Chapter Thirteen

"My secretary...Rosia," Vito started, feeling pleased that the name had come back to him. "What have you done with her?"

Lafon stared hard at Vito, then burst into laughter. It took a few calming breaths for him to regain control of his ribs. With each of those breaths, Vito imagined it being his last. "Wow, Vito. I didn't peg you for the in-house romance type. You sounded much too grand to fall for the whims of the ol' secretary allure."

"She's an employee. One who didn't sign up for the unpleasantness of such business. Her well-being is not only my natural concern, but my responsibility." His words weren't for show. Vito didn't even want to begin to imagine how hard his first days would've been without her assistance.

"How noble," Lafon offered in a slightly mocking tone. "You'll come to realize I'm a fair man, Vito. I instructed my men not to rough up the secretary too much and leave her in the basement, where I hear you executed one of their own. I suspect they didn't take too kindly to that, and given that they aren't my usual employees - only rentals - who knows if they listened." He met Vito's eyes with a self-appreciative smirk and Vito got the feeling he was trying to get a rise out of him.

Vito knew he could keep his own emotions in check - though that was currently proving difficult, but he had no doubt Jekio was at his wits' end. He needed to get back home quickly, regardless. He felt a hammering in his chest as he imagined the worst scenarios. He knew she was capable, but outside of lecturing him about his apparently lacking moral compass, she wasn't as focused as she could be.

Luckily, in his experience, shapeshifters weren't great threats once their disguise was revealed.

"It's saddening this talk couldn't be more fruitful," Vito said in a concluding tone.

Lafon nodded his agreement. "Perhaps you will see the error of your ways before this puny district has to be crushed to dust," he commented, his past friendliness practically gone.

Vito sneered, letting some of his inner anger bubble to the surface. For a second, his hand began to inch toward his sword before he caught himself. "The time for talk is over. As pitiful as it was, you've made an attempt on the life of my sister-"

"Oh, nothing so drastic," Lafon said with a wave of his hand. "The objective was to capture her and have you hand over the district to get her back. If I wanted her dead..." he smiled a predatory smile, gesturing at the feeders behind him, "she would be."

"You've made an attempt on the life of my sister and so you must die," Vito finished, doing his best to ignore his words. "Enjoy these last days with the knowledge that death is approaching your doorstep and he will not knock."

Lafon opened his mouth to say something, but Vito whirled on his heels and those behind him followed as one.

Zliksay came up to him timidly as they walked to their vans. "How can I help?" he asked tentatively.

"Join the van of the District 31 rebellion. They'll go back to their inn," Vito said loud enough for Kaida and her crew to hear, "You'll act as extra protection for them for now and stay where I can keep an eye on you." A thought occurred to him. "Kaida, you'll travel with me and be escorted back to your group afterwards."

Vito didn't bother to gauge their reaction to his orders. At the moment, he was nothing but an agent of violence - if he saw something he didn't like, he couldn't be sure he wouldn't overreact. In fact, he was certain he would.

The Crimson Tide members followed their leaders, feeding off of the anger that was practically tangible from their trail. Jekio was beside Vito as he hurried to the van. He audibly seethed but had the decency to wait until they were seated and the van was on its way to turn to Vito.

"I swear, Vito..."

"It is my fault," Vito said softly, already expecting his brother's outburst. "I shouldn't have left her alone."

"It's no one's fault," Hades corrected as he floored the gas pedal. "You can't anticipate everything."

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But Vito felt like he should've. He was too focused on himself being a target for the shapeshifters and didn't consider that his siblings were just as much at risk as he was. A potentially fatal mistake that he couldn't afford to make again.

Hades drove more recklessly than Vito had ever seen him. Vito was sure the roaring engine of the van had attracted the attention of nearby rogues, but mercifully, they reached the border undisturbed.

Millard saw the van speeding toward him and after squinting and recognizing the gang, he hurried to lift the boom gate so that Hades didn't even need to slow down to pass. Through the haze of his rage, Vito felt a wave of thankfulness for his old pal.

Navigating the streets of District 35 without the fear the Porsche induced was much different. As the minutes dragged on, the scenarios playing and replaying in Vito's head only served to make him more anxious.

"It's not your fault," Jekio said finally, his voice as tight as a strung bow. "But we better make that bastard play. If it were up to me, he wouldn't have left that damn forest breathing, but I played along again, holding myself back. I won't do that again."

Vito's eyes didn't leave the floor of the van that he had been boring hands into. 'You won't have to. I meant what I said; that posh prick is a dead man walking."

When they reached the gates of the manor, Vito and Jekio were practically out of the vehicle before it came to a full halt. Vito scoped the scene as he ran toward the double doors. He noted that his two guards were unmoving on the floor. No sign of blood, though it was fair to assume they'd be unresponsive.

Likely, they had been sedated by the disguised shapeshifter.

Jekio reached the doors before him and practically broke them off their hinges with how hard he pulled them. Vito drew his sword and followed more cautiously than his brother. His knife wound may have healed, but he hadn't forgotten the lesson.

Jekio looked around restlessly, bouncing on his feet as he tried to decide which part to look at first. Vito shot past him and thundered up the stairs to Bekah's most likely waiting spot when they weren't home. The door to his office was ajar, and suddenly, the lesson of entering rooms warily disappeared from his mind as he barreled in, his sword pointed at the only standing figure in the room.

Valko turned around and a wave of relief visibly washed over his face. He had been holding a shotgun at them, but lowered it immediately. "Thank god," he said.

Vito's eyes were drawn to an unconscious Bekah who had been laid down across two of his chairs. Not far from her was an unfamiliar man who still seemed to be breathing. The other down man was not, if the hole in his chest was any indication.

Still, Vito erred on the side of caution. "How do I know you're the real Valko?"

Valko looked at the unconscious man with open disgust. "Is this what they are? Shapeshifters? Explains why the bastards made it this far," he said in his usually rough voice. Vito would be impressed if a shapeshifter could make their vocal cords mimic such a raspy razor wire voice. "I don't know how to convince you, boss," Valko said with a shrug. "Wouldn't need much convincing if you let me come with you. Though..." he looked to Bekah, "I'm glad you did, all things considered."

Jekio had entered by then and he stood unsure, though he was clearly agitated by the lack of something to take out his caged anger on. His fists were folded and trembling with every single vein showing. He was only a little away from simply assuming Valko was a shapeshifter, if only to release the tension before he exploded.

Hades entered the room then, with Kaida in tow. Vito looked at a surprised Kaida and gestured toward Valko. She got his meaning. "He's not a shapeshifter," she said after a second's hesitation.

"Then that guy," Vito said, looking at the unconscious man on the floor.

"Was taken out before I got here," said Valko. "Figured the lady got the best of him. I saw a blowgun by the table. Figured he was trying to capture her alive, and she took advantage of that."

Vito nodded. "She's a trained fighter. If he underestimated her, he's lucky even to be alive."

"Not for long," Jekio promised darkly.

Vito sheathed his sword then crossed the room, gave Valko a meaningful pat on the back and a muttered thanks before brushing back his sister's hair. She looked much more peaceful in her slumber than she had the last few days. It made Vito think of what she'd been going through, and come dangerously close to thinking of it himself.

"Only seems to have a busted nose - broken maybe. I didn't see anymore injuries," Valko said from behind him, pulling him out of the dark pool of his emotions before he could start drowning.

"You came right in time, then," Vito said. As he turned, he saw that Jekio had slept the shapeshifter awake and was currently laying into him with a furious flurry of fists.

Hades caught his eye from across the room and subtly shook his head, but Vito wasn't in the mood for listening. He had held back his brother enough and he couldn't think of a better victim for Jekio to release his tension on.

Still, Vito didn't feel an urge to join in. The shapeshifter was only a pawn in a game.

He knew how as truly responsible and he felt a simmering rage subdued within as the very thought of the conceited man entered his head.

He looked to Kaida. "You have my full support now; Lafon will die, or we will die trying."

Kaida's expression was grim but focused as she met his stare. "I can drink to that."

Where there was blood to be spilled, bloodhounds were needed. Vito's brain turn over as he thought of the most capable men to join the battle.

After all, the trumpets of war were blowing their dreadful sound and Vito heard it.

He heard it, because he was the main one blowing.