Samuel looked at Carmilla from the other end of the table. After what she said last night he realized that he had no time at all. He needed to find Rita before that ritual took place. Whereas she just wanted to find Sakaer. She did not have a time crunch. That was why he was sitting in this hotel suite with her at three in the morning.
“So your spies told you he was buying Draune serum downtown. When was that?” he inquired.
“Six days ago. Exactly a day before he took your mate.” she answered.
Damnit. Was his connection to Rita so fucking obvious? If so how many people knew? And why was it now his wolf chose to say something?!
Samuel kept a stoic face. “Any other information I should know about?”
Carmilla looked at him through bored red irises. “The turning ritual needs to be done on sacred land or in a generally sacred area. With no specified time.” she answered pushing her point across.
Samuel ignored it and pressed on with his questions. “Have any ideas where he might have chosen?”
Carmilla folded her arms and looked around the room with deep disapproval. Too bad, he was not going to put her in the ten star suite she was used to. They were here to talk business. Life threatening business. “Somewhere outside Alvas that is for sure.” she replied.
Samuel took out a small black ringed device from his pant pocket, placed it other table surface in front of him. “Open.”
“How and where would you like to take a look at today Sir?” came the A.I.'s voice.
“Outside Alvas City, six hundred miles across. Satellite imaging.” Samuel said.
The AI brought up a holographic map in front of him and with a swipe of his hand he projected a copy of it to Carmilla. “Point out where.”
She lifted her left hand to the projection and it passed through like flesh through a ghost. A growl left her lips at that. It was clear she was still getting used to the prosthetic limb. Not happily either. She used her right hand instead and drew an irregular red circle around a canyon farther east, a mountain range towards the west and lastly a patch of forest close to a river a few hundred miles from Alvas.
Samuel did not believe for a second that she had no idea where Sakaer was hiding. She knew but for some reason could not reach him herself. He needed someone else to do it for her. Someone desperate. Someone like him.
“Is he alone?” he asked.
“No, he took some of the others with him.” she replied lazily.
“And how many would that be?” irritation eating into his tone.
“Oh about around seven hundred or so demons and eighty slaves.”
Damn it all to hell! He was not going to get anywhere near Sakaer or Rita with those numbers. Let alone leave with his own legs. He was going to need help.
“Ok Carmilla, let's cut the crap. You know exactly where Sakaer is, don't you?” He was tired if the act she was putting on.
She remained silent. Admitting to nothing yet everything at the same time.
“I will take that as a yes. Then the question remains, why did you not just pluck him from his exact location yourself? Why come looking for me?”
“As I stated before, we can help each other.”
“I thought I said cut the crap.” he said, a growl in his throat. “There is a reason you can't get into that specific area and i want to know exactly why.”
Her red eyes glowed and she hissed at his disrespect. “I do not need to tell you anything. You lose more than I do if you are late.”
Samuel rested his back against his chair. “That maybe so but you will be the one with more than a millennia of being the butt of every joke made in the Netherworld. What demon or man will take you seriously knowing that your subordinate, a demon you personally created, got to you and you have not been able to get them back? That too with all your talk of being so powerful. Who knows, maybe there are more demons under you that want to give Sakaer's way a try. It would be a stain etched on your reputation for the rest eternity.”
He could see her struggle. It was either tell him the truth or not. Leave him alone or come after him right then and there.
“Fine.” She ground out. “He is near the river and I cannot get near that land because the ancient tribes that once occupied the area went to great lengths to keep me out, so neither I or those under my command may enter.”
“That was not so hard now was it?” Samuel commended. “Do you know the easiest way to get in?”
“Through the river.” she answered begrudgingly.
“Easiest way out?”
“Still the river.”
Lie. It was such that he did not even need to smell it or think about it. “You know lying or withholding information is not going to help either of us.”
Carmilla stood up and threw her hands on the table, breaking the mahogany significantly. A few more hits and it would be nothing but kindling and toothpicks. “You do what I say!” She seethed.
“No. You have to understand that I am not one of your lakies.” he threw, letting the growl in his throat emerge in a snarl.
“You will obey me!” she seethed. Eyes flashing, the air polluted by sickly sweet pheromones, her voice ringing just as sweet as the chemicals she was giving off. “Do you think that tongue of yours or that tone will get me to become your puppet? If you think so then you are sorely mistaken.”
They stared at each other for the longest moment. A struggle of power.
“Let me walk through your plan. Use the Alpha to get in, have him killed which will break the barrier keeping you out, so you get in and make your precious traitor, Sakaer, pay. And you would start by killing off the one thing that presumably started all this. My mate. Correct, no?” Samuel asked with a corked eyebrow.
Carmilla gave him a sour look. “Very perceptive of you, Alpha Princeton.”
The game was over. He had won. For now. “The truth. Now.” he demanded.
“You would make a very successful and resourceful demon.” Carmilla mused.
“Fortunately, I am not.” he retorted. He erased the rest of the the circles she had drawn on the map, leaving only the one around the forest and the river. “How about we get a few things straight right here and now. First of all, I am neither your slave or a pawn, I will do as I wish.” She hugged at that.
“Secondly, I have a plan that does not involve me being an impromptu sacrifice. We will do this my way. If I sense so much as a single sidestep or unspoken plan B, I will take what I came for and leave you to get yours by your own means.”
Her expression turned angry at that.
“Thirdly and most important of all, neither you or horde WILL hurt or kill Rita Beatrice Anozim in anyway shape or form. You will not do the same to me either.”
“Afraid?” she mused. “You are right to be. But what will you do if I choose not to honour your last request or any of them?”
“Those were not requests. Those were orders.” Samuel said and Carmilla's face turned lethal. The table finally gave way and broke. The lights flickered, some even burst sending tiny daggers of glass in various directions.
“What makes you can order me around, you mortal dog?!” She screeched.
Samuel continued to look at her, generally unaffected by her outburst. “Because I know something you don't.”
“Enough of your games Princeton! You have nothing! Now cease this act and answer to me.”
Samuel's hand moved into his jacket, reached for his pocket and took out the object nestled within its confines.
Carmilla stood dumbstruck, her eyes wide and glued to the medallion that he held in his hand.
Samuel allowed himself a small smile. “You look surprised. What was that about me having nothing?” He watched her swallow thickly.
“What? Cat got your tongue?”
.
.
.
.
A/N : Please rate the chapter and comment down below.
Also, follow me on my Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter and my blog to get snippets, more info on my books, tidbits and to get notified when my Patreon page goes up.
Facebook page: Author Uzomah Chelsea .N.
Instagram: @UCNwrites
Twitter: @ChelseaUzomah
Blog: Author Uzomah Chelsea.N. on WIX