Page 7 of Nocturne

“You know harbouring a Crescenzo, let alone Amos will cost you your life,” Iblis counters, glaring at the man.

Iblis's angelic face transforms into something dark. None of them look fazed at the corpses and the fresh one I’ve added to the list. But again, why would they? They could be the ones who hung them all here. Compared to what they have done, my bullet inside Nero’s forehead is nothing.

“I swore allegiance to the house of Crescenzos. Not bastards like you who grew in filth and were only meant to be used and discarded. How dare you sit on the throne of Luigi when you should be nothing but boot-licking worms. You should all have died along with Iko and his fucking wife who’s-“

One minute, the lunatic is rambling on as if he is possessed by a demon, and the next moment he is flying in the air. Devlin’s heavy leg kicks him right in the chest and throws him a few feet into the darkness. Luciano coughs as he tries to sit.

“Nico,”

Iblis waves for the man who’s blocking our escape. He prowls towards a coughing Luciano and drags him towards Devlin by his collar. Nico pushes him to his knees in front of his boss—no doubt—and I widen my eyes when I see his mouth spitting some blood.

All that from just one kick?

Nico yanks Luciano’s head back by his hair, forcing his gaze upward. His grip is firm, unyielding, like he’s done this a thousand times before. Devlin leans in, his posture deliberate, predatory. His face remains hidden in the shadows, only faint outlines of his body visible in the dim light—reeking of power and menace.

He whispers something, low and cold, and whatever it is makes Luciano’s eyes widen in shock. His lips move frantically, sputtering words too soft for me to catch.

Midway, Devlin’s hand flies, and I’m barely fast enough to cover Ivy’s eyes. Unfortunately, in my shock, I forget to close my own.

With a single, crushing motion, his hand wraps around Luciano’s throat. There’s a sickening crunch, the sound of cartilage giving way, and Luciano’s scream dies before it can even form. His body spasms briefly before going slack.

Nico lets go of his head and steps back at the same time Devlin does and throws away the body. I remove my hands from Ivy’seyes as Luciano’s dead body falls sideways and is hidden in the shadows. I shouldn’t have uncovered her eyes because the moment I did, Ivy looked down and saw the blood from the corpses flowing down under our shoes.

This causes her to jump back and bump into the first corpse. Her screams are shrill, and she loses her footing on the blood puddle underneath. I’m quick to rescue her from falling face down into the blood and grime and pull her forward. Masking my disgust and stomping on the fear that wants an outlet is proving difficult with every passing second.

“Fuck,” Ivy hisses.

I turn to see all three men look at us. I suppose, contemplating whether or not to keep us alive.

* * *

Devlin.

That is a name anyone outside Roarfort doesn’t wish to hear. I doubt even the people of Roarfort would want to hear it.

Very few are privy to know his first name. It is whispered in the dark corners of the city’s underbelly with caution. It is said that even the vilest criminals avoid whispering his name lest they summon the silent devil. The man who single-handedly crushed an empire that has been around for a very long time. The man who has instilled the fear of the devil into everyone.

Ivy once whispered the forbidden name to me after she checked the surroundings. Even in the confines of my home, she worried that someone would listen. That he might be listening. It’s said that he has ears everywhere. People believed him to be the devil,as whenever his name was whispered, he seemed to appear out of thin air with a promise of painful death.

Zagan.

The commander of demons. That is what his name means.

He is more than a commander. He is the reigning king of the hell, the devil himself.

It is said that there are not many who remain alive after they see his face. His acts of violence, ruthlessness and cold-blooded killing have reached all over, but not many know him personally. He keeps himself hidden, loving the shadows so much that he turned to rule them. And that ruler stands in front of us, his stance wide and hostility brimming in waves around him.

Nico steps back to Zagan Devlin’s left, fading into the shadows, while Iblis moves to his right, the moonlight catching part of his face. I expect them to talk, say something but they don’t.

They remain quiet, the silence turning me anxious by the second. Every minute that is wasted here will cost us. I take a step towards the exit with Ivy in toe, one eye focused on the giant—Zagan Devlin— whose eyes never leave us.

I expect Nico to stop us again, but he doesn’t.

This feels like some kind of a trap. I test them again, taking a few steps more before I stop. When they don’t stop us, I grab Ivy’s hand and dash towards the door. Despite the warmth that hits my back from someone’s attention, I don’t turn. Ivy does, takes in a sharp breath and gives me a look.

“This feels too easy,” she whispers.

I don’t comment. I cannot. My eyes are fixed on the exit. We just have a few more feet and after that, we can make the run to my car. Wehaveto get out of this abattoir.

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