Page 70 of Their Reckless Thief
I nodded. There was no turning back now.
The door groaned under its own weight as we pushed it open to reveal a vast chamber, its walls lined with those same haunting reflections. At the center of the room, seated on a high-backed chair of black stone, was The Shadow himself.
Luca was already at The Shadow’s side. “As you see, we have company.”
The Shadow was cloaked in darkness, his form barely visible beneath the swirling shadows. The air crackled with raw power, and I could feel it in every fiber of my being. This was the heart of the fortress…the heart of The Shadow’s power.
And we were standing in it.
“Vincenzo Moretti.” The Shadow’s voice echoed, low and smooth, sending a shiver through my body. “To what do I owe thepleasure?”
Luca’s face was an unreadable mask as always, though I could sense the tension radiating off him, his shadows poised as if ready to attack. Luca’s magic had gotten us this far, but now we were out in the open. One wrong word, one wrong movement, and it could all go to hell.
I locked eyes with The Shadow. Although he was hidden beneath the darkness swirling around him, his eyes glowed through the haze, cold, calculating, and dangerous.
“It’s time we had a little talk,” I said. I made sure to keep my posture relaxed and collected, but I was coiled with energy, ready to strike if it came to that. The Shadow wasn’t someoneyou could bluff. Every word had to land precisely, or you were fucked.
His laughter was low, almost a growl, and the shadows around him moved as if they were laughing too. They slithered around his body, responding to his mood like living extensions of his will.
“Talk?” he hissed. “What could you possibly have to say that would interest me, Vincenzo Moretti?”
“I’ll keep it simple.” I folded my arms, ignoring the shadows creeping closer to me and brushing against my skin with a chill. “My people are dying. Women are disappearing. There’s a contaminated version of Phantomine being distributed, and it’s killing people.”
He shifted in his seat, and a wave of darkness rolled across the floor. “And you think that has anything to do with me?” he asked, a mocking edge to his voice. “And if I did know anything about that, why thefuckwould I tell you?”
He rose and took a step closer, his shadows bristling around him, almost touching the tips of my shoes. His long, dark hair was pulled back, making his eyes seem even more glaring and evil.
Dorian shifted behind me, his fists clenched, but I gave him a subtle signal to stand down. This wasn’t the time to lose our cool.
“I need it to stop. And I’m here to ask what you want in return for making that happen.”
The Shadow’s laughter filled the room, the sound as dark and twisted as the shadows that surrounded him. “You? Offeringmesomething?” His eyes gleamed with amusement, but there was nothing lighthearted about it. “There isnothingyour filthy territory could offer me, Vincenzo. Nothing I want. In fact, you should be thanking your luck that you’re even standing here after you somehow snuck ontomyproperty.”
The shadows tightened, closing in on Dorian and me. I felt their cold pressure, like they were trying to suffocate me, but I held my ground. I glanced at Luca, who was still at The Shadow’s right hand, his face revealing nothing.
“Your arrogance,” he continued, his voice dripping with disdain, “is staggering. You think you can walk intomyterritory, uninvited, and make demands? You’re a fool, Vincenzo. A fucking fool.”
Dorian tensed beside me, rage radiating off him. “You don’t give a fuck about innocent lives being lost, do you?” he spat. “All this death, all this suffering... You sit here, watching from your fortress while people die!”
The Shadow tilted his head, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “Why should I care what happens in your cesspool of a territory? Your world is filth,Moretti. I don’t involve myself in the dealings of vermin. My people are just fine and that’s all that matters to me.”
I took a step forward, the shadows biting at my heels, but I didn’t back down. “So, you admit you have no intention of stopping this? No interest in finding a solution? What if this poison spreads beyond my territory? What then?”
The Shadow’s face darkened, his shadows flaring outward in response to his growing anger. “I have no need to involve myself in your petty affairs.” His voice dropped to a low growl, threatening and final. “The fact that you arestillbreathing right now is a mercy. If I find out who allowed this breach into my territory, I’ll kill them. Slowly. Painfully. And their death will be on your hands, Vincenzo. You’re on borrowed time.”
I clenched my jaw to keep my anger from spilling over. “This isn’t about mercy,” I replied, my voice steady. “This is about survival. And if it comes to that, I’ll make sure you regret letting this happen.”
Luca’s gaze flickered between us. His shadows had retreated somewhat. We weren’t going to get anywhere with this, but I couldn’t leave without at least showing The Shadow that I wouldn’t back down.
“I need it to stop. And youwillregret it if it doesn’t.”
The Shadow grinned, his perfectly white teeth glinting in the darkness. “Get the fuck out of my sight, Moretti, before I change my mind about letting you leave here alive.”
I turned to Dorian, who looked like he was one second away from lunging at The Shadow.
My blood was boiling as we walked out. Nothing had been resolved, and the stakes were getting higher by the second. The Shadow wasn’t going to cooperate, but this wasn’t the last time we would cross paths.
And next time... I wasn’t planning on walking away empty-handed.
