"𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋"
❝ Delphinium Tesla is anything but the innocent citizen she pretends to be, especially not with the power of telekinesis behind her fingertips. Laying low wi...
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They delved into the Carrion District behind Jake. Delphinium walked nearest to him so the others would stay away; she did not want to be questioned about her involvement with the Crimsons.
Even then, she never got close. She could know all the tricks he had up his sleeves and would still not fall to complacency.
Delphinium shot him a sidelong glance to gauge his expression. Or rather, the lack of one. He walked with his spine straight and head held high like a king. As if he had not just been branded a reject by Benedikt.
"For someone who's finally completing his revenge plans, you don't seem very affected," Delphinium said. Why was he not more confident?
"I haven't won yet." His soft words were nearly lost under the commotion from a rowdy drug den.
"We will," Delphinium said, hoping speaking it aloud would make it true. "Now that we have something that can stand against him. No more running. This time is it."
He gave the merest shake of his head, the blue light of a flickering projected whiskey advertisement glinting off his dark hair. "This is only the beginning."
When she cocked her head in question, he added, "The real thing will be painstakingly slow. When I tear him apart, he will feel every agonizing second of it."
Delphinium was accustomed to his cruel manner of expressing himself. But oddly, a flicker of understanding ran through her. They were not alike. Not by a long shot. But she knew how it was to be so completely devastated by a powerful man that your hatred festered because you could do nothing else about it.
"Jake Evans," Delphinium said, knowing it was not even his true name. "What did he do to you?"
"He ruined me," Jake answered, revealing the smallest spike of the real, raw anger she knew rotted within him. "And now I'm returning the favor."
Delphinium knew it ran deeper than simple transgression. The way he sought retribution so viciously exposed hidden pain. Still, she thought, At least he's doing something about his. But what could she do? She'd already gone too far and it hadn't even been enough.
After that, he walked on in dark silence. Delphinium was glad for it.
She looked up to the vertical city. When they came out from under a series of archways with a crude graffitied depiction of Olios with his eyes crossed out on it, she could see the brightness of the vast space above the Carrion District. She caught glimpses of dark figures moving along the criss-crossing walkways. A million people up there, and none of them would know what occurred tonight. The thought could either be comforting or frightening.
Jake paused at a fork in the path, ceasing the army of Crimsons. Benedikt barked a question, but Jake said to Jaxon, "Go ahead to scout the area. I want to know it all: traps he's placed, how many men he has inside and out, whether there are any spies or snipers."
