Page 24 of Dark Souls

Grandpapi sat on the winged-back armchair opposite me and rested his elbows on the sides, threading his fingers together. “What’s up, princess?”

“Do you know anything aboutThe Underground?” I was never one to beat around the bush.Speak your mind and cut the bullshithas always been my philosophy. I didn’t miss the way his whole body tensed and his black eyebrows tightened on hearing the name of the club.

“Where did you hear that?” he asked, his posture seeming more and more uncomfortable by how stiff he had become.

“Tonight. At a vamp club. I was there with Lacey and Lia and there was this high-security, private area sectioned off. Lia said it was only for members ofThe Underground. She said it was some exclusive club for the immoral and deranged supernaturals. I’m guessing a lot of illegal and frowned upon things happen at the events or something. Apparently, no one talks about it and no one knows much about it unless you are a member. But Lia talks a lot of shit so I thought I’d ask you. Do you know about it?” It was obvious he knew something.

He sighed, lifting his hand to rub his stubbled jaw. “That’s what the rumours say. An exclusive club that holds events maybe once or twice a month for its members. And you are right. No one knows about the details unless you are a member. It’s been around for centuries but it’s got tighter on security. Now, it’s near impossible to know who is a member, or figure out where or when an event is about to happen. It’s kept extremely hush-hush.”

“So, is it something we should be worried about? Something mum and dad should be trying to bring down?” I asked, my voice raising slightly with each question.

He gave me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “No. It’s not somethingyouneed to worry about. We know it exists but without knowing who is at the head of it all, it is very hard to do anything about it. And for what it’s worth, it’s contained.”

“So, you’re all just turning a blind eye? Even though awful shit could be happening at these events?” I was a little surprised. My family was never one for backing down when it came to fighting to protect our species.

“The problem is, Ilaria, we don’t know what goes on at these events. We’ve never been informed about what happens at these events, and no supernatural beings have ever complained to your parents about the club. Whether that is out of fear or because they just don’t want to, we’ll never know. But once you are a member, your loyalty is to the club, I guess.”

“Or you are killed before you even speak a word about it outside of its walls,” I offered and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Or that. We have our suspicions, of course. We knew they weren’t having sorority meetings or sharing baking recipes. The SIA and your parents are aware of missing people, stolen artefacts, black market operations and the supporting of drug lording for humans but there is no proof that links any of it toThe Underground. And to be honest…” He glanced out of the window, leaving his sentence hanging between us as if he thought better than to finish it.

“And?” I urged, leaning forward with a determined glare.

He exhaled loudly. “Things have been relatively peaceful for this family. Well, apart from all the recent craziness at the Academy and the SIA, but that’s over now and we can start to get back to normal.”

“Normal?” The word honestly repulsed me. “You always say what’s the fun in normality?”

He scoffed, twisting his wedding band on his finger. “When you have lived the kind of life I have, a bit of normality isn’t so bad. There is one thing people have wrong about me, princess. I don’t go looking for trouble. I never have. That isn’t to say that I back down from it when it appears on my doorstep. But right now, with your brothers in another realm fighting a dangerous war, that is the only thing on all our minds. NotThe Underground. Don’t go looking for trouble, Ilaria. It’s not worth it.”

I leaned back, moving my gaze back to the window with a heavy sigh. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Heath was at the same club where anUndergroundevent was taking place. He had to be a member. I think it was a little too late for Grandpapi’s warning because trouble had already found me. And I wasn’t someone who backed down either.

The Dealer

Stalkingthroughthedimlylit cellar where tonight’sUndergroundfestivities were being held, I kept to the shadows, only allowing my intimidating presence to spark enough fear with an unspoken warning: tread carefully, for you’re in the devil’s domain, and one wrong move means no mercy from me. Uneasy eyes followed my every move and hushed voices echoed in my wake, just like they always did when I showed my face at any event. My reputation as the ruthless and cutthroat Devil’s Dealer was enough to make even the most vicious of supernaturals think twice about crossing me. And that’s exactly what my purpose was. To keep order in the chaos. To elicit dread. To be the Devil’s ears and eyes in all matters. I would hate it with a passion if I had the energy to give a fuck.

No one here knew my name. Not my real name, anyway. That’s a secret buried deep beneathThe Underground’s lies, betrayals and mysteries.

Every fucker in this place knew me only as The Dealer; these idiots sold their souls to satisfy their cravings for their darkest desires, wealth and power. And that is exactly whatThe Undergroundoffered. Yet, some still couldn’t form enough brain cells to comply with the only two rules: respect the events and exclusivity of its members. And when that happened, I was the judge they faced in an attempt to bargain for their life. Everyone’s life had a high price to the Devil, but it was up to me to decide if the deal presented was of any value. And because every asshole in this place knew I didn’t give a fuck about their life expectancy; it wasn’t a great position to find themselves in.

Nothing could be heard but the dice rolling, the cards shuffling, and the ice knocking against the glasses as I strolled behind the tables. Each step I took in my black boots drained the laughter and joy from the musky air. I had to fight to keep the smirk at bay as my vampire thirst fed off their fear. Taking one last glance around the smoky gambling den where supernaturals were wagering their high-stakes bets that were never just of the money kind, I pushed through the curtain wall into the bar area. The moment I did, the noise level from the gambling den erupted once more with the relief that I had left them to it.

With a wave of my fingers, a waitress appeared at my side with my vodka on the rocks, avoiding my eyes and hurrying away as soon as the glass was in my hand. Clever move on her part. The less interaction I had with people tonight, the better. I was in an…unpredictable mood. In fact, I hadn’t been able to shake this dull ache of agitation in my chest ever since I found the state Heathen had left my office in at the nightclub two days ago. But it wasn’t the mangled corpse of the rogue wolf member or the complete disarray of my office that bothered me. I was used to the aftermath of Heathen’s unorthodox methods. It was the club entry contract on that girl that I couldn’t stop thinking about. And why the fuck Heath had taken such an acute interest in it? Or perhaps his interest was in her. Which was even more unsettling because no fucking good could possibly come from Heathen being distracted from the only thing he was ever used for. Killing. Monsters like him and I were better off as solitary creatures. Keeping everyone at arm’s length for their own benefit as well as ours. For a crazy killer with little to no impulse control to have his sights set on Ilaria Romano-Black, the fucking daughter of the King and Queen of all supernaturals, was only asking for trouble. The last thing we needed was the righteous royals breathing down our necks.

As if the universe was dead set on adding to my shitty mood, I caught sight of the one club member who never failed to test the limits of my tolerance. Perhaps it was because he was also the one member I could never kill. Being the nephew of my boss, The Devil, he knew I couldn’t end his pathetic little life, which made him even more insufferable. He usually steered clear of events I hosted, but tonight, he seemed intent on provoking me.

He sauntered towards me with an arrogant grin plastered on his face as I leaned one elbow against the bar countertop, my lethal glare a warning that he was hellbent on ignoring. He carried a glass of whiskey in one hand and had his other arm draped over the shoulders of a fae female in a tight black dress. Her expression lacked any sign of enjoyment at being in his company. I couldn’t blame her; he was about as entertaining as a bad joke.

“Dealer,” he sneered, his voice immediately grated on me like nails scraping a chalkboard. “Nice to see you dressed appropriately, as always, for such a lavish night.” His blue eyes barely concealed their disdain for my casual, ripped jeans and baggy, distressed Tee which showed off all my upper body tattoos. It was a clear defiance of the dress code at Underground events, which were always formal and strict for members.

“Last I checked, I didn’t need to wear an overpriced, ill-fitting suit to kill insolent pests. Tell me, does playing dress up in your uncle’s suits make you feel less like a weasel?”

His jaw clenched and fire burned in his eyes at the nickname. His name was Wesley but last year, when he had made a comment about my past that my rage could not handle, I had beat him so fucking hard he squealed like a weasel until his uncle forced me off him. The nightly tortures I’d endured for a month for that beating at been so fucking worth it.

“I’d watch how you talk to me.” His voice dripped with disgust. “Everyone may shit themselves in your presence but you and I both know that I’m the only truly untouchable one here.”

My crimson eyes flashed with dangerous intent, causing his smirk to falter. I lowered my voice to match his, my tone plagued with chilling venom. “You sure about that, Weasel? Maybe I need to jog your memory, test just how untouchable you really are.”

“You wouldn’t dare after your last punishment. Although I have to say that the scar on your face is an improvement.”

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