Page 122 of Heathens

Dominic lets out a hollow laugh as he sparks it, the blue and gold flame licking the air as he holds it to the crinkled page. He keeps his hand steady the entire time as the formula is reduced to little more than smoldering ash.

It seems that even with his greatest enemy dead on the floor, feeling that final flicker of its fading light is the only way he can know for sure he’s finally won.

DOMINIC

Rene's Mansion

Theo’sheadlessbodyliesnext to Mateo in the courtyard as the dull orange hue of the sky just barely begins to creep over the mountains. I crouch down, unclasping the gold pendant from around my neck and placing it delicately in his hand. I wanted to give him something, to show him that I understood, and to tell him that even after all of this, he’s still my brother.

A tear drips onto his bloodstained shirt as I move on to Mateo, kissing his forehead. He didn’t deserve this. The only thing he did was try to be loyal to me.

Ruby and Sofie took care of Rene’s body, cutting off what was left of his head and tying his corpse to the front of the building as a warning to anyone who dared drive up here. I wanted him far away from my brothers.

I glance back up at the sky. The sun is coming up in thirty minutes, and all I feel are waves of grief crashing into me, tossing me around like a buoy. I’m helpless against it. This is the last time I’ll ever look at them. My progeny and my brother will vanish with the sunrise.

Years of memories twist into my chest like a knife. Theo knew me better than anyone, which meant he was the perfect choice to betray me. All he had to do was convince Luke and Mateo, and promise the same shit that I’d promised him.

I should have expected it, but Theo was so meticulous and secretive, and I was too trusting. I’m sure Luke fell for it instantly. He was just that kind of guy, but Mateo wouldn’t budge, and he paid for it.

Tears roll down my face, and I’m startled as I feel Sofie’s soft hand slip into mine.

“We have to get inside,” she whispers.

“And then we have to figure out our next move,” Ruby announces from the back door.

She’s leaning up against it and smoking, with dark circles under her eyes, and her body covered in slowly healing cuts and bruises. She looks as worn down as I feel, and with a broken nose, a torn up face, and a hand that’ll surely take more than a single night to heal, Sofie hasn’t fared much better.

“I don’t…” I glance between the only two people I have left, newly reborn and looking for guidance, and I sigh. “I don’t know what to do.”

I always thought I’d be able to take charge when the time came, but now that it’s here, I feel lost.

What Idoknow is that the hard part is coming in the following days. News of Rene’s death will spread like wildfire, which will help as much as hurt. There will be pathetic grasps for power, with some of his cronies thinking they’re just the right person to fill his shoes. Others will fall under our rule immediately, not wanting to rock the boat before they see how we run things. And then there’s the outskirts of the city…

Theo mentioned that Rene was expanding operations. If that’s true, then it won’t be long before some of them come knocking to see what’s happened to their business partner.

No rest for the wicked, I suppose.

“First thing’s first: We have to convince who we can of Rene’s men to join us, and capture the ones that try to run.” Sofie’s tone is soft, but firm, and her voice doesn’t waver in the slightest. “We’ll need numbers if we want to hold power.”

“Agreed,” Ruby replies. “And if we want to get the rest of the humans on board, treat ‘em right and make sure they know they have a say. That’ll make this a whole lot easier. If Rene’s goons try anything, we’ll have more manpower to take them out, and having people on our side that can function during the day probably won’t hurt our chances.”

I nod solemnly. I know the storm that’s coming, the resistance that Rene’s men might put up, but it all feels so far away. Right now, all I want to do is watch Theo’s body sink into the earth. He might be a traitor, but he deserves this goodbye.

Sofie brushes my cheek with her fingertips. The gesture makes me want to curl into a ball and weep.

“We take things one step at a time. We’ll sleep, meet up at Nox, and go from there.”

We all need to rest. My wounds have started to heal, but the arm that Rene crushed remains weak, tucked at my side in a makeshift sling.

“We’ve got twenty minutes,” Ruby says as she flicks her cigarette into the ground, watching the cherry suffocate in a small puddle of rainwater. “I don’t know about you two, but all that murder was exhausting.”

Sofie turns me away from Theo and walks me inside, past the pieces of broken marble floor, splintered wood, and pools of blood that now adorn Rene’s former home. All I can think about is how it could have been me.

“You really didn’t know he was going to turn on you, did you?” Sofie asks.

“No.”

“I’m sorry about your friend,” Ruby offers, looking back at me with sympathy as we climb the stairs.

---