«And it seemed to me much more.»
«What are you talking about?» Blaise frowned. Did he know something that she did not know.
«Well» he drawled, as if she herself should have understood everything. «They have families, bodyguards, accomplices»
«Families not all,» she recalled three, whose relatives were carried away by accidents, disasters or infections, which in itself looked somehow strange, as if planned in advance.
«So you cannot take from them what they took from you.»
«But what have their families to do with it»
«And what did you and your brother have to do with it? Why were you touched?»
The picture of the crypt and the seven statues came into her mind again.
«I dont know,» she shook her head.
«There are several explanations, choose any. First, if someone in the family does harm to others, then his relatives are usually no better. One root, one filth. You can only eradicate everything as a whole. Second: there is rock and there is no escape from it, it is on everyone, on you, your dead brother, your distant relatives Third: if you dont want to take revenge on you, its better to destroy everyone at once.»
«I think all three explanations are fine with me.» She bent over the map again. «You know the names of my enemies,» she secretly already knew that she was right, but she started repeating it aloud anyway. «Neil is the oldest and most influential. He is the head of everything. The rest always obeyed him. He was almost my fathers equal before he decided to strike. Now he probably feels like in heaven, having received everything.»
«The skies can be dark and empty, especially after the biblical war that took place there,» Damian remarked, as if expertly.
Blaise ignored his remark.
«Then comes Alistair. Not so long ago, he left everything for a church career. And now he is a cardinal.» She plunged the knife into the map, now in a new place. The Church of St. Catherine is his parish. She imagined going there one night. «Holy scoundrel.»
«All scoundrels have always aspired to religion. It is so convenient to do evil under the guise of something ephemeral that hovers in the sky.»
«Yeah,» Blaise thought for a moment. «Etienne is in command of the mafia. But for society he is a prestigious gentleman,» she named the third. «Gerald leads the police, so any crime committed by his friends is so easy to hush up.»
«Your company of seven is comfortable.»
Blaise nodded.
«Angelo is a famous actor. Star and idol of the public. Recently he surrounded himself with such bodyguards that it would be difficult to reach him. George and Thomas are the stars of the ring. Whatever I give to break all their bones. But is it really possible to do this?»
«Anything is possible, baby,» Damian postponed his class for a moment.
«Even with your bare hands?»
«You can crush a wall with your hands, youre just afraid.»
«Im not afraid, its just that everything you say seems a little fabulous to me,» she raised her eyebrows, already knowing his answer in advance. Anything is possible if you believe in it.
«I want revenge, but look how high these people jumped. The cream of society. Important persons. Cones. And I am nobody. If I say my name now, theyll think Im crazy. It is easier for them to believe that I am dead.»
«Dont call it that. Everything can be solved differently.»
«How?» She raised her tone reluctantly.
Damian shrugged lightly.
«First, it is worth observing them from afar. Rather from the shadows. You see them, they dont. You tease them, they think you are a ghost and they start to be afraid.»
«Boldly, but how to implement it.»
«Its simple,» he touched her hand, folded into a fist. «Such graceful fingers, but even boxers from the ring would not be as strong as this hand, if you wake up with an obsessed power. Do you know what obsession is?»
«This is when an evil spirit infiltrates a person. Demon. And the person becomes not humanly strong.»
«Thats it. And I am your demon.»
Blaise glanced at him. What is he hinting at? Do you have to sleep with a demon in order for it to take over your body? Or can everything be solved in a much simpler way?
The gloomy abandoned house that surrounded them seemed to be keeping some secret. But the only real secret she saw in front of her was Damian himself. The sight of him was slightly hypnotizing. As if he was not human at all.
«You let the demon in of your own accord. Your anger does everything for you,» Damian whispered to her. «The awakened anger is an obsession.»
Blaise felt an unexpected surge of energy.
«Do you want to continue your studies now, already without weapons, with your bare hands?»
Did he play with her?
«Why dont you leave me alone?»
«Because I have no one but you. Youre the only thing Im hooked on in this world. Your anger is what makes me exist.»
«It would be better if my anger gave birth to a monster that will take revenge on everyone.»
«Its still ahead,» he grinned, somehow too mysterious and cruel. «Who else is among your enemies.»
Blaise considered. The evening before the fire, there were seven of them, but she knew who else was inciting them.
«Sister Angelo is also an actress,» she drew her name alongside, almost squeezed out. «Evangeline. She was ready to die to kill me. Although I do not understand the reason for such hatred, but now I also hate in return.»
«Great, more»
«The son of Etienne Ivan, he always wanted to be the only one and at the head of everything. Since my brother did not survive, there is nothing to keep him alive for.»
«Correctly. Your pretty head proves that it has a claim to intelligence and ingenuity.
She pulled away from his hand, which touched her hair.
«Also Gwen, Hughs wife, she wished death for all of us. She and her children.»
Poisonous smiles, dyed hair, oily eyes. Everything came to mind so vividly. What a strong desire to kill always came from this woman. You always know who will strike, but you dont know when. Blaise had been taken by surprise, now she wanted to take them by surprise.
«Do you know these people?»
He shrugged casually.
«I know a lot of people, but they all dont know me.»
«Its probably convenient. Know everyone and remain a ghost to them for everyone.»
«Soon you yourself will find out how it happens.»
«I do not understand you.»
«If you believe what you yourself say, then for all of them you are now a ghost.»
In this he was right.
Untold Secrets
Luciana Jaudet woke up late. The bright sunlight penetrating the window through the parted curtains completely erased the memories of a recent nightmare full of horror, statues and blood.
The girl glanced at the park paths below, the manicured flower beds and the neatly trimmed boxwood bushes. Her fathers park has always been perfect. She never thought about the cost of keeping it in that order. Like any daughter of very rich parents, she did not think about money at all, but today for some reason she did. The father is to blame. He started talking about receiving some kind of inheritance. He had never spoken to her about business before. Is it time to get serious.
Luciana glanced in the mirror. Magnificence! Here is one word that came to mind at the sight of such perfection. The beautiful reflection did not differ slightly from its copies on the covers of glossy magazines and posters advertising expensive perfume. Shes the perfect model. But here in her fathers mansion she should feel more like a princess. the house compares favorably with both expensive hotels and luxury hotel apartments. This was where she should have stayed. Her pretty blond head and arrogant face were as exquisite a decoration for the home as the priceless originals of ancient paintings in heavy frames.