ago, he
still found him frighteningly hideous. His bald pate held a few straggly gray
hairs, making Boris look like an abandoned doll some little girl had ripped the
hair off of. It grew thickest in the back in a matted oily mess. Lev caught the
scent of it, or maybe it was the scent of Boris himself—a mixture of dirt and
rotten flesh, and when he opened his mouth to speak, it wafted out stronger,
making Lev wince and turn away.
“I have been thinking about what happened with that
ghost girl of yours. What was her name? Charlene? Carla?”
“Carly,” Lev whispered.
“Ah, yes, Carly. I have been wondering what the hell
happened. I have never seen such a thing like it in all my years. The two of
you left so quickly after she disappeared, I was unable to share with you what
I saw.” He smiled a rotten-toothed grin. “I had been hoping you would once
again grace me with your presence.”
What he saw? Hope began to germinate in Lev, but he
reined it in.
Boris must have noticed the look of interest on Lev’s
face. In a voice lined in silk, he said, “Come in and I will gladly show you.”
Lev turned to Alexei. “Brother?”
Alexei railed against Boris’s grip, making the large man
laugh. “Don’t think we have a choice, do we? Besides, that’s what we’re here
for anyway.”
Boris let them go then toed the gate wide. It clanged
against the metal post it was fastened to.
Glancing up at the moon, Boris said, “Gentlemen, we must
make haste. Soon it will be time to go to ground. Of course you are welcome to
stay here.” He turned to Alexei, “Especially you, my love.”
Alexei’s hand flew protectively to his neck, and Lev
noticed his brother shudder with Boris’s words.
“Hope he’s had his fill,” Alexei muttered.
They were back in the great room, where Carly
disappeared into a vortex of light just hours ago. Lev walked to the spot and
searched for some evidence, some remnant of the portal. It was hard to believe
it even happened.
“Carly,” he whispered, knowing he’d never receive an
answer. She was gone. Still, he wondered what Alexei had up his sleeve and what
Boris had hinted at outside.
The big-nosed servant entered and stood like a sentry
awaiting orders. Boris waved him off, and he immediately scampered away.
No one sat. Boris, Alexei, and Lev stood in a small
circle. Lev noticed his brother’s lip twitch—a nervous tic.
Boris placed a hand on each of their shoulders and
grinned. “You two look like twins. I still cannot get over the resemblance.” He
smiled at Lev, making his stomach cinch with panic. No wonder his brother
wanted nothing to do with this man. And to think, Boris was the one who’d
turned Alexei. Lev thought of Boris’s pug face pressed against the flesh of his
brother’s neck. It was enough to make him want to retch.
“You said there was something you wanted to show us,”
Lev said, trying to hide his disdain.
Alexei took the opportunity to take a step backward.
Boris let his hand fall to his side; disappointment crossed his features. “Why
do you hate me so, Alexei?”
“You know why.” Alexei sneered and moved even farther.
“Because I keep telling you how exquisite you are? What
man would take offense to that? Especially one…well, one like you.” He smiled,
and that somehow made it worse. “Is it not okay that I pay you a compliment?”
“Actually, no, it’s not okay. I get it. You like me. You
think I’m good-looking. But don’t think for one second I don’t know what else
you want,” Alexei said.
Lev was confused. He wanted to know what was happening
between Boris and his brother, but he also needed to know what Boris had to say
about the portal.
“You do not realize how lucky you are,” Boris said,
reaching a sausage-fingered hand to caress Alexei’s cheek, but Alexei was too
far away and Boris’s hand just hung in the air longingly.
“I know how happy you’d be to look like me. THAT is what
I do know. You don’t just
still found him frighteningly hideous. His bald pate held a few straggly gray
hairs, making Boris look like an abandoned doll some little girl had ripped the
hair off of. It grew thickest in the back in a matted oily mess. Lev caught the
scent of it, or maybe it was the scent of Boris himself—a mixture of dirt and
rotten flesh, and when he opened his mouth to speak, it wafted out stronger,
making Lev wince and turn away.
“I have been thinking about what happened with that
ghost girl of yours. What was her name? Charlene? Carla?”
“Carly,” Lev whispered.
“Ah, yes, Carly. I have been wondering what the hell
happened. I have never seen such a thing like it in all my years. The two of
you left so quickly after she disappeared, I was unable to share with you what
I saw.” He smiled a rotten-toothed grin. “I had been hoping you would once
again grace me with your presence.”
What he saw? Hope began to germinate in Lev, but he
reined it in.
Boris must have noticed the look of interest on Lev’s
face. In a voice lined in silk, he said, “Come in and I will gladly show you.”
Lev turned to Alexei. “Brother?”
Alexei railed against Boris’s grip, making the large man
laugh. “Don’t think we have a choice, do we? Besides, that’s what we’re here
for anyway.”
Boris let them go then toed the gate wide. It clanged
against the metal post it was fastened to.
Glancing up at the moon, Boris said, “Gentlemen, we must
make haste. Soon it will be time to go to ground. Of course you are welcome to
stay here.” He turned to Alexei, “Especially you, my love.”
Alexei’s hand flew protectively to his neck, and Lev
noticed his brother shudder with Boris’s words.
“Hope he’s had his fill,” Alexei muttered.
They were back in the great room, where Carly
disappeared into a vortex of light just hours ago. Lev walked to the spot and
searched for some evidence, some remnant of the portal. It was hard to believe
it even happened.
“Carly,” he whispered, knowing he’d never receive an
answer. She was gone. Still, he wondered what Alexei had up his sleeve and what
Boris had hinted at outside.
The big-nosed servant entered and stood like a sentry
awaiting orders. Boris waved him off, and he immediately scampered away.
No one sat. Boris, Alexei, and Lev stood in a small
circle. Lev noticed his brother’s lip twitch—a nervous tic.
Boris placed a hand on each of their shoulders and
grinned. “You two look like twins. I still cannot get over the resemblance.” He
smiled at Lev, making his stomach cinch with panic. No wonder his brother
wanted nothing to do with this man. And to think, Boris was the one who’d
turned Alexei. Lev thought of Boris’s pug face pressed against the flesh of his
brother’s neck. It was enough to make him want to retch.
“You said there was something you wanted to show us,”
Lev said, trying to hide his disdain.
Alexei took the opportunity to take a step backward.
Boris let his hand fall to his side; disappointment crossed his features. “Why
do you hate me so, Alexei?”
“You know why.” Alexei sneered and moved even farther.
“Because I keep telling you how exquisite you are? What
man would take offense to that? Especially one…well, one like you.” He smiled,
and that somehow made it worse. “Is it not okay that I pay you a compliment?”
“Actually, no, it’s not okay. I get it. You like me. You
think I’m good-looking. But don’t think for one second I don’t know what else
you want,” Alexei said.
Lev was confused. He wanted to know what was happening
between Boris and his brother, but he also needed to know what Boris had to say
about the portal.
“You do not realize how lucky you are,” Boris said,
reaching a sausage-fingered hand to caress Alexei’s cheek, but Alexei was too
far away and Boris’s hand just hung in the air longingly.
“I know how happy you’d be to look like me. THAT is what
I do know. You don’t just
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