COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 23: The Storm (Part 1/3)

—————

Hey there guys, back from my two day vacay with lions bears and tigers and one hell of a sunburn. Before the chapter starts I have a little optional questionaire to gauge audience opinions.

Here it is: Who's your favourite character and who would you like to see under a semi going 130 km/hr?

You can comment here whenever you want, and your feedback is truly valuable.

—————

          Vera could feel a warm puddle forming in her mouth, slick and salty as it gushed from a gouge in her tongue. The attack Truvius delivered had been expected, but aiming directly for her face and forcing her to bite her own tongue was not a situation she had prepared for.

          Regardless of the circumstances, Vera hadn't a shred of remorse. She was exactly where she wanted to be.

          "Do you want to stop off at the bathroom?" Truvius said, his voice a weak whisper in her presence. He was doing everything he could to avoid eye contact, a glimpse of her face enough to leave him sickly pale at his actions. "I'm sorry..."

          "For what?" Vera replied, underestimating the well of blood in her mouth as some of it bubbled out onto the floor. She slipped a handkerchief from her pocket, the white cloth quickly turning red as she spat in it, paying Truvius an evil grin as he stared. "Not surprised you went with a sneak attack."

          "I didn't mean to hit you in the face, I was going to go lower but..." He stopped, swallowing a spurt of nausea as saw the bloodied handkerchief Vera was dabbing her tongue with. "I went too fast. I didn't mean to hurt you..."

          "I bet you'll be thinking that exact thing when you and Ray go through with whatever you have planned for Káel." 

          Vera pressed the cloth against her tongue, the corners of her lips curving as she stared at Truvius. He was working up an excuse, but even a second of silence paid to her statement condemned his words as a blatant lie.

          "About the library, we were talking about a surprise party for Káel."

          She smiled. 

          There it was.

          "A surprise party that only you and Ray were planning?" 

          Truvius diverted his attention to the floor, anxiously pinching at the flesh of his palms. "We decided not to do it." 

          Vera winced as she pressed too hard, pulling her tongue back in to feel the swollen lump clogging most of the stream. "So what were all those other meetings then?"

          Truvius froze, his legs stiffening as he skimmed the empty corridor for guests. "How did you...?"

          "Please," Vera sighed, snapping her fingers for Truvius to keep following. "You're way easier to stalk than Káel." Her chest swarmed with excitement at the fear growing in Truvius' eyes, the ring in her voice played by sarcastic mind. "And the best part is I didn't even have to follow you, you literally just gave it away."

          Truvius' mouth hung with dead words, moving in the hopes of chugging out a response before he gave up and simply closed it. 

          Vera knew her laughter didn't help, a silent chuckle wracking her shoulders as she pressed the mostly soaked cloth to her mouth. They were fast approaching the nursing quarters, the forced ending to the window of opportunity she had planned out and she had yet to make her point.