“No,” he grunted, the bullet lodged somewhere inside. It ached, but it wouldn’t kill him.
Eva’s fingers hesitated at the wound, coming away red. “Oh my god Kace, let me…”
“It’s nothing,” he interrupted. “Keep your head in the game, or I may start to think you like me.”
The echo of her own words did the trick. The panic that had edged her lips lessened as her head snapped up, eyes narrowing.
“Don’t come to me when you’re all hurt and bleeding,” she said with a warning that made him want to see how far he could push. “I won’t help you.”
“We both know you love me bleeding, don’t we, Sunshine?”
Eva let out a frustrated scream, her fangs teasing white against her lips. “You’re insufferable.”
Kace chuckled, pulling out a second knife to hand to her. “Noted.”
Eva paused, fingers twitching as if she wanted to hit him before she grabbed the offering.
“You’re welcome,” he said before she could thank him, just so he could see a little aggravation flash in her darkened eyes. He loved her blue irises, thought they were so serene and pure compared to his own taint. But he was also fascinated by the predatorial hunger that glinted when they turned obsidian.
In those eyes he saw himself. Corrupted. Dangerous.
The stairs beyond the hidden door lead into the main auditorium of the bank, the floor black and white tiles with dark wood panelling behind the numerous desks lined up by the walls. A larger desk was in the centre back, in front of the same three silver lifts that must have been connected to the basement. The desk was gold, and not just simply painted, either. Directly behind were the same three lifts.
“Do you think they keep real money here?” Lucy asked. “Asking for a friend.”
“What do you even need money for? You live at the house for free,” Axel said.
“Oh, I don’t know fuckface. Maybe I want to buy a puppy? Or a nice whore who will suck my juicy co…”
“Enough,” Riley hissed. “This is not the time, or the place.”
Lucifer clicked his tongue, a smile teasing his lips. “There’s wild magic here, black.”
“They had a faerie,” Eva said, absently brushing her fingers down her tattooed arms.
“Had?”
“Yeah, I err… killed her.”
Lucy let out a whistle through his teeth. “Seems the little bloodsucker has a darker side. Yum.”
“I can’t feel any magic,” Kace said, trying to cool his sudden spike in temper.
“That’s because I’m better than you,” Lucy said. “But there’s definitely something…” He took a step forward, and the white tile clicked. “Oh fuck.”
The lights brightened, illuminating the entire area in crimson. Symbols glowed on every white tile, unfamiliar swirls that whined a high-pitched tune.
Eva gasped, and as Kace stepped towards her, keeping to the black tiles, her body seemed to flicker.
“Eva?” He reached forward, but his arm swept through her form entirely. “What the…” With a blink she had disappeared, and so had everyone else but Titus. “Fuck.”
Another blink, and the edges of the bank turned to shadows, quickly sweeping closer until he was no longer in the bank, but a hallway not much different to an office block.
Titus had already lifted his gun, shooting two of the guards while Kace knocked the third out with a heavy fist.
“Well, hello to you too,” Titus muttered, placing his pistol back on his hip. “Do you think this is real?”
Kace reached out to the wall, feeling every groove of the wood beneath his fingertips. The carpet was brown, threadbare that released dust with every step. “Feels real.” His stomach twisted, panic tensing his muscles until he felt the heat of Eva in his chest. She was still there, somewhere. Hopefully not alone.
