Reversal of Fortune [malexmale]

Chapter One

Chapter One

"Fucking traitor!"

It would seem that my life was an endless compilation of deja vu.

Being so accustomed to the name-calling, I took it without offense as I walked across the asphalt. My boots thumped softly, crackled on the loose pebbles. Across the space, littered with corpses that lay limp in pools of oily black blood, the remaining shadow was laying sprawled out with his innards spilling out. Blood bubbled up between his lips, poured down the sides of his face, even as he bared his teeth at me.

I'd give him points for at least putting up a better fight than his companions, all of whom lay dismembered around us. He'd been the last to fall, had even gotten in a few punches, a few cuts, but all of that had healed long ago and now his wounds were too severe. He wasn't going anywhere.

Good thing too, because clenched in a tight fist was a black briefcase.

I stopped when I'd reached him, stood over him to watch those soulless black eyes glare up at me with pure raw hatred. Once again, I was used to it, and I didn't blame him for it. After all, I was the reason he was about to die and suffer eternal torment by having his soul locked up in a statue in a realm far beyond this one.

I stooped down, reaching into my boot to pull a small blade out. I took the shadow's wrist, watching those knuckles turn white with desperation to cling to his prize. Not that it would matter, as I did not plan to pry his unyielding fingers away.

Instead, I sliced them right off, one by one.

He screamed into the night, throwing his head back so hard against the asphalt that it cracked. He thrashed and writhed in agony, further rupturing and spilling his organs as they came out onto the ground. I stood slowly, taking the briefcase with me. I tucked the bloodied blade between my teeth, waved my hand over the case to release the binding spell. The lid clicked open and revealed the ancient stone tablets within.

Confirming my haul, I returned the spell, glancing down at the shadow that seethed at me.

"You backstabbing dirty fucking--"

I quickly grew bored of insults thrown by pig food. Without a second thought, I lifted my boot and brought it down hard on that fragile skull. A sickening wet pop rang out as bone gave way beneath me. Black blood splattered outward at the point of impact, and I lifted my boot up, scraping it on the asphalt to get it clean.

Somewhere in the distance, a bell began to chime a haunting tune. It was late. I was cutting it dangerously close tonight and I blamed the sick satisfaction I drew from gutting the shadows around me. It wasn't that I enjoyed harming those I'd once called friends, but rather, getting some modicum of revenge for what the Shifter had done gave me a small note of pleasure, even if only for a moment.

And there was no need to clean up the mess. Anyone outside the mortal realm knew about shadows. Creatures with eyes as black as night, blood a thick black oil spill that reeked of rotten meat and cotton candy. Slaves to the ancient Shifter being that was currently on a rampage to destroy the universe once and for all.

Also me.

I slipped the blade back into my boot and dusted my clothes off before taking the briefcase with me as I vanished from the small quaint district just outside the edge of the realm of Asgard. I reappeared in front of a massive Victorian style mansion set in the middle of the bustling city of Inferi, Hades. It took me a brief moment to adjust to Inferi's chilly winter weather after spending a week in Asgard's warm summer.

The exterior of the mansion was a gorgeous homage to Victorian architecture with its spindled towers and arched windows, its colors dark red and velvet black. My boots clicked on the ice that had spread over the walkway as I made my way to the front door. I walked into the foyer, eager to get out of the cold that sank right into my bones.