Page 9 of Court of Evil

I recoil in horror as I stare at the bleeding corpse. My team did this. When I was on the other floor, they were here, torturing and killing this girl. They didn’t care that she was innocent. Theywantedto kill her.

They tortured her before she died. Moreover, they enjoyed it.

Who is the real monster here?

I don’t know how long I stare at the body before I realise I need to move. If they find me here, I’m done for. Pulling on my glove, I stumbled from the room and towards the stairs, my brain caught on what I saw.

My world crumbles around me, and the last four years spent working and living with these men fill my head. They patched me up and looked after me when I was sick . . . . It all darkens and sets alight as I see the truth behind their actions.

I walk upstairs in a daze, stumbling into the room their voices are coming from, only to still. My eyes widen in horror once more. It wasn’t a one-off or a mistake.

I’ve ignored so much during our hunts. Bile claws at my throat as I see the young bodies spread around, ripped apart and killed for fun. My team just stood there, laughing and joking.

This isn’t about keeping our race safe. It’s about killing.

The kid was right—they wanted to kill them regardless of their innocence.

“Ah, T, there you are!” Wick calls, grinning as he holds up some tiny fangs from the kid at his feet, whom he kicks with his boot as he steps over him.

I don’t know why, but the fact that they assume I would be okay with this makes me angry.

I scan the room, seeing the faces of their kills. They are young, just kids, who probably came here to rebel. They didn’t hurt anyone, they were just existing, and my unit played with them before murdering them. No wonder they went radio silent.

My eyes land on Eric, who’s happily carving fangs from heads of the others’ kills as if this is normal.

“This is wrong,” I whisper.

My eyes land on our major, who holds the head of a girl so young, she still has her baby fat in his hand, ready to carve into her.

“This is wrong,” I repeat, my hold on my gun wavering.

Black tilts his head, watching me from his crouched position. It’s then I see the missing patch on his shoulder.

He killed the girl. He tortured her.

“They are monsters, Tate. Don’t forget why we do this,” he warns, his voice cold and eyes sharp as he watches me.

“I have never forgotten,” I hiss, disgusted. “Have you? We do not kill innocent?—”

“None of them are innocent,” Ara snaps. “No matter what they look like.”

“They are abominations,” Wick says sadly.

Goose nods. “We are helping.”

Oh god, they really believe that. I stare at the men I trusted, the men I love like family, and I wonder how they were able to hide this side of themselves from me for so long.

How did I not see it?

I stare at them, realising they all feel the same way. I’m the only one who doesn’t agree with this. Maybe this is why I kept my secrets for so long. Part of me knew . . . My stomach churns as I beg them with my eyes to tell me I’m wrong. I’m frozen in horror, but they watch me with confusion.

“You’re monsters,” I snarl, lifting my gun and pointing it at them. “This is not what we stand for or what we do! We protect innocents. We don’t kill them!” I scream, aiming my gun at Black. “We don’t do this. Command will know about this, and they will stop you.”

Black eyes me as he straightens, pocketing the fang he carved from the kid’s head. “They know what we do, but they don’t care as long as we get results. I’m sorry you feel that way, Tate. I thought you, of all people, would understand. I’m disappointed in you.”

I almost laugh. He’s disappointed in me?

“Knock her out. We cannot deal with her here.”

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