My breath came quicker, my hunger for the hunt growing. “I will find the journal. I will find the daggers. You have my word, Lord Balthazar.”
I bowed deeply, solemnly, silently swearing my allegiance once more.
When I straightened, Balthazar studied me, stroking his goatee. The trim facial hair, dark as midnight, sharpened his devilish features, making him look like Satan’s wicked brother.
“You’ve always been a good servant, Marcellious,” he mused. “But I’m not entirely convinced of your loyalty.”
A cold prickle of fear slid down my spine. My knees nearly buckled, but I forced myself to stand tall.
“With all due respect, I have proved myself since the moment you summoned me,” I said, my voice steady despite the hammering of my heart. “I have obeyed every order. I have told you everything I know. I have betrayed my brother and my people—” I inhaled deeply, the words tasting like ash. “—and I will continue to serve you until my last dying breath.”
Balthazar said nothing.
His silence was suffocating.
Sweat beaded along my forehead and neck, trickling down my spine in hot rivulets.
Then—a smile.
Sinister.
“We shall see,” he murmured. “Find Malik. Bring me the journal. That will prove your loyalty.”
A dark thrill surged through me, drowning out the fear. Yes. This was where I belonged.
Back in the shadows.
Back at Balthazar’s side.
And now, I could finally unleash my darkness again—and revel in the thrill of evil.
I pulled my head back. “I’m ready to leave now. I can head for the Catskills at once to find Malik—and I can prove my loyalty to you anytime by killing anyone who stands in our way.”
Balthazar’s smile stretched into a wicked leer.
“You’ve forgotten something.”
I frowned. “What’s that?”
“You’re healing.” He gestured toward my abdomen.
I glanced down, patting my stomach. My skin was smooth, my muscles taut. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I feel fine. That healing tonic worked.”
Balthazar chuckled, the sound curling around me like a noose. “That was only the first treatment.”
He turned on his heel, striding toward the heavy wooden door at the back of the room. The moment his fingers brushed the handle, fire erupted in my veins.
A strangled cry tore from my throat as agony seized my limbs. My body convulsed, muscles twisting into unnatural knots. I crumpled to the ground, pain swallowing me whole.
Balthazar didn’t even glance back.
“I’ll return soon to administer more elixir,” he called over his shoulder, his laughter trailing behind him as the door clicked shut.
The room spun. My vision darkened at the edges. Every nerve in my body screamed, molten agony replacing my blood.
Had I made a mistake?
No.
