With the next exhale, I send a wave of fear towards the men. It feels cold against the anger in my chest. I don’t hold back. I put in all the fright and terror I can conjure and wrap that terrible coldness all around those bastards.
The fear takes shape inside my mind. It’s an old crone towering over the men without them seeing it. Its sharp talons curling, caressing their cheeks. The men perk up and look around. I can sense their heartbeats picking up the pace.
I exhale again, and the terror monster’s claws sink into their chests, the fear sinking deep inside them, all the way to the marrow of their bones.
The men are on their feet now, frantically looking around for a threat. There’s nothing but darkness beyond the circle around their fireplace. They exchange quick words with each other, theirbreaths shallow. The adrenaline floods their bloodstream just as quick as the rage swells inside my chest.
They don’t deserve to live.
I tighten my grip on them, pushing even further. My muscles tremble and the terror monster looming over them consumes them all.
The screams that echo in the warehouse are terrifying on their own. A sweat breaks out over my eyebrow and drips down my temple and the side of my cheek. I’m shaking all over as one by one, men groan and drop onto the cold, dirty floor.
When the last heart stops beating, I open my eyes. All the rage is gone. I’m an empty vessel with a huge void in my chest. I blink, disoriented for a moment. Nausea rises so fast I barely have time to scramble away from the crew and retch out the contents of my stomach.
I’m heaving, on all fours, until someone wraps me in their arms and holds me tight in their embrace. Vera.
“You’re okay. It’s okay,” she murmurs, holding me tight. “It’s over now.”
After a couple of minutes, I stop shaking. I clear my throat and pull away. Vera remains by my side for a few more moments. When I’m ready, I give her a little nod and she helps me to my feet.
“That was…chilling,” Jax says. He shivers. “I would rather not experience this ever again, if that’s possible.”
I frown at him, confused. “Did I…hurt you?”
“No, you didn’t. And we won’t have to, Jaxy,” Vera says, calmly. “Now, let’s go. Let’s get the children to safety and leave before someone else comes along.”
I ignore the weird look Ri and Jax give me and follow Vera towards the kids.
The dead bodies are sprawled on the floor around the fireplace, with the terror reflecting in their faces. I pause, looking down at them.
I killed them without laying a hand on them. With my emotional manipulation alone. I didn’t even think it was possible.
Shaking off the weird feeling settling over me with a roll of my shoulders, I help Vera with a girl who’s no older than twelve. Her arms are full of bruises, her cheeks sunken. The only thing she wears in this cold is a muslin cloth tunic that’s ragged at the edges and barely covers her body.
We don’t speak much as we drag the unconscious children outside, one by one. When the first carriage is full, three more arrive. Tanaka, Hojo, Bart, and Hel all join us, and we work a little quicker. None of these children are older than fifteen years old. Where are their parents?
When the last child is safely in the carriage, I turn to Vera. “What’s this all about? Who are those children, and what do they have to do with Caligos or you? And who the hell is Savage King?”
Vera closes the carriage door and taps the side of it. It starts moving. Soon, it’s only me, Vera, and Jax.
“This is one of the most profitable Caligos businesses in Ekios. People trafficking. They take kids who don’t have stable homes, seduce them with promises of safety, love, and comfort and then drug them and sell their bodies for profits. Most of them are sold into sexual slavery. Those unfit are sold to work in the mines and similar places.”
I’m speechless.
Vera waves her hands around. “Savage King is me. It’s an underground operation I started years ago to combat this part of Caligos business. Caligos don’t know that, they don’t know who exactly runs these operations, but they have their suspicions.This is what I do when I don’t entertain the nobles and Order of Ezkai.”
“How long have you been doing this?” Jax’s voice is quiet, unusually so.
“Long enough,” she says with her eyes cast down. In that moment she looks as if the weight of the whole world rests on her shoulders. When she raises her gaze, it’s full of fire. “You wanted to know the truth. Well, here it is. The Talbots control ninety percent of the people trafficking that happens in Ekios. It’s their main family business. Do you think your boyfriend doesn’t know? Hasn’t got a clue where the bloody money that fuels his lifestyle comes from? Why his father wanted to put him on the fucking throne?”
I swallow. I can’t…I can’t fathom.
“This is why I’m fighting so hard for you to win, Phoenix. This is why I’m fighting against the Talbots’ reign. It’s already bad enough, with Caligos having their claws in the Order, and even House Dzuni. Imagine how bad things will be if the Talbot heir is the next Ezkai General? That can’t happen. You have to win so this can finally be put to a stop with that damn law I tried to pass with Kitajo.”
I nod, numb. “I understand.”
“Do you?” She frowns. “Daegel is part of the problem, even if he showed you the charming side of him that made you fall for him. That means he must be stopped, just like the rest of Caligos.”
