Blood.
There was blood everywhere. And I mean everywhere. It slicked the floor in pools so deep they reflected the light. It ran in trails up the walls, streaked in handprints, and even managed to splash across the ceiling that was ten feet high, yet somehow painted crimson in broad strokes. The rugs soaked it up worst of all. An expensive Persian rug, the kind woven with silk threads and worth a small fortune in the human world, now drowned in arterial spray and brain matter. Its delicate floral patterns were lost forever, replaced by chaos. This might actually be the biggest loss here… apart from the lives lost of course.
For any ordinary vampire, this scene would've been a nightmare. So much blood, so much waste and none of it salvageable, unless you were a desperate vampire. The air stank of iron and copper, but the life had already fled; the blood was useless now.
Spilled wine with no cup to catch it.
The bodies didn't help either. Five women lay sprawled in unnatural angles across the living room floor, each butchered with such violence that bones jutted from skin, neck twisted and hearts ripped out. There were six of the actually but the sixth… well, she was in pieces. Chunks of her decorated the house like a grotesque gallery: a hand on the couch, a leg half-buried in the corner, something wet and unrecognizable dripping from a ceiling fan.
'That's probably her pancreas… or is it the liver?'
But that wasn't what disturbed Kai. Not entirely. What caught his attention were the statues. Little figurines of the Lady Underground, arranged carefully around the room. Some faced outward, some inward, as though marking a ritual perimeter. Their eyes seemed to follow him in the dim light.
Kai crouched, picking up one of the cold stone women. He turned it in his hand, smearing it with blood from his fingers. "I wonder if she can see me through this," he muttered, his voice flat. His face was splattered with gore, his shirt darkened with crimson patches.
It was a new outfit and now it was ruined. He sighed, dropped the statue onto the rug, and picked up the keg of gasoline waiting beside him. The sharp stench cut through the copper of blood as he poured it liberally across the floor, drenching the bodies and the already-soaked rug.
"Shit," he hissed under his breath, glancing at the Persian threads as if mourning their value. "This rug was worth more than the whole damn neighborhood." He straightened, jaw tight. "This is all Marina's fault."
And just like that, his mind pulled him back an hour earlier.
———————
"Why exactly are you so adamant about finding the worshippers of the Lady Underground so soon?" Marina asked, arms folded, blue eyes sharp as knives as she looked at Kai for answers. Kai sighed. "Because Raynard, for some reason, is still targeting those poor unfortunate women. Still killing and defiling them, according to the trail of dead bodies my guys found this past month. All of this just to spite his mother. For what, though? Hell if I know."
Marina tilted her head, her jaw tightening. "Seeing as she rescued him, you'd think the rampaging, rapist god would've been satisfied. Finally seen, finally validated. Guess not."
"I don't care why he's still going after them," Kai said firmly. "Or the hedges, for that matter. All I know is, I've got five guys left who can keep eyes on most of the locations you feed me. If Raynard pops up, they'll trap him long enough for me to get there and take back what's mine."
Her brows lifted. "What's yours. You mean turning him back to your god-statue prize."
Kai smirked faintly. "Exactly. It's not just a trophy, Marina. Gods have cleaner, denser magic. With the Wellspring fouled and magic bleeding thin, I need a new tap. Where better to drink than a branch in reality itself?"
Marina let out a dark little laugh. "Hallelujah to that." She slid a list across the table. "Four addresses. All in New York. Queens, Brooklyn, Upper Manhattan, and this little gem is in Harlem. That one's the busiest. Rituals, offerings, you name it."
Kai leaned over the list, lips curling. "Ah, nothing like New York nightlife. For magical creatures, blood, cult worship and pizza at 2 a.m." He glanced up. "Speaking of payment—" He snapped his fingers.
Nothing happened. His smile faltered. Another snap. Still nothing. He let out a long sigh. "God, I hate the fucking Beast. Drained magic like it was free beer. And Ember… Ember turned the rest to shit. Partially literal, if that's even possible." Marina shrugged. "Yeah well what can the little one like us do about it."
He snapped his fingers once more, and this time the shimmer of a boundary spell spread faintly across the apartment. "There, the boundary is up. Increase your personal protections while you're at it."
Her smile sharpened. "Why don't you come do that for me?" Her eyes gleamed, sly and dangerous. Kai chuckled, shaking his head. "You'd have to buy me dinner first." He blurred away before she could answer.
Marina exhaled, lips curling into a grin. "Oh, I'll get what I want."
————-
The city streets was busy with traffic as Kai walked, pulling out his phone. He dialed.
Larry picked up. "Larry. I have a task for you and the boys." A long sigh came through the line. Kai raised a brow. "You sigh like that at me again and I'll think you're into S&M, Lar. Is there a problem?"
"No problem," Larry muttered quickly.
"Good. I'm giving you three locations. You and the others keep watch. If our wretched fox-god shows his ugly face, you call me. Don't engage. Just hold him if you can.
Understand?"
"Yes, boss." Kai hung up, sliding the phone back into his pocket. "Now then."
A residential neighborhood in Harlem. The Wards around the place shimmered faintly around the property. Kai muttered to himself, "Huh. Cute."
A car pulled up, crunching to a stop outside the house which made Kai smirk after seeing it is.
There are six women inside the building chattering.
Inside, the scene was almost domestic. One woman, Claire, talked loudly on the phone about some guy who ghosted her. Another, Sasha, busied herself cleaning in the kitchen. Two others, Melissa and Dana, sprawled on a couch, half-watching a movie. Upstairs, Leah was painting her nails while humming off-key. The sixth, Rose, leaned against the window, scrolling on her phone.
And just then the doorbell rang. Melissa groaned when Claire shouted, "Get it!" from the couch. Rolling her eyes, Melissa shuffled to the door, muttering, "If it's Jehovah's Witnesses, I'm killing someone." She called, "Who is it?"
"Pizza delivery," came the reply.
Her annoyance melted. "Finally." She swung the door open. And there he was. A very handsome man, holding a stack of pizza boxes, chewing gum casually.
"Come in," she said automatically, smiling.
He stepped inside, the smell of melted cheese and oregano filling the air. "Set them on the counter," Melissa instructed, sneaking a glance at his ass as he walked past. Under her breath, she whispered, "Bless me, my lady."
He dropped the pizzas on the counter, glancing at the receipt. "Alright, order's all here. Two large pepperonis, a veggie, breadsticks, wings…"
Dana came rushing in, practically singing, "Finally!" Then she stopped short, eyeing him with a grin. "Well, aren't you a handsome one." The delivery guy laughed nervously, shifting the gum in his mouth.
Claire shouted from the couch, "Just tip the guy already!" Melissa approached, slipping the tip into his pocket with a playful smirk. "So, what's your name?"
He smiled at her, slow and easy. "Malachai. But you can call me Kai."
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