Page 32 of Tortured Soul
“It’s been stagnant for a few years,” Marcus drawled from the couch. “Some people join us, some peoplevanish…”
My head snapped toward him. He was scrolling on his phone, checking some sort of article from the human news, it seemed.
“What do you mean, some vanish?” I asked as I finally sat down.
“Exactly what I say,” he answered, standing up lazily to join us. “One day they’re here, and the next,poof. Nowhere in sight. We have a few houses that are only filled with the stuff they left behind.”
Confusion pulled at my face. People didn’t simplyvanish. They left, or they were taken. Especially for Immortals…
“You never thought that maybe—”
“Of course we know what happened,” he snapped in annoyance. He grabbed his glass, filled it with water before he sat. “No matter where and how long we search, we never find anything. Now, we’re just happy when we don’t find dead Earthwalkers around the camp.”
“So you just stopped looking for the missing ones?” I asked dryly.
“Lola dearest,” Aymeric said softly, placing his hand on my forearm and interrupting whatever Marcus was about to spit in my face. “It’s a difficult topic for the people around here. Let’s just have that dinner, hm? If you have concerns about yours or anyone else’s safety, you can always go and talk to the commander. She’ll be happy to answer your questions.”
From what I’d seen earlier, Carrie didn’t seem like thehappy to do anythingtype. That woman looked scary.
Marcus didn’t say anything and I didn’t insist as Aymeric started filling our plates.
But if people were somehow taken away or disappeared from here, it might have to do with the humans Kai mentioned earlier. Bad humans. Humans that I wouldn’t feel guilty to feed from. Humans who were weak enough so I wouldn’t feel forced or threatened. Humans that I could weaken and condemn to an afterlife of damnation.
Seemed only fair in that particular case.
“Oh, here they are!” Aymeric leaned back with a smile. Marcus only tilted his head in acknowledgment.
They were taking seats on my right before I could even turn to greet them.
Two identical girls. Long straight black hair reaching their hips, naturally tanned skin, coal eyes with golden flecks. They were wearing a thinner and tighter version of the guards uniform, reminding me of the one Carrie wore when I saw her at the Archives.
“Lola, meet Francesca and Savi,” Aymeric said. “Don’t be surprised if they don’t speak, they’re mute.”
“I know, Kai told me.”
“They understand just fine,” Marcus added. “Even though they like to pretend they don’t.”
One of them stuck her tongue out at him. The other did nothing apart from staring. At me.
Awkwardly.
Like maybe she wishedIwas her takeaway special.
Was it weird that I was hoping she was lusting after my blood and not slowly driven crazy by my pheromones?
The one staring took a careful step toward me and stopped a few inches away.
My throat bobbed, my body getting ready to fight or flight. The muscles in my legs were tense in case I needed to jump out of my seat and escape.
My heart was hammering in my chest when she slowly lifted her hand and held it for me to shake, her head tilted to the side in wonder.
Not everyone is out to get you.
I cleared my throat and accepted the handshake. The corner of her lips stretched in a smile. Atoothysmile. I refrained from ripping my hand away and forced my face to relax.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, my voice too wobbly for my liking.
“That’s Savi.” Aymeric smiled. “If you ever have a doubt about which is who, Savi has a small scar on her cheekbone.”
