The Darkness Within

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Six

Kira

The meeting takes place in the boardroom of an extremely elite hotel in Moscow. Sergei and I are the first to arrive, along with Igor, and two dozen of Sergei's men. Six of them fan out across the boardroom, blocking windows displaying a late-night view of Moscow's bright city lights far below, as well as entrances and exits. The rest guard various places in the hotel, and surrounding grounds.

The boardroom itself is luxurious to the extreme. The table in the center is long, made of walnut, and polished to a shine. In the center of it rests a bouquet of finger-foods and drinks, along with accompanying dishware and glasses. The room is lit by a grand crystal chandelier that has a way of drawing the eye.

Art work hangs on every wall, each piece beautiful, but depicting dark scenes. An ancient ship slowly sinking in a stormy, raging ocean, flashes of lightning striking around it. A gothic black rose dripping blood. A pale, ghastly hand holding a glinting silver dagger. What appears to be the portrait of a widow, a shimmering black veil entirely concealing the face, and her veiny hands clutching her head in madness.

Sergei seats himself at the head of the table, and I seat myself at his right, while Igor stands behind him. Sergei fills two wineglasses with a rich-looking red wine, sliding one over to me. I only take one sip, curious to the taste since Sergei has phenomenal taste in liquor, but not drinking more. I intend to keep a clear head for this meeting.

"Are you hungry?" Sergei asks me, gesturing to the platters laid out.

I shake my head. Somehow, I'm too focused to be hungry. I'm not nervous—my stomach isn't churning with nausea, I simply don't want anything distracting me. Not even food.

Sergei catches onto this, and says, "We'll grab dinner afterwards."

His eyes drop to my dress, looking it over appreciatively.

Ksusha helped me get ready for the meeting—went through my closet, and laid out several options in recommendation. Sergei's long since ceased picking out what I wear, obviously trusting my judgement—or letting go some of the control he held over me when he first kidnapped me.

The dress I settled on is a scarlet red, comprised of beautiful silk. It's tight on the top half, with a sweethearts neckline that shows a reasonable amount of cleavage without being over-the-top, and the straps are sheer wisps of silk that hang off my shoulder. There's a belt—bejeweled in black crystals—that cinches around my waist. From the waist to the floor, it's flowing, giving me plenty of places to conceal various weapons and allowing for a good range of mobility if I need to run or fight. Ksusha applied a matching layer of matte liquid lipstick on my lips, along with a bit of dark eyeliner and mascara. She also gave my hair a light layer of curls.

Although it's the most preparation I've ever put into my appearance, my time spent on getting ready served its purpose. I look presentable, but not overly sexual. It's obvious that I put care into my appearance tonight, which denotes a measure of respect to the importance of this meeting.

When Sergei first saw me in the dress, it looked like he wanted nothing more than to bend me over the nearest available surface, but we were on a bit of a time-crunch.

I ask Sergei, "How are you sure of the security in this hotel?"

Even with many guards, the hotel is fifty-stories high. It only caters to elite clientele, but I get the sense that there are many places someone can slip in if they have the proper training.

"I own it," he responds mildly. "It's been closed to the public for the last week while being swept by my men. I assure you, we're as safe as we can be."