Reckless Abandon - The Secrets of Avelina Chronicles 2

24: Damian

Damian felt terrible not being able to participate in the war on the Island and he knew that pretty soon a war with the humans could begin. To cheer himself and his best friend up, he took Trey down to the dungeons with him. Reinhart had been sitting down there for a few hours, cooling off after his fight with Knox. It had been a busy night, but the two teenagers had easily been taken care of. They were so scared of meeting and being punished by the real Master of the united clans, that they were willing to do anything, even join the war on the Island. So that was where they were, either living or dying for their people in the most suitable punishment Damian could think of. It they died, it was over. If they lived then they could be properly reinstated into the clan, having paid their penance in war.

Reinhart wasn't getting off so easily. The poor young girl who had been so badly used by him, was so mentally disturbed that she couldn't speak to give her name. She was currently in Kaitlin's care, sleeping off her terrible ordeal. But no matter how hard Damian tried to probe into her mind, she was too terrified for anything to make sense to him. Besides her fear, she felt no other emotion. She was numb to the core and Kaitlin had decided to adopt the child into their home. She would remain a human within their house until such time as she was fully recovered and could be returned to her family or the outside world. Or, if she chose to, until the day she requested as ascension into their vampire life.

Because of the torture she had suffered, Damian hated Reinhart even more than he had reason to. He had to know which elder was trying to take his job, to have been following the orders of creating havoc everywhere that he had a clan house and had set up a peace treaty with the humans. And he wasn't getting out of the dungeons until he revealed a name.

Damian took Trey with him, knowing that he needed to express his anger at the situation Edward was caught up in. If he didn't do it soon, he would attempt to sneak off to the Island somehow. He would probably convince Kaitlin's father Malcolm that it was the only thing a father could do or he could start the war with the humans. And neither of those things were helpful to the current situation, so Damian wanted to keep him busy.

"Hello Reinhart...it's been a long time. About a hundred years since you were last a part of the clan?" He wondered. They descended into the dungeon to find Reinhart chained against the wall, held back so that he could barely move. It was the initial part of his punishment and no-one had been down to feed him or check on him since his capture. As far as Damian was concerned, he could stay there until he starved because he certainly wasn't being helpful.

"Wrong. It's been a hundred and fifty years. Not like I ever needed a clan any way." Reinhart grumbled to himself.

"I'm sure. So how on earth did you end up getting involved in all this? Was it your idea, to target the humans and cause a mess or were you paid to do it to keep me busy?" He asked, taking a stool just a few feet away. He and Trey waited to be told who was trying to push him out of power and plant themselves as the leader of the united clans.

"Both." Reinhart grinned. Damian smiled back, happy to get some answers.

"I'm glad to hear it. I wouldn't want to think that I was making things easy on you and your boss. Who exactly are you working for?" He inquired curiously, trying to read Reinhart's face and body language, but he just laughed.

"You know what? Why don't you find that out for yourself." He thought it was a game and for a little while, Damian would let him play. Trey would keep as utterly quiet as he was at the moment, but if too much precious time passed and they didn't get an answer, they had an alternative to interrogation.

"I will find out Reinhart, whether it's your last words or not. Before you leave this room...as ashes or in one piece...I will know who sent you and you will be punished for it." He warned him seriously. For a second Reinhart's smile vanished and he watched Damian intently, before smirking, wondering why he was suddenly threatening punishment when he had never believed in it.