Children of the Fallen: Bloodlines (BOOK #3)

Chapter 31: Unexpected Weakness

Grayson Spencer

My consciousness returns and I open my eyes to the sight of a dark dingy cell, the singular light not doing much to illuminate the room. This is a different cell than the one I was in yesterday. Where are we? Lucien has been in rare form taking his substantial anger out on me, not even speaking just hitting. My head pounds as I look up at the thick chains cutting into my wrists hanging me from the ceiling. The dried blood on my face cracks with every movement.

My lips twitch into a frail smile knowing that I wouldn't be getting this much attention from Lucien if he had caught up to Morgan. She's safe. At least for now.

"Good you're awake." Lucien's voice makes my small smile drop. I look over my shoulder towards his voice, a dull pain shoots through my wrists into my hands as I move, rattling the chains. Lucien sits all too calmly in a chair in the corner of the cell. He stands up from his chair and I note the small black bag he's holding. 

"He speaks." I mutter. He chuckles lowly as he walks around in front of me. "Where am I?"

"My other bastards palace. I wanted a change of scenery and I have a few meetings to attend." He states looking me over almost sad that I'm not more injured than I am. "Morgan's nowhere to be found. Not here, I sent my nobles to her territory and yours and no one knows where she is. Not even her own nobles know where she is." If he did anything to any of her nobles... No Morgan would be here already and ripping apart everyone in this city.

"You won't find her."

"I know. That ex of hers, Kellan is working with all of you. Very resourceful that one, he's probably helping you all hide like last time. Am I right?" I don't respond but he nods to himself. Asking these questions he already knows the answers to. "Morgan did well, I'm sure you're proud. She managed to get my dagger, you all succeeded" He says while his right eye twitches ever so slightly. "But I'm going to need that back."

"I hate to break it to you but I don't have it on me."

He clasps his hand over his wrist. "No, but you are going to help."

"Disrespectfully- no."

"It's entirely involuntary."

I exhale, "Perfect."

"You're useless in regards to knowledge."

"I'll have you know I got an associates degree in communications in 2009." I say, forcing a smile on my face. Lucien just stares back at me with entirely hollow eyes. He blinks once then strikes me with a swift punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me.

"You have no knowledge on the whereabouts of Morgan, Victoria, or any of them." He continues as I gather my breath. "I saw you give Kendricks dagger to Kellan-,"

"You fucked around in my head," I recall now in the midst of the beatings yesterday he was forcing his way into my mind. "That explains the headache."

"I did and I'm glad I did." He begins pacing around the room. "See, I had considered going through yours, Victorias, and Morgan's territory and killing every last vampire there. Simply just to rid this earth of anyone associated with all of you traitorous bastards." He says as he slowly paces. "But Morgan a little bit ago prevented me from killing yours and Victoria's people- now I know that to be protecting the both of you but she had a point. They can all be worthless cannon fodder against Kendrick, especially Victoria's and yours. Morgans however, I did want to get rid of myself-,"

"Can you just resume beating me that was more tolerable than you monologuing." I interject and that earned me another hard punch- this time to my jaw.

"I had thought that killing all of Morgan's people would draw her out," he continues and I roll my eyes. "But I'm not too sure of that now that I was in your mind." He stops pacing now standing right in front of me fixing his soulless eyes right on me. "I have a better way of getting to her. You, Grayson Spencer," he starts like my name was poison on his tongue, "are an unexpected weakness of hers."