How to Make a Sinner Sleep

90 | rage; skin and vengeance

Kaden had wanted progress, and he received it in Reed's quick actions. 

Through previous evidence that he and Bolivia collected about Reed's allies and their greed, as well as Reed's thorough weeding of hindrances, it wasn't long before the prince decided to eliminate his allies.

Disobedient pawns were more useful dead than alive.

The second summons Kaden received was to a secluded and abandoned house in the depths of the slums. A fire had long burned it down, and due to the death of the inhabitants, it'd never been rebuilt.

A meeting, Reed had called it. Kaden fastened his daggers to his belt in a tavern's room, Bolivia leaning with her arms crossed against the wall.

"Tonight," Kaden told her calmly. "He'll decide whether or not to keep them alive. We only have a certain amount of time to make certain of it."

Bolivia had been spreading whispers around the Crown Prince's capabilities, 'accidentally' revealing the recording to the most cowardly ally. Doubt and distrust that had been simmering since Richard Hall's grand disappearance only grew.

The summons tonight made all of Reed's allies restless and fearful.

Kaden received information that they planned to meet in this tavern earlier, discussing their plan for the meeting. The weak cluttered together in hopes to overturn the powerful—and sometimes, they succeeded. This would not be one of those times.

"They've booked the tavern and emptied the underground floor."

Bolivia grinned. "So they're making it easy for us?"

"Yes. We'll go cause havoc and make sure there's no possibility of them remaining idle." replied Kaden calmly, rolling up his sleeves to reveal defined arms. He brushed his hair back, several disobedient strands falling over his forehead.

"Will this end? Tonight?" wondered the snake woman suddenly.

Kaden paused in his movements. "Not everything. The corruption is so deeply rooted it can't end so easily. But your vengeance can. Even if it was Reed who bought those parts, it was these scum that harvested and sold them. I will kill Reed. But you can find peace."

"Trying to play a good boy now, human?"

He laughed. "Is it working?"

Bolivia snorted, dismissing him. "They're downstairs right now? We're going, right now?"

"Make haste, snake. Can't keep up with the pace everything's unfolding?"

"Can't keep up? Ha! Worry about your fragile body first."

The two—unwilling partners by circumstance, but two souls that had met an understanding—stared at each other for a moment. There was no farewell, no wishing each other well. They turned to the door and left for the underground room.

Along the way, they bumped into a wandering young man. His eyes seemed to widen slightly upon seeing Kaden, but the other didn't reveal any recognition.

"Sorry," Kaden said, nodding once before he continued past.

By their arrival, the gathering of nobles had already begun. There were around eight, two of which Kaden vaguely recognized. Influential people that harboured great wealths—regardless of their particular standing in the hierarchy.

He waited for the conversation to take a turn, for their worries to express. Their concerns, their suspicions. Richard Halls death was yet to be confirmed, spread by word of mouth.

However, they were restless. Would their lives be reaped next?

At that question, Kaden slowly clapped his hands. It echoed across the space, an underground bar that only opened at the end of the week. Old wooden tables and chairs neatly tucked around them, and the ceilings were high.