Matthias burst out laughing, loud, sharp, and echoing like thunder through every corner of the room. It went on too long, too loud, until even the air seemed to shiver with it. Greta felt the hairs on her arms stand up. Her throat dried out instantly. Swallowing was out of the question; fear had her chest locked tight.
"Well now… you're full of surprises, Lady von Meier," Matthias finally said, his voice still laced with that cold, lingering amusement. He grinned wide, eyes locked on Greta like a predator sizing up prey that had just volunteered to crawl into its mouth.
"You signed a contract with me. I figured you were after something a little more savage. Something darker. Not just some half-baked nightmare walking around. I could tear them apart right in front of you, slowly, piece by piece. Let them scream, bleed, beg for death, and then keep them alive just long enough to regret every second of it. The kind of suffering you humans can barely wrap your heads around."
