Clipped (The Clipped Saga, 1) by Devon McCormack (25 page)

We have no business with him.”

Treycore remained expressionless.

Mika grabbed Kid by the back of his col ar and forced him

to his feet. Keeping his dagger tight against Kid’s neck, he led him to the door.

“No, no!” Kid protested.

Treycore's jaw tensed. “Just get the fuck out of here, Kid.”

“They're gonna kill you!”

“You care for Treycore?” Vera asked.

Kid looked to Treycore. He wasn't sure if he should answer.

“Don't worry. I can tel you do. I apologize if we haven't

been previously introduced. I’m Vera. Kid’s your name, right? I’m assuming it’s not just a descriptor. Mika, you can let him go. He won't try anything. Wil you?”

Kid shook his head.

“Let him go.”

Mika released him. He tucked his dagger into its sheath and

zipped his pants back up.

“You don't know me,” Vera said, “so I can understand why

you don't feel that you can trust me. But I'm a fal en that keeps her word. Treycore can vouch for this. Can't you, Treycore?”

“Kid, don't listen to her.”

“Have I ever gone against my word?”

CLIPPED 238

“Kid...”

“As you can see, even Treycore, who in this moment despises

me, cannot deny that I'm a fal en of my word.”

“Kid...”

“Shut him up,” Vera said.

Craetis’s hand rushed over Treycore’s mouth.

“Treycore,” she continued, “I'm sorry, but this is between

me and Kid.”

Kid's eyes moved uneasily between Treycore and Vera.

“If I told you that you could save Treycore's life, would you

be willing to make a deal?”

Treycore muttered behind Craetis's hand, but it was clear

that he was saying, “
You fucking cunt.
”

“Would you?”

Kid nodded.

“Don't be shy. I need a yes or a no.”

“Yes.” His voice rose uneasily.

“
Don't you fucking do it!
”

Craetis pressed his fingers tighter together.

“What if,” Vera went on, “instead of taking his life, I agreed

to take yours, however I choose.”

“
Don't be stupid, Kid.
”

Kid's pupils drifted to the floor. Could he give up his life for this immortal that he'd known for such a short time? Was he willing to sacrifice himself when he didn't even know how Treycore felt

about him? What if Treycore didn't even love him? What if Treycore

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couldn’t have cared less about him? His mind spiraled through a

labyrinth of doubt and confusion, but despite al the doubt, Kid couldn't stop himself from muttering, “Yes.”

“
No!
”

“Treycore,” Vera said. “I don't see what your issue is. I asked

him, and he agreed. That's how deals are made. And in the end, he's sparing your life, so I would think you would be wise to listen to your own advice and not be stupid.”

CLICK CLICK!

She walked behind the desk and sat in her leather, swivel

chair. She pul ed one of the desk drawers open.

“Take a seat.”

~

Kinzer watched in horror as the tentacle around Dedrus tossed him against the side of the building adjacent to the garage.

Feathers exploded like a grenade as he hit the wal wing-

first.

“Ah!”

Kinzer looked up the one-story-tal creature, fixing his focus

on its eye-slit.

How the fuck am I gonna get up there?

He didn’t know, but he had to hurry before it ripped Dedrus

apart.

A ladder climbed up the side of the neighboring building.

CLIPPED 240

He sprinted to it, and scaled it.

Dedrus crawled to his feet. His wounded wing trembled

before tearing off the bone and col apsing onto the ground. A

tentacle wrapped around his ankle and yanked him across the

asphalt.“Fuck!” he cried as the flesh on his arm peeled off. The asphalt dug into his muscles, leaving a blood-trail behind him.

As Kinzer stepped onto a rung at the monster’s height, he

looked back. Hoddy was several yards away.

I can’t make that.

He hadn’t even considered that, without his wings, he wasn’t

going to be able to get over to the Morarke.

Shit.

He eyed a window ledge a few feet from him.
Grabbing

onto the side of the ladder, he swung over to it and crouched down.

With the hilt of his sword, he smashed a hole in the window and

climbed inside.

~

Dedrus’s arms were restrained in Hoddy’s tentacle as it pul ed him toward its razor-wire mouth. The Marorke shoved his remaining

wing inside.

Blood and black feathers showered across his face.

Dedrus shouted, his cry bouncing across the sides of the

buildings, echoing through the al ey.

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A window by the creature’s head exploded into shards.

Kinzer, his arms over his face, his hands grasping his sword, soared through the air.

~

Kinzer threw his arms back, sticking his sword out so that it would drive into the creature.

Hoddy lowered Dedrus and turned its eye-slit to Kinzer.

The movement was just enough to spoil Kinzer’s plan. His sword

pierced nearly a foot away from its target.

Fuck!

Hoddy shook its head about, dislodging Kinzer and his

sword. Kinzer tumbled to the ground, his back slamming against

the asphalt.

Hoddy pul ed Dedrus back to its razor-mouth and shoved

his arm in.

“Ah!”

It was painful for Kinzer to hear, but he couldn’t do

anything about it. The blow to his back was so intense that it had left him temporarily paralyzed.

From the edge of the tentacle that was wrapped around

Dedrus, several mini-tentacles popped up. At their tips were sharp, blade-like claws. They slashed deep, penetrating wounds into his face.

CLIPPED 242

“Holy fuck!”

Kinzer struggled to his feet.

His sword was a few feet from him. He hobbled over to it

and picked it up, turning to the creature, defeated.

One of Hoddy’s highest tentacles came soaring down.

Now or never
, he thought.

Just before it struck, Kinzer leapt into the air and mounted

it. As it swirled around to the back of Hoddy, Kinzer kicked off. He flew through the air and landed on his knees on the beast’s head.

Kinzer cried out, summoning as much strength as he could.

Raising his sword, he fel forward and drove it into Hoddy’s eye-slit.

Hoddy’s razor-filled mouth unleashed a loud shril . Its

tentacles spiraled around it. It tumbled forward. Its tentacle released Dedrus, and he went soaring through the air.

Knowing he would be crushed if he didn’t get out of

Hoddy’s path, Kinzer kicked off the monster’s head. As he hit the asphalt, he tucked his sword close to his chest, closed his eyes, and rol ed for his life.

CRASH!

The asphalt cracked open as Hoddy slammed into it. It was

like a semi-truck had fal en from the sky.

~

Kid approached a chair before the desk.

Vera sifted through a drawer, pul ed out a stack of papers,

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and set them on the desk.

Maggie's screams and cries continued outside.

“Come on,” she said. “We don't have al day.”

Kid sat.

She slid the papers to Kid. “This is our agreement. It's just

as I said. Agree to it, and our dearest Treycore keeps his life, and you lose yours.”

Kid gulped. He'd made a hasty decision, but something in

him assured him that it was the right one. Treycore probably didn't love him, but that didn't matter. He loved Treycore, and he didn't care if Treycore didn't feel the same way.

Vera placed a black fountain pen on top of the papers. “It's

your choice. Sign the last page, and it wil be done.” She gazed into his eyes, giving him a look that he'd only ever received from

immortals—a look that stared into his soul. “Don't, and I will rip Treycore limb from limb right in front of you.”

His eyes slipped to Treycore, who shook his head violently.

Kid picked up the pen. Flipping to the last page, he closed

his eyes and signed on a dotted line.

Vera retrieved the stack and skimmed through it. As she

came to the last page, she stroked her finger across his signature.

“Oh, mortal,” she said. “It's so sweet seeing how much you care for my love.” She turned to Treycore. “He real y does stink, though, doesn't he?”

“Just let him go,” Kid said, resigned.

Her lips curled into that familiar smirk. She opened the desk

CLIPPED 244

drawer and tucked the papers inside. “In a moment. It says in your contract that I get to see this through as I desire, and it's my desire for him to watch.”

The matter-of-fact, serene look in her eyes switched to

something else—something twisted, like when he'd first seen her.

“Bind them.”

Mika reached into his sack and pul ed out a strand of rope

with barbed-wire twisted around it.

Craetis pul ed Treycore’s hands behind his back while Mika

tied the rope around his wrists, fastening it so tight that the barbs drew blood.

“You always did like it kinky, didn’t ya, Treycore?” Craetis

mocked.Mika approached Kid’s chair, grabbed him by his shirt

col ar, and tossed him to the floor. He pul ed another strand of barbed-rope from his sack, knelt down, and bound Kid's wrists

behind his back.

As the barbs punctured into Kid's flesh, he gritted his teeth.

Vera rose from her chair and stepped around to Kid, who lay

on his side, blood dripping off his wrists, onto the floor. She knelt and grazed her fingernail under his chin.

“Uncertainty might perhaps be the cruelest thing a person

can endure,” she said. “So I want to set your mind at ease.”

She leaned closer to him, till her lips were right next to his

ear, her breath rushing into it. It reminded Kid of his passionate, delicious encounters with Treycore—something he was sure he'd

245 Devon McCormack
never get to experience again.

“I promise,” she whispered, “not to kill you until you regret

the deal you made.”

Pressing her thumb against his chin, she licked up his cheek.

Seeing Vera's more sadistic side left Kid feeling completely

vulnerable. He hadn't realized the extent of the position that he'd put himself in. He'd agreed to let her torture him in the most

perverse ways that she could possibly imagine. And being that she was an immortal from Hel , that was probably far worse than he'd considered.

Treycore struggled with his barbed-rope. Blood splattered

across the back of his shirt.

Vera took a step back. She nodded.

Craetis released Treycore's mouth and wrapped his arm

around his neck. He pressed his lips to Treycore's ear. “I'm gonna enjoy this,” he said.

Deter stepped up to Kid.

Kid glanced up at him, his eyes stoic. Fear ravaged his mind.

Graphic depictions of violence from horror movies tore at his

emotions. How were these immortals going to kil him?

Deter grabbed him by his shirt col ar and threw him against

the wal .Kid’s back slammed against a modern acrylic. As he hit the floor, the frame of the painting rammed into his side, tearing his shirt.

Vera rested her hands on the desk and leaned back.

CLIPPED 246

Deter snatched Kid by his throat and lifted him off the

floor. He slammed Kid's head into the wal . Once. Twice. Three

times. It happened so fast that Kid didn't have time to react, and the blows left him immobilized.

Deter threw him against the wal and pummeled him in the

stomach. Kid moaned just as he had when he was being pounded by

Treycore. Blood streaked from his temple to the corner of his

mouth. He wanted to fal to the ground, but Deter's punches kept him pinned to the wal .

Deter final y stopped, and grabbing Kid’s shirt col ar, ripped

it down the middle. He pul ed it off and slung him onto the desk.

He gripped the back of his jeans and ripped down. The denim

rubbed Kid’s skin raw.

His ass was exposed, awaiting punishment.

Vera opened another drawer and pul ed out a paddle. As she

came around the desk, she eyed Kids ass. She tossed a glance to

Treycore. “Looks like you’ve already done a bit of damage.”

She handed Deter the paddle.

“No!” Treycore cried. “Deter’s too strong! It’s too much for

him!”

Deter chuckled. His eyes were alight with enthusiasm. He

held the paddle high in the air and thrust it down.

Kid tightened his jaw, attempting to wil himself into

silence. But as the paddle slammed into his ass with immortal

strength, he couldn’t help but scream out.

The pain was so severe, so intense. He knew that his body

247 Devon McCormack
wouldn’t be able to handle much of this.