An Undead Rebellion (Sequel)

in the mouth of the devil //

DRAKE

Cradling a glass of scotch in one hand, I watched as two police officers led Corey's family into the sunroom, their wrists and ankles bound in reinforced chains. The night outside the windowed walls was an ink blot, nothing but darkness yawned on across the acres of land, not a sliver of moon or glimmer of star in the sky. It made me uneasy. Something about the stark black had an itch crawling up my spine that I was trying to drown with liquor.

Kasper stood by the expansive windows, watching his officers guide the vampires in, and I couldn't help but allow my gaze to travel over him. His fair hair was worn a bit messier than normal, as if he hadn't taken the time to tame the blond waves, and a day's worth of stubble shadowed his angular jaw. I liked it a little too much. I drained my glass down to the dregs, staving off the affection. Now wasn't the best time to decide to fall in love.

Eris was seated on a couch, knees crossed and a magazine open in her hands. "Seems like the tabloids have decided on Arabelle being pregnant with Corey's vampire baby. That's why they're both in hiding. Their affair has caught up to them. Reaver is pissed." Her icy gaze flicked to me. "Humans are so strange."

"Should I make a statement?" I wondered. "What do I say? 'Hey, my sister's not pregnant, just kidnapped'."

"I think pregnant is better than the truth." she said. "And I think you should have Reaver make the statement. The public loves him. Say she's sick."

"That's code for pregnant," I set my glass down on a low table.

She shrugged. "But then they'll probably think it's Reaver's. Which is a lot better than them thinking it's Corey's child."

I raked a hand over the back of my short hair. "You think we should insinuate that she's having Reaver's kid?"

"They already think she's pregnant."

"True,"

The two police officers had lined up Corey's family on their knees in the middle of the room, and they both waited with curved, short swords in their hands. I noticed Eris flick a wary gaze at their weapons. The weapons had been consecrated with holy water, so not only would they cut, but they'd burn like hell.

I glanced to Kasper. "Sure we can trust these two?" I gestured to his men. They weren't dressed in the usual police uniforms but instead were wearing black, nondescript clothing.

The detective nodded. "Yes. They're my most trusted men, they've been working on the case with me."

"Alright, let's do this thing. Interrogation commence." I flicked two thump's up.

Eris rolled her eyes. "No one can take you seriously,"

"Shall I?" Kasper stepped forward.

"Please," I nodded. "I don't know what I'm doing."

Kasper clasped his hands behind his back, walking towards the vampires. He was wearing tan slacks and a baby blue button-down that complimented his ivory skin in a manner that made me want to run my fingers along the line of his pale throat.

"Were any of you aware that Corey is involved with the Rebellion?" Kasper asked them.

They looked at him before casting glances at one another. None of them spoke immediately. My patience dimmed drastically.

"Torture is on the table," I noted lightly.

Eris shifted uncomfortably on the couch. I knew she didn't enjoy this, but if they knew anything that might lead me to my sister's whereabouts then goddamn it, I'd stoop to just about anything at this point. I was mad- at the entire vampire species. They'd killed my father and kidnapped my sister. And Corey had manipulated all of us for an entire year. He'd betrayed Arabelle. I knew she loved him, and I could only imagine what it must have been like for her to discover everything he did was a ploy. She had to be devastated. I, for one, was livid.