by CS Patra
“Ah, yes. I can’t say I blame you there. If I had to throw such lavish parties on a regular basis, I think they would drive me crazy too,” he walked over to where the man was sitting, thinking about how he was going to kill him. “Do you know why I’m here?”
“Should I know you?”
“Think long and hard,” Kian suggested, looking over at where the unlit candles were. “Think about the last time you were around fire. Think about how high the flames were and how unbearable the heat felt. Did you know how quickly a human being can burn and be reduced to ashes? It happens so quickly.”
“No,” Oda turned pale when he saw Kian walk over to the unlit candles and pick one of them up. “Careful with those! Those are very expensive!”
“Relax. I’m not going to drop them,” Kian rolled his eyes. “I’m not here to take your candles anyway. I just asked you a question. Think about what it’s like to be caught in fire. Do you ever think you could get out?”
“No!” He shook his head. “Look, what is it that you want? Is it money? I can give you a lot of money! I will give you all the expenses I have in this house.”
Kian clicked his tongue. “Money means nothing to me. It won’t help fix the issues that I’ve had in the past and it won’t bring me out of the Velt either.”
“You’re from the Velt?” Oda laughed at that. “Oh, no wonder you want to take this from me. You come from the most pathetic hole in the world. There’s nothing in the Velt besides disease, dirt, and poverty. I would never allow something like you to come into my house.”
“I know that,” Kian could feel his temper rising at that. As much as he hated living in the Velt, he hated it when people insulted his home. It was the only place that he could afford to live. “I didn’t come because I got an invitation. I came here to dispose of you.”
“It’s you.” He realized. “You have so much blood on your hands.”
“I always wipe my hands clean after each kill,” Kian admitted. “I get rid of every last bit of my victims. Of course, I do like to keep some blood stains on me. It’s just a reminder of what you’ve done to me and everyone that’s living in poverty now.”
Kian walked over to his victim, cracking his knuckles in the process. This wasn’t how he wanted to face Oda but it was going to do. He needed this trash to be off the streets as soon as possible. He was also glad that he was the one who was going to get rid of him.
“All right, I’ll make this quick for both of us,” he began. “I want to know what you have been doing. Give me every detail.”
“I swear I don’t know anything!”
“I don’t believe you!” He pressed his foot down on the man’s chest. “You Elementals and your lies are done with. I’m going to make sure I wipe you all out.”
“You’re a monster.”
“I’ve been called many things,” Kian agreed. “A lot of people have said I’m a monster. They say that I have no soul. They think I’m heartless. The truth is that I’m all those things and then some. I wasn’t born that way. Elementals like you turned me into a monster.” He played around with his knife. “Try to hit me all you want. It won’t work. My body is like steel.”
He laughed. “Is that so? Well, I don’t think you counted on this.”
Without warning, he kissed Kian on the lips. Kian, taken back by the assault, pushed him away and wiped his mouth. “What the hell are you doing?!”
“I’m making you a little more vulnerable,” he slowly ripped Kian’s shirt open and admired his chest. “Mmm, you look tasty. Those little nipples of yours should be illegal. Your Adam’s apple looks sweet as well.” He grabbed Kian’s crotch and squeezed. “And you are packed! Oh my, you will be good!”
“Get off me, pervert!” He punched Oda but it wasn’t strong enough to push him away. “I know what you want, you sick freak! I’m not giving it to you!”
“Oh, I think you will. I may not be able to beat you but I can still break your spirit. Let’s cut up that pretty face of yours after I finish with your body,” he suggested. “Humans like you are so cocky that you don’t know how to behave after you’re caught.”
“Let me go.” Kian warned him once more. “I won’t tell you twice.”
“Listen to you. You think you can intimidate me. It’s very cute to be honest.”
“I’m not trying to intimidate you. I want to kill you,” he snarled, pushing Oda off his body. “You are going to regret ever doing that to me.”
“Oh, you make me shake in fear.” Oda laughed. “How old are you, boy? You can’t be more than sixteen years old.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Come on. I need to know if what I’m doing happens to be underage. I’m not a pedophile, you know. I can’t afford to smear my good name.”
“No, I’m not underage and you’ve already smeared your so-called good name,” Kian said through his gritted teeth. “I’ve seen what you are capable of. I know about your underground business on selling weapons. I know that you use your powers to get anything that you want. You are a sick person.”
“I’m sick? You’re the one who’s trying to kill me, child. Who is sick in the mind now, you or me?” He asked.
“I’m killing you because of what you’ve done. You’re trying to kill me for no reason.”
“I’m not trying to kill you, child. I have no use in killing you, but you sure look tasty.” Oda licked his lips. “Tell me, have you been deflowered?”
“Why do you care?”
“I need to know if you’re a virgin. I don’t screw around with virgins.”
That was enough for Kian to find his nerve and kick Oda off him. “You sick f…”
“Now now, don’t use that language on me,” Oda wagged his finger in Kian’s direction. “You’re such a naughty boy!”
“You’ve answered with a death wish, old man!”
“And you answered with something far worse, child!” He snarled, trying to go after Kian. Kian kicked him again and made his way out the door. “Come back! I’m not done with you yet!”
“Don’t you dare touch me!” Kian snarled back. “I will make you pay for messing with the Dragon of the Velt!”
“The Dragon of the Velt?” Oda hooted when he heard that. “Oh, I have the Dragon of the Velt in my presence! I should feel honored!”
“You have no shame, do you?”
“Around you, child? I see you as nothing more than another piece of meat. You look very tasty.” Oda licked his lips again. “I wonder if you taste good all burnt like your victims.”
“Stop it.” Kian gritted his teeth. The man was working his last nerve right now.
“Yes, I bet you would taste good with some burnt edges to you. Have you ever wondered what burnt flesh tastes like? You probably don’t know. You’re okay with cooking someone alive but not with eating them. You have no mercy when you kill. I was surprised that you decided to show your face in my house.”
“I said stop it!”
“Come on, sweet little thing. Won’t you spare me?”
“I don’t think so.” Kian found his knife and took it out. It was no flamethrower but it was going to work. “One more word out of you and I will cut your tongue out.”
“Oh, you are so naughty! What’s wrong? Was that girl your friend?” He sneered and Kian’s face softened up. “Was she your girlfriend?”
“She was no one to me, but she meant something to others. You took her life for no reason.”
“Oh, there was a reason. Why should I tell you though? You’ve already made up your mind to kill me. Go ahead and do it. What’s holding you back?”
Kian clenched his fists but couldn’t find the strength inside to kill this man. He just couldn’t figure out what he wanted to do. He had a mission, he was clear on his objective, and still he couldn’t pull this off. It was a bad moment for him.
“What are waiting for, child? Do it!”
“Shut up!” He snarl
ed. “I’ll do it when I’m ready to do it!”
“You’re just a scared little boy, aren’t you?” He asked. “That’s why you can’t pull this off!”
“I said shut up!” He slapped Oda across the face.
Oda was testing his patience. He was enjoying every minute and he knew he was getting under Kian’s skin. Kian found himself trembling but he couldn’t find the urge to stab him. He was sickened by his look.
Oda gave him one more look and whispered one last time.
“Go on. Do it.”
Chapter 4
Rukia looked at the dress that she was wearing. It was a sleeveless sky-blue dress with a corset that tied tightly in the back. The skirt itself went down to her knees and she had on a pair of matching tights. On her feet were white heels. She felt like a cloud lost in a sunny sky during summer. Midori was wearing something similar only her dress was red. She looked more sophisticated and grown up in comparison. The two of them were going to the party in place of their parents.
“Why are we forced to come here again?” Rukia asked.
“It’s just to be polite,” Midori said. “I don’t care about Mr. Oda any more than you do but we need to be good people. We need to look as though we are interested in this.”
“I’m not all that interested at all. It’s the same old thing,” Rukia murmured. “He always throws these parties and I always get bored at them. I told you that I wish I had a friend. We could ditch this place and go somewhere else for a change.”
“You think I enjoy it here? I want to go out to the yard and hit a few balls,” Midori held up her cricket bat. “That’s why I brought this. I can practice.”
“I don’t think anyone will allow you to practice cricket in their yard,” Rukia said. “You should put that thing away. Isn’t it a little too heavy for you?”
“Not at all. I’ve been carrying this around for ages. My arm never gets tired of it,” Midori looked up when she heard something. “Listen! Do you hear that?”
Rukia looked up and could sense commotion coming from the room down the hall. “Yes, there’s an argument going down in there. What do you think happened?”
“There’s only one way for us to find out,” Midori said, gripping her bat tightly. “You said that this evening was boring? Let’s make it a bit more interesting and spy on these people.”
With a yell, they charged into the room to find Oda hovering right over a young man. The young man clearly was trying to push him off with all his might, but failing. Midori and Rukia saw what Oda’s intentions were and that was enough for them to get involved. It didn’t matter who this person was, but he was in trouble. Midori grabbed her cricket bat and swung at Oda’s head. “Let him go!”
“Ow! Ow! Why are you doing this?!”
“I could ask you the same question! What do you think you’re doing to him?!”
“Ow! Look, we were just having some fun!”
“Not really.” The young man straightened out his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair. “We were talking but then he got a little too drunk and frisky. I was trying to get him off me but he wouldn’t budge. I think he’s drunk a little too much tonight.”
“I’ll say. You think it’s funny to take advantage of people?” Midori demanded, taking another swing at Oda. “How dare you do that to one of your guests?!”
“He’s not my guest!”
“Do I look like I care who he is? You don’t take advantage of anyone ever!” Midori snarled, showing off all her teeth. She was normally a quiet person but when someone got on her bad side, all Hell was going to break loose. That was when the cricket player became a one woman army against her enemies. She was practically foaming with anger now. “You sick, disgusting little….”
“Please stop!” Oda begged. “I promise I won’t do that again!”
Rukia grabbed the young man and pulled him away from the scene. Midori was now angry and this was not the time to stop her. “Don’t worry. My sister is very good with that cricket bat.”
He looked at her like she was strange. “Why are you getting involved?”
“Someone has to,” she said, looking over at her sister chasing Oda out of the door. “I saw what he was trying to do so I had to save you.”
He blinked. “That’s the first time anyone’s saved me. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She helped him button his shirt back up. “Did he hurt you?”
“No. I’m a lot stronger than I look but I dropped my guard. I wasn’t expecting a sexual assault here.” He wiped his mouth again, feeling ill from the kiss that Oda gave him. “I’m worried about you and your sister. You shouldn’t have tried to get involved. Oda is a very dangerous man and he will hurt you in a way you don’t expect.”
“Trust me. If Midori’s got a cricket bat, he doesn’t stand a chance against her. My name is Rukia. Rukia Benton.”
“Rukia Benton,” he repeated. “That’s an interesting name. I’ve never heard anyone named Rukia before.”
“You can thank my parents for that,” she said. “I guess I should leave you alone now, Mr…”
“Kian Ortiz-Shah.” He finished off for her.
“Wow. I thought my name was a mouthful.” She said and it made him laugh.
“Well, I’m half-Puerto Rican and half-Indian. I guess that’s what you would say since they used to exist a long time ago. Maybe that’s why it sounds so long.”
“Maybe. Where are you from, Kian Ortiz-Shah?”
“I…” He began to wonder if he could tell her about his situation. He wasn’t going to reveal why he was here but there was no harm in telling her where his home was. “I must confess that I live in The Velt.”
“The Velt? You’re dressed like this and you live in The Velt?”
“This is one of the few nice outfits I have,” he explained. That much was true; he didn’t have very many outfits that weren’t ripped or stained in blood. “I know you probably think less of me because of that…”
“Oh, stop.” She cut him off. “I don’t care about where you come from. I happen to know a lot of wonderful people that live in The Velt. I was just wondering why Oda would invite anyone from the Velt. He usually doesn’t think highly of the poor people.”
“Well, it might have something to do with me coming here on my own,” he confessed. “I didn’t really get an invitation.”
Things were starting to get strange between them so Rukia decided to change the subject. “You know, I do realize it’s bold of me but I think we should get out of here. Let me treat you to coffee or something.”
He was surprised by how bold she was. “Are you asking me out? You barely know me!”
“Well, that’s why I’m asking you out. I can get a chance to know you,” she explained. “Besides, I want to get you out of this place. It’s not exactly safe.”
He wanted to tell her that he was aware of how dangerous it was. In fact, he was part of the reason that it was so frightening. However, he didn’t know how she would react if she found out that he was a hunter. The only reason he had confronted Oda was so he could kill him. If he hadn’t let his guard down, he would never have fallen victim. He cursed himself for being so weak at that moment. It was terrible that he had to be saved.
On the outside, he gave Rukia a smile. “Sure, I guess we can go. What about your sister?”
“Don’t worry about Midori. She can take care of herself. I’ll send her a message saying that I went to the coffee shop and I’ll be home soon.” Rukia sent her sister a quick text before turning to Kian. “All right, Mr. Ortiz-Shah, let me lead you away from here.”
The coffee shop wasn’t far from the house but Kian had never seen anything like it. He couldn’t tell if any of these people were Elementals. They were acting normal if they were. He looked up at the menu and couldn’t understand what half of the drinks were. He had never had anything called a latte or espresso before. He had heard about chai but he had a good feelin
g it wasn’t anything like Indian chai. Nonetheless, it was the only thing he recognized so he decided to have that. Once he sat down with her, he decided it was time to use his interrogation skills. He would have to pretend that he was still an innocent bystander.
“All right, Rukia Benton, tell me a little bit about yourself,” he began. “What’s your family like? Where are you from?”
“I live in Calensa up on the hills,” she began.
“Calensa? That’s a very wealthy town.” He noted. “What does your family do?”