The Devil Child

Chapter Fifty-Five

 "So, where is your little partner?"

Tanner was smiling, but on the inside he felt sick. Sitting at the table with the local news center wasn't that large; he'd done interviews already. But, when he looked at those sitting with him, with the slicked back hair and the tight suits, his throat constricted.

His smile felt too forced. "Polly isn't going to be with us anymore. Believe it or not, she hasn't escaped the nightmare that was once her life. Her parents are sending her back to a torture camp for 'bad behavior'."

The gasps were a wanted answer, but it didn't make him feel any better. He felt sick to his stomach. Sick because he could only imagine how she must have been feeling. Sick because after almost becoming close with her, she was gone again.

His mistakes were his own; that didn't mean he didn't want to make up for his past. For his obsessive behavior. For how he'd hurt her. Looking at his past, Tanner could remember everything he'd done to her. How he had thought it was normal. How he had destroyed her and how he hadn't seen it before.

Tanner wasn't a good person, but he was trying to be better. And now, Polly was out of his grasp. His old possessive tendencies ran deep, and even if his intentions were pure, he wanted nothing more than having her in his sights. Making sure she was okay.

Stalking wasn't a tendency of his, but his entire existence itched to drive to her house just to see her.

"How are you planning on continuing without her? Polly is a large part of your campaign?"

He knew that. They all did. He saw the panic in Lennard's eyes at the thought of completing this without her. "Polly still is a huge part of this campaign. Everyone sees her and immediately emphasizes. Polly reminds them of their own daughter, or their neighbor, or their child's best friend. Seeing her up here, telling her story, these people feel for her. But, just because she's gone doesn't mean that stops. She needs everyone's help more than ever now. If my father wins, Polly will be forced into a camp. She's already outed. And she needs our help to save her, just like all the others in her position."

Sitting at the table, Tanner felt like his old self. He'd always been in front of adults, charming them, talking to them. He'd been good at that, good at finding the perfect words to say in a certain situation. It was why his father had taken such interest in him as a child.

His eyes connected with Gryphon's off stage, and impulse surged in his blood. "Instead, we're bringing on another person into our campaign who suffered just like Polly had. I'd like to introduce Gryphon."

Gryphon was shaking his head. Lennard was shaking his head. But Tanner didn't care; he needed to win, for Polly and for Gryphon, and he needed all the help he could get. And a tiny part of him, the part he ignored, wanted Gryphon beside him on stage.

The tall, dark skinned boy stumbled onto the stage, eyes wide and mouth open. It was unlike Gryphon to look so confused and not in control. Gryphon was the type of boy who was sure of himself and of his actions.

"Tanner," Gryphon hissed as soon as he reached the older boy.

"Welcome, Gryphon! Tell us a little bit about yourself."

Gryphon stared into the cameras and into the crowd of people. A live audience was necessary, but Gryphon didn't think it helped. He wondered how all those newscasters did it every day.

"I'm Gryphon." He was stumbling, his heart racing. This was it; after this, there was no turning back. He would be outed. He would be destroyed if Tanner didn't win. It was selfish of Tanner to bring him out, but Gryphon knew that now was the time. He too wanted to save Polly.