Days with the demon queen
Chapter 41: Dinner with a side of death

Chapter 41: Dinner with a side of death

Squad 12 made sure to get to the venue on time in order to scout for traps. There weren’t any, which only made them more anxious.

The gang hung around on high alert, awaiting the mysterious woman they had met the previous night. Time passed slowly. It went from evening, to night, then the moon came up.

"You think she’ll show?" Ronnie asked, gripping his chain tightly.

"She will. I feel like she will" Josh responded.

"Now now, what kind of person would I be if I didn’t honor our meeting? My master is no liar, neither am I?" A calm voice came from within the woods. Her silhouette could be seen from afar, as she came closer, she became more visible. The woman gave them a smile.

They returned bitter smiles. Ronnie and Josh looked anxious.

"If anything happens, I’ll keep you safe. Your friends too" Lily said, squeezing Ronnie’s hand softly like she could read his thoughts.

"That’s reassuring, you’re quite confident one" the woman said.

"Shall we get going or do we stand here exchanging pleasantries?" Lily asked.

"But of course, I’ll lead the way. Apologies for keeping you all waiting" she answered.

"She’s hot and she talks nice. This is definitely a trap, I can feel it in my guts" Zeke whispered to Jayson as they followed behind her.

"She can hear you" Jayson replied.

"Oh—" Zeke said, making an expression like he just remembered that vampires indeed had extraordinary hearing.

"I’m flattered that you find me appealing" the vampire spoke without looking back.

The others reminded quiet.

After walking in silence for what seemed like infinity, the woman stopped.

"We’re here. Do try to be on your best behavior. My master can be hospitable if you act well" she instructed, wearing a serious expression for the first time since they met her.

They had walked outside town to a fancy looking mansion. The fanciest building they had seen since they embarked on the mission.

The squad members exchanged anxious looks, but they were careful not to talk from fear of being overheard. As such they continued in their silence.

"Nice place you’ve got here" Lily spoke, looking around.

"Thank you, you’re too kind" the vampire remarked and pushed open the two giant doors, gesturing for the youths to follow behind her. They did so without question.

The atmosphere was dimmly lit, it had the pleasant smell of old books and perfumes. As they walked further, they were led into a place that appeared to be a dinning room by the vampire. There, they found a handsome young man with black long hair sitting at the table.

"Ah, Seyra, you have brought our guests." He spoke, his voice sounded soft and tender, contrary to the demeanor he had.

"Yes, Master. As you requested" Seyra, the vampire that had led them there commented with a satisfied look on her face.

"You’re always so reliable. I’m glad I have someone I can rely on to run errands for me" he spoke.

"You saved my life, I would put it on the line if you asked me to" she responded.

"As if I’d ever ask one as precious to me as you for anything that cruel" he wore a warm smile.

The squad observed the scene in silent confusion. When he noticed, the man tapped his palm on his face lightly.

"Forgive me for keeping you waiting, I can be a klutz sometimes. Do sit. Make yourself at home" he gestured at the chairs.

"I do not know what sort of food you enjoy in your country but I made sure to bring you the finest we could offer" he said.

Just they, they noticed the dishes on the large wooden table, dishes for all of them. Their confusion increased.

"You requested to meet. We’d like to have our talismans back" Zeke said, trying not to look at the food which he clearly found attractive.

"Now don’t be rude, please. We can do all of that after dinner" he said.

"Pardon my rudeness. I am Zimmer. The lord of this household. Welcome" he added.

"I expected him to bear Dracula, I thought he was Dracula" Josh whispered.

Zimmer chuckled. "I think you’re referring to Vlad, my good friend. The man is somewhat a legend among your kind" He stated.

"What do you want? let’s cut all of this delay" Lily inquired. She sat down and started eating from the dish placed in front of her.

"Lily!" They echoed with shocked expressions.

"What? the man did not bring us to his home to kill us with poison. He looks honorable" Lily stated, continuing with her meal.

The others looked on in silence, then they took their seats, without touching their meals.

"I might have just taken a liking to you, Miss" Zimmer stated, glancing at Lily seductively.

"She’s taken, back off" Zeke responded.

"oh? the queen of the underworld has taken a human pet?" he asked.

Their eyes widened in shock, Lily dropped her fork instantly. She appeared to be curious

"Information flies. Think nothing of it." Zimmer commented.

"I think I should get to the point now" he added.

"I have questions" Ronnie stood up.

"I told you, information flies. I can’t very well revealed my source now can I?" Zimmer asked.

"Get to the point" Jay said. Ronnie sat down hesitantly in silence.

"Fine. You’re bait." Zimmer stated, his expression unchanging.

"bait?" Zeke questioned.

"I was betrayed by people I trusted, by your agency. I did what they asked and how did they repay me? they locked I and my brethen in this cold hell" he explained. His tone didn’t change, but his demeanor grew colder.

"You’re lying" Jay remarked, standing up.

"I assure you, I am not" Zimmer responded.

"You’re telling me that the agency, an agency that eliminates supernatural threats is working with a supernatural being?!" Jay snapped at him.

Zimmer didn’t say a word, he merely turned his eyes to Lily and turned them back to Jay with a knowing smile. Jay went silent, like he understood Zimmer’s gaze.

"Where do the lycans fit into your plan?" Josh asked, fear was present in his voice.

"They’re just pets really. A pack of lycans walked into the wrong town. I’d kill them but Seyra gave me the bright idea of using them as an attraction for your agency" He explained.

"Where do we fit into all of this?" Zeke asked, trying to keep his tone controlled.

"I told you. You’re bait." He responded.

"Just what does that mean?!" Zeke raised his voice.

"I capture you, your agency comes and I demand for them to lift the curse holding me here. It’s a foolproof plan" Zimmer explained.

Zeke smiled bitterly. "You’re better off doing whatever you want with us, the agency is not coming for us." Zeke said.

"They’ll come" Zimmer stood up, walking away from the dinning table.

"They’ll definitely come. Not for you, but for those two. They are quite valuable assests to your organization. Are they not?" He asked, walking further down the huge dining.

A shared silence was observed among the squad members, before it was broken by Jay. Realization had hit him.

"Your informant— is from the agency, isn’t it?" Jay asked silently.

Zimmer turned his attention to Jay. He didn’t say a word, but the silence confirmed Jay’s suspicion.

"I just realized something myself" Zimmer said.

"I wanted to use you as bait, with the probability of letting you go once I got what I wanted but, you know too much now" he added.

Lily left her seat, and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"I’ll have to kill you all. I’ll still get what I want. I’ve made sure the agency knows about your disappearances" Zimmer grinned.

In the blink of an eye, the squad was surrounded by a dozen people, vampires and lycans alike.

Josh’s eyes met with Esmeralda’s and he whimpered.

"We have unfinished business, pretty boy" she said.

The squad huddled together, watching each other’s back as the attackers slowly approached them.