The Darkest Torment
Page 93
This was another perfect example of why Katarina needed a book of who was who to whom in the worlds.
Not that Baden would provide such a tome now.
The backs of her eyes began to...no, surely not...but she couldn’t deny—or fight—the burn for long. Trembling, she patted her cheeks. They were still dry. Good, that was good. She would not cry for him. Her parents and Peter deserved her tears. Her precious dogs deserved her tears. Baden did not.
Suck it up. Move on.
“Here. She’s your problem now, ladies. Protect her if you want. Or not. My part is done.” Galen vanished without another word.
Keeley stared at her, confused. “Who are you?”
Was that a joke? “You know me. We hung out just last week.”
Keeley shook her head. “No way. I’d remember. Wait.” She rubbed her temples. “The deets are coming back to me. You’re Baden’s girl... Katrina. He absconded with you after the attack on our home.”
A pang in her heart, the burn returning to her eyes. “I was Baden’s girl.” She pointed to a cozy spot in the corner, and the dogs trotted over to lie down. “We decided to part ways because he’s an asshole. And my name is Katarina.”
“Katrina is better,” Kaia said with a nod. “Fewer syllables.”
Katarina gave her a false smile. “I’ll call you KiKi, then. It’s prettier.”
Got to make the best of a bad situation.
She took in her surroundings. The decor could have been plucked from the set of a porno. Dark, intimate and suggestive, with mirrors on the ceiling and walls. “What is this place?”
“A nightclub for immortals,” Keeley said. “Known as Downfall.”
Appropriate. According to the hours of operation displayed on the wall, the bar wasn’t set to open for hours. Well. No wonder it was currently devoid of other patrons.
“Why are you here after hours?” she asked.
“Long story short, I was testing the club’s security, seeing if it was possible to break and enter. Hint: it is.” Kaia moved behind the bar and mixed a concoction she named the Shame Spiral. “Slight hiccup. I didn’t actually tell the owners I would be doing them such a massive favor. Here. Drink.”
“I’ll be honest with you,” Katarina said. “This might as well be cardboardeaux. I can’t tell the difference between a well-mixed drink and a piss-poor one.”
“Then you’re probably the only person in the world who will appreciate the enormity of my talent.”
Well, then. “Bottoms up.” She downed her glass in a single gulp and coughed as her throat and stomach burned. The room spun for a moment. “I think we should rename the drink Bad Decisions.”
Kaia fist-pumped the air. “Change approved! Now drink another.” She slid a second glass in Katarina’s direction. “It’ll help get your mind off things.”
“If I’m arrested for stealing liquor...” The first drink she could justify. Just had my heart crushed. This second one? Not so much.
“Dude. The worst Thane will do is stake us to his front lawn. He’s one of the three owners, and staking is a specialty of his.” Kaia flicked her mass of red hair over her shoulder. “But he’d have to catch us first, and that ain’t happening.”
Keeley nodded with enthusiasm. “My girl speaks true. I can flash, and she can fly like the wind. Besides, you’ll lag behind, and he’ll turn his efforts to you. We’ll be forgotten.”
So comforting. “Your immortality isn’t fair.” And she wasn’t jealous. Really. That ship had sailed.
The pink-haired vixen tapped her chin with blunt-tipped nails painted ivy-green. “There’s got to be a way we can even the playing field and make you immortal.”
“Baden said the same thing.”
“He’s right. I mean, Hades has the ability, and I’m stronger and better than him. I’m almost certain I did something to Gilly...”
Wait. “The girl who got sick and had to marry a goat-man to survive?”
Kaia ran her finger across her neck in a dude, shut your piehole motion. “We aren’t supposed to talk about that, Keys.”
“Someone got sick? Why am I always the last to know?” Keeley downed her newest drink then motioned to Katarina to do the same.
She obeyed, the heat was more delectable than painful this time, causing fireworks to explode and spew flames in her head. “I don’t want to have to marry a monster.” Or a beast.
Longing leveled her. Going to wipe Baden from my memory. Never going to think about him again. Or crave him. Or dream of him. Or fantasize about him. Nope. Never. He’d pulled the he-man card, and she’d had to exit the game.
“Oh! I remember now.” Keeley pouted, saying, “How was I supposed to know helping Gilly become immortal would maybe possibly harm her?”
Kaia threw her arms into the air. “Uh, maybe because you told me, Kaia, this might harm Gilly right before you secretly slipped the elixir in her drink.” Speaking of drinks, she poured another round. “You considered the risk worth the reward. Aka William’s eternal happiness versus his eternal hatred.”
Keeley shrugged. “Win some, lose some.”
Katarina stared at her new drink in horror. “Did you elixir me?”
“No! Or probably not. I’m pretty certain I’ve learned my lesson.” Keeley reached over the bar and grabbed a black bottle labeled Ambrosia. She popped the cork with her teeth and spit the thing across the room. “Only time will tell.”
Kaia wagged a finger in Katarina’s face. “What is confessed at Downfall stays at Downfall. Snitches get stitches.”
“Understood. Trust me.” Otherwise, William was likely to murder both women for their deeds. “In case I haven’t made myself clear, I’ve decided I don’t want to be immortal. No matter how many perks come with the transformation.”
Keeley drained half the bottle then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Baden messed up that badly, huh?”
“He ordered me to do his bidding, no matter how I felt about the matter.”
“Well. I say take the high road,” Kaia said with a nod. “That way, you won’t clog up the low road. I prefer a free path.”
Katarina drained her glass. If she was elixired, she was elixired. She’d deal. Besides, continuing to drink was an excellent idea. The best! Her brain was now a strobe light!
Not that Baden would provide such a tome now.
The backs of her eyes began to...no, surely not...but she couldn’t deny—or fight—the burn for long. Trembling, she patted her cheeks. They were still dry. Good, that was good. She would not cry for him. Her parents and Peter deserved her tears. Her precious dogs deserved her tears. Baden did not.
Suck it up. Move on.
“Here. She’s your problem now, ladies. Protect her if you want. Or not. My part is done.” Galen vanished without another word.
Keeley stared at her, confused. “Who are you?”
Was that a joke? “You know me. We hung out just last week.”
Keeley shook her head. “No way. I’d remember. Wait.” She rubbed her temples. “The deets are coming back to me. You’re Baden’s girl... Katrina. He absconded with you after the attack on our home.”
A pang in her heart, the burn returning to her eyes. “I was Baden’s girl.” She pointed to a cozy spot in the corner, and the dogs trotted over to lie down. “We decided to part ways because he’s an asshole. And my name is Katarina.”
“Katrina is better,” Kaia said with a nod. “Fewer syllables.”
Katarina gave her a false smile. “I’ll call you KiKi, then. It’s prettier.”
Got to make the best of a bad situation.
She took in her surroundings. The decor could have been plucked from the set of a porno. Dark, intimate and suggestive, with mirrors on the ceiling and walls. “What is this place?”
“A nightclub for immortals,” Keeley said. “Known as Downfall.”
Appropriate. According to the hours of operation displayed on the wall, the bar wasn’t set to open for hours. Well. No wonder it was currently devoid of other patrons.
“Why are you here after hours?” she asked.
“Long story short, I was testing the club’s security, seeing if it was possible to break and enter. Hint: it is.” Kaia moved behind the bar and mixed a concoction she named the Shame Spiral. “Slight hiccup. I didn’t actually tell the owners I would be doing them such a massive favor. Here. Drink.”
“I’ll be honest with you,” Katarina said. “This might as well be cardboardeaux. I can’t tell the difference between a well-mixed drink and a piss-poor one.”
“Then you’re probably the only person in the world who will appreciate the enormity of my talent.”
Well, then. “Bottoms up.” She downed her glass in a single gulp and coughed as her throat and stomach burned. The room spun for a moment. “I think we should rename the drink Bad Decisions.”
Kaia fist-pumped the air. “Change approved! Now drink another.” She slid a second glass in Katarina’s direction. “It’ll help get your mind off things.”
“If I’m arrested for stealing liquor...” The first drink she could justify. Just had my heart crushed. This second one? Not so much.
“Dude. The worst Thane will do is stake us to his front lawn. He’s one of the three owners, and staking is a specialty of his.” Kaia flicked her mass of red hair over her shoulder. “But he’d have to catch us first, and that ain’t happening.”
Keeley nodded with enthusiasm. “My girl speaks true. I can flash, and she can fly like the wind. Besides, you’ll lag behind, and he’ll turn his efforts to you. We’ll be forgotten.”
So comforting. “Your immortality isn’t fair.” And she wasn’t jealous. Really. That ship had sailed.
The pink-haired vixen tapped her chin with blunt-tipped nails painted ivy-green. “There’s got to be a way we can even the playing field and make you immortal.”
“Baden said the same thing.”
“He’s right. I mean, Hades has the ability, and I’m stronger and better than him. I’m almost certain I did something to Gilly...”
Wait. “The girl who got sick and had to marry a goat-man to survive?”
Kaia ran her finger across her neck in a dude, shut your piehole motion. “We aren’t supposed to talk about that, Keys.”
“Someone got sick? Why am I always the last to know?” Keeley downed her newest drink then motioned to Katarina to do the same.
She obeyed, the heat was more delectable than painful this time, causing fireworks to explode and spew flames in her head. “I don’t want to have to marry a monster.” Or a beast.
Longing leveled her. Going to wipe Baden from my memory. Never going to think about him again. Or crave him. Or dream of him. Or fantasize about him. Nope. Never. He’d pulled the he-man card, and she’d had to exit the game.
“Oh! I remember now.” Keeley pouted, saying, “How was I supposed to know helping Gilly become immortal would maybe possibly harm her?”
Kaia threw her arms into the air. “Uh, maybe because you told me, Kaia, this might harm Gilly right before you secretly slipped the elixir in her drink.” Speaking of drinks, she poured another round. “You considered the risk worth the reward. Aka William’s eternal happiness versus his eternal hatred.”
Keeley shrugged. “Win some, lose some.”
Katarina stared at her new drink in horror. “Did you elixir me?”
“No! Or probably not. I’m pretty certain I’ve learned my lesson.” Keeley reached over the bar and grabbed a black bottle labeled Ambrosia. She popped the cork with her teeth and spit the thing across the room. “Only time will tell.”
Kaia wagged a finger in Katarina’s face. “What is confessed at Downfall stays at Downfall. Snitches get stitches.”
“Understood. Trust me.” Otherwise, William was likely to murder both women for their deeds. “In case I haven’t made myself clear, I’ve decided I don’t want to be immortal. No matter how many perks come with the transformation.”
Keeley drained half the bottle then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Baden messed up that badly, huh?”
“He ordered me to do his bidding, no matter how I felt about the matter.”
“Well. I say take the high road,” Kaia said with a nod. “That way, you won’t clog up the low road. I prefer a free path.”
Katarina drained her glass. If she was elixired, she was elixired. She’d deal. Besides, continuing to drink was an excellent idea. The best! Her brain was now a strobe light!
