Konstantin: The Heartless Beta
37. After Effects

Konstantin

We've taken Dimitri back to his penthouse, but we have him tied up with silver. Even if hisdisposition is to be believed, there is no way we can trust him now. I don't even think we can repairthat trust.

Yeah, I am aware that Dimitri might have been under the influence of the parasite, but the pointremains... he never trusted us to help him.

"We need to figure out what we're going to do from now on,” I say as the two of us walk to the SUVwith Marle in tow. “The longer your child stays away-"

“I know that!” Kai roars, denting the side of the SUV with a punch. “I fucking know.” He then leanshis arms against the hood and rests his head. “I don't know what the fuck we're going to do, Kon.”

I let out a sigh and walked to him, placing my hand on his shoulder until he turned around to faceme. "We'll figure something out; we always do,” I say.

“There is something we can try,” Marle suddenly speaks up, and both of us look at her.

“At this point, we'll try anything,” I say, but Marle shakes her head.

“Don't say that until you've listened to what I am about to say because it involves your child.” Shesays in a flat voice but holds up her palm to stop me from advancing towards her.

Kai sighs. “We're not doing any trades with that demoness,” he says, raking his fingers through hishair in frustration, “even if it involves my child.”

“Both of you need to listen to me before jumping to conclusions. We will not be trading any livesbut rather pretending to.” Marle says in a low voice, and then she breathes out.

Okay, now this has both our attention.

“I will bewitch the child - its image will be more of a mirage than anything else. It will disappear assoon as we have Kai's child back.”

I frown at this. “That sounds like it will be a bit too easy. What if the blonde bitch replaces out aboutthe plan beforehand?” I ask, knowing Kai was thinking the exact same thing. That bitch wasn'tdumb; she would smell the scheme straight away, and then what? Kai's child dies, and so do we?Marle grins; an evil fucking grin even if I do say so myself. “I'm older than Morganna; the spells sheknows now were the ones I created.”

I blink. “Wait, those demons are old enough to want to resurrect a Demon of Lust; how the fuck canyou be older if you're only 300 years old?” I ask, shaking my head but not really wanting to knowthe answer.

This is where Marle looks at Kai and smiles. “I'm 300 in human years; before that, Xamnir was mymaster and Alpha.”

I don't think I've ever seen my older brother at a loss for words, and to be fair, I am just as fuckingstunned. This witch isn't just old, she’s one of the Ancients: A breed of witches so powerful that theGods themselves had to eradicate them. But how did Marle survive the Purging?

“I know what you're thinking, but now is not the time for that-"

“So that's why you've been trying to get to my side; I'm your master's vessel,” Kai says in a low voicebordering on a growl, and I am not sure if he is angry or upset. He looks at Marle and advances onher with fury in his scent. “Is any of this your doing?”

Marle’s eyes widen at his assumption, and she vigorously shakes her head. “NO! You misunderstandme! Yes, I am one of the Ancients, but I am not allowed to interfere in anything anymore because ofmy past sins. The Lynx Witches were sent to you but were twisted by the corrupted visions Xamnirmade them see; visions where you led the entire Pack astray. As much as I wanted to tell you aboutthis, the bind on my tongue forbade me! Who do you think told Tiarin about the prophecy abouther? Why do you think Xamnir had us all purged?!”

She hangs her head in her hands and sobs. I'm not sure what to make of this, and I don’t think Kaidoes either. If Marle told Tiarin about what Xamnir had planned for her, then she was the reason theWolf Goddess rejected Xamnir and fled.

"And why do you think Tiarin appeared before Caterina in that cave? I was the one who told herwhat the Lynx Witches were planning! I may not have been able to tell you everything back then,but I can confer with the Gods; it's the only reason I am able to speak to you now.”

Kai looks at me, then crosses his arms and levels Marle with a glare. “So you can only tell me aboutthis now because of my God status?” He asks.

She nods. “Yes, and I will gladly tell you anything else you need to know from now on, but for now,time is of the essence.”

"Hold up,” I start, “so if Kaede and the rest were all for Xamnir possessing Kai's body and becominga God amongst Gods, were they responsible for allowing the twins into the pack?”

This has been bothering me to no end: they entered the Pack and made us feel like we've alwaysknown them. Only for us to replace out about their part in everything that has happened to us.

Marle nods. “I think so; it is the only thing that makes sense since Kaede is an experienced witchShe would not have been fooled by infantile spells from the twins and their older brother.” She says,then pinches the bridge of her nose.

“I didn’t want to tell you about my link to Xamnir yet, Kai because you would not have trusted meafter that. But please know that I have pledged my life to your Pack and that you are nothing likethe ruined Wolf God.”

Kai nods then turns around. “We'll discuss it later; for now, let's see what that plan of yours entails.”He says, then gets into the driver's seat.

I sigh and follow him, feeling despair coming over Marle as I walk past her. However, I get where Kaiis coming from; he's already been faced with so many traitors, and now he replaces this out from Marle.He didn't trust them from the start, but now this is just fuelling it.

"What are you thinking?” I ask as he starts the car, watching the witch in the rearview walkingtowards her own.

He shrugs. “I'll hear her out and see, but if it involves physically taking one of your children, then thedeal is off.”

“If she is as powerful as she says, then I doubt the blonde bitch will know the difference between amirage and a real-"

My vision suddenly goes blank, and my entire body is on fire. I feel myself getting strung up by mylegs, and then my belly is sliced open - when I look down, I see a metal cauldron where my blood isrunning into. What-

"KONSTANTIN!"

Someone is calling my name, but all I can feel is the fire I am tossed into, watching my skin as itbubbles and turns black. Then I am strung up again, and the process repeats. Then again. Andagain, until it all converges into one. There's screaming, so much screaming! Please just let me die!"KONSTANTIN! BROTHER, WAKE UP!"

The screaming becomes louder and turns into a growl, but when I open my eyes, I see the face ofmy brother and feel his hand around my neck.

"Kai?" I ask, suddenly feeling out of breath and taking in my surroundings; the SUV has crashedagainst a tree, and Kai has me tightly pinned to the asphalt. I look up at Kai with wide eyes,watching the blood on his forehead soak into his blonde hair.

“Wha...what...”

“You were thrashing around and screaming, nearly shifting in your seat. What the fuck happened,Kon?!” Kai asks me with worry in his eyes.

I hear a door slam, and Marle comes out, running towards us. “Are you okay? What just happened?”She asks as my brother helps me to my feet.

Wiping the blood from my cheek, I shake my head. “I don’t know; one minute I was talking to Kai,the next I saw myself strung up to bleed out and then tossed in a fire over and over again.”

Kai clenches his fists and looks at Marle; the witch sighs and gives me a sad look. “The consequenceof wielding the Nephilim Dagger; feeling five hundred deaths all at once.” She breathes, then shakesher head. “Come, we'll proceed in my vehicle.”

I blink, bewildered at what she has just said and follow behind her. That was it? Will I feel thatunbearable pain and anguish for the rest of my life? The burning, the bleeding out, the smell?However, as I step into Lily's room and watch her sleeping with our children, I know that I wouldgladly go through five hundred deaths for the rest of my life as long as she is safe and happy.