Incubus [malexmale]

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen (Alexius)

I wasn't going to explain myself to Killian.

It was no use. He wouldn't understand. He didn't spend every single day of his life wondering if someone was going to come into his own house and kill him. He didn't spend every waking moment with his guard up, ready to protect him from everyone. He wasn't treated like a monster, a halfbreed mongrel that was better left for dead.

I had even told him about what Nico had done. The way the brat had stole into my window in the middle of the night and woke me by stabbing me harshly in the gut, twisting the blade and staring down at me with wide, stormy eyes before he fled. Nico had left me there to die and if I hadn't of screamed, my guardian wouldn't have come to heal me.

I told Killian about that, and he still had the nerve to defend this brat to me.

I didn't want to be near Killian right now. My blood was still boiling hotly, flowing like lava in my veins, searing my very flesh. My eyes burned hatefully and I knew I was sneering, but I couldn't care less. It was best everyone knew to keep clear of me.

I came back into the warehouse, pausing as the musty scents inside wafted around me thickly, mingled with Nico's blood and sweat. The room held a bit of an echo as Nico continued to shout and argue with Arachnae, who was very obviously becoming frustrated with Nico's attitude. Nico had always been a spoiled pest, flaunting his family's wealth and popularity carelessly. He had become quite the icon in our village.

And he was about to become the first to experience my wrath.

I walked across the concrete floor, boots thumping heavily and chainmail jingling as I made my way back over to the cage where Nico had instantly backed away. I could tell just by looking at him that my threat from before had made him uneasy. He watched me closely, on total alert and ready to fight me should I try to reach in and grab him. It was like watching a feral dog inside a cage, fighting for its life.

"Marikas has ordered that you remain here," I told him coolly, watching his lip curl back from his fangs threateningly, but I swiftly ignored it and continued, "During your time here, I will ask you questions. If you answer them, your punishment will be less painful. Refuse to answer them, and I will torture you."

"Either way I'm fucked," Nico sneered, "So what's it matter?"

"Well," Arachnae drawled, folding his large arms over his chest, "Would you rather have your fingernails peeled off one by one or have your teeth knocked out one by one?" I glanced at him, then at Nico, who instantly pursed his lips and slid down along the bars to sit on his hands, glaring up at me. I smirked, then stepped back to give him some space. Arachnae did the same, turning to face me, nudging with his head toward the other side of the room. I frowned and followed so we could have more privacy from Nico, but I was pretty sure he could still hear us.

"I'm going to bring our meals here for us to eat to avoid leaving him alone. Stay here," Arachnae added, then paused to give me a hard stare, "And remember what I said. Don't do anything you'll regret." With that, he was leaving the warehouse.

Leaving me alone with Nico.

Part of me wondered if he agreed with Killian, on avoiding unnecessary violence. And that irritated me. There was no unnecessary violence where my species was concerned.

I turned back to Nico, who was slamming his shoulder into the bars, but it did nothing. The bars didn't even bend. In fact, it looked like it was causing more harm to Nico than he to the bars. I smirked, approaching quietly at first until he caught sight of my presence out the corner of his eye. He shot back into the furthest corner, glaring at me. He stopped baring his fangs, however, which meant he'd taken Arachnae's threat about his teeth quite seriously.