Page 55 of The Blood Widow

“No, no please don’t!” a small boy yelled, followed by a maniacal laugh.

The magic in me crackled. I could portal in and snatch the kid. I could?—

A blood curdling scream was followed by a crunch that made my skin crawl. The screaming stopped. Laughter replaced it. Myhead peeked over the corner to get a better look where I needed to portal to.

What I was met with made my knees crumble. Blood leaked out of Marcus’ mouth and splashed all around him. The crimson liquid was splattered over everything. There was so much fucking blood. My mouth opened on a silent scream. Not just for the little boy who was just torn to pieces so demons could eat a snack, but for being so close and not catching on. My trauma made losing this child fifty times worse. If I hadn’t left so soon maybe I could have stopped this.

“What that fuck have you done! You were told to eat her. That boy was important to the boss. He told us to take him to him tomorrow when he got back.” He pointed a gun at Marcus and fired, making me jump.

Then, he turned and shot the little girl he had indicated was for Marcus to eat. It all happened so fast that I didn’t have any time to react, even with supernatural speed. Two kids’ lives taken for no reason.

No. Two kids were dead, and I couldn’t do anything.

My mind whirled as it processed what the guy said. Important? No kid was important. The boss killed his own children for fuck’s sake.

I studied the boy more. His face wasn’t touched with marks, but it was covered in blood. The little cheek bones and scruff of dark hair stood out the most. My hand muffled my screams of horror. My only saving grace was the noise of shock and fear erupting from everyone on the corner. All hope drained out of me as if I’d taken a gunshot to the chest alongside that little girl.

It was Brian. The dead little boy was Brian. The fucking kid I was supposed to save and who the seer said was the answer to my problems was gone, and in the worst fucking way, eaten alive by a demon. My knee buckled, and I crashed down to the cold cement.

I was feet away from him and didn’t even know it. I failed that little boy. Whatever plan Bell said could happen definitely didn’t. What did I do wrong to bring this outcome down on us all? How the fuck could I have messed up this badly?

The noise was dwindling. For a fleeting second, I debated on letting the Sinisters get me. I was so fucking done with everything. Was the fight worth it if my life was a steaming pile of dragon shit?

The echo of Brian’s screams flipped the switch in my mind. My despair sharpened into rage, so before anyone could notice me, I picked up my broken pieces and called on my portal magic. It appeared in front of me. I thought of home and dove into the yellow, magical doorway.

There was no coming back from this.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Ilaid in a heap on the floor in my house, bathing in my own sorrow and shadows to keep from seeing anyone. My phone had died from the excessive calls and texts. Last night broke something inside of me. My give-a-fuck meter was shattered. I hadn’t moved from this spot for fear of raining destruction down on the city.

The rage was starting to fester and build. The darkness inside of me fed the rage. Losing Brian, even if I knew I probably couldn’t have saved him, had my soul rotting at the edges.

After the sun went down again, I made myself get up. Holding back wasn’t working, so maybe I needed someone to hold me back. That was how I ended up in a sex club. My skintight red dress, black stripper heels, and dark makeup fit perfectly with my real body. Well, the one that the plastic surgeons gave me when I escaped from the labs’ clutches. I was born with a bigger nose and a wider jaw. My cheekbones weren’t so defined either. My body was less curvy as well. Even my teeth were smaller than before.

After changing as much as I could with my appearance, I was reborn into Novem and the Blood Widow. So, the woman in the mirror was me. That other girl was a naïve murderer. She neverasked questions and fell for fake smiles. She died alongside her victims.

I was tired of hiding. My other form, the softer more human-looking one, was a woman I wanted to be. I could no longer pretend to be her.

A moan from the female bouncing on a man’s cock next to me on the black, plush couch shattered my sour mood. Heat flared to life in my core. They ran their hands over my body, asking me to join them, but I needed something… more.

I kissed the girl’s hand when she tried to grope me as I stood. “Not this time, beautiful,” I whispered in her ear.

I loved beauty. It didn’t matter what was between their legs. After more than a hundred years, you realized life gets boring if everything stays the same. Even now, I needed a change from my dominant personality. I needed a strong partner to hold me down and take charge.

The large room was completely black, except for burgundy drapes that people could close if they wanted to play in private. Tables and booths lined the outside of the room. It was where I stayed most of the time. There wasn’t a bar because the employees moved around the space taking orders constantly. In the middle of the room were several cushioned hollows where people went if they were open to play partners. I never used them because I liked my privacy.

I smiled at another couple reaching for me as they screwed on a large pillow. I respectfully declined. I was there for a reason, and she just walked in.

Her shiny black dress clung to her better than most people’s skin. She always had buff men surrounding her. I took pleasure in making them look like fools and today wasn’t any different. I used the crowd to my advantage and slithered next to her as she passed a large group. I put my hand on her lower arm to really scare her.

She tensed and her guards drew their weapons. I kept my body relaxed and an evil smirk on my lips. Why did I love messing with powerful people? The fact her guards didn’t see me until I was too close gave me a confidence boost.

Maybe I could assassinate all the powerful people in the city?Their blood would paint the streets, and I’d hang their bodies as decoration. I shook my head. No, killing bad, Novem.

I sighed and relaxed more to let them know, I meant no harm. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m in need of the room tonight,” I said with a smirk.

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