37. Parden?

N ot that he didn’t appreciate his enemy cooperating with him…by agreeing to meet…but this was a bit too easy.

Octavius eyed the restaurant. The outside was very reminiscent of an old-time theater, large lined boards and all, where shows were listed with times.

Here’s hoping there were no more fires… But then again, he could hear a heartbeat inside, and could smell Aurelius. He still smelled human, so that’s nice. Well, not nice, as he’d much rather have the bastard’s scent tell him what he was.

Shaking his head, Octavius opened the door and walked into what was probably another trap. Well, it if was, at least the others would be here soon enough.

Walking past the hostess station, he entered the dining room and found Aurelius standing there on the lit stage, with his back towards him. The man was in the same tux he wore the first time he’d seen him in the same location.

The man tsked. “Life is strange. Sometimes it feels like it’s just a bunch of people taking right turns until they eventually collide into each other. Rinse and repeat.”

Was…that…supposed to mean something to him, or…?

“You know now, don’t you?” Aurelius asked softly.

Octavius would like to know, but he did not.

The owner dramatically spun around, pointing towards him as he yelled, “You know who I am now, don’t you?!”

The man’s eyes were full of hatred as they peered down at him. Anger, unlike other emotions, was very easy for Octavius to notice…sometimes…

Not one to be outdone—and because he had no clue who or what he was, but he figured the man would tell him if he played along—Octavius tossed his head back, and acted like he was waxing poetry. “Of course, I do!”

But his outburst was outshined. Right as the last word left his mouth, came the sound of the front doors of the restaurant slamming open as the others rushed in. His stance faltered a bit, with a touch of irritation. They…couldn’t have waited a few moments more?

Aurelius eyed the others with irritation of his own when they entered. “Well, you all might as well be here, since I don’t intend to let any of you leave this park alive.”

Scarlett scoffed. “Considering all the events so far, I can’t say I find myself concerned.”

“Y-you—you!” the man practically spat.

“Scarlett…not helping,” Turney groaned, before suddenly stiffening up, his eyes going wide. “We came without a plan.”

Octavius giggled. “You’re just now realizing that?”

“Oh, my God… WHY did we come here without a plan?!”

“That…is a good question…” Theo sighed, the werewolf sagging a bit as he said it, his bright, solid golden eyes were hidden by the sunglasses he wore.

“SHUT UP, SHUT UP!” Aurelius roared. “Plan or no plan, it doesn’t matter. You all will perish!”

“A bit dramatic, isn’t he?” Min-ji mused.

The man growled. “You always did surround yourself with insolent women! But that’s how this all started! Insolent women, and your twisted mouth!”

“Is it?” Octavius said slowly, hoping that Aurelius intended to go on.

“Yes! All of this wouldn’t be happening now if it wasn’t for you and your WOMEN!”

He had…women…? He was pretty sure that wasn’t accurate. Octavius did not…like women in that way…

He barely kept the frown off his face as he goaded the man. “Say it, say what I did.” He forced a smirk. “I doubt that you’d dare.”

“You are just as you always were. I used to idolize you! For years, I tried to get into your good graces. But time after time, you ignored my status as a Marquess! Excluded me from your circles! You'd pretend, just because you were a Duke, and barely one at that, that you were better!”

Well…Duke…did give him a vague timeline… He hadn’t been one in years. Well, no, he technically still was one. Octavius had inherited the title from…himself. But…the usefulness of the title had decreased… It had been years since he’d mentioned it. Which begged the question… How did this man not know he wasn’t human?

“To put it simply…I was better.” He smiled, not really meaning it, as titles were, in his opinion, useless now, and they had never really gone to those who were better or worse than anyone else.

Wait, no, that wasn’t necessarily true. Plenty of titles went to people who were way worse than the common man, which would probably describe Aurelius…or whoever he was.

“YOU WERE NOT BETTER!”

“But I was, and still am.”

“Octavius!” Turney hissed.

Scarlett and Min-ji giggled. Theo just snorted, though it sounded like he’d been covering up a laugh.

Aurelius growled. “This! THIS is how you always were—ARROGANT!”

If this was really over some parties that he hadn’t invited the man to more than a couple centuries ago…Octavius was going to throw a fit. One that would end with this bastard dead… Though that was his plan, even if he didn’t let loose.

“What do I not have to be arrogant about? I have friends, I have a boyfriend, I’m rich.”

“Boyfriend, hah!” the man oddly scoffed. “We all know that’s a cover! You proved that with Lilliana!”

Lilliana… “What does Lilliana have to do with me having a boyfriend?”

“YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT YOU DID!” Aurelius took a deep breath and let it out, before continuing more calmly. “But since you are too much of a coward to admit it, I’ll let your so-called boyfriend know that all you have given him is lies. Back then…even after all the slights, after all the times you ignored me, I was still willing to forgive and forget when I found out you were a dear friend of my beloved. How foolish I was to not realize the ‘dear friend’ part was a sham, and that you two were, in fact, LOVERS!”

Octavius’ face twisted of its own accord. “Me…lovers…with Lilliana?”

Scarlett burst out into a fit of giggles, which she cut off by covering her mouth. The woman’s eyes were shiny, and she looked to be holding back tears as she struggled to contain the laughter.

Aurelius glanced towards her sharply, but dismissed her to go back to glaring at him. “On the day of my wedding, to my Lilliana, YOU convinced her to walk away from the love of her life! And for what?! You didn’t even have the heart to marry her! NO, you made her your whore, and passed her around until you fostered her off to someone else! And now, you pretend to love men, to hide what you really are!”

The man oddly looked towards his zombie bun. “Turney, you have never harmed me. In fact, you are just as much of a victim as I am. If you want, you can leave now. I am willing to speak with you once it’s all over.”

“Uh…” Turney trailed off, clearly baffled, but likely not as much as Octavius currently was. As he was very, very confused.

“I beg your pardon, but are you saying that I slept with a woman ?” Octavius pointed towards his own chest. “ Me ? I did?”

“Still playing innocent?! EVEN NOW, OCTAVIUS?!”

Well…that’s because he was . Octavius remembered the incident… Lilliana had been set to be married…and he hadn’t agreed with it. He had convinced her to cancel the engagement… But being very much a homosexual, there certainly was no ‘whoring’ involved… He studied the man’s features…frowning.

Oddly, as much as he did remember all of that happening…

Turney rubbed his face, doing his best to ignore the furtive glances the not so human man was giving him. While he wasn’t sure what fueled Aurelius’ beliefs about his relationship with Octavius, or even what the man was trying to offer him…he also did not care. Cause, well, Aurelius was a wacko.

He glanced at Octavius, just wanting to gauge if the vampire was recalling any of this, and…

Holy shit, Octavius had no clue who this asshole was… It was so obvious, Turney could read it clearly in his eyes. There was not even a single shred of recognition.

Oh, that witch in the barrel came so close to death , Turney thought with a groan.

Now that her laughter had subsided, Scarlett stared closely at the man, her mouth turning down more the longer she did. She remembered the incident, yet… Why the hell was this man’s face not bringing up any memories? It should…really it should, considering…

“AND YOU!” Aurelius accused, as he pointed towards her. “You should have been my other target. What you did… When you ruined my plans. You denied me my rightful revenge and retribution?—!”