Old Blood and New Ch. 08

Still as happy as before that bit of venting was laid onto her, Miss Duponta rose from her seat. Then she moved over to Vyn's feet and knelt down. Her skirts crunched and flopped into a partial puddle. She even folded the large brim of her hat away and pinned it in place so that her face was more visible.

What a perfect face!

Vyn's throat twinged and his belly fluttered, but he was able to smother those feelings down. A beautiful monster was still a monster.

When she next spoke, her voice was different. No longer was it a smooth, Wynyohrd courtesan's tone. It was almost similar to Vyn's accent, but lighter and girlier, nothing gritty nor gruff about it at all.

"Dear Vynstrum Dahlren, you don't need to be an apostate." She put a hand over her heart. "I can find a community for you to slip into with a false name. By the time you can be recognized as an apostate, it shall be years ahead. Nobody will care for your past, for you'll have mated and gained several children."

Vyn's eyebrows lowered and his lips formed a great snarl.

This bitch wasn't making any kind of sense.

But at least she'd just confirmed she was a member of the Lunathsell cult. If she wasn't, she wouldn't be discussing the cult at all. She'd likely claim she was only a werewolf from some other community, holding no ties to that hateful group.

"Why the ever loving shit would I go back?" Vyn growled. "Disembowelment is not my fetish."

Making something of a silly pout, her lower lip sticking out, Miss Duponta whined, "You don't have to worry about that." Then she smiled and giggled. She even reached over to put a hand on one of Vyn's thighs. He brushed it away, but she continued speaking regardless. "Certainly you can sense our destiny, that we're true loves? Mates? I have a significant status. If you take me, I can protect you."

Vyn's features smoothed out and his jaw fell.

Now he knew for a fact this bitch was delusional.

He almost pitied her.

He shoved her away and rose to his feet. He stepped to the side, then a bit more away. "You're insane. You know damn well women don't get to choose their damn mates. The men just pick them and the women have to put up with that shit."

The courtesan's eyes widened, and she put a hand over her shoulder, where she'd been shoved.

Vyn went on. "What? Is this your way of rebelling? Fighting against the system by trying to force someone you choose to take you?" He shook his head and made a harsh sweeping gesture. "You were so desperate to make your own choice that you went for a stranger, as a lot of those rutting beasts to do women. It's alright to be stupid and abusive as long as the sexes are reversed, right?"

Miss Duponta's lips parted, but Vyn wouldn't give her the chance to speak.

"We're showing you mercy! That undead man is the one that insisted I only kill you as a last resort. Are you going to respect that, or are you going to keep acting like an arrogant little puppy?"

Her chance was right there. She said, "I've failed, and I should leave, but why won't you leave with me?"

"They won't fucking take me back!!" Vyn was spitting a little now. "Not after all the man-ass I've been fucking! And I'm going to keep on fucking!!" He even pointed up at the ceiling, indicating the Duke that was upstairs. "Including that vampire you're trying to turn into an obituary! So go on to your boss, whoever the shit that is, and tell them the ball gargling apostate is here, and he's fucking furious!!"

He shouldn't have said that.

His temper had been too great. Of course he'd end up letting a piece of information like that out.

Oh well...

They'd probably find out eventually. They'd already tried to kill him once. Might as well...

Fuck, they probably already knew. That courtesan had clearly figured out who he was, and she had likely told her superiors about him.

Whatever.

Vyn might've finished enough venting to calm himself down a little. He was breathing heavily. His face was cooling.

But Miss Duponta's face was probably heating, for it was reddening.

Then her eyes watered.

And she bent over and vomited right on the floor.

Vyn got goosebumps.

Quickly, he kicked his shoes away, and he reached down to untie the straps holding his stockings up.

When Miss Duponta's trembling hand rose to wipe at her delicate lips, the fingernails were no longer a finely polished set.

They were long and dark.

***