Killing (And Other Games)

(Twenty Nine)

(Twenty Nine)

"You're really slumming it here, aren't you?" I can't tell if he's joking or not but Gray does stop in front of the backdoor to take a look at the house. I know that Zane probably doesn't want Gray knowing where he lives but I think he might make an exception for the circumstances. What are we going to do, go back to Gray's house?

"You want something to eat?" I ask lamely as we go inside. Gray takes off his jacket and flings it on the kitchen island, walking around the room observing it. He wears just a white t-shirt and black jeans-in this setting he is easily a normal human friend and we're just hanging out here. It's almost comforting.

"Inspirational," Gray quips, pointing to one of the violent paintings in the hallway. I shrug and grab a can of coke, drinking half of it just standing there. I shouldn't drink Coke this late at night--what time is it anyway?--but my whole body is shaking I've got such low blood sugar. Behind my right eye is a throbbing pain and when I look in the glass I can see that it's a distinct red colour. Great, I'm getting a migraine.

"So they all live here too?" Gray asks as he walks back over to me. After getting all the strange, no doubt paranormal, wax off of him his skin looks flawless. I should get some of that.

"Yeah, it's my house though. My mum's." I guess I'm past the point of caring what Gray does or doesn't know. "I'm going to go see them tomorrow."

"How? Aren't they locked in their dungeons?"

"I've got a key," I answer, going into the cupboard. As usual there's nothing to eat so I just grab another can of coke and we go over to the couches.

"That'll end well," Gray mutters, sitting down like he owns the place. Even after living here for a while I perch on the couch like it's a priceless antique. I'm not great at the whole 'make yourself at home' thing.

"So I've been thinking," I announce between compulsive sips of soda, "that what we need to do is some CSI style investigating."

"CSI? Is that something dirty?"

"No. I mean, we need get some DNA, some hair strands, we need to check out the crime scene--or whatever is left of it."

"Oh," Gray sighs, sitting back and giving me a sympathetic look. "We don't do things like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say, even in the least corrupt court in the Underworld, science wouldn't convince anyone of anything."

I stare blankly, knitting my eyebrows together. My breathing is becoming more laborious as the night goes on. "So if we got fingerprints of the creature who actually did this...?"

"No one would care. Or believe you. They'd probably laugh at you. Anyway, this isn't about who actually killed Lawson and Sloane--we already know that. It's about who ordered it."

I put my head in my hands, massaging my temples. This is so fucked up. Everything about this is fucked up. I have to remind myself constantly that this is happening in Australia, not some remote third world country.

"Okay, next strategy; we somehow find out who did it and somehow get them to confess to the Light minister."

Gray shrugs, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "How do we find who wanted them dead?"

"I don't know Gray because apparently we're living in the fucking dark ages." I stand up, storming back over to the fridge. I pull out another can of soft drink and crack it open, drinking it rapidly. There are tears in my eyes that just won't go away.