CHAPTER 006
1033 Words
The sharp and metallic aroma of blood was heavy with me. It lingered in my nostrils and stirred something primal within me; something uneasy crept within. At my feet lay an assassin's corpse with his lifeless eyes fixed on something far below us all—all while my nerves raced with emotion as I slowly exhaled outward to try and put out its flames.
This was no random attack. My attention turned toward Leonie. She sat idly at the edge of a grand bed wrapped in a thick fur blanket and still shaken, tightly clutching fabric around herself with white knuckles from gripping too tightly. Flames flickering from a nearby fireplace cast flickering shadows across her face that highlighted raw fear in her wide eyes—not fear of me but fear from herself.
No, she was afraid of something much deeper, something unseen, and this frightened me more than anything visible at my feet. Johann entered quietly, his boots making only minimal sound against the polished wooden floors as his expression turned grim as his sharp eyes scanned around before locking onto me.
"This wasn't just a test," he murmured quietly, "they came here to kill her." My stomach groaned in response, for I knew the exact reason behind their arrival: precision and silence of movement by professional criminals bypassing every guard in my estate without raising an alarm—this was clearly evidence that professionals only struck when their price was too great.
Leonie shuddered in response to the sound, withdrawing into herself. I found this action annoying as my patience with weakness quickly ran thin; yet something about Leonie's fear—raw and vulnerable—made me want to protect her. Damn it.
As I ran my hand through my hair and inhaled deeply, the realization dawned: her scent had changed.
"What are you thinking, Johann?" was my sudden question as my breathlessness returned. Her scent had been unnerving at first; there was nothing where there should have been something familiar like an animal scent, something odd but disturbing at once. Now, however, something different had arisen beneath all that fear and sweat—something old yet familiar, like something from another lifetime had surfaced from within her. And suddenly Johann noticed my sudden stillness: "What could it be?"
"What are you?" My voice came out softer than intended, hinting of danger and suspense. Leonie looked up with disbelief before whispering back, "I don't know." To which my reply was simply another lie from Leonie.
I could hear it in her heartbeat thumping and voice shaking with fear; she knew something, even if she did not completely comprehend it.
"That isn't an answer." I crouched down close to her, closing the distance. She shuddered again, but not from fear; rather, the air between us was thick with tension; her scent filled my lungs, sending another wave of unease down my spine.
Leonie pressed herself hard against the headboard to create as much distance between us.
"I swear, I don't know," she replied, firmly this time. I studied her body language: chest rise-and-fall; lips parting slightly as she gasped for breath. Her pulse beat wildly at her throat in a tantalizing rhythm that tempted my predator instincts, but I forced myself to exhale.
She was hiding something.
Johann was shifting in my direction, speaking directly. "We need to find out who sent these men," he stated, "and why she is their target."
As I turned my attention back to the assassin's body, crouching beside it, his throat had been torn out in an instant by one of my strikes; blood pooled beneath him, staining the ornate carpet crimson with each drop dripping onto its fibers. My fingers tightened into fists. In years, it wasn't like this!
As I reached for his wrist, a familiar symbol inked onto its inner surface grabbed my attention: I recognized its sigil all too well, and my jaw tightened with fear.
The Order of the Hollow Fang was an ancient organization of mercenaries and assassins known as ghosts from history who would take contracts from only those willing to pay the highest bids, often ending their victims lives forever. Johann noticed a mark and became visibly upset. "This is bigger than expected!"
No. It wasn't bigger; it was worse.
The Hollow Fang was not simply interested in hunting people; they specialized in extermination. That meant Leonie was an immediate threat. I looked back at her, truly taking note that I saw something far more dangerous.
Leonie swallowed hard before shaking my hand to come closer and ask me what was going on, before rising to her feet to say, "Leonie needs to speak." "That means talking first." I stood back up. "Leonia needs to speak."
"Who are we speaking to?" she was prompted, before quickly replying, "My past."
Her expression fell, her face pale. Soon enough, though, she said quickly enough, "I don't remember anything." And quickly too, she left without being heard or understood properly.
Johann crossed his arms. "Do we expect us to believe that? The Hollow Fang only takes on high-value targets like you; someone paid millions of dollars to have you disappear from existence." She shuddered in horror. I exhaled sharply. This wasn't leading anywhere.
Johann and I exchanged glances. He nodded once before leaving the room quietly with a click, leaving Leonie and me alone in silence with all our unspoken questions and speculation. I approached Leonie slowly. "You aren't telling me everything." She lifted her chin slightly. I smirked. "Fair point."
She watched me warily, her body still tight. Yet beneath that fear lay something else—something she didn't even realize she was showing me—curiosity. So I leaned in close enough to feel her breath warm my cheek and her pupils dilate, while her scent intensified with something new and forbidden.
"I will find out what you are," I murmured softly. "One way or another." Her body shuddered slightly as she didn't look away; instead, she whispered good luck as I almost smiled—almost—since luck had nothing to do with this investigation at all.
I soon grew accustomed to always getting what I desired.
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