A Little Vicious

iii. all is never enough

CHAPTER THREE / FARROW RIXON

BLOOD STAINED THE FLOOR.

The whistle of the faucet, the howl of the wind, and the echo of footsteps thundering back and forth through the corridor juxtaposed the silence of the room. A gust of wind breezed past me, twirling dark amber leaves into the bathroom. Groaning, I leaned over to close the window, twisting the latch down.

I leaned against the wall, a smile ghosting my lips as I exhaled a ribbon of white wisps. The blood on the floor was the same hue as the negroni Pa pumped into his veins whenever he interacted with the abattoir of a boy he called her son.

I pushed myself off the wall and unbuttoned my shirt. The dried blood splattered across my sternum framed a kaleidoscope of bruises. My gaze was snagged by the gash etched against my skin, just below my collarbone. I gritted my teeth, as I pressed a gauze against it. 

The seeped through.

It wouldn't stop.

Crimson liquid spilled down my torso.

The asshole had cut deep.

My knuckles tightened against the curve of the basin. My vision darkened. I grimaced, turning off the faucet. The movement sent another sharp ache down my side. I jerked back at the sound of someone knocking on the door. With gritted teeth, I walked toward the door and opened it to find myself gazing at a girl whose name rotted in my mouth.

There she stood,

A hellion.

A little bit vicious.

A little too haunting.

The scent of strawberries and vanilla carves something in my chest. A silvery laugh balanced on Silene's lips. Her eyes, burned copper, as the corners of her lips curved upwards. She looked a little too happy as her gaze dragged from the blood pooling on the ground to my gaze. Then, her smile slipped.

"Oh," Silene said. "You're still alive?"

The corner of my mouth threatened to tug up. "Sorry to disappoint, Silver."

Lev leaned against the door, his fingers kneading the back of his neck. His rings glistened under the dim light. He shook his head slowly, his lips twitching before his hand drifted to Silene's arm, pulling her close to him

"You're still bleeding out, Rixon?" Lev asked.

Silene rolled her eyes.  "Clearly."

Lev's brows creased. "Shouldn't it have stopped by now?"

"It's not exactly a fucking paper cut," I snapped, biting back a wince as I shifted. "Why is she here, Lev?'

Lev, casually holding a bottle of something expensive, shrugged nonchalantly. "Options were limited. The ambulance is out, and I can't drive you. Besides, I can't leave you alone like this. What if you collapse?"

"You should have called me when he died," She crossed her arms, her nails tapping impatiently against her elbow. "Now, I have to wait around to bury him."

"You're not burying him, Ryen," He tore his hand through his tousled hair, frustration etched across his face as his phone buzzed. He sighed, exasperated, his gaze flitting toward me. "Just—" he stumbled, as if the right words were stuck in his throat. "Just keep an eye on him."

"Fuck off." I sucked in a breath, pain clawing up my side. "I don't need Chucky babysit me."

Silene's eyes rolled again before she ducked under Lev's arm. She slipped away without a word, disappearing into the bedroom. I could hear the faint creak of the door as she pushed it open, the muted thud of her footsteps receding into the corridor.