Violet Eyes

89: Retribution

"Shut. up." Nate whispered quietly through his anger. Azriel clicked his tongue twice before Nate suddenly felt cold metal against his throat. He lifted his chin slightly in a futile attempt to relieve the pressure.

"Now, that's not very nice. Then again, I didn't really expect you to be, after hearing how you treated Nerissa." Azriel said quietly and he pressed the small blade against Nate's throat with enough pressure that one swift jerk of Azriel's arm would end him.

"Where is she?" Nate asked quietly determined to not show any fear, knowing that Azriel would eat it up. Azriel let out a soft unhinged giggle that sent a shiver through Nate's entire body. He moved the blade away from Nate's throat and he lowered his head slightly. Nate watched with a hard glare as Azriel walked back around Nate until he was in front of him.

"You know, I haven't met a single Gifted that was alright in the head." Azriel mused as he looked off in thought and idly tapped the small blade against his head, completely ignoring Nate's question. His eyes then flicked down to Nate, causing him to stiffen a bit. "Do you know any? I'd love to meet them, I wonder what that's like..." Azriel said in an unhinged tone and his eyes flashed with pure madness. Nate swallowed his fear but his face remained unreadable. His mind raced through the countless times that all of his friends had snapped and acted with such madness...including himself. He remembered when Nyx slaughtered the entire Erebus Mafia in just a few minutes...the unbridled raw power she possessed.

"The only way you're meeting my people is when they're putting you in the ground." Nate growled out in quiet anger before Azriel hummed through a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"You know...I don't think I like your tone." Azriel said quietly as he lifted the small blade that was still held loosely in his hand. It was a small intricately designed letter opener that had been sharpened to a razor's edge and a fine point. Nate felt Azriel's gloved hand push up his chin with one finger, completely exposing Nate's throat. Subtle fear creeped into Nate's system before Azriel spoke again, but he kept his eyes hard and unfazed. "I don't quite like those eyes you're giving me either." Azriel purred through his smile before he suddenly swiped his arm and the blade sliced Nate's left eye. Nate yelled out in agony before he tried to choke it down. Azriel then reached behind him calmly with a subtle smile, pulled out a white handkerchief, and used it to clean the blood off his small blade. He walked around Nate again as he was breathing through the searing pain in his eye. Nate tensed when the rolled up handkerchief was forced into his mouth and Azriel tied it in place from behind his head and Nate could no longer speak.

Nate looked up at Azriel as he walked around in front of him again. His left eye was clutched shut and bleeding profusely. "That's better." Azriel said playfully with a coy smile. Nate could already taste the blood that was soaking into his gag from his eye. "Unfortunately, I have things to do, so I gotta run. I gotta prepare for my date with your little girlfriend, I'm sure she'll be by soon." Nate's body stiffened as intense worry and anger flooded his system, overpowering the intense pain still surging from his eye. Seeing that Nate couldn't speak in protest, Azriel let out a soft giggle before turning on his heel and he left the cell before locking it back up.

Azriel's footsteps faded away into deafening silence before Nate's mind quickly became loud. This can't be happening...this can't be happening...this can't be happening...played over and over through his mind as his one good eye stared off into space.

No, stop that...Nyx is coming, I know she is...I just have to...stay alive until then...

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Nerissa's leg bounced nervously as she sat on the posh couch in Azriel's lounge. She nibbled on her nail anxiously as she looked off into space. She hadn't seen Jaya since the meeting earlier in the day, and even then he was acting differently. He was even more quiet and distant than usual and it made her feel nervous, even though she couldn't place why.