Blood Moon

6. Eric

I entered Uncle Marx's office after a swift knock on the door. The hinges creaked in protest as I edged it open.

Marx set down his papers before looking up at me. "Have you found anything?"

"I've found that that rogue is a pain in my ass," I mumbled as I collapsed into one of the chairs in front of his desk.

He mumbled something under his breath as he turned back to his papers.

"He doesn't respond to threats," I sighed while pinching the bridge of my nose.

Without looking up, he replied, "Everyone responds to something."

I clenched my jaw, thinking of what the man had said to me. I looked back at my uncle. "He knew our names."

This made him look up and meet my eyes.

"Silas, Aria, and I," I said, rubbing at my temples. "Why would he-" I cut myself off. "You don't think we may have been targets, do you?"

Uncle Marx clenched his jaw as he turned his head to look out the window. "It's not entirely out of the question."

My eyes followed him as he walked to the window, his eyes trained on the horizon. It was beginning to turn a lighter shade of blue. He pulled the curtains closed before turning back to me.

"Being as I have no children, you, my eldest and only nephew, will someday take my place as clan leader." He walked around, lightly tracing the bookshelf as he walked by. "Aria, not being a threat as head of the clan, unless you and I were to pass, is probably a target because of the havoc she's reaped on supernatural crime rates."

I pinched the bridge of my nose again as I uttered my next words. "He said he wouldn't talk to anyone but Aria."

My uncle stopped and turned to me "How would you handle the situation?"

I looked up at him wearily. "I wouldn't let Aria anywhere near that piece of pig bile."

My uncle nodded. "Neither would I, but we need answers." He gripped the edges of his desk and looked at me. "Go see if you can get anything else out of him before we consider bringing in Aria."

I blew a strand of hair from my face as I stood. I moved quickly, intent on going back down to the dungeons.

"Good luck," my uncle called after me as I closed the doors to his office. I closed my eyes and mentally prepared myself for another session with the rogue.

I moved quickly down the staircase and approached the cell. I looked up to see the door slightly ajar and quickly rushed to see what was inside.

"Aria!" I growled as I pushed through the door and flung the vile creature off her. She rolled out of the way as he slammed into the back wall, broken chains rattling in response.

He moved to get up again, but I already had my sword unsheathed and pressed firmly against his throat. 

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't skewer you right here!" I shouted angrily. He only went back to that deep, rumbling chuckle, his eyes dancing in amusement. I narrowed my eyes at him. "And how the hell did you break those chains?" 

His eyes flicked to Aria. "I seem to have found my strength again."

I clenched my jaw and pierced his shoulder with my blade. His eyes scrunched shut and he held in a cry of pain. I responded by twisting the blade. He groaned and his eyes opened to glare at me. I wrenched my sword from his shoulder and returned it to his throat. His hand flew up to cover his wound.

I pressed harder, and his blood trickled down to his chest. "You're a foul disgrace to our kind and you deserve to die slowly and painfully!" I spat at him. "I'll give you one more chance. Who. Hired. You."

He chuckled again before grabbing my sword and running it through his throat. His body went limp and slid off the end of my blade.

I could feel my heart beating again as I wiped his blood off on his shirt. I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly and clenched my jaw as I turned around.

Aria quickly dropped her gaze to the floor.

I sheathed my weapon and pushed my way out the door. I paused momentarily in front of my sister, but said nothing.

Without even looking at her, I passed and began my ascent up the stairs.

"Eric," she called as I'd reached the second step. I paused, my shoulders tensing as I tried to control myself. "I-"

"Do you know how reckless that was?" I rounded on her, releasing all of my frustration and anger into a verbal attack on my naive little sister, "That man is a monster! Do you have any idea what he'd have done to you?"

"I was just trying to help," she responded, eyes still downcast.

"Help?" I continued shouting at her, "You're death wouldn't have helped anything! If I tell you to stay away from someone, I expect you to listen! Do you understand?"

She cowered slightly under my assault.

I huffed out a frustrated breath before gripping her arm tightly and pulling her up the stairs. She stumbled after me. I continued to scold her as I pulled her up to the next floor.

"It was a very real possibility that he was targeting us." I was quieter now, but no less enraged. "And what do you do? You present him with the most divine opportunity to kill you."

I saw her knit her eyebrows together. "If he was going to kill me, then why didn't he do it before, in the alleyway?"

I clenched my jaw and rounded the corner. "He was playing with you."

I reached the door to my chambers and flung her inside before slamming it shut behind me. I stalked over to my desk and gripped it tightly as I tried to calm myself down.

We sat in silence for a while before she spoke. "I can hear your heart."

I looked up only to find her perched tenderly on the end of my bed, watching me.

"Yeah. It does that when I'm angry."

My pulse was finally starting to slow, my breath becoming more shallow, and I slowly eased my grip on my desk.

"I'm sorry," I heard her say.

"I know." I sighed as I sat down.

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