KNIVES AND HEARTSTRINGS

city of

might have entertained the thought once or twice. Or thrice. Sue me

boss. I could barely see him under the dim lights, but his eyes shone like beacons-blue enough to rival the clearest ocean.

fer him her tits as a drink service, which is a new level of

ld also have a sour personality, hence my current position sprawled on the

; I thought as I glared

when I noticed the

ose di

s about to spont

repeated over an

ting in my head. Definitely not how the su

You're meant

ed daydream, I decided it was final

do

the h

nts ago. Bullets flew everywhere, and I guess one of them landed beside me cause the glass table near me exploded into a thousand gli

, no,

I avoided stressful situations. My chest tightened, my vision became hazy, and my mind spiraled

Dr. Shane say to do i

e grounding techniques he taught during our n

that futile now, are they? My

self, through trembling lips, to whisper. "Okay, Adira. Let

, all I saw was blood, corpses, glass shards, which were currently diggin

G

shut, sucking in a shaky breath. "Feel... Four things yo

bling uncontrollably. The asphyxiating tightne

hispered, my voice breaking,

re. My fast-pa

The grounding techn

ively falling, but I carried on, determined to evade this panic att

whispered to myself, barely ab

Blood-a l

g you can

ness of

e. My chest felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, and my vision... I think all I can see at this point are

e

es of her bloodied, lifeless body sprawled across the club floor invaded my mind. My bre

cousin plagued me. She could be dead. She could already be gone. As I sat there on the floo

ion grim and focused as he barked out words to people around him. I couldn't hear h

t managed to ground me for a strained hear

t myself together, but that too was a total fail. As the blackness crept in

s the tormented look on his fa

************

murings coming from a dire

n Earth

d in shades of darkness-blacks, deep mahoganies, and a medley of colors that scream

lympic event, and made my way toward the door, only to be

gures out who we are? It's too risky! We could

at all and why the hell w

tely the rude fool who had made a mockery of me earlier. Revenge simmered

She's the enemy and she'll ruin everything we've b

n some surreal blend of crime

om the door. My clumsy self obviously miscalculated and collided wit

ht, praying to every deity I could

re the man-Andronikos-broke it, his

verything you n

ess they h

door swung open, and suddenly I was pinned down by

icably," Andronikos said, clearly reveling in the drama. Iason reluctantly released me but re

k a shit in his

rm that could land someone a role in a horror film. With my hands rai

appened. Even the part about you keeping me. I'll even forgive you for tossing me to the f

t was the kind filled

I straightened my posture and

o back down from any man-no

ughed even harder displaying t

goes my

date me," he began, his accent heavy. "B

chin in a way that was both u

noring OMERTA requires that I kill you for overhearin

ust! I chanted in my mind, trying to focus on his

and you just happen to be the perfect solution,

ted out, utter

exclaimed, as if he had just

a pondering look on his face "but being a major

ng to process t

o, kill me?" A murderous glint flashed in his

e by one. Something you could have avoided by giving me what I want. Then, I'll take your com

the bed and playing with a knife that seemed to have appeared

aid, glancing at his watch. "Or Iason will call my men

ut her? And she's alive?

eading my thoughts. "But she could cease to be in," he loo

me. What would Baba d

you are! I thought swea

anted in a sin

ted, the words flying out

nd began to leave. Pausing, he turned ba

l do you well to know that." As he was about to open the door, he quickly turned around. "I can't wait to do business with you, Adira." And just like that, he left me alone

n my hands, trying to process the metapho

have I gotte