged my rib and pressed his index finger to his lips like he had a secret for me. Sonny started the car, and the Grand Cathedral slowly became smaller and smaller as we drove further away. By the time we reached the Chapel it was barely a small golden figurine far out in the horizon.
Students and faculty were gathered at the lake, confusion written onto their faces about the bomb threat they’d been warned about. Corvin pulled out a small box with a single button on it and raised his eyebrows up at me, nothing but mischief painting his expression.
“Wanna do the honors?”
“What?” I asked and he raised his eyebrows again, like a challenge.
I pressed the button just as we drove through the open gates of the campus. The ground below us shook violently and students screamed in the distance. The flames were unmistakable, and my eyes widened with joy at the sight of Frollo’s holy building burning from the inside out.
Felix cackled, slapping his leg and putting his feet up on the dashboard. Sonny’s face betrayed him, and his expression softened as well, another smile breaking out but this one coated with malicious intent.
“Hey, so what is this thing? It’s been down here a while.” I asked, kicking the giant metal box on the floorboard.
“It’s the safe, from your mother’s club. Arlan asked me to retrieve it but he never said what for.” He fished inside the middle console before tossing me a single silver key. “That should open it.”
I looked to Corvin who picked up the steel box, it was heavier than it looked though it wasn’t large. The key slid inside the lock with ease and a loud click sounded out in the car before the door sprung open.
“What’s inside?” Felix asked from the front.
“Some money.” I shuffled through the contents. “And a letter, I think.” I pulled out the wrinkled piece of paper and read it.
Romina,
I’m writing this letter at the beginning of my journey, hoping it will find you at the end of yours. I’ve dreamt my life and I’ve dreamt yours. In every dream my life comes to an end at the same place, in that belltower, where you are born. I’ll have told a million lies by the time I achieve what I must do, to guarantee your safety.
You are one of four pieces of a puzzle that must come together to keep the Satanic Shrine alive, because only the four of you can tear down the Church’s hold on this country.
Fate is inevitable, the die has been cast, and we must all play our part. I regret nothing, and I hope your revenge was everything I dreamt it to be.
