Page 106 of Madness Behind the Mask
Inclining his head, Leon turns to leave.
The doorof the dining roomswingsshut behind him.
Cadenstares at it for a moment longer, thenturns his attention back to his bowl. Picks up his spoon. “Garrett,” he says. “You requested more incubus potions for your district? How many do you need?”
Conversation starts up all around meconcerning theincrease of demand for sex potionslike the ones Caden and I used in the showernow that moreand moresoldiers are returning from across the seas. Discussions about who might be good replacementsforthe two caposare also had,and underlying it all is their silent brown-nosing for Molly’s hand.
No one even glances at the dead man on the table as weeat, but my eyes keep going back to the closed door.
Please, gods,I pray,don’t let that be the last time I ever see my son.
Thirty-Six
ALERIC
28OCTOBER1947
There is a delicacy to torturing one’s mind, to breaking them so completely, they are reborn. You can’t break them too fast, too hard. Otherwise, they’ll shatter, cave in, fall into a coma in an attempt to hide away from the world. You can’t break them too slow, giving them little fractures that will allow them to grow stronger, handle pain better rather than breaking apart at your feet.
You have tofuck withthemjuuuustright.
You have to get her attached to you just a little, give her her first orgasm.
Then you have to take away all her things, break them one toy at a time as she’s helpless to stop it. When she’s forced to think about the next toy in line. About all the ways shecouldsave it, maybe...before she fails.
She’ll start to think about you. Obsess about you. And that is when you’ll own her.
Whenyoushouldgive her a little morsel, a bit of hope that she can save her favorite toy as long as she pleases you. Does what you want without question.
And Sau’ll do it. She’s too soft, too willing to sacrifice herself for others. For the witches at the portal. For her husband.Her children...
My gaze lands on Leon as he hurries through the dark, quiet streets of St. Augustine. He looks skittish, like he already knows death is coming for him even though he can’t see me from my perch. His head keeps turning to look behind him. His heart beats faster and faster in hisrapidly risingchest.
For a moment, I smile, thinking I spooked him even more than expected when Imailedhim four boxesof Christianwith the note: ‘I know what you did. Caden is about to too’clamped between his teeth.
But then I catch a whiff of someone else on this street.
My fangs elongate as the hairs on my neck rise.
The fucking reaper is here.
My gaze flies back toLeonas he turns his head to look behind him.
A shadow moves in front of him. Dark and dangerous and fast. A glint of metalcatches the moonlight.Seems likeCadenalready knowsand has ordered Myersto kill him.
Inablink of an eye, I’m gone from the roof and down on the street between Leon and Myers. He whips his head around as his uncle’s knife lands in my back, perfect for a strike to Leon’s heart. His eyes barely have time to widen before I grab him and phase again,the knife ripping out of my skin.
As we landhalfway across town, I sink my teeth into his neckto heal myself.Hetries to slamhis fist into my side, but itmisses me, too offset by his disorientation. Blood gushes down my throat as I swallow, its sweet, rich taste exploding across my tastebuds.
I phase again. Releasing his neck, I dart to the side just quick enough to avoid his spurge of vomit. He falls to his knees, swaying as his world spins. Stepping behind him, I grip his shoulder and vanish again, this time reappearing in the bathroom of my home. With my free hand, I grab the back of his head, fisting his red curls as he kneels in front of me, and aim him over the open toilet.
He heaves, the sick smell of an upset stomach pouring out of his lips. “It’s hilarious, isn’t it?” I say as I hold him over the bowl. “One of your ancestors made a deal to walk through the Plane of Monsters unharmed, yet still you can’t handle phasing.” Every hop opens a portal to that place, but we’re in and out in a blip, moving too fast for the monsters to get us...most of the time. Occasionally, an unlucky bastard has really bad timing and ends up trying to step through a set of teeth to get to their destination. Then they reappear in this world, torn to shreds and half missing...if they reappear at all.
Leon groans as I yank his head up. With my free hand, I flush the toilet and smile. “It’s almost as funny as this.”
Shoving his head forward again, I force it all the way into the bowl. Water squirts around his head, filling it in, and soon he can’t breathe. Grabbing his arm with my free hand, I raise it to my lips and sink my fangs into his wrist.
I drink deeply, holding him down as he desperately tries to fight me. But between the awkward angle of his body, his lack of air, his life draining down my throat, and the crushing disorientation of our trip here, he can’t get in a good blow even with his super strength and speed. Maybe if I were human...
