ence and looking into my eyes like she's d

't possibly be working for Ozol. But maybe the fact that she's

ou feel n

ar squeezes from the corner of one eye. "I

ne bring y

ome quiet. I needed to think." Her eyes dart around the room. Whatever she notices clearl

ree, "you

hrough that door. The only thing that would keep

e

eads desperately. "There were men and w

," I off

woman works for Ozol. There's no way this wom

in a bedraggled wedding dress and bare, dust

be as innocen

e. "But I just... The rooms got worse. There were m

is getting p

errupt. "I'm not g

answer seems to surprise her. It sure

n. "Yo

going in and out of focus. Whatever she was slipped, it's strong. She

he door opens slowly. Acting on instinct

at the door is exact

salvage the situation despite the

dlelight-a pair of black swans, set in metal. His alarmingly light blue eyes linger on me f

Ozol asks, his tone rippling with a

art of this,

suming she's just a cosmic fluke that's stumble

wanted to meet to

other t

from just beyond the door. Enough to let me kno

d for the man runs deeper than he could ever imagine. It takes so much effort to

Frankenstein to the party," he retorts.

. Is that the way he looks at all his v

iew. "Like I said, she's not part of this. She st

eem keen on pr

I say. "Some

dn't come here for a truc

rs twitching with anticipation. "

g her behind one of the wing-backed

. But when he raises his ha

hand and laughs. "You brought a k

. Death stopped scaring me a long time ago. My only point of co

upid to ask for this meeting. Stupid to think you

at his feet. "I'm st

the corners of his m

YS

tween two ang

features. He's wearing dark pants and a black t-shirt underneath a black lea

got light hair and pale blue irises. His skin is ashen, almos

in all the world-I've managed to stumble int

o look to a devi

from every inch of him-raw, brutal power. The way he spoke to me, the w

ugh his words-"I asked who the fuck you are"-hit me like a whiplash,

y dark-haired protector asks. "B

ol asks. "Something tells me that yo

ightest trace of fear. It may as well be a toy fo

a while now," Ozol says. "Did you really th

thing int

a disgusting, sinister smile. He makes my

ta you've decided to lay

to stand there

ly what I'm do