Children of the Fallen: In Cold Blood (BOOK #2)

Chapter 13: Sobbing Mess in a Chair

Victoria Brooks-Finley

The hunters weapons were lined up against the cell wall, courtesy of my guards removing them and setting them up free for our use. Lucien also brought a knife he picked up during the fight. Everyone has picked up a weapon, mainly knives with Arthur as the outlier with a tomahawk in his hands, really studying the small blunt side of it. We all may be silent right now but the anger radiating off of everyone especially Lucien makes the air in the room feel heavy. "How did you get through the barrier?" Arthur comes out with the first question.

Lucien stares him down, I know that look- he's trying to get in his head. Probably won't work, whatever spell the celestials perform with the hunters, blocks their minds from us. I think that's why he brought Morgan and I in so after he's broken down physically, maybe with our combined onslaught one of us will get through should he not verbally cooperate.

The hunter squeezes his lips together ignoring him. I shake my head already seeing this going very badly for him. I wouldn't mind beating the shit out of him for now turning this week into a complete shit show that I'm sure I'll receive punishment for later. Lucien takes the tip of the knife and puts it to the hunters temple, dragging it downward drawing blood. The hunter grits his teeth stifling a groan. "How... did you get through the barrier?" Lucien asks, with a chilling calm that I know all too well. I hate the way Morgan and I stiffened slightly at the sound of it.

"Fuck you." The hunter says with his chest. Lucien turns to Morgan with a tilt of his head. Then Morgan and I glance at each other for a moment. In sync we both step forward on either side of the hunter, driving our knives into each of his hands. He screams out quickly reigning it in to a pained grunting, desperately trying to cover up the pain he's in. He's not doing that well.

"Once more, how did you get through the barrier? Did someone let you in?" Lucien asks again while we step back and Morgan fixes her piercingly cold eyes down on the hunter.

The hunter shakes in his seat with tears rolling down his cheeks. Arthur simply wraps his hand around the handle of one of the knives, "Wait! Wait!" He yells before Arthur could twist. "We have talismans." He admits and now everyone's at attention.

"What talismans?" Fleur asks stepping towards him. He lowers her head avoiding eye contact with her. She takes the tip of her knife under his chin lifting his head to look at her. "What. Talismans?"

His lip quivers for a moment too long and Lucien grabs the handle of the knife lodged in his left hand and twists. The hunter shrieks and his silent cries turn into full on sobs, "My necklace, they're the necklaces." He cries. I find Morgan nearly expressionless but that slight tilt of her lips and something in her eyes expresses her disgust and disappointment with how easily this guy is breaking.

Fleur leans over the table reaching for the thick black string around his neck and pulls it out from beneath his shirt revealing the dull silver plain circle pendant with a symbol carved into the center of it. She yanks it off of him. "This allows you to get through the barrier?" She clarifies and the hunter nods frantically.

"Yes, yes. I told you now please. Please let me go." Arthur starts cackling, Fleur giggles, and even Lucien cracks a smile.

Lucien walks around the table taking Fleur's place and stands with his hands clasped in front of his body. "You're not getting out of here alive." He begins. "It's up to you whether you have a quick death or a long drawn out one. Believe me when I tell you that I'd like nothing more than to watch you suffer for a long, long time but it's not up to me. It's up to you."

When Lucien steps away I can see how scared the hunter is and with good reason. I've seen him drag out someone's death for decades, he's not bluffing. "Who made these?" Lucien asks.