The Devil's Liege (The Mathias Saga Book 2) (6 page)

“All right.” Vlad motioned to the guard. It was time.

The guard had long brown hair that was separated in plaits on either side of his head, the usual look for a royal guard. His name was Azazel, and legend had it that he was a prince of hell. Well, sort of, if hell was the dungeons of Lilitu. Still, the old rumor made Vlad smile.

Azazel pulled a handle on the wall and the mandala on the floor suddenly separated. It was this intricate deign with Chinese-style bats in a ring. There was the sound of ancient stone and gears grinding together. A single figure rose up from the depths. It was Nicolai Karsavin.

* * * * *

Konstantin’s dad was smiling. For Mathias, that was weird because he still remembered how the elder vampire had treated him before he knew the truth. Hell, it wasn’t that long ago that he looked down at Mathias like a piece of mud from his shoe. Now, it seemed like every time he had the chance, Karsavin kissed his ass. He was starting to prefer the latter.

Still, Karsavin didn’t look as pompous as he usually did. His fine black suit was rumpled and stained. And, there was hay stuck to the bottoms of his formerly shiny black shoes. The man had lost something. Mathias wasn’t sure if it had happened before his stint in the dungeon or during.

Mathias looked over at Stuart. Stuart looked like he was barely holding himself together. Not cool.

“What do you know about Nosferatu’s disappearance?” Stuart asked. His wings seemed stiff almost. Mathias wasn’t sure what he was going to do if Stuart decided to try to attack. Strength in the vampire world was deceiving.

Karsavin’s eyes popped from Mathias to Stuart. “I’ve heard that a council member is involved.”

Mathias grunted.
Tell me something I don’t know.
He hoped that the entire questioning session wasn’t going to go this slow. He’d be here forever. But, at least, since this wasn’t something for Stuart to lose control over, he could relax a little. “Who?”

Karsavin smiled at him. “Why, the one who stands to gain the most, of course.”

Mathias wanted to kick him right square in the ass. Now, he was getting pissed. Stuart could worry about him for a while. He glared. “I want you to say it.”

“My words mean nothing,” he said. “Even if I did tell you, you’d need to prove it.”

Mathias smiled. Technically, the man was right, but still, he wasn’t worried about proof right now. He was worried about finding Nossy before it was too late. “No. I don’t. I am king. If I do choose, I could simply kill the lot of you, consult a seer, and continue looking for Nosferatu that way. Instead, I’m being prudent.”

It was like his mouth had taken over and completely detached itself from his brain. He could hardly believe the words that left his mouth. He wasn’t usually this…intense. But, all of this shit concerning Nossy had brought out his dark side. Or the old him. He still didn’t have it all straight.

Karsavin’s eyes grew wide and he swallowed hard. “Talk to the speaker.”

“What do you want to do with him, Mathias?” Vlad asked.

He couldn’t back down now. He forced himself to drum up that part of himself again. Mathias motioned toward Karsavin with his head. “This one can be set free. He knows what can happen if he steps out of line.” He stared at the blond. The man lowered his eyes.

Vlad untied his hands and Karsavin ran out.

“Well, that was interesting,” Stuart said.

Interesting was not how Mathias would describe it, but whatever. “Shall we bring up the speaker?” He asked and looked at Vlad.

Vlad motioned to Azazel. Azazel smiled evilly.

* * * * *

Tallus could not believe the gall. To imprison him? He who had kept their government going for quite some time while the queen bitch had been lost in her insanity? It was outrageous. He should be on a chaise lounge being fed grapes by concubines, not standing in hay that likely had a coating of horse shit.

He looked around the cell. The other captives were keeping their distance. Good. They did not belong anywhere near him. The least they could have done was to put him in a cell by himself. Though, he still didn’t remember how he got here in the first place.

He had no idea how he’d been caught. The last thing he remembered was trying to duck out of the throne room after he’d said his peace. Something had happened, but what?

Suddenly, he heard a clanking. He looked up. The evil one, Azazel, was standing there looking at him. He’d dealt with the man many times over the years. He was great at punishment.

“Come to spring me, old friend?” Tallus asked.

Azazel smiled. “Something like that.” He opened the door to the cell. Tallus walked through. The others kept themselves huddled against the wall. Cowards. If there was any question about whether they were beneath him before, it was just answered.

He followed Azazel through the hall separating the cells and stepped on the circular platform. Tallus noticed something a little odd. Instead of Azazel heading back up the stairs, as was traditional, he stood on the platform with him. This was not protocol. He started to step off the platform but Azazel grabbed a hold of his arm.

Tallus jerked and tried to get away, but Azazel only held tighter. So tight, in fact, that his arm hurt.

“You have a lot to answer for,” he said.

Tallus felt like a great weight had just settled in his stomach.

* * * * *

Mathias kept looking at his claws. He didn’t bother with them much anymore. It just seemed like too much trouble. They were very long and pointed now. Not unlike Nossy’s. True, he could cut them anytime he wanted, but he’d gotten used to them. They were a weapon. He vaguely remembered before when he used to sharpen and hone them for battle. He’d even make sure the dew claws on his wings were sharp.

He leaned back in the chair and popped his neck. The stress was building up in his shoulders. He needed something for a release, but this was more important. He’d worry about his own comfort once he accomplished something.

Mathias watched as the platform rose to reveal the one Vlad called Azazel and the speaker—actually traitor, but whatever. Azazel made him uneasy, he wasn’t sure why. Yet. But he’d do anything if it made a difference. Nossy needed to be found before it was too late. He wasn’t about to let his old friend die just because of greed. Especially not the greediness of a fucking weasel.

Finally, the platform settled into position. The traitor glared at him with eyes so dark they seemed black. The intimidation wasn’t going to work. This idiot didn’t hold a candle to the former queen. Now, Lilith had been scary as shit.

“So, you’re the one they called the speaker?” Mathias asked.

Tallus snarled. “I am still the speaker of the Order, boy.”

Stuart snickered.

“No. You aren’t,” Mathias said. And, if he had anything to do with it, the man would never have anything to do with the Order again. Pompous ass. “As soon as your …
involvement
became clear in the disappearance of Nosferatu, your position in the Order was retracted.”

Tallus sputtered. “You can’t do that.”

Mathias flashed a smile of his own. He could do any fucking thing he liked. “I am king, am I not?”

Tallus’ face paled.

“So, Former Speaker Tallus, where is my brother?” Stuart asked. Mathias watched as Stuart leaned forward. If he wasn’t going to kill him, Stuart was going to do it.

Tallus gnashed his teeth. “Do you really think I’m going to tell you?”

“Oh, you’ll tell,” Mathias said. “The question is how quickly.” He could just see the things he could do to the man. It wasn’t going to be pretty, but it was sure as hell going to be fun.

Azazel grinned. “Do you want me to bring out the instruments, my liege?”

“Yes, that would be a good idea,” Mathias said. It was almost like the man had read his mind, but Mathias had felt no probing. Azazel was starting to get under his skin and not in a good way. “It’s time to let this fucking idiot see what I’m capable of.”

Vlad snorted. “You sound so much more deadly when you don’t cuss.”

Mathias laughed.

* * * * *

Azazel left Tallus in Vlad’s hands. It wasn’t like he needed to worry. Somehow, he knew even without someone holding him, Mathias would not let the man leave the room. He knew another predator when he smelled one. It was something to behold. He remembered old stories, and if they were true, then the vampire world had found themselves a hell of a warrior. If not, well then the kid played a good game. And that was really what was important. It was all about appearances.

Who was he to question any of it? He was just the master of the dungeons after all. He paused. Even he had to smile at that. His other job was much more important, but they didn’t have to know about that. Still, he was very good at what he did.

He hopped down the steps, almost jovially, and pulled out a large metal cart from behind his desk. The dungeon fell silent. Fear was starting to propagate.

He didn’t have time to ponder what instruments to bring, so he just loaded it up with his favorite tools. He hoped that King Mathias would be pleased.

Then, he blinked the entire cart and himself back into the throne room. Better to expend a little less energy now. Besides who cared about protocol at this point? He wasn’t even sure what the need for the rule was except to make him seem not as powerful as those in charge. He didn’t mind. Let them believe he was just a peon. The ruse was a useful way to hide. Besides, he had real work to do.

* * * * *

It was kind of disconcerting to see a huge vampire suddenly appear in the room with a cart of torture instruments. In fact, Mathias felt his stomach flip-flop. He needed to keep his emotions in check better. He wasn’t exactly a small kid anymore. Granted, this Azazel guy was older than he was, but shit, he knew how to fight too.

He looked down at his gut to tell it to shut up. He didn’t speak audibly of course, but he glared at it— hard.

“Thias,” he heard her whisper.

He shook himself. Either it
was
post-traumatic stress, or he was remembering his own torture. Either way, he was cracking up. Yeah, Tallus held nothing on her. Freaky bitch. Technically, he knew he should tell someone about it all: hearing her voice, dreaming about her, but he didn’t want to admit he was going crazy either.

Azazel pulled out a length of chain and attached it to rings in the floor that had previously been hidden by ornate octagonal tiles. “It is ready,” he said.

Mathias steeled himself. He could not show that it bothered him. Whatever Lilith had done to him didn’t matter now. He needed information, and if Tallus was too stubborn to provide it, he was forced to make the man talk. Mathias already had plans.

Would it make him sick to his stomach? Maybe. But, if the man wasn’t going to talk, there wasn’t really any other choice. He closed his eyes and brought forth memories of the cell. The memories he wished he could forget. There were so many things that Lilith had taught him about pain. Little things like how easy it was to cause agony by snipping your nipples with a pair of scissors or how to make you beg not to pull each and every toenail out by the root. These things he could use, would have to use. He opened his eyes. This was going to get interesting.

He turned his attention back to Tallus. “So, what’s it gonna be, the easy way? Or the hard way?”

Tallus grinned, darted over to the cart, then snatched a machete-looking thing from it and whipped around so fast, Mathias lost sight of him. Suddenly, Tallus’ head was bouncing along the floor. His body collapsed in a heap. Blood spurted from the now exposed and severed neck.

“Fuck me,” Mathias said. How was that possible? He’d never seen anything like it. Of course, Tallus could just have been desperate and went for it. He probably couldn’t have repeated it.

“It was the most humane way to die,” Azazel said.

“I don’t buy it.” It was fucking bullshit is what it was. Nossy had been kidnapped for this? “He went through all of this to take over the throne, and then he kills himself?” Mathias asked. It didn’t make any damn sense. Granted, he was probably going to die anyway for his involvement, but why let Nossy die? Selfish bastard.

Vlad cleared his throat. “It is simpler than you realize. Tallus was a coward. Instead of admitting his crimes, he chose to die.”

“How are we going to find Nossy now?” Stuart asked.

Of course, he asked the really important question. “I don’t know,” Mathias replied.

Chapter Five

Mathias made his way to the Order library. With Tallus gone, he felt like he’d been kicked in the chest. How was it possible? He asked himself again. By his own stupidity, he allowed the biggest clue to Nossy they had to get away, albeit in a very bloody way. He let the others continue the interrogations, but there was no proof that anyone there knew much more than Tallus, and he’d been behind it all. Him sitting there wasn’t going to solve anything. Not now.

The ones that helped him were probably never in that room. They were probably long gone. It was so not cool.