Demons of Abyss - Retribution

Chapter 7

Elea

Kilian looks at me with a raised eyebrow, as if he doesn't believe that I actually want to help him. But at some point, he understands that I'm serious. Because I also need his support. I need someone who has experience of this kind of thing, and he's the only one I've come across so far.

"I'm going to try to infiltrate the club."

Confused, I shake my head.

"The Demons are known for their illegal dealings and bribes. They get that money from their whorehouses and underground fights. These fights take place in different places but always at the same time. I talked to two of the Demons today, and they asked if I wanted to compete in one of those fights."

"Are you crazy. After my behavior today, we can forget it."

His fingers brush over his short-cropped hair. His eyes close for a second, and when he opens them again, there's determination in them.

"Not if I show up there without you."

"And I'm supposed to just stay still and do nothing..." Sarcasm is in my voice before I stand up and pace the room. I can't sit still as my revenge slips from my fingers. "Tell me, how are you going to get to Charly?"

I'm so angry at my life right now, at the Demons, and most of all at myself.

Now Kilian also rises and comes towards me. He does something which is uncharacteristic of him. Not expected from him. He puts his palms on my shoulders and thus forces me to stop.

"Now listen to me: I promised to help you and I keep my promises, always. You'll get your revenge, but we do it more thoughtfully. I'll fight my way into the Demons' favor, and so we'll get closer to Charly, too. You want revenge, I'll make sure you get it, but on my terms."

His words soothe me a tiny bit, but the anger is still in my veins.

"I can't wait any longer, Kilian. I have to go through with this now, I can't go back to Bear and the others. Joe would imprison me."

He nods in understanding and let's go of me. He turns and spreads his arms.

"We can stay here and get ready. The next fight is on Saturday. We'll figure something out by then."

I look around the room, which doesn't exactly exude coziness.

"What is this place, anyway?"

"One of my hideouts. If you're going to live like me, you're going to need some places to stay."

I nod and sit down on one of the wooden crates. Kilian opens another one next to me and digs out what looks like clothes. He digs through a pile and when he finally seems to have found what he was looking for, he tosses a bundle of it to me.

"It'll probably be too big for you. While you wash the five pounds of makeup and blood off of you, I'll get the rest. The bathroom is in the hallway, second door on the left, and the bedroom is one door down. It's not comfortable, but it will sufficient."

A little overwhelmed, I look at the black shirt and sweatpants. I stare up at Kilian, and he manages to smile, which seems kind of messed up in this situation. He makes a head movement and returns to the Kilian I know. Silent and with a hardness in his eyes that makes some others tremble. Somewhat reluctantly, I stand up and make my way to the bathroom. The old floorboards crunch beneath my shoes. I stop in front of the scratched wooden door with its worn brass knob and wrap my fingers around it. As I open the door, the smell of stale water hits me. Kilian surely wasn't here for a while.

I look at the partially chipped white tiles before turning the faucet, which makes a squeaking sound. A rusty brown trickle then runs out of the pipe, which gradually clears. The holey shower curtain also has its best years behind it. While I hope the water will warm up, I turn to the mirror mounted above the partially chipped ceramic sink. A stranger stares back at me. The mascara and way-too-thick eyeliner make me look like a crack-w***e. I turn on the faucet above the basin and try to wash the paste off my face. In the end, it looks even worse than before. So I get rid of the dress and the belt, my throwing knives are attached to. Damn. One knife is missing. I must have lost it in the fight or on the ride back. A little wistfully, I think back to when Bear gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday. I shake my head to dispel the worry. I have bigger problems than my knife. So I get under the lukewarm stream of water and close my eyes for a moment. On the shelf next to me, there's a tube of shower gel that's probably been here for a while, too. Nevertheless, I reach for it and wash the dirt of.

After I finish and wrapped an old towel around my body, a glance in the mirror proves to me that the makeup has disappeared from my face. I am pale and the circles under my eyes are darker than usual. Not wanting to have to deal with myself, I reach for the clothes. Luckily for me, the pants have a band that allows me to tighten them. The shirt also fits loosely, it's just the way I like it. I make my way to the room Kilian has offered me. It is quiet in the apartment, so Kilian is not back yet. As I open the door, I wrinkle my nose. I assume that no one has slept in this room for a while either, because it is as stuffy as the old attic in Grandpa's house in Avondale. You can hardly breathe because there is so much dust swirling around. I turn on the light and discover a small window. I try to open that old thing it. With a little effort I succeed, and immediately a cool breeze flows into the room. For a second, I allow myself a time-out. I close my eyes, breathe the fresh air into my lungs, and try to take it all in. I think of Ben, Maria, Grandpa, and Bear. I think of all the others. I think of Lucy's soft fur and who are now running with her. I think of my former home. I think of my parents. About mom and dad. I think of their smiles when Papa twirled Mama around, and she laughed so loud she infected everyone with it. But then I think of how the last moment of her life looked like. Cruel. Brutal and full of suffering. Now I have my focus back. These thoughts make me find my way back to my goal and hope that Kilian has a good plan, because otherwise I'll go crazy. So I open my eyes again and look at the bed, which is covered with a gray sheet. I pull on it, kicking up lots of dust that lingers in the air like a cloud of fog for a few seconds. I could have done worse and let myself fall backwards onto the musty mattress. The slatted frame makes a loud cracking sound. I clasp my hands behind my head, stare at the yellowish stained ceiling for a while, while I keep thinking about how I slit Charly's throat. Until the strain of the last few days takes its toll and my eyelids close of their own accord.

At some point, I am awakened by a loud clang. I startle. In a few seconds I am standing in front of the door, ready to attack. Again a clang. A glance back at the window proves to me that the sun has already risen. Immediately I relax. It can only be Kilian. The smell of food creeps into my nose as I open the door and step into the hallway. My stomach gives a growl and I follow the sounds. A door stands open at the end of the hallway and when I get there, I can't help but grin. The image of Kilian standing at the stove right now, swinging the pan like a pro, doesn't match the image I usually have of him at all.

"Did you think I couldn't do something like that?"

He winks at me and immediately loads a couple of fried eggs onto two plates.

"I hope fried eggs and coffee is enough for you. That's all I can offer."

I nod and move toward the kitchen counter. It's a small room, with a very small kitchen, and somehow Kilian seems even bigger here. I sit down on an old stool that's past its prime and prop my elbows on the kitchen counter. Kilian puts the plate and a cup, on which the handle has already broken off, down in front of me. The smell of coffee creeps into my nose and I look up at Kilian, who sits down on the kitchen counter.

"Thanks."

"You need strength to stay in shape."

At those words, I immediately think of how to use the time until I can kill Charly.

"I need to work out."

He chews down the bite and then looks at me with a serious expression before nodding in agreement.

"I'll show you a training room nearby, but you have to eat first."

He continues to shovel the food into his mouth, indicating for me to hurry up as well. So I more or less I gulp down the two fried eggs and rinse with the lukewarm coffee. As soon as I finish my meal, Kilian takes the plate and puts it in the sink. I want to get up and do the dishes because it's the least I can do, but that's when Kilian grabs my upper arm and holds me back.

"It can wait, come with me."

I follow him into the room with the many wooden boxes. What is different today, are the many bags on the worn sofa. Kilian lets go of me and rummages in them for something, then presses it into my hand. Taking a closer look, I shake my head.

"What am I supposed to do with a hair dye?"

"They know what you look like, and that's why we have to make sure no one recognizes you."

Shocked, I stare at the packaging. Blonde. I like my long black hair. I don't want to dye it. On the other hand, what's the point if I'm dead? It won't matter then. So I look up at Kilian and bring a resigned "All right" to my lips.

"Well, that went easier than I thought. I was counting on you bitching."

He grins as I still stare wide-eyed at the packaging. I have the same hair as my mom. Joe always said I look like her. Still, I realize it will help me, so I grab the package and head for the bathroom. Kilian follows me and places in front of me. Frowning, he looks at me before grabbing me by the shoulders and turning me around so that my back is to him. In the corner of my eye, I see him pull something out of his pants pocket. I get nervous and already want to free myself from his grip, but Kilian holds me tight.

"Hold still. I'm sorry, but it has to be done."

He then reaches for my hair, which is braided into a pigtail, and then I hear it. A pair of scissors. I see some of my hair fall forward. I almost want to scream at him. But I remind myself that it will help me. Still, I feel a lump in my throat. I want to say something, but I can't. So, with my head down, I make my way to the bathroom.

I close the door and lean my back against it. I know I shouldn't grieve over something so trivial, and yet I do. But I swallow it down. I force myself to face my reflection in the mirror, not shedding a tear. My hair is still behind my head, so I shake it and then realize the extent of Kilian's hairdressing. It barely reaches my collarbone and it's unfamiliar. To keep me from shading a tear after all, I reach for the package and follow the instructions on the back.

Forty minutes later, I can already tell from the tips that the black has disappeared. I wring out the remaining water and reach for the towel next to me. After a second, reflecting that it brings me closer to my goal, I stand up and stare into the mirror. My hair is now a mix of light brown and blonde. I reach into my backpack, which Kilian left for me in the bathroom. He must have gotten it from his car earlier. Glancing into the backpack, I get a few degrees warmer. Underwear. Damn, he actually bought underwear for me. I would love to sink into the ground. To my relief, it's just black panties and two sports tops. Still, it's strange. I unpack a pair of gray athletic shorts and a white long-sleeved shirt. After I get dressed, I reach for the brush from my backpack and comb through my hair. It's unusual, but I also recognize the advantages. They do not disturb as much as before, which in turn is better in a fight. So I try to look at it positively. So I attempt I should listen to Kilian. Maybe this is the only way to reach my goal.