The Reaper's Wicked Obsession-Chapter 199: The Dirtbag

"My old friend," Thornfoot whined, before an uneasy smirk curled against his lips, displaying his darkened teeth.

"Gods! You stink," Kraven said, crinkling his nose and turning away.

"Forgive me," he pleaded. But then there was a glint in his obsidian eyes. "I’ve tried something new these days. Hygiene."

"It’s either that or hygiene’s running faster than you can reach it." Kraven yanked the dagger embedded in his hand, and a pained growl tore from Thornfoot’s lips.

Kraven seized him by the hair, revulsion curling through his spine at the texture of his uncombed hair for winters. However, his fury was far more extreme, erasing the need to pull away.

Kraven hauled him away from the wall, drawing his form like he weighed nothing, and slammed him against the table, shattering the wood upon impact as splinters flew around.

Thornfoot cried as the pain pierced through his body like a tide. For a split second, he couldn’t breathe, but when the air came back, it felt like his insides would crumble.

"I’m going to tear your skin from your bones. Piece by piece." Kraven mused as the mere idea delighted him. "Tell me, do you have more filth inside? I want to see for myself."

Thornfoot sniveled as Kraven’s bloodstained dagger pressed against his cheek; the feeling of the cold blade sent shivers down his spine.

"Kraven!" Isadora yelled.

"Not now, love." He pressed the blade further, a gut-wrenching scream filling the air.

Isadora watched, paralyzed, as Thornfoot thrashed to get away, and Kraven was eerily calm as he cut open his flesh, blood coating the floor.

"Kraven! We need him to get to Aric!" Logi yelled.

But Kraven’s silence and eagerness to see inside Thornfoot had a more practical purpose.

"Isadora, stop him."

"I-I’m not sure he’ll listen..." she mumbled as goosebumps rose on her skin.

"He will," Logi pressed, knowing she was the only one who could stop him.

But Isadora was too overwhelmed by the situation at hand.

Logi grabbed her arm to snap her back to reality, and her wide amber eyes pinned on him.

"You can stop this, Isadora. Take control."

She gulped, turning back to the horrifying scene. Steeling herself for what was to come, she walked to them. Crouching beside Kraven, and grabbed his arm.

"Kraven..." she voiced, shaky, but did her best to remain calm. The last thing she wanted was for her to fall without doing anything.

He snapped his gaze to her, the silver in them was fleeting, darkened by the overwhelming colour of his dilated pupil, the sclera blackened.

There was still a way to reach him.

"W-We need Thornfoot..." she said softly, praying her words would reach him. Or else they were about to experience firsthand how he skinned people alive.

Kraven narrowed his eyes as if trying to understand what she meant. "No. We don’t." He turned his gaze back to Thornfoot, a smirk plastered on his lips. "This was inevitable, right? Old friend?"

"Please..." She tightened her grip on his arm.

Kraven’s teeth clenched. That word did something to him. She had no idea how much magic that one word had.

"Y-You want to find A-Aric," Thornfoot said, between sobs, trembling under Kraven’s hold, death was upon him, and he didn’t want to greet Daudi soon. "I can help. Please don’t kill me."

"You should’ve thought of that when you made a deal with him!" Kraven seethed to his face, suddenly having the hunger to rip through his skin with his bare teeth.

Thornfoot was a very lucky guy because had it not been for Isadora’s hold, he would have caved to his blood rage.

"No, my friend..." Thornfoot turned away, crying. "I was forced. I didn’t have a choice, he said, if I didn’t sell the mannfae to the pirates, he would kill my mother."

Kraven was not affected by his pathetic cries; it only just pumped him more to put an end to this filth.

"You’ll not greet Daudi today... but you’ll eventually." He released him and rose to his full height.

Isadora released a puff of relief, finally able to breathe properly after a few excruciating seconds.

"Logi... make yourself useful." Kraven walked to the bar in need of a drink. "Fetch me water," he said to a maiden who hid in a corner.

Paralyzed by fear, she rushed to do as she was told.

"Thank you," Thornfoot sobbed against the floor.

Isadora turned her gaze back to him, trying her best not to stare at the hideous scar on his cheek. "There should be a maiden here, Serena."

"Serena?" he said, confused.

"She works here, or do you not keep tabs on your workers?"

"Don’t waste your breath, little one. I know his type." Logi grabbed him by the collar and forced him to sit. "He won’t speak unless he’s motivated. Right?"

"Please..." he begged. "Don’t hurt me."

"I won’t... but I’ve a feeling you don’t fear me or her." Logi pointed. "But I should have you know that you should fear her."

Thorfoot turned his gaze to Isadora, then it hit him, she looked so familiar the whole time, and he could barely recognize her. "It’s you... The mannfae."

’If she’s here, does this mean the pirates never took her?’ He swallowed hard at the thought. ’This is bad. Now I owe a debt to the fucking pirates!’

"The only one capable of keeping you alive is her. When she says the words." Logi snapped his finger. "Kraven will waste no time to skin you alive, and then he will proceed to break your bones, and trust me that will not be enough to sate his hunger, do you know why?"

Thornfoot gulped.

"He’s insatiable. So choose your next words carefully."

Thornfoot nodded. "I’ll cooperate. Just tell me what you want, I’ll do anything!" he said desperately.

"How nice of you," Logi mused. "I think we’ll get along well, that is, if your information is credible."

Thornfoot’s smile faded at his words, a chill flooding through him.

"Now, firstly. Tell me what happened to her dearest friend, Serena?"