Of Blood And Betrayal (The Masquerade)

𝔠𝔥-23| 𝔅𝔲𝔯𝔫 𝔡𝔬𝔴𝔫 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔦𝔱

Song- devil like you // Gareth Dunlop
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"For someone who pretends to be all knight-in-shining-armour, you really are quite the opposite," A disembodied voice said, the tone laced with scorn. 

Avyanna whipped her head around to face Diem, who stood a few feet away, leaning against the door frame with his arms folded. Ava itched to slap the smirk right off his face, but pretended to be civil. She had stormed off into an adjoining room to be alone and was willing to ward off unsolicited company.

"What do you want Katz?" She inhaled deeply, a last-ditch attempt at reigning her temper. Katz studied Ava for a while before moving. He ambled forward, hands shoved in his pockets as he placed one careful foot in front of the other. Avyanna couldn't help but notice how remarkable he looked, his hair in place and his clothes unrumpled. Almost as if he took the time be presentable before heading downstairs. 

Always with the dramatic entrance.

"You don't want people to dulcify shit, do you? So here is the unaldulterated truth," He leaned down low and whispered in Ava's ear, "You are a coward." He straightened up and scanned her face for her reaction. Avyanna struggled to keep her anger from showing, balling her fists tightly so she wouldn't have the urge to break Diem's nose. 

Katz looked unsatisfied with her reaction and decided to push her further. Cocking his head sideways, he said something he knew would tip the raven-haired girl off. "And I know why you're here. It's not optimism or bravery-" He waved a hand in the air as if to underline his statement -"It's absurdity, because he is dead."

Avyanna's head stayed lowered so Katz couldn't see her face. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles started going white. The cadenced movement of her shoulders and her tense form made Katz take a step back, yet it couldn't hold him from taunting at her one last time.

"Oh was I too mean? You gonna cry no-" 

He was cut off mid-sentence as Ava's fist connected with the left side of his jaw. His head snapped up with a sickening crack and he stumbled onto the floor. Katz let his hand graze the underside of his face and drew it back, fingers covered in red from the blood that made it's way down from his mouth. He looked at it a while, then at the girl who was glowering at him. Ava expected him to throw a fit or at least fight back. But much to her surprise, he smiled. Not a full, pleasant smile you'd be charmed to see, no. It was a half grin, revealing that he succeeded in getting the desired response out of her.

Using his elbows and hands, he manage to stand up, rather unsteady on the footing. Wiping off the blood with the back of his palm, he turned around and made his way out with a rolling gait.

"You're despicable," Ava spat out with utmost disgust. Diem stopped mid-step, using the door frame to swing himself in her direction, and met her gaze.

"I've been called so much worse, love." With that, he left.

✘✘✘

"What do we do? We've got VALUABLE information, potentially disastrous and if ANY of the Council or Crown members find out we are so dead. Dead meat. Done for. Maybe they'll send knives to kill us, you know? Secure the evidence, eliminate the witnesses?"  

To say Bexley was freaking out was an understatement. He was in a full blown panic mode, pacing around the bar as Ethel, Harry and Beckett watched him amusedly. The brunet had his hands clasped behind his back as he came up with scenarios about ways the Crown would kill them.

"You know what we should do? Confess to the crime before they track us down," He declared.

Beckett stretched his arms before replying, "Track us to where mate? We're literally half a mile from the Council." Bexley's eyes widened in realization and he snapped his fingers.