Marik Ishtar, notorious rake, sat leisurely in his office chair, running a finger along his lips. Isis Ishtar, his sister, sat in the seat across from his desk, her hands in her lap decorously.
"You have a high opinion on him, don't you, Isis?" Marik assumed, at last. Isis' lashes swept down on her cheeks, giving a sigh.
"Seto has done much for me, Marik. Because Malik is out of town and you are the only other person in my family, I look to you for endorsement of him. He wants someone to approve of him."
"How thoughtful," Marik commented, grinning, his finger never leaving his lips.
"Sir?" A manservant knocked on the door, entering, the Gazette in his hands.
"Ah. Bring it here, Edward," Edward crossed the room and set it in his master's tan hand. Marik nodded to him, giving him his acquiescence to leave. With a bow, Edward left, Isis' gaze watching him. She pursed her lips as her brother opened the paper.
"What's wrong?" She inquired as his brow furrowed.
"Interesting," he murmured to himself. "It seems that the Lady Sofia Mazaki was found dead this morning."
"Was it a natural cause?"
"No," he handed the paper over to her. "They've claimed it to be murder. A pauper found her corpse in a bag." Isis' hand moved to her neck. "Did you know her?"
"Yes, I was acquainted with her and her family," Isis suddenly gasped. "I wonder how her daughter is taking it? She must be devastated!"
"Think about the husband," Marik told her, snorting. "Oh well. One less ton woman to deal with, eh?" Isis shot him a disapproving look.
"Marik, come with me to the Mazaki household." Isis stood up, smoothing her petticoats.
"Mm," Marik drew his black, polished boots up on the corner of his desk. "No thank you, I'm quite comfortable right here."
"Marik, please." Marik scowled at her imploration.
"Fine, dammit," His feet came down hard on the floor as he arose. "But I'm not doing any more errands." Isis gave a sentimental smile.
"Come, then."
-
Anzu heard the doorbell ring. She merely glanced at it, a tear rolling down her cheek. It sounded impatiently, again. She wiped her face, and then smoothed her nightgown out, standing.
"Yes?" Anzu opened the door to see Isis and a male. "Oh, Isis, hello."
"Hello, Anzu," Isis cast a sympathetic look to the young female. Anzu's eyes flickered to the handsome man next to her friend. Isis noticed and cleared her throat. "This is my brother, Marik. I hope you don't mind...?"
"No, of course not," Anzu ushered inside. "Please, come inside." She flashed a sweet smile at them. Marik's eyes met Anzu's as he entered. He smirked a bit, passing her.
"Anzu?" A muffled voice came from the drawing room, before her brother's head poke out. "Who's here? Oh, Isis, hello."
"Hello, Duke," Isis greeted. Duke shot a wary, puzzled glance at Marik.
"Lord Marik, am I right in assuming that is whom you are?" Duke asked, striding next to his sister protectively.
"That's right," Marik replied, fully grinning now. What would I want with your innocent sister, you fool?
"If you're not aware of it," Duke snapped hostilely at Marik, "we – Anzu and I – have lost our mother just this morning."
"Oh, I am. And I sympathisize greatly." Duke's eyes narrowed, knowing full well that was a blunt lie.
"Duke," Anzu laid her hand on his arm, her expression weary and poignant. "Let it be. Now's not the time to be challenging strangers to duels."
"Fine." Duke hissed, whirling and leaving back to the drawing room.
"Excuse my brother," Anzu murmured, offering a weak smile. "He's taken this all rather problematically." Isis nodded in understanding. The younger male, however, entertained Marik. "Is there a specific reason you are here, Isis?"
"I came to see how you were taking it, Anzu. You and your family, I mean," Isis bit her lip, wondering if Anzu would start crying.
"Oh, I see," Anzu's fists tightened. "Isis, please don't tell the Gazette this...But my father is missing. He went out this morning, rather depressed. He didn't want us to see him crying, but..." Anzu's azure eyes darkened. "He's been gone much too long. Duke has been raving about how my father has no consideration of our feelings and..." Anzu sighed. "Everything's gone out of control."
"I see..." Isis' eyes flashed to Marik's cynical expression. "If you need anything, you know you can tell me, Anzu."
"Yes," Anzu smiled a bit. "Thank you, Isis, but I'm sure my father will return soon." Isis nodded in agreement. Marik, however, thought otherwise.
In a different part of London...
He pulled away, blood seeping from his mouth. He grinned, his teeth stained by blood. He gazed at his handiwork, licking the salty, crimson substance off his lips.
"Yes," he whispered. Bending his head, ripping some of the trapezius muscle, he exposed the collarbone. He cackled at the blood that gushed out. Swallowing the human muscle, he eyed Lord Hathaway's torn corpse. He grinned to himself, licking his bloody fingers. "What shall I do next?" His eyes slid to the latissimus dorsi that covered the ribcage. "There were are..."
Riiiip.
-
"You look worried," Isis pointed out. Marik glanced at her.
"It's too ironic that Sofia was murdered and now Hathaway is missing."
"You don't suppose...?"
"Oh, yes," Marik's eyes narrowed. "Someone has targeted the Mazaki family and are killing them, one by one." Isis paled and turned away from him, staring out of the coach's window.
"Duke?" Anzu sighed, seeing that her brother had left. "How can he leave me alone here? She sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand, watching the sun set. "The sky looks like blood..." she whispered.
He grinned at his next victim. "What do you know? I'll have dinner after all."
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Duke stammered, backing away from him. He narrowed his eyes, licking his lips. "Get away from me!"
"Oh, no. You see..." He pinned Duke to the wall. "I intend on having my meal...You."
"Wha - ? Nooo!"
"Marik, I didn't expect you to be hanging around here," Lucifer, a roguish policeman, grinned at him.
"No, I suppose not," Marik lifted a corner of his mouth in a shadow of a smile. "I need to know something about Sofia Mazaki's corpse, Lucifer."
"I can't tell you anything, you know that, Ishtar," Lucifer informed him. Marik tilted his head, a sinister grin on his lips.
"Oh you can't, can you? You owe me."
"All right!" Lucifer sighed. "What is it?"
"I want to see it."
"You want..." Lucifer stared at him, his eyes wide. "It's a gruesome sight."
"I can take it," Lucifer shrugged and led him down a long hall. He unlocked the door, glancing left and right, before ushering Marik in.
"Here it is," Marik gagged, covering his mouth. "I told you."
"What the hell did they do to her?"
"They ate her."
"What?" Lucifer put on a pair of gloves.
"Look here," Lucifer pointed to where the esophagus should have been, his finger trailing to where other various muscles, tendons and bones had been ripped from the body. "Numerous pieces of her body were torn off."
"Shit."
"Yeah, that's what I said," Lucifer removed the gloves and nodded to the door as he recovered the corpse. When they were outside of the building, Marik removed his hand from his mouth.
"What do you think did it?" Marik queried, tilting his head and gazing up at the stars.
"A wolf?" Lucifer suggested.
"They're rare here in London. Too many people and such."
"Hm..." Lucifer sighed. "A human couldn't have done that."
"Wrong again," Marik turned to him, a dangerous look on his face. "If it had been an animal, then the corpse wouldn't have been bagged up."
"True," Lucifer ran a hand through his black hair. "But it's so much simpler thinking an animal did it." Marik smiled bitterly.
"Unfortunately, the evidence stands against you," Marik notified matter-of-factly.
"I know," Lucifer's eyes lowered, "that's what I hate."
"Lucifer!" Another officer came up, sweating and pale.
"What is it?"
"You won't believe this. Oh God...Another civilian found a body."
"Who's is it?"
"It's fucking unbelievable. Two bodies. Know who they are? Hathaway and Duke Mazaki." Marik became alert.
Anzu's the only one left. Oh SHIT!"Lucifer, this is just a hunch, but I think you should go check on the daughter," Marik suggested, not believing any of this.
"Anzu?" Both officers guessed. Marik gave them bizarre looks.
"You, cadet, go get back up to check on Anzu. I'll go to the bodies."
"All right!"
Anzu heard a creak and opened an eye, seeing a silhouetted figure in her room...