I watched as Ivelle ascended to the upper floor, the boy's trembling frame following her like a moth drawn to flame. A sick thrill churned within me, dark and feral. Her audacity was intoxicating—a violent chaos that dared to incinerate me. She was not just dangerous; she was destruction personified.
"You're letting her do this?" Cassian's voice broke through, sharp and incredulous. His disbelief made me smirk. My eyes drifted to my bandaged hand—the hand that had only moments ago claimed her waist, branding her as mine.
"She is Lady Valentino, Cassian," I murmured, my voice laced with menace. "She's earned the right to play with fire." My smile stretched wider, an edge of danger creeping into it. The way Cassian stared at me stunned only deepened my amusement. This was no act of indulgence. This was control—a game she didn't even realize she was playing.
"You've completely lost your mind! SHE JUST TOOK A SPY OF THE GHOST FLEET—YOUR ENEMY—RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!" Cassian's voice rose, trembling with frustration. His anger amused me. How little he understood the intricacies of power.
I rose, my presence looming over the remaining spies. They sat silent, heads bowed, like lambs awaiting slaughter. The youngest had been plucked from the jaws of death, leaving the rest to stew in the inevitability of their demise.
Ivelle… Her name curled through my thoughts like smoke. Who are you beneath the veneer of boldness? What secrets tie you to the Ghost Fleet? My curiosity burned.
"Frustrated? Resentful?" My voice was soft, almost gentle, but it carried a weight that made the air around us dense. The pies didn't move. They were statues, carved by fear.
"She spared one of you," I said, lighting a cigar with deliberate slowness. The flame reflected in their eyes, a cruel reminder of the inferno awaiting them. "Curious, isn't it? How quickly the Ghost Fleet abandoned you?"
The silence fractured as two of the men began to shake. Their composure cracked, and I inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of despair.
"You gave them everything," I said, exhaling smoke that curled like a serpent. "Your blood. Your loyalty. And now you'll die here, devoured by beasts. Tell me, is this the reward you expected?"
Cassian stepped forward, his boots clicking ominously against the stone floor. He flexed his gloved fingers, a predator savoring the hunt. "Oh, Hades, you're far too kind. These traitors deserve nothing more than to feed the hounds."
"Cruel, Cassian," I said, a mockery of reproach in my tone. "Don't make me out to be a monster."
With a swift motion, Cassian grabbed the nearest spy by the hair and slammed his head against the ground. The crack of bone echoed, and blood splattered across my boots. Cassian's eyes glimmered with madness, the kind that mirrored my own.
"If you're too kind, they'll think you're weak," he sneered, wiping blood from his cheek.
"Perhaps," I said, letting the word hang in the air like a noose. "But kindness has its place. After all, I was considering sparing them if they offered something valuable."
I turned my gaze to the guards. "Throw them to the dogs. Let's see who screams loudest."
As the guards began dragging the spies toward the dog house, a voice broke through the chaos. "WAIT!" It was a young lad who shouted desperately.He is a 20-year-old spy, his sharp jawline clenched in defiance despite the fear flickering in his piercing gray eyes. His raven-black hair, disheveled and damp with sweat, frames his face, emphasizing his high cheekbones and the subtle tremor of his full, slightly parted lips. The desperation in his gaze is palpable, a wild mix of determination and vulnerability, as if calculating every possible escape route. His name was Kang Man-Shik, if I wasn't wrong.Kang Man-Shik, his voice trembling yet resolute. He stumbled forward, breaking away from the group. His gray eyes burned with defiance, though his trembling hands betrayed his fear."I have information," he blurted, his voice cracking. "The Ghost Fleet plans to kill you along with your heir under the king's orders! They've already placed three elites within your circle!"
The room fell silent, save for the distant growls of the dogs. The other spies gasped, their expressions a mix of shock and fury. One of them hissed, "You'll be killed for this, Man-Shik. Betraying the Fleet is a death sentence."
Man-Shik's jaw tightened. "I'd rather die telling the truth than be torn apart like an animal for their amusement!" His voice rose with conviction, tears glistening in his eyes. "They promised us protection. They lied."
I stepped closer, my shadow swallowing him whole. "You're brave," I said, my voice a silken thread of menace. "Or foolish. Perhaps both."
"I will serve you," he said, dropping to his knees. "I'll give you everything I know. My loyalty belongs to you now."
The other spies spat curses, their betrayal etched in every venomous word. But their protests were cut short as the guards hauled them to the dog house. The heavy door slammed shut, and the basement filled with the horrific symphony of snarls and screams. Blood seeped under the door, a macabre reminder of their fate.
Man-Shik paled; his trembling formed a stark contrast to his earlier defiance. Cassian chuckled, his amusement cutting through the tension. "It could have been you, Manu," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Do you regret your choice yet?"
Man-Shik shook his head, his voice steady despite the fear in his eyes. "No. My loyalty is to Hades now."
I tilted my head, a grin curling my lips. "You've chosen wisely," I said. "And Hades never kills his own."
Cassian dragged Man-Shik toward the exit, muttering under his breath. "You've no idea what you've signed up for, boy. Serving Valentino is a fate worse than death."
Man-Shik's voice rang out, unwavering. "I WILL SERVE YOU WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE, HADES! MY LOYALTY BELONGS TO YOU!"
Cassian and I exchanged a glance, his smirk a mirror of my own.
"Is that all it takes to break a man?" I mused.
Cassian chuckled darkly. "Or perhaps you've just got a talent for attracting the broken."
"Or they simply can't resist the abyss," I replied, my voice soft yet cutting. Aeron Valentino—a magnet for the loyal and the damned alike.