This chapter is dedicated to WinterSleep85 who ventured into the world of vampires this year. So far, Lost in Shadows is mega intriguing with amazing world building and a shift from your usual vampire trope. A great narrator voice, and interesting cast, and a promise of an exciting plot. An ONC entry not to be missed!
Nicosia, Cyprus
February 2024
~~~~
Icarus is out on the terrace, enjoying his breakfast next to an open laptop. I drop in the second chair at the table and cross my arms; Anton stands at a distance by the pool. It will be up to Icarus how much of our conversation will be privy to Anton's ears.
Icarus takes a bite of the Halloumi cheese and chews. The silence between us raises goosebumps on my arms; his eyes are thoughtful without much emotion, which is worse than an open display of anger. Even though Konstantin took after his mom and had different features than his father, he had the same eyes as Icarus. The same golden-hazel color, the same fading shade toward the rim, the same flecks of green. Eyes that still haunt me in my nightmares. They are the monsters of my dreams.
Icarus sets down the fork. "Why are you not on your way to New York?"
"I had to see Vitaly." I raise my chin in challenge. "And the next time, I'd appreciate a phone call from you if he's in the hospital."
"So much entitlement." Scorn and mocking fill his gaze.
"I'm his father."
"And I have been making sure he realizes that." Icarus dabs his lips with a napkin. "How did you find out he is in the hospital?"
A question I expected and an answer I rehearsed during the thirty-minute limo ride from the hospital to his home, with the main objective to protect Lydia as my source. "One of the nurses called me because I'm listed as his emergency contact in their system."
Those thoughtful eyes drill into me until I twitch.
"I have to admit, I'm very disappointed, Bastian. This is a major slip-up." Icarus's words carry a dangerous edge. "It's crucial to find Marcel Pierce and make him pay for what he did to our family. Konstantin is only dead because of him."
"I know, theíos."
"Then I'm asking you again: Why are you here?"
"Vitaly—" I choke on the rest of the words. This isn't working and it's time to stop beating around the bush. "It's not good for him to live with you anymore. After the summer, I want him to attend boarding school, preferably in the States, but I would consider settling for Switzerland or the UK."
Icarus's laugh is soft. "That's not going to happen. Vitaly is fine right here with me. You might be his biological father, but make no mistake, Konstantin was the one who raised him. He has a lot of Konstantin in him."
I clench my jaw to contain a curse.
He leans closer. "I will teach him everything he needs to know, and then, in a few years, I will turn him into a man the way you, Konstantin, and every other boy in our bloodline became a man."
The first kill.
A rite of passage for every Pappas heir.
Icarus pats my hand as if I were some fragile woman. "And if you try to stop him from becoming a Disciple, it won't work. Your own father was the best example. He tried everything, even changed his legal identity to that ridiculous last name, because he was ashamed of his heritage, and what did you do? Got out of there when you were only fourteen and begged Konstantin and Liv to take you in. Back then, you proudly picked up a weapon and did what you had to do. What changed?"
Your son and his whore breaking my spirit and the organization sucking the life out of me. "I've always been committed to the Crimson Disciples, theíos."
"Alright, then prove your commitment by telling me who really called you about Vitaly."
I glance at Anton. His face is even and he stares out into the distance. He was right there when Lydia called. Could his betrayal run this deep?
The silence stretches into minutes. Icarus holds my gaze without blinking until I squirm in my chair.
What does he know?
He clears his throat. "Maybe this will refresh your memory."
A few clicks on the laptop and the replay of a recording brings my heart to a standstill.
"Apologies for disturbing you so late, Mr. Artino, but it's about Vitaly. He's in the hospital."
"Why?"
Lydia's voice is louder with mine fading in the background, so chances are that Icarus bugged her phone rather than mine. Not that it should come as a surprise. Ever since the car bombing that killed Konstantin and Liv, he is paranoid and is likely keeping tabs on anyone in Vitaly's close proximity.
I should've known.
As the recording winds down, the full implications of the situation hit me.
"Thanks for going against orders, Lydia. I owe you."
An unkeepable promise.
"And please don't tell him that I was the one who called you."
A death sentence. Icarus can't allow anyone on his payroll to disobey orders without repercussions or he'll lose face.
Icarus stops the recording. A disturbing calmness emits from him as he juts his chin at Rostya standing closest to the patio door. He disappears into the house, just to reemerge, pulling a struggling Lydia with him. She is bound and gagged, her makeup smudged; a bruise on her cheek and blood on her lips and chin leave no doubt that Rostya roughed her up. Probably even raped her. When he forces her on her knees, her whole body shakes.
Icarus racks the slide of his gun and sets it on the table. "You need to prove to me that you are fully invested in this organization, Bastian."
My gaze flicks from him to her. My stomach is tight with seething nausea, the vein on the side of my head pulsing as if ready to burst. I swallow hard to kill the surreal buzzing in my ears.
Icarus nods in the direction of the pool. "Anton."
Cold metal from the barrel of a gun presses against my temple.
So much for having my back.
Icarus's stare is fixed on me in a way a snake locks on its prey. "You have a choice to make, Bastian. You either renew your commitment to the Disciples or today was the last day you got to see your son."
As I stand, the chair scrapes over the tiles with a screech. My hand closes around the grip of Icarus's gun. In a trance, I walk over to Lydia.
Silent tears run down her cheeks.
Her eyes plead for mercy.
Tremble after tremble bear witness to her deadly fear.
I raise the gun to her forehead and pull the trigger, the bang vibrating painfully in the core of my bones. Her body slams back from the force of the bullet. A glassy stare meets mine.
I turn away and set the gun on the table. Vomit and tears threaten to spill, but I manage to keep it together. I won't show a weakness, not here, in front of him.
Icarus's glare doesn't ease up. "You get one free pass for disobeying my orders because you are blood, but don't ever let there be a next time. Now get to New York without further delays."
WP total word count: 11,619
Hoping that his chapter put Bastian's motives and actions into perspective; with a boss like Icarus, there aren't many second chances. I hope this chapter also left you with many questions, and some of the answers are coming up soon. If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider a vote and/or drop me a comment. Thanks for reading!