Cold Blood Beast

24

Everest

I throw his office door open and it slams against the wall. I've been waiting to do this since I left Lia. My father jumps at my sudden entrance.

"Everest, pleasure seeing you here I take it the Lockes' got home safe and-" My father tries to greet me but I stop him and say what I have wanted to say for hours now.

"I don't understand how a guard under our oath could do such a thing and go out thinking he'd live. We have eyes everywhere, yet no one saw a thing happen until I felt her pain." I grit out at the reminder of the hellish guard biting Lia, contaminating her blood with our unholy venom.

I promised myself I'd get to the bottom of this for her. Only for her.

Father raises an eyebrow at me in response. He drums his fingers across the edge of the dark wooden desk he sits ever so proudly behind.

"And what exactly do you want me to do?" He rolls his eyes, standing up and tucking his aged wings behind him slowly. He marches up to his window and looks out, purposely avoiding eye contact.

"What do I want you to do?" I scoff. "I want you to send out a better-armed force so I can throw the bastard into our dungeons myself. That's what I want you to do, King Dorian." My blood boils in rage and I stare at my useless father, based on my pledge I was forbidden to send search teams or call groups together before becoming king. He was on my side a few days ago what happened now?

"She's just the useless daughter of a doctor she has no purpose around here. And dare I remind you that having a silly little love affair because of that human cunning ways- you better be mistaken. But you wouldn't do that right?" He smugly raises his voice as I stare him down.

My father moves past me opening his office door. "You should leave while I deal with this myself."

No way he'd do this himself. If anything he was planning to kill her.

A low growl erupts from my throat passing my clenched teeth. I leave my father's office, digging my hands into my unruly hair and pulling at the roots. I didn't realize the toll it was already taking on my body just from leaving her.

I need a distraction.

~~

I pass the kitchen where busy maids banter back and forth, and the fresh smell of cooked meat wafts around the hall as dinner time grew near.

Next to the kitchen was our wine cellar. The perfect distraction I needed.

I pull the cellar's heavy door back and slowly step inside. Switching the light on I see the vast array of alcohol stocked to the ceiling for the upcoming festival.

Without hesitation, I grab a bottle, pulling the cork off with my teeth chugging the bloody red wine. Dripping down my chin, it was old and fruity, feeling my high come in after two empty bottles I was happy with this distraction. Happy enough I rip open another bottle.

As long as Lia wasn't on my mind, this was good for me. But her invisible touch never left, the thoughts of her ever so often crept back in.

I don't even bother to move as the cellar's door is thrown open and bright light blasts in, blinding me.

"Get the hell away from me," I growl out as a pair of feet come into view.

"Uh, rude." Rutner states before yanking the bottle of wine out of my hands and taking a sip of his own. "We have been looking for you."

"We? Let me guess Ruth is here too?" I raise an eyebrow.

"I'm here," Ruth says all smiley, hopping down the stairs. For as much as they despise one another, Rutner and Ruth are inseparable so my prediction was correct. They both invite themselves in and sit next to me. God, I can never get rid of them.