The Dire King by Ritter William;

Author:Ritter, William;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Published: 2017-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

By all accounts he should be dead,” Jackaby said, staring at the door. “But I suppose that is true about an increasing number of faces I’ve come across lately.”

“Who is it?” I whispered.

“An old friend,” drawled a muffled voice through the door. “Little pigs, little pigs, let me in.”

My blood froze. Pavel. How was it possible? The last time any of us had seen the vile vampire, he had been leaving the premises very quickly through a closed window—into the sunlight—with a brick in his mouth. My own hands had done the banishing, although I had no memory of my actions. The Dire King had crept into my mind at the time, manipulating me, using me. How could Pavel be back? Why now? Had our night not gone wrong enough already?

“No, sir, don’t—!” I began. Jackaby opened the door.

What awaited us on the other side was not the Dire Council’s cold, confident killer, standing on the doorstep all dressed in black. What awaited us on the other side was barely standing at all. What was left of Pavel was draped in soiled rags. He wore a floppy hat low over his head, but I could see that his face and hands were a mess of angry scars. He had been badly burnt, and he was leaning heavily against the column outside. He looked small and thin and unsteady, and he smelled like a lavatory.

“Not going to just let yourself in?” Jackaby asked. “It went so well for you the last time.”

“I thought I might give you the opportunity,” Pavel managed, his voice slow and labored, “to make up for your poor manners during our previous encounter.”

“You threatened to kill me,” I said.

“I was making small talk.”

“And then you actually tried to kill me.”

“I get tired of small talk. You take things too personally.”

“How did you survive?” Jackaby asked. “I watched Miss Rook drive you out into the direct sunlight. You should be ashes.”

“Sorry to disappoint.”

“The sewer system, I presume?” said Jackaby.

“I’ve had worse accommodations,” Pavel said, closing his eyes. He looked as though the act of standing might prove too much for him soon.

“And you’ve been draining innocent people to regain your strength ever since?” Jackaby posited.

“Ungh. I wish. Pigs,” said Pavel. “They taste almost human, if you close your eyes. And your nose. They were better than rats, at least. I found myself a quiet corner in the tunnels beneath that fat butcher in the Inkling District. I could go for a pint of the good stuff, though, if you’re offering.” He laughed a dry, hacking laugh.

“And now that you’re back on your feet, you’ve come for your revenge, is that it?” said Jackaby.

“YES.” Pavel’s bloodshot eyes flashed up at me from blackened, blistered sockets. “Yes, I have. And you are going to help me get it.”

“Help you?” I said. “Why should we help you avenge yourself on us?”

“On you? Don’t flatter yourself,” Pavel spat. “It was your hand that drove that brick into my jaw, but it was not you.

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