“Please leave us. I think he’s had enough scrutiny for one morning,” Shay said, addressing the other members of the Clergy. “But Papa, if you could stay, with the quintessence ghouls.”
The humans and their ghouls filed out silently, leaving Itzal, Papa, Shay, Alpha, Omega, and Aether behind.
Shay turned a questioning look on Alpha, who didn’t budge.
“I was assigned to guard him,” Alpha said with a shrug. “I’m not leaving him alone with you, especially if he’s about to lose his shit.”
Shay gave a short nod, then rose and circled the table. Itzal was trembling so hard his teeth chattered. His breathing came fast and shallow.
His mind was a mess, rage crowding out his reason. He was a breath away from snapping when something shifted. A soft tingle crept across his skin, confusing at first, until a memory surfaced. His childhood friend; a quintessence ghoul. That same tell-tale soothing warmth.
The calming energy pulled him back from the brink, smoothing over the ragged edges of his mind. When he blinked, he realised he was on one of the oxblood-red leather sofas, flanked by the others. He was still shaking, but the impulse to destroy everything had dulled.
Papa sat nearby in an armchair. Shay was at the far end of the sofa. Omega crouched in front of him, watching carefully.
“Feeling better?” Omega asked, offering a half-smile.
“A little. Thanks,” Itzal said. He took a shaky breath and dragged a hand down his face. “I... I just don’t understand. How could they? How is this even possible?”
“That’s what we intend to find out, child,” Shay said softly. “We will investigate. And those responsible will answer for it. The Clergy and the Council will ensure nothing like this ever happens again. I only regret that we didn’t know about you sooner. If we had, we would have moved heaven and Earth to free you. I am so very sorry we failed you, Buer. Or... do you prefer Itzal?”
Itzal gave a small nod of confirmation. He'd grown so used to being called Itzal now, so they may as well stick with that. He wrapped his arms around himself, still shivering away the last echoes of fury. He turned towards Papa, took a deep breath, and started speaking.
“My master’s name is Vasco Santos. He calls himself Papa Santos. I think he summoned me twenty years ago. I was twenty seasons old.” Papa frowned, and one of the ghouls growled low. It could have been Alpha, but he wasn't sure. Twenty seasons old was still considered a kit in ghoul society. Itzal huffed a bitter laugh. “I was so determined to make top tier at the Academy. I wanted them to put me forward to be summoned when I was of age. I was such a fucking idiot.”
“No, you weren’t,” Shay said softly. “Every young ghoul wants that. What happened to you was...deeply unfortunate.”
Itzal barked a laugh at the understatement.
“Unfortunate? Yes.” He shook his head. “So what now? I know you can’t let me go. And honestly? I’m relieved. I think I've had enough of this life now. Santos? He’s hell-bent on taking over the Clergy. Says his family was cheated of it. That they’re the Dark Lord’s true chosen. He’s making plans to topple the Emeritus dynasty. If you kill me, he won’t be a threat to you anymore.”
Papa IV finally spoke, his tone wry.
“So eager to die, ghoul?”
Itzal looked away, jaw clenched, cheeks heating.
“Santos will get what’s coming to him,” Papa continued. “Don’t worry about that. I haven’t heard that name in a long, long time. His family was excommunicated two centuries ago for extremism. It explains a lot now that we have his name. The Santos family was a plague, drawing unwanted attention to our Church. The Satanic cults you see in the movies? Nine times out of ten, they were inspired by that family.”
Papa stood, Shay rising beside him.
“We’ll make this right,” Shay said. “Secondo is buried in his scrolls as we speak, trying to find a way to remove that collar.”
Itzal’s hand moved unconsciously to the metal at his neck. He couldn’t even imagine life without it anymore. The thought of ghosting away on a whim felt like a memory from another lifetime.
Papa and Shay excused themselves and left. Omega and Alpha led him back to his cell, but this time, they left the door open. It was still containment, but the added space felt like a kindness.
He sat on the bed, back against the wall, long legs stretched out, trying to process everything he’d just learned.
A little while later, Sunshine appeared in the doorway. She carried an olive-green blanket, a cardboard tray of Starbucks, and a shoulder bag. Itzal raised an eyebrow as she breezed in, dumped the bag on the bedside table, and held out a coffee for him to take.
“I brought caffeine and snacks,” she said, smiling. “And I know how freakin’ cold it gets down here, so, here.”
She tossed him the blanket. Without thinking, Itzal pressed it to his face, eyes fluttering closed as he inhaled. It carried the same scent as his shirt; warmth, laundry soap, and that subtle, familiar Sunshine smell. Comfort wrapped in soft fabric.
A giggle broke the moment.
He looked up, caught mid-sniff, the blanket still at his nose.
Busted.
His cheeks flushed as he lowered it, but Sunshine grinned.
“You’re welcome,” she chuckled, heading to the bag and pulling out packets of crisps and sweets. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I brought junk food. I figured everybody likes junk food.”
To his surprise, Itzal found himself smiling. When was the last time he’d done that? he thought to himself.
Sunshine handed him a chocolate bar, grabbed one for herself, and clambered onto the bed. She didn’t sit too close, but near enough to share the space comfortably. Mirroring his posture, she leaned against the wall, then unfolded the blanket and spread it over both their laps.
“So freakin’ cold here,” she muttered.
YOU ARE READING
Nameless Ghoul
ParanormalA ghoul is summoned illegally and enslaved by a rogue sect of the Clergy. For the past twenty years, an evil Satanic sorcerer has held Itzal captive. He took control of his will, subjecting him to unimaginable horrors, and forced him to commit acts...
