55 Why Would I Harm A Hostage? (2/2)

Dorian began cursing in an ancient language he couldn't understand and snapped his fingers. Two other vampires dressed similarly to him appeared out of nowhere, each holding a struggling fairy hostage. Lily and Flora.

Both of them were gagged and had tears running down their faces. Flora was still clutching her teddy bear and blanket in her arms as she kicked at her captor.

”I told you everything I know; let them go!” Flint cried desperately. ”You said you wouldn't hurt them!”

That cruel smile crossed the vampire's face again. ”I used the word 'may.' I gave you no promises.”

”You can't!”

”You will find that I am quite capable of doing anything I set my mind to. Take the little one away,” he ordered the fae holding Flora.

She whimpered and reached out for her parents, dropping her bear in the process. Her captor bent down with ease and picked it back up before heading outside.

”Where are you taking her?” Flint shouted, rushing forward to stop them but getting held back by yet another of Dorian's subordinates. No matter how hard he struggled, a fairy was no match for a vampire's strength.

Dorian sighed and straightened his cravat.

”Calm down, you are embarrassing yourself. If Ruby truly is under the protection of Ash Mayhew, worthless as he is, she will be difficult to find. Having a hostage will entice her to cooperate. Why would I harm a hostage?

”I am not an unreasonable fae. She will be perfectly comfortable as long as Ruby does as she is told. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for a couple of double-crossers such as you. Did you truly believe you would be able to get away with stealing my deposit and running?”

Flint knew it was all over for him as soon as he saw the murderous glint in those horrifyingly red eyes. They were the eyes of someone who had killed before and had no qualms about doing it as many times as he deemed necessary.

”This was my idea,” he said desperately. ”Please leave my wife out of this, I beg of you!”

Dorian shook his head and tsked almost pityingly at him. ”I am afraid she has already seen too much. But her death shall be swifter than yours, I can promise you that much.”

”Don't—!”

Flint's cry fell on deaf ears. The vampire holding her ripped her throat out with his teeth in one fluid motion. Lily crumpled to the floor in a bloody heap, her wings bent at odd angles. Glamours no longer worked when a fae was dead.

She slowly began crumbling into a pile of soil the way all earth fairies did when they passed from this world. Choked sobs made their way out of his throat but there was nothing he could do. His wife was gone.