A Feast For The Vampires

XVIII

After Kimi’s outburst, Tobe and Qharis cleaned off the remains of the cadavers, while Dae-yang went underdeck to check up on the others. When they were done, Tobe struggled to drag a begrudging Kimi down to the wheelhouse. It was already occupied by the rest of them, their faces filled with fatigue.

“Somebody better fucking explained what that just happened,” Kimi growled through clenched teeth, veins throbbing on his neck, his jaw stiffly locked into place.

Everyone looked to Tobe for guidance, but he just sighed and looked away.

“So...” Raja scratched at his head, a hand on his waist, a confused look on his face. “This is why I had won you in rock paper scissors. Mini was the reason,” he murmured and raised his slack fist to stifle a yawn. Rin gave him a disapproving stare.

Kimi’s anger-filled expression was like a birthing desert. It was blazing, red and furious. He tightened his clenched teeth and narrowed his eyes at the group of people before him. Sure enough, fear was dancing within him like grains of rice, but his bubble of anger was eminent, and it burned in his chest like a haughty fire.

Tobe pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “Don’t make this worse Raja—”

“Worse?!” Kimi exclaimed. He scoffed and shook his head. “There’s nothing fucking worse than this. You—”

“Try to calm down Mikaelis.” Tobe pulled off his glasses. “Your mother only told you half the truth. She didn’t tell you everything,” he said in a monotone voice, his hands busied with wiping off the spots of blood that had dried on the lens of his glasses.

“Everything? So there’s more to hear?” Kimi’s expression darkened. “I’m fucking happy to hear that there’s more to hear! I almost got fucking killed by—”

The door was pulled open. Its groaning drew the attention of the room as Qharis, Homer and Orpheus walked in. The presence of the twins lashed at Kimi’s anger. This drew out his trodden fear, a fear that made him freeze like an iceberg.

“Here they are,” Qharis sighed. Her glazed over eyes went straight to Kimi. She raised a brow at his frozen form, surprised at his ghastly expression.

“Come in. Come in.” Tobe wiped at his glasses with the edge of his shirt. “It seems that Mrs. Mikaelis kept a crucial part of the truth from Kimi.” He put on his glasses and gave Kimi a hard look. “Mikaelis?”

I can’t be here, Kimi thought as his breathing quickened. His fingernails dug into his palms when he fisted his hands. His form vibrated in fear and anger, his expression dark.

The others gave him a quizzical look. Him turning from loud and mad, to silent and cold was surprising to them.

Dae-yang limped to him and reached out a hand, concern painted on her face. “Ki—”

Kimi harshly pushed her away, the force dropping her to the floor with a hard thud. She drew in a sharp breath and placed a frail hand on her waist, her face twisted in pain. She slowly stood with a groan and shuffled away from Kimi with a worried expression.

Cold silence filled the air, Kimi’s eyes narrowed on the twins, his teeth gritted, his jaw locked tightly, and his heart a freakish thunderstorm. All the cadavers could hear it drum like a resounding gong.

“You...” His voice came out throaty but silent.

The twins just looked at him; Orpheus’s expression was blank but confused, Homer’s was tired and confused, but it held slight interest.

Homer folded his arms and lightly said, “he looks angry.” He snorted in amusement, clearly finding entertainment in Kimi’s demeanour, laughter brewing in his chest. “Why does he look like—”