Blood Lily

9

Serafina

I was walking up the stairs when I heard screaming and breaking. I didn't think much of it but the closer I got to my door, the louder the noise became.

"Fuck" I whisper, running towards my door "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck" while pulling out my keys. I grab my helmet, ready to swing and slam the door open.

I slammed the door open, prepared to strike. However, the scene that greeted me made me freeze in my tracks. My once neat and tidy apartment was now in shambles. The coffee table lay shattered in the middle of the living room, shards of glass glittering across the floor.

Fucking hell it was gonna take ages to clean.

"He killed the fucking guy, Ghost!" Mussa screams at a now-standing Ezekiel.

"Again" he asks him while running his good hand over his face.

"Yes, again!" Mussa snapped, stopping his pacing to glare directly at Ghost. "He fucking tortured the guy to death. He was supposed to be our intel, Ghost! How are we supposed to get anything done when he keeps killing the people we need?"

"Fucking hell guys!" I yell out, catching their attention "I left for 3 hours tops! The fuck is this"

Mussa and Ezekiel whipped around to face me, their expressions a mix of surprise and frustration. The tension in the room was thick, and my sudden outburst only seemed to heighten it.

I look down and see the IV ripped out on the ground. I look up at Ezekiel with murderous eyes "I told you to rest you fucker!" I scream at him "And you" I point at Mussa "You think we know each other like that for you to fuck my place up?!"

Ezekiel gives me a side hug making my loosening my grip off my helmet, probably scared I'd swing it at him.

"Sorry Princess" he kisses the side of my head "he will pay for whatever you want"

"Don't 'Princess' me," I snapped, pulling out of his embrace completely. "This place looks like a war zone! And you're supposed to be resting, not getting into another damn fight."

Ezekiel sighed, running his good hand through his disheveled hair. "I know. But you know how it is with Mussa. Things got heated."

"I don't KNOW Mussa! And got heated?" I echoed, my voice dripping with disbelief as I gestured to the wreckage. "This looks like a tornado blew through here! What the hell happened?"

Mussa, still standing across the room, had the decency to look a bit sheepish, though his irritation was still clear. "Kael happened. He went too far—"

I stared at him, trying to process his words amidst the chaos and cut him off "And how exactly did that lead to my apartment being trashed?! I don't know Kael! For FUCKS SAKE!"

Mussa explained, his tone clipped. "I was mad and things got out of hand. I'm sorry about your place, but you weren't here, and—"

"And you thought it was okay to use my living room as a battleground?" I interrupted, my voice rising in frustration. "I don't care if you're angry, Mussa. This is my home!"

Mussa opened his mouth to respond, but Ezekiel stepped in before he could say anything, his voice calm but firm. "She's right, Mussa. This was a mistake."

Mussa looked like he wanted to argue, but after a moment, he just let out a frustrated breath and nodded. "You're right. I'll fix it, Lil' Lady. I'll make sure your place is back to normal."

"Damn right you will," I muttered, rubbing my temples as I tried to stave off the headache that was building. "And you," I point at Ezekiel "you're going back to bed. Now."

He looked like he was about to protest, but the look I gave him shut it down before he could even start. "Don't test me, Ghost," I warned, using his codename in a way that left no room for argument. "You're not doing anyone any good if you're dead on your feet. I told you to rest for a reason."

Ezekiel sighed again, but there was a small, affectionate smile on his face as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "I will but I need a favor first"

I narrowed my eyes at Ezekiel, not missing the playful glint in his eyes. "A favor? You're in no position to be asking for favors right now."

Ezekiel's smile didn't falter, but there was a hint of urgency in his tone that made me pause. "I know, I know. But this is important. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't."

I glanced at Mussa, who was still cleaning up the mess, his movements slower now, as if he were eavesdropping on our conversation. Turning back to Ezekiel, I folded my arms across my chest. "What is it?"

Ezekiel hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully. "It's about Kael. He's... not right in the head. Not now, not ever. I need you to talk to him. But you—"

I cut him off, holding up a hand. "Wait, wait. You want me to talk to the guy who's out there torturing people to death?"

Ezekiel nodded, his expression serious now. "Yes. You're a therapist after all. And I won't have to worry about the whole confidentiality thing"

I exhaled sharply, trying to keep my cool. "Ezekiel, I'm a therapist, not a miracle worker. You can't just throw me into the deep end with a guy who's literally torturing people to death and expect me to fix him."

Ezekiel admits, "I know, but you're the best chance we've got. Plus you're pretty good at the whole putting back on track thing. Kael will respect you since we are family and he trusts my judgement."

I glanced at Mussa, who was still cleaning up the mess, avoiding eye contact with us. I groan and kick and Ezekiel slowly smiles, knowing I was going to give in.

"Don't think that smile's gonna get you out of this," I warned, pointing a finger at him as I stepped over the shattered glass on the floor. "You're going straight to bed, and I don't want to hear a word of protest. You're lucky you haven't bled out already, ripping out that IV like an idiot."

Turning back to Mussa, I crossed my arms over my chest and fixed him with a stern look. "And you. How exactly are you planning on fixing this?" I gestured to the mess around us, the shattered coffee table, and the scattered debris.

Mussa paused his cleaning, looking at me with a mixture of guilt and determination. "I'll replace everything I broke, and I'll get a cleaning crew in here to make sure it's spotless. I'm really sorry, Lil' Lady. I didn't mean for it to get this out of hand."

I nodded, satisfied for now, though I wasn't ready to let him off the hook completely. "Good. Now, you finish cleaning up here, and I'll go to my room. And when I get back, I want this place looking like nothing ever happened."

I give him my business card and he looks at me puzzled

"Call this number and make an appointment for Mr. Murder-spree. He's my patent but no special treatment"

"Fucking hell," I muttered under my breath as I pushed open the door to my bedroom

"Why the hell did I agree to this?" I asked myself, the frustration bubbling up again. I was walking into a situation that could go sideways at any moment, and for what? To help a man who might be beyond saving?

I needed to rest.