Charlotte After Dark

Chapter 13: The Truth About Gwendolen

"I gave you one cardinal rule when I agreed to let you come over here and play dress-up," Cormac said, his words stringing along angrily as he bore into Audra with such intensity that it almost made my skin crawl.

It was like each word he said made his anger grow and multiply. He struggled not to speak through his teeth, instead, he enunciated each word with more ire than the one before it. It didn't seem to have any effect on Audra as she grabbed me around the arm once more and pushed past Cormac, dragging me along. I forced myself to look away, afraid of looking him in the eyes like he was a wild animal, and ducked my head like a lost puppy while staring at the floor.

He continued to follow her in, berating her for her poor choices. "You have no idea what this could have done—," he began.

"We have more important problems right now than Charlotte's night out," Audra interrupted, disregarding his fury. "Do you know who Charlotte's sire is?"

Cormac gave her a quizzical look. "No," he replied. "I hadn't thought to ask when Gwendolen brought her here."

Audra turned to Gwendolen, the anger starting to burn in her eyes as she glared at Gwendolen, who looked on in a poor rendition of confusion. "Did you leave out that crucial part of information when you dumped her here?"

Audra's words stung, even if they weren't meant to be so full of vitriol. Cormac stood still has he glanced at Gwendolen perplexed before crossing his arms just as he had when we first arrived back at the penthouse. I felt a small sense of relief that his anger was redirected on someone else for once.

"Well, did you?" Cormac asked, while Audra looked on with scrutiny.

I could sense the satisfaction she felt from the heat being put on Gwendolen. Gwendolen sputtered for a few seconds, seeming at a loss for words only momentarily before I saw her expression darken.

"How dare you take that tone with me," Gwendolen threatened Audra as the lights began to dim in the whole apartment.

I looked around expectantly, waiting for the entire apartment to implode as it began to grow darker and darker.

"Don't try to threaten me with your magic and tricks. I'm not afraid of your kind," Audra countered.

"I'll show you magic and tricks," Gwendolen growled, starting to lift her hands up. They began to become rigid like they were being frozen as she began to mumble words I couldn't even understand under her breath.

Cormac put his hand up, trying to defray the situation. "How about you give the Academy a rain check for right now, Gwendolen?" He sighed. "Before you knock the power out to the whole building. Again."

"You're lucky I don't make all of your hair fall out," Gwendolen said to Audra.

I could hear an almost inaudible scoff escape Audra while she rolled her eyes and Cormac attempted to placate his fuming cousin. Slowly, the lights grew brighter as Gwendolen let out a frustrated sigh.

Cormac turned to Audra, his face growing a little softer and less full of anger than before. "Do you know who created her?" He asked her.

"Oh, only Luca Acerbi, you know, the Manslayer of Rome? The progeny of Erasmus Ocella himself, who we all know—" Audra began to evangelize.

"Yes, we all know very well who he is," Gwendolen interrupted dramatically while rolling her eyes.

"I don't," I piped up. They ignored me.

"Did you know?" Cormac asked Gwendolen.

"Know? No. Have an implication?" Gwendolen paused for a moment as she looked like she was trying to put together a complicated puzzle within her head in seconds. "Possibly," she said with reluctance.