*Ding*
The doors slid open revealing a slender figure with silver hair drooping past her back. A feral smile nestled on her face as her gaze immediately locked with Jarren's. "Darling!" She mused as he leapt into his figure. James on the side felt a lump stuck on his throat watching this scene.
'To think that she would be so dismissive of me so casually is an insult I can't endure.' He thought to himself as he cleared his throat. "Hello darling." His words instantly flying past Callista's ears. "Why did you have to pick this as our dating venue? We could have gone to somewhere far more classier."
Her tone dripping with indignance bringing a frown to James's face. "How dare you use a tone with me young lady?!" Sighing his words off, she finally bothered to explain the details with her father. "How about we talk about this over some food? I'm sure that there should be something that you can choke on."
James was visibly appalled by her words as she broke into a mischievous chuckle. "To think that you would be so ungrateful to your own father. The man who helped through each and every step of the way and this is way that plan on treating me?!" His tone exposing the rage beneath his chest.
However rather than a look of shame or guilt, her visage showed only apathy. "How about we start our date? I'm ready to claim you as mine." James looked at the two. 'Do they have to do this here out of spite?' He couldn't help but wonder as he saw Callista make her way to the dining table with the thanks to Jarren.
"Well James Vaewlyn, don't you think that you should take a seat. After all you're the main reason as to why we're all here." Jarren gestured at a seat in between the two of them, a serpentine smile flashing on his face. "I would rather remain standing than dine with you two!" His words venom hissing at the two.
Callista however didn't seem all that bothered as she dug into her meal. "I didn't think that you would be such an excellent chef dearie. You really know your way through humans." Her remark making James's face go pale. 'Know your way through humans. Does that mean that I just ate human flesh?!'
Gagging now would be of no use to him. "Well your mother was a handful to get past around her hips but I managed to get her down to size." James's scalp tingled upon hearing this. "You- you served my own wife to me?!" His finger aimed at Jarren in an accusatory manner. "You're welcome James, I knew that you would savor each and every fiber your wife was."
A joke that did more than just aggravate James, it turned him feral. "I'm going to make you pay Jarren Velros?!" Without a care of what would become his life, his enough body was bathed in a sea of potent malcore that dissipated as fast as it came.
"Huh?! What?!" His face portraying his shock as he glanced at his own hands. "We can't have fighting at the table dad. You know the rules." Her tone though condescending had an edge of playfulness to it. "So come and take a seat already, we have much to discuss about or you can just stand there."
James chose the latter as the two broke into their conversation. "So, have you finally managed to find the game breaking rule?" His gaze on her face predatory. "Of course, I'm looking at the rule right now." She smiled back making James feel awkward in the scene as it kept on playing out. "Well that's half of the puzzle figured out, have you managed on figuring out the other half?"
The smile plastered on her face showing her confidence. "Of course, the other half of it is me? You are as you stated. The abyss that has no form. You take on what those around you wish to see and feel however I'm sure you wouldn't mind a quick question Jarren, what is it that you want?"
The air fell silence, the air around Jarren twisted not with malice or otherworldly pressure but bent wrong as if never meant to be. "That's a very intriguing question Callista however I'm sure you wouldn't mind a question of your own. What is it that you want from me?"
She let out a chuckle as James finally unable to watch it all happen interjected. "Abyss? He's nothing more than a student with an exceptional pool of malcore is all." The two didn't bother too much with him. "I want you, the abyss darling to sparkle in my world. The abyss is cold however I want to feel the warmth that lurks beneath it all."
Her words domineering however he didn't protest. "It would seem that you're not easy to deal with." Jarren couldn't help but smile as he took a sip of his wine. "Of course darling, I after all am quite expensive to deal with." Her tone filled with hubris making James wish he could down to size.
"You wish to ask for the abyss for warmth and understanding?! Should I call you naive or mad." Jarren broke into a light snobbish laughter with the intent of provoking James. "You should call me yours. Because I've already decided that you are mine." Her tone ending with finality akin to a guillotine with no room for negotiation.
"Hm... Very well. Then it would seem that I will have to make you mine as well kitty." Her gaze sharpened not with hostility but measurement. "I'm not your kitty." Her cheeks pouting however he merely laughed it off. "Of course you're not. Because if you actually were then you would still keep my collar that I gave to you."
His words brought her to a silence of defeat, making her clench her fists in resignation. "That's not fair Jarren. You're cheating like that." Her pouts merely stretching the smirk on his face even more. "Well you wish for the abyss to hold your hand, then naturally I'll have to help you with every step of the way."
James note how the two locked their fingers together however before he could voice his claims, he felt something sharp spike his throat. "Mmm! Gah!!" He recoiled in pain and disgust at the taste of bile in his mouth. "Father don't worry, I'm sure that you'll mother soon. Tell her that I said hi." Beaming an innocent smile at James, Callista dug back to her meal.
"Amh! Gah!" James fell to his feet clutching chest as the pain seered through his entire body. "How could you kill your own father Callista?!" He grunted as a mouthful of blood splurted onto the floor. "With a smile and a meal father. Don't you wish the best for me?" Her voice breaking into cute giggles as her fingers locked with his.
"You...are no daughter of mine. Nothing more than a fool hungry for power." Callista wasn't at the least offended with hi words as she rose to her feet and made her way to her father. A sneer flashed on her lips as she kicked his supporting arm to the side forcing him to crash hard to the floor with his chin.
"Nothing more than a fool chasing power? Power is not what I yearn father. But it definitely is amusing to watch you meet your end. I'll make sure to have my respects sent to your funeral." She mused as she watched his dying figure. By now the mouthful of bloods were more consistent and way more aggressive.
"Gah!" He groaned reaching out for the door flailing his arms around for help that never came. "There's no need for you to struggle so much father, you can rest easy now." Her words cold as an obsidian sword pierced through James's skull claiming his life. His body slumped to the floor, his eyes turning lifeless as Jarren casually kept on digging into his meal.
"Does it bother you to claim the life of your father?" His tone calm as the sound o his knife clattering wit the plate filled her ears. "At first I thought that it would be way more traumatic and hard to stomach but now I'm rather disappointed with how easy it came to be." Her tone revealing her apathy as she made her way back to him.
"You're way more capable than I had originally thought. Your answer was more than satisfactory for me." The two reveled in the silence before she broke it a few minutes later. "What about Guinevere? Does she know about this side of you or is she merely focused on the toying side of you?" Her tone laced with a faint trace of mockery.
"She would tear your heart out upon hearing that but as you have stated, she's narrowed too much with one aspect of me that she fails to see the rest. A shame but I don't mind entertaining her." Her brows lifted up with intrigue. "Your patience is commendable dearie." A joke the two laughed at. "It took eternity but I'm sure that she'll get there eventually. After all you did."
His tone laced with an edge of melancholy drawing her attention. "We could end this game now, leave it all behind and begin anew but I'm curious with what you want." His pause intentional as he toyed with his food. "Let her come to see that I'm waiting for her however should she fail then I'll let her be. I've been thinking of letting her go after all."
James's body convulsed on the floor and yet it attracted no glance from the two. "How merciful of you darling." Callista beamed a smile as she rose to her feet, satiated with her fill. Jarren didn't keep her waiting as the two rose to their feet. "What about Atherion? Should we prey on him or let him fall at her maws?"
The two walked past James who looked at the entrance with lifeless beads for eyes. "Let Guinevere focus on Atherion, after all I'm sure that she has it covered. Let's see the rest of what this world has to offer." She leaned into his frame as the door opened. "You still have to hold your end of the bargain darling. Don't think that I forgot."
He gave a playful chuckle. "Of course, how could I fail to satisfy my cat?" As much as she wanted to punch his face, she was slowly getting used to it. "Stop calling me that." Her cheeks bloated. "Then stop acting like one." His face projecting an enigmatic smile. "..." Left speechless, she could only pout as the two disappeared from the scene.
***
"How did the two come to learn about James and the black site he was stationed at?" Atherion was the first to roar out, no answer came. "We have no clue as to how they knew, the best we can figure out is that they managed to breach into our systems and locate where he was being stationed at." A subordinate mused however Atherion's temper persisted.
"Have these two hunted to the ends of the earth should it require. I won't rest easy till I have their heads." The four ministers easily noted how riled up he was. 'It would seem that he had a close relationship with James for him to react in such a manner.' Toren mused however unfazed by this. He, similar to the rest of the nobles in the court had long come to such a conclusion.
"My king, with the death of James, I'm sure that we should prioritize your safety above all else. After all who knows who they'll target next." Seamus posed, his tone calm and regal contrasting with Atherion's rage. "I agree with Seamus, it would be best to have you stay alive through this. Your death could demoralize our men and bring an end to Reuthar."
Seris further added. The two had grown familiar with each other much to the distaste of Toren but he had no other choice but to endure their blossoming relationship. "Hah! It would seem that I had gotten heated with the moment." Atherion posed, his tone turning cold as he calmed down.
'James, it's a shame for you to meet your end so soon. I'll make sure that your death doesn't go without your respite with the death of the pair.' He swore in his heart as he began to clear his vision. 'As much as I want to enact it as soon as possible , the people of Reuthar need me. I hope that you can wait for it.'