An Oath In Blood (Book #3)

Chapter 24: A Message To The Messenger

CORVINA HAWKE

A few hours ago...

The Academy was a couple of hours outside the city, a building that loomed over me like a giant ready to swallow me. It had been years since I had returned but my blood was boiling and I couldn't think of anything but demanding answers. I wanted to know why, after all these years, the Big Guy refused to trust me. I was one of the best, dammit, and I deserved the benefit of the doubt.

The white architecture seemed to mock me, the purity of the color a sham, as I slammed the door of my car shut and stalked up to the gate where two men were stationed, guns in their hands. Blood and death covered every inch of the pristine white walls of this place, shadows lurking in every corner, and silent screams echoing through the halls. The guards' faces were covered under masks much like mine, their sharp eyes latching onto me as I got closer to them.

There was a story I had read when I was a kid. The Little Red Riding Hood. It was a popular children's tale and it amused me immensely. The big bad wolf was taught a lesson at the end of the story, the thought had satisfied my naive, sensitive heart. But when I had grown older, I heard a variation of the story. In that version, the wolf wasn't chased out of the cottage. He ate Little Red Riding Hood and her old grandmother.

Whenever I came to the Academy or thought about it, I felt like Little Red Riding Hood, only the big bad wolf in my story was the man who sat behind a million closed doors, who hid behind so many masks, no one knew who he really was. I felt cheated by my parents and the universe who had stolen my childhood from me and sent me walking through the forest at dusk, asking me to survive, to reach the cottage in the heart of the woods where my prize was waiting for me. I had been navigating through the forest for years now and the cottage was nowhere to be seen, only the knowledge that the big bad wolf was watching me and he knew he held my leash in his fist, tugging on it whenever and however he pleased.

"ID please." One of the men stepped forward when I came to a stop a couple of feet from the gate. I fished out my old ID from my pocket and handed it over to him. He took a look at the card and recognition flared in his eyes. He nodded at me once, returning my ID to me.

He stepped to the side, gesturing for his partner to let me through. The second man eyed me curiously but a glare shot in his direction had him lowering his eyes. I didn't take kindly to men ogling me. It was one of the many things I hated about them.

I heard the two men mumbling amongst themselves as I walked through the gate that shut behind me. The large iron locks clicking into place sent a shudder down my spine. Deja vu hit me square in the gut, knocking the breath out of me. The sound had haunted me for countless nights as I tossed and turned in my cell, hoping that death would claim me when I finally closed my eyes. But neither did death come to meet me nor did sleep.

My hands clenched into tight fists as I pushed the memories to a deep corner of my mind where I couldn't be haunted by them. Not right now. Not when I was already on the brink of insanity.

I had known me putting off Warren's death would have consequences but I hadn't anticipated that the Big Guy would bring the Hades into play so soon. Trent was a remorseless son-of-a-bitch. I didn't know why he had let Warren go this time, why he had only asked his to goons take him from the motel and leave him busted in the alley. But I would find out tonight. Was this my boss's way of sending a message? Because I was very close to beating his pet messenger into a pulp and feeding his meat to scavangers.

As I marched through the lobby of the Reaper Academy, students halted in their tracks, their burdened souls staring at me through lifeless eyes. I kept my gaze trained forward so I didn't make eye contact with any of them. I had no sympathy left in me. I had used up all of it for myself when I was the one whose spirit had been broken in these very halls.