Chapter 141: Jasper Medici
The moon shone brightly high in the clear night sky, its cold light descending unopposed, for no cloud dared to stand in its way and hide it. The silvery glow bathed the surface of the world like a frozen blanket.
Under that light, the River of Blood stretched out with a crimson glow. Its waters, red as molten iron, rippled gently as the great ship moved forward. Each wave crashing against its hull echoed like a pulse. The imposing vessel had three masts standing tall like spears and unfurled sails that billowed in the night wind.
Inside, the hustle and bustle was muted. A small bar was tucked away in the lower part of the ship. It was neither luxurious nor ostentatious, but neither was it vulgar or neglected.
The discretion was calculated, as if seeking a balance between austerity and decorum. Behind the bar, the wines and other beverages were arranged with impeccable order, their bottles and jars glistening under the dim lighting, reflecting red and gold sparkles.
A soft melody played by various instruments could be heard in the room. The rhythm was calm and pleasant, filling the atmosphere with a relaxed air. The music mingled with hushed conversations and sporadic laughter, creating a much more peaceful and informal atmosphere.
In the distance, at tables set apart from the bar, several couples and groups of sailors could be seen. Some drank enthusiastically, clinking their mugs as they told exaggerated stories; others simply enjoyed the company, sharing quiet words as time slipped by with the same calmness as the river outside.
At the bar, in contrast, a peculiar silence reigned. There sat a man and a woman, side by side, without the need for words.
The man had hair as black as night, but it wasn’t a dull black: it shone with a subtle glow, like a night sky dotted with stars. His features, although not entirely ordinary, possessed a harmony that was difficult to ignore; his face revealed impeccable lines, discreet but elegant. His eyes were as dark as the night itself.
The woman beside him shared his jet-black hair, but hers fell like a river of silk, further highlighting the intensity of her gaze. Her eyes were red as blood. Her presence radiated a magnetism that was impossible to ignore.
It was Kael Medici and Audrey Augustus, both of them silent, not saying a single word.
The bartender, with a bead of sweat running down his forehead, looked at the individuals in front of him. He didn’t know how to feel; something inside him told him he should be afraid, even though he didn’t understand why. Just sitting there, motionless, without making a move, without uttering a word, he already felt unbearable pressure on his shoulders, as if each breath cost him more than the last.
Sighing inwardly, he approached them and said with a forced smile:
"Would you like something to drink?" Although he tried to sound professional, his nerves got the better of him, and his voice sounded somewhat low.
"Red wine for me," Audrey replied in a calm voice, her thin lips mesmerizing him.
Kael also ordered. "Old-fashioned."
The bartender nodded, walking away to prepare the two drinks, leaving Kael and Audrey alone again.
"Despite your expression, you have unique taste." Audrey’s voice carried a subtle irony, and a smile barely curved her lips as she heard Kael’s order.
Kael, unperturbed.
"What did you expect me to order? A strong vodka?" he replied, with the same amused smile.
Audrey let out a brief, light laugh. "I won’t deny it... I guess I imagined you more as the type who burns his throat."
Kael moved slowly, as if meditating on each gesture. "Burning the throat is overrated. I prefer something that burns the destiny."
For a moment, silence returned between them, but it was not an uncomfortable silence: it was as if both accepted that even the joke was a duel disguised as humor.
After five minutes, the bartender approached with the two drinks, the red wine and the Old Fashioned, placed them down respectfully, and withdrew to attend to another customer.
Kael took a sip of the Old Fashioned. The heavy, thick-rimmed glass rested naturally between his fingers. The amber liquor caught the dim light of the place.
The flavor slid across his tongue with a mixture of bitterness and smoky sweetness; the ice crackled against the glass, and in that slow, deliberate gesture, he placed the glass on the bar.
"What do you want to talk to me about... princess?" Kael spoke without taking his eyes off the glass.
Audrey held her glass between her fingers and, instead of responding immediately, stared at the liquid swirling slowly inside it. The silence was prolonged; only after exactly eight seconds did she open her mouth.
"How did you discover my identity? Or are you perhaps an emissary from my pathetic father?" Her voice was soft, like a lotus floating on calm waters, but it lacked all emotion. Her red eyes, as cold as bloody glass, fixed on Kael’s face with a calmness that concealed deeper intentions.
"You’re wrong... I’m no dog of this kingdom." Kael took another sip of his drink as moonlight streamed through the ship’s window and bathed his silhouette in a pale glow.
Audrey’s forehead wrinkled slightly, a subtle, almost imperceptible movement. It wasn’t a simple annoyance: it was a calculation. She couldn’t stand losing control, especially in front of a stranger who seemed to slip through her defenses so naturally. That young man was too mysterious, as if every word he uttered concealed three more in silence.
As she watched him, Audrey evaluated his every gesture, every inflection in his voice. She felt exposed, naked on a chessboard where she could not yet make out all the pieces. And that feeling, rather than making her uncomfortable, awakened in her the need to take control of the conversation at any cost.
"What do you want from me?" she asked calmly and directly.
"Nothing." Kael’s answer was direct, with no hesitation in his voice.
"If you didn’t want anything from me, you wouldn’t have bowed when you saw me." Audrey raised the glass to her mouth and took a small sip.
Hmm... as expected of the Blood Queen.
Kael smiled softly, but that smile conveyed no emotion; it was more of a deliberate gesture. He said:
"As I said, I want nothing from you."
The truth was different. Kael did want something from her, but revealing it now would be foolish. Showing too much interest would make him look desperate, and that didn’t fit into his plans. He preferred to hide his true intentions in the shadows, where no one could reach them.
In this exchange, he had the advantage. He had information about Audrey, while she knew nothing about him. That asymmetry was too valuable a weapon to waste.
Not taking advantage of an opportunity would have been simply stupid. And Kael had never been stupid... well, only once, and that was when his carelessness caused him to lose his mother. He would squeeze this position dry until there was not a drop of usefulness left.
Audrey remained silent. She watched the young man in front of her closely, trying to glean some clue, some revealing gesture. She got nothing. His posture, his gaze, even the tone of his voice... everything was impeccably controlled. A mask that was too perfect. A perfection that bordered on the inhuman.
She gently bit her lip. Continuing to try to coax words out of him was a waste of time. She knew better than anyone: when there is no benefit, insisting is equivalent to losing. Sometimes, retreating was the wisest decision.
"..." She closed her eyes for just a moment, distancing herself with her mind.
However, no matter how much she told herself that, she couldn’t shake an unsettling feeling. That young man... that Kael. He didn’t seem like a mere stranger who had appeared by chance. There was something about him, a depth that refused to reveal itself.
And in the deepest recesses of her mind, Audrey, accustomed to deciphering and dominating everyone, found herself intrigued.
"Can you at least tell me your name?" she asked, even though she knew deep down that she would get nothing more than an empty response.
"Jasper Medici."
Kael uttered the name calmly, but his gaze remained inscrutable. The name of his dead brother, who, at this very moment, must be writhing in the fires of hell.
Audrey didn’t reply. She remained silent, simply raising the glass to her lips and drinking slowly. Kael did the same. They both continued drinking in silence, without exchanging a word, as if that initial conversation had never taken place. There was no trust or closeness between them, only a space filled with shadows and bitter wine.
The moon, indifferent, hung high in the sky. Its silvery rays fell on the deck of the ship, bathing the waters of the river of blood in a pale glow. The ship moved forward steadily, making its way through the riverbed, as if sailing through the veins of a dead god.
The silence between them became heavy, interrupted only by the murmur of the river and the rhythmic crashing of the waves against the wood. Time seemed to stand still, stretching out like a suffocating eternity.
Finally, the first rays of sunlight broke through the horizon. The golden light tore through the blackness of the night, and the moon, defeated, slowly hid itself away. The sun rose majestically, erasing the darkness, dispelling the shadows, forcing the sky to surrender to its brilliance.