Children of the Fallen: Bloodlines (BOOK #3)

Chapter 6: No Outlets

Morgan Sinclair

I stand at the entrance of the study where Chris, Lindsey, Will, and Laura's bodies laid a handful of hours ago. "Morgan-," Victorias own voice cuts off stopping whatever she was about to say. I look over my shoulder at her inexpressive face but see the empathy in her eyes. She's probably being hounded by images of her own family lying there lifeless in front of her. Lucien must've thought it'd be cute to give us even more matching trauma.

"Like nothing ever happened." I turn back looking around the room. Everything is perfect, nothing out of place nor is there any trace of blood, visibly or otherwise. Despite the cleanliness, I can still see them laying on the floor vividly. "What happened to their bodies?" I ask hearing that distance in my own voice as my mouth goes dry.

"Lucien had people take them."

I nod absentmindedly. "I guess I'll find out the cover story later then." I take one more glance around the room before turning around completely to Victoria. "What were you coming to say to me?"

She surveys me with a worried look that only pisses me off. "It can wait-,"

"Don't walk on eggshells around me Victoria, say it." I snap.

She sucks her teeth. "Whitlock." She states. "Can you try with her? If she doesn't trust you, if we all don't trust each other then this will never work."

"I don't have to try anything. She needs to get the fuck over herself." I say with my voice raised louder than I'd like it to be. The last thing I want is to garner more pitiful and concerned stares. I'm fine, I was slightly shaken and maybe I'm a little on edge but I'm fine. Everyone needs to stop looking at me like I'm a broken doll. I prefer the angered looks, the ones possibly laced with revulsion.

"I will talk to her about putting some of her issues with you aside but can you try to be less of a bitch to her?" She pleads. "Please. She's going through a lot right now."

"Am I supposed to care?"

She winces slightly. "Please. She's... just please" She says with a thinly veiled distraught look in her eyes.

"Short of becoming a whole different person she's not going to trust or like me." I glare at her and she glares right back. Thankfully.

"Just fucking do it." She scolds and it almost brings a smile to my face. That's probably about as much anger Victoria can muster towards me right now, starting an argument would be pointless and not as satisfying if she's not giving me her all.

"Fine." Her face relaxes. "When she comes back to get her shit I'll talk to her." I say and her face non verbally says 'please, don't be a bitch.' "I promise I'll be... nice." I will be or at least I'll try.

Victoria exhales in relief, then her eyes flick around the room as silence fills it. "Do you want to talk about what happened?" She asks, her voice wavering throughout. She was never good when it comes to emotions- courtesy of Lucien he enjoys emotionally stunting his children.

"Not particularly." I say walking out of the room, past her.

I go back into the room I was staying in to call Lucien and inform him of what Aurelia said. He thanked me and when I said I could send some people to look into it he declined and said I need to focus on getting my people ready for whatever Kendrick is surely planning on doing. He said he's still coming on Sunday and that he'd send his people to look into what Aurelia said about those Celestial Witches, which means it won't get done for a while. The impending possible eradication of our species by Celestials will never be as important as spiting Kendrick.

He was interested to know why Victoria followed me to Alaska. I told him she saw the bodies and got all emotional and panicky, she wanted to "check on me." He scoffed and went on for like 5 minutes about how weak she is. He didn't shy away from making a few comments about cutting out my "budding weakness" he called it.