NOVPUB
Chapter 57: _ See Some Blood
Fergus
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The boy’s face was pale as he contemplated taking Fergus’s hands. Fergus wished he could teat through his face and show him that he wasn’t the type that people could keep hanging.
After a long moment, the boy finally took Fergus’s hand. A predatory smile stretched across Fergus’s face. "See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? You’re making the right choice, little one."
He could practically taste the boy’s fear on his tongue. But it wasn’t the same fear he’d sensed earlier. This fear wasn’t directed at him, but rather at the unknown fate awaiting the boy’s brother. He could feel the boy’s fear of losing his brother and that fear...
... that fear, Fergus reveled in.
They walked out of the building and onto the desolate streets. The wolves were cowards; Fergus thought. Just one attack and they were all already cowering in the four walls of their houses.
Bitches.
And that was why they— the vampires would win.
As they walked, Fergus kept up a steady stream of conversation with the boy. He wanted to plant as much fright and fear in him as he could. All of that would only make the boy taste better.
"You know," he said, his voice low, "it’s funny how quickly things can change. One minute you’re safe and sound with your brother, the next..." He trailed off, letting the insinuation of his words settle on the boy.
The boy shivered, understanding better than Fergus had thought. His eyes darted nervously around the deserted streets. "W— where exactly is my brother? Is his condition fatal?"
Fergus chuckled. It was a dry, and humorless sound. "Oh, your brother? He’s resting comfortably. Just a few bumps and bruises, nothing a little fairy magic can’t fix." He winked, but the gesture lacked warmth, sending another tremor down the boy’s spine.
Oh, he liked it.
Oh, he wanted to roar out with laughter.
The boy shivered, pulling his thin jacket tighter around himself. "I’m cold." He mumbled.
Fergus stopped walking and turned to face him, his eyes glinting with dread and hunger. "Don’t worry, little one. You won’t be feeling the cold for much longer." He pulled the boy’s jacket closer to his little body. "In fact, you won’t be feeling much of anything soon."
The boy’s eyes widened, his steps faltering. Fergus’s words were delivering even much more effects than intended.
He chuckled. "Er—h Just a little joke," he said, his tone suddenly light. "But seriously, your brother must be worried sick. We should pick up the pace, wouldn’t you agree?"
The boy dumbly nodded, albeit with restrictions. Fergus bit his own teeth. This was fun. Very fun.
To make it spicier, he told the boys false stories about how he helped his brother ’heroically’. He made sure to pepper it with vivid descriptions of how the vampire’s claw twisted the boy’s brother’s guts.
He could hear the boy swallow hard. Hell, he wanted to hear that sound again. Just as he was going to proceed with his horror storytelling, a voice called out in the darkness.
"Reed?"
Him?
Reed?
Fergus whipped around, his facade faltering for a brief moment. Standing before them was a beautiful fairy woman, her brow furrowed in confusion. "There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you."
For him?
Hell, look for him in fucking HELL!
He cursed under his breath. This unexpected encounter could throw a wrench into his plans. He quickly assessed the situation. He deduced that the woman must be someone who might be familiar with the borrowed fairy body.
He knew he had to tread carefully.
"Ah, sorry. Sorry," he said, forcing a nonchalant smile. "Fancy seeing you here. Just taking this young lad to see his injured brother."
The woman tilted her head, her gaze flickering between Fergus and the trembling boy. "Brother? Who is this boy? Don’t we have THINGS we need to do, Reed?"
Argh.
How dare she try to question him?!
She had no idea who he was. Had she known, she wouldn’t dare stand there and ask him stupid questions. He was irritated to the core.
He is Fergus Runeblade– the one who awakened the great and ancient vampire lord; Vlad Shadowheart.
How dare a stupid fairy meddle with him?!
He was losing his cool. Somebody would pay for it. They’d pay for it with blood. After all, they killed his mate too. 𝒏𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝒐𝙢
Still, he knew why he had to play along.
So, Fergus, maintaining his facade, repeated the fabricated story he’d fed the boy to her. The woman seemed hesitant at first, but then her gaze fell on the blood staining his clothes.
"What happened to you?" she asked, her voice filled with suspicion and skepticism. "And why are you wearing those clothes?"
A groan. "Just a little mishap while helping his brother," he lied through gritted teeth, his smile strained.
The woman’s concern deepened. "I should come with you," she declared. "We have business to discuss anyway."
Frustration bubbled within Fergus. He couldn’t afford another complication. "No, that won’t be necessary," he snapped, his voice sharp and cold. "I’ll handle this. Just wait here, I’ll be back shortly."
The fairy woman flinched at his sudden outburst, her eyes widening in surprise. Sensing that he was acting out of character, Fergus softened his tone slightly. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but trust me, I can handle it."
Hesitantly, the woman nodded. Her gaze lingered on him with a mixture of fear and suspicion. "Alright, but be quick about it. I’ll be waiting right where we talked about."
Fergus offered a nod and watched her retreat back into wherever the hell she had come from. Relief washed over him, shortly. He turned back to the boy, his smile gone and replaced by a chilling coldness.
He was done playing ’nice’.
"Apologies for the interruption, Little One." he grinned. "Now, we really should go see some blood."
The boy’s reply made Fergus know that he had chosen the right target.
"No. My brother would have been healed by fairies. So, no blood." He said.
This time, Fergus couldn’t hold his laughter. He laughed out loud like the maniac that he was.
