2. The deal

I just stood there gawking at the scene in front of me. “Tell me human, what’s your name?” Dimitri asked in a low tone.

My father struggled as he spoke, “C-Colin I-I-Irving”

Dimitri furrowed his eyebrows, “Don’t tell me you are the son of David Irving.” My father frantically nodded his head, hoping a positive answer might be an escape out of Dimitri’s grip, only it wasn’t. If anything, it seemed Dimitri tightened his grip even further.

“You really are some low-life, aren’t you Colin?”

My father ignored him as he was clawing at the Lord’s hands. His face had now a bright red color, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. I didn’t feel much empathy, watching how my father struggled to live, gasping for air. This was his own fault.

“Answer me! Aren’t you Colin?”

He finally chocked out after a couple of seconds, “Y-Yes, m-my lord. I-I am a l-l-low life.”

This seemed to please Dimitri enough to let my father go, not so gently, however. My father fell down, and hard. The smack of his fall echoed through the room followed by a painful grunt.

Dimitri turned his head, putting all his attention on me. “And who are you?”

On reflex I faltered a step backward, his eyes startling me. I didn’t hesitate to answer, however, seeing as his temper was short and hot. “My name is R-Ravenna Irving, m-my lord.”

He drew closer to me, his beauty becoming more evident. His sharp jaw, flawless skin, perfect hair, his body lean and muscled at the same time. He could easily be a model for a high-end brand like Chanel or Gucci. Although his nose might have been a problem. Its size was a tad too big and crooked at the top of his nose bridge. Still, his looks made me water even while scared.

“Don’t tell me you are related to him.”

I looked at my father who kneeled on the floor still trying to catch his breath. Not a minute of my life went by where I begged for a different father.

“I am.”

A displeased look settled on his face. Why, I did not know. It wasn’t as if I could chose my family.

“How are you related to him?”

“I am his daughter.”

“Why is she brought before me?” Dimitri had turned away from me and looked between Darius and the two goons.

“Darius told us to!” One of the goons immediately said with a shaking pointing finger.

Dimitri sighed. “My dear friend, what have I told you about executing plans without my knowing?”

“I only wanted to relief some of the weight on your shoulders,” Darius explained calmly.

“Well this is just a waste,” Dimitri muttered. He settled his eyes on my father and I again. He walked up to me until our chests were only inches apart. He looked down at me and looked with pity. He grabbed my chin and spoke, “How sad that you were brought too. If you had remained put wherever you were you could have lived your mediocre life, but now you know and have seen too much… Kill them both.” Dimitri let go of my chin and returned to his throne.

Shock coursed through my body and panic through my veins. No way that I was going to be killed only because my father made a deal with the wrong people. I was not going to let this happen!

“Wait!” I screamed desperately. “Can’t we figure this out somehow? I am not the one with a large debt. Can’t you make a deal with my father that he has to pay you back everything he owes you within a certain amount of time?”

Dimitri let out a laugh. “Sweetheart, we have tried this before, but if you didn’t know already your father isn’t a honorable man.”

Oh, I knew my father was the lowest of the lowest of people, but again, I am not going to suffer again because of his mistakes.

My words got stuck in my throat when I saw Darius whisper something into Dimitri’s ear. The lord looked thoughtful. “Maybe that could work,” He muttered.

“Ravenna, be a doll and take a couple of steps forward,” Dimitri ordered.

I clenched my fist at his belittling tone, but pushed my irritation away. I couldn’t forget I was fighting for my life.

Carefully I took a couple of steps forward. “A bit more.” Again, I walked a few feet toward the throne.

In a split second Dimitri stood before me, like he did when he grabbed my father. This time, however, he circled me, eyeing me up and down while doing so. As if I was some livestock ready to be sold.

During his silence I wondered how he was able to move so quickly. Was he even human? Did he have some kind of condition? It only made me more aware of him, that Dimitri was a dangerous person. I mean, ordering people to kill was already a clue to his dangerous nature. But this feature made him only more powerful in my eyes.

“Alright, you want to make a deal? I can make a deal with you. I will give your father a full year to pay of his debt to me… Meanwhile you are to stay here as my pet, my toy to play with when I am bored. I have a busy life and I would like someone to entertain me and release me from tiresome stress. There will conditions of course to this deal, you so desperately wanted may I add. If your father screws up in any way he is killed and you are to stay here indefinitely and if you screw up your father gets killed and you are to stay here indefinitely as well. Both ways you have the same outcome, it just depends on who can’t hold up their part of the deal. So do we have a deal Ravenna Irving?” Dimitri held his hand out.

Again I wondered, how did I get here?