Chapter 26 - Secrets Kept
The sight of the two people was revolting. Dylan had to strain to keep Schuyler upright. The raven-haired teen braced herself with her handcuffed arms.
"They're still alive, but not for long." Kingsley darkly predicted.
Schuyler pleaded with him to let them go. She looked at Dylan, hoping he could help. Dylan only looked away to avoid her eyes.
Kingsley clicked his tongue. "Now don't go all soft on me. I like it when you're all feisty."
"I don't care how you like me. Don't hurt them. Please." Schuyler's mind was frantic. A million thoughts ran through it, trying to come up with a plan to save them. And she landed on a dark notion, she couldn't save them. She wasn't strong enough.
Kingsley inched closer to the two bodies. "You still don't get it do you? Who do you think the Heir is?"
Schuyler's eyes widened. Kingsley grabbed Bliss by the jaw, holding her firmly. No it couldn't be, not Bliss. Kingsley grinned and brushed his hand through Bliss's hair.
Dylan tightened his grip on her shoulder. Schuyler looked at him, a tiny glisten in her eye. "You knew."
"You knew!" Schuyler was pulled to feet and she knocked against him with a freed shoulder.
Dylan steadied her and whispered very quietly, "There's nothing I can do about it."
Schuyler called out to Kingsley, "If I help you, what guarantees do you have that I won't just turn on all of you at some point."
"So we're in a mood to bargain?" Kingsley reached back and pulled out a familiar looking dagger and necklace set.
"This little dagger here guarantees me a quick kill. The same emerald on this can stop the Heir, just as this frees the Heir." He motioned at the heavy necklace. "These jewels are cursed." Kingsley waved the dagger dangerously close to Bliss's cheek, nicking it quickly. Blood pooled at the surface and dripped down. Where the blade touched her skin, it seems to lose color and life. After a few agonizing seconds, the small patch of skin was ashen gray. The magic from the dagger was potent enough, dark enough.
The smell of the blood was too much for Schuyler. No wonder why they deprived her of blood these past couple days. She strained forward in Dylan's arms.
"Do you accept?" Kingsley ordered Dylan to bring Schuyler closer, but the boy refused to listen. Kingsley barked his order louder. Again, Dylan kept his grip on Schuyler firm. "All you need to do is drink her blood, Schuyler. Bring her forward, Dylan!"
Dylan finally let go and Schuyler flew across the room. She landed on top of Bliss, staring hungrily at the blood. She wanted so bad to lick it, and she did. It tasted divine.
Suddenly a Silver Blood stepped up and quickly delivered a message to Kingsley. Whatever the message was, it turned his expression grave. With a sharp nod, Kingsley picked Schuyler up by the collar and roughly threw her at Dylan's feet. "Lock her back up. We're leaving in ten minutes."
Schuyler saw only black again, as Dylan put the blind fold back on her. "Sorry."
In the next moment, she felt a needle prick in her neck and everything went black.
What Charles feared the most was rearing its fateful head. The committee was assured they could stay one step ahead of the Silver Bloods. He underestimated the Silver Bloods. They were able to organize better than he thought. Things were going from bad to worse. It first came with a phone call. It rang and he felt dread as he picked up the receiver.
It was a soft spoken butler who worked for the Llewellyns. The family was attacked. So many regrets have come up since their decision, the one he made with Allegra...
The butler stuttered, he must have been injured as well. Charles waited for him to continue in silence. Forsyth survived. He managed to grab Jordan before making a run for it. BobiAnne did not survive. Charles didn't particularly like this woman, but her death was still a blow. He waited to hear about the most important family member.
"Miss Bliss has been taken." A wet cough sounded from the other end. The butler choked slightly on his own blood.
Charles order him to leave the city, let everyone know the evacuation order. The butler obediently agreed and with a click the call ended.
"Father!" Jack came bursting through the doors. Charles frowned and asked why Jack wasn't getting ready.
"Dan called. The Van Horns and the Barts were attacked in the Hamptons. They're on their way back." Jack informed him breathlessly. He didn't understand why Charles wasn't more alarmed.
"They shouldn't come back. It's not safe in the city anymore. The Llewellyns were attacked as well. They have Bliss. There's no time, we have to leave."
Jack managed to sneak off out in the yard after stuffing his things into the back of the limo. Mimi sat in the car, quiet and obedient. He pulled out his cell and called Oliver, hoping the Red Blood was left out of the violence. There shouldn't be any trouble, the Hazard-Perrys hardly played a role with the Committee these days.
"Oliver?"
"Jack? Hey, you don't happen to know where Bliss and Sky are? They were going to that party of yours. But I haven't heard from them since."
Jack hated being the bearer of bad news.
"-What! No! I'm on the phone!" Oliver nearly screamed. Jack could hear footsteps and then a door closing. "Sorry Jack, my parents. They're freaking out about something."
"Oliver, I don't have a lot of time. Sky and Bliss have taken by the Silver Bloods. My dad is making us leaving tonight. When I know more, I'll give you a call. Be careful." Jack quickly hung up and walked back to the limo.
Oliver went to the foyer to ask what his parents wanted, but found they already left. They left a note.
There have been a few attacks.
It's too dangerous, stay inside.
Don't get into any trouble.
Like hell he will, he couldn't sit around and wait for Jack's call. Oliver grabbed a light jacket and ran out the door.
Neither Jack or Mimi spoke a word on the way to the airstrip. Holding the Force name gives many advantages, one being able to have a jet plane at your disposal. If Mimi knew that they would be leaving the country she would have packed another suitcase.
Occasionally, Charles spoke to them, giving little tidbits of information. By the end of the ride, Jack surmised that Charles had worked with Allegra all along. The two of them kept their work a secret, the less people who knew, the better. But they knew. They knew some Silver Bloods survived and still lurked around. Since the 1800s, they knew and they didn't tell anyone! They could have helped Cordelia and Lawrence.
It was Allegra who found out the Silver Bloods were looking for someone. And it was after years of research and waiting that they discovered the Silver Bloods were looking for the Heir to Lucifer. After a few more cycles, Allegra and Charles had finally found her: a young girl. The girl was crazy and impossible to control. Seems like with every cycle, her insanity grew, unable to use her powers and unleash hell. They had no choice but to finish her off.
But Allegra couldn't agree with killing the girl. The poor thing was out of her mind, but it wasn't her fault. They decided to keep her alive, she was no danger to anyone but herself. They realized the Silver Bloods would never be able to control her.
It was also when they included Forsyth into their plans. They recruited him to father a newly cycled Blue Blood. The new Blue Blood was Bliss. In doing so, Allegra was able to suppressed her past memories, suppressed her insanity. They were going to keep the Heir hidden, and perhaps even use her to their advantage one day. If controlling her was possible.
Trinity Force stepped out of a waiting car by the plane as their limo came into view. She was without any baggage, as she came right from a Red Blood cocktail party. The urgency in Charles' phone call had her in a town car and on the airstrip in twenty minutes. Just as she was about to wave and walk towards their limo, when a dark shadow flew across the pavement and knocked her down hard.
"Stop the car!" Charles practically pried the door open. He was barely able to gain a few steps before something hard hit him like a freight train.
Mimi was about to follow her father but a pale arm reached in through what was once the door. The arm grabbed Jack and promptly pulled him out the car. The car began to shake and the ceiling peeled away like a sardine can lid.
"Hello again." Kingsley jumped into the trashed limo. "Not happy to see me?"
Mimi clenched her fist, preparing to hit him. She was far from happy. "I owe you one Kingsley. Thanks for leaving me for dead, the Committee almost had my head!"
"Aw. Don't blame me for your incompetency. Guess you didn't have the balls to kill someone." He shrugged and reach into his vest pocket.
"Funny you should mention that." Mimi sneered, knowing he wouldn't understand the joke. She threw up an upper-cut right into his groin.
Kingsley keeled over on top of her. She retreated back into her seat in disgust.
"I'm impressed." Kingsley chuckled, still on the floor. "But not good enough."
Mimi stared his shaking forms on the floor of the limo. Wait, why was there two of him? No, that can't be right.
Her equilibrium wavered and she looked down at herself. In her abdomen was a syringe embedded into her, its liquid contents emptied into her system. With a thud, Mimi slumped sideways and lost all consciousness.
Kingsley threw her over his shoulders. He climbed out of the limo. "If you want it done right..." Kingsley stalked off with Mimi in tow. "Do it yourself."
How many times has Schuyler woken up like this? It could not be good for her mental health. Schuyler was once again chained and in her cell. She could only guess how long she had been passed out. The sound of another set of chains startled her, looks like she had company.
"Bliss?" She could barely make out the form on the adjacent wall. It looked feminine, so it couldn't be her grandfather.
"You wish."
At that precise moment, Schuyler wished they had locked her up anyone besides her. Her skin crawled at the slow familiar drawl. The Silver Bloods were sickos.
"What happened? Where's Jack?" Schuyler desperately tried to get up, but the drugs still made her limbs heavy. She bombarded her rival with more questions, but Mimi didn't answer a single one. "Mimi-"
"I DON'T KNOW." Mimi cut her off, stifling a whine from Schuyler.
Schuyler kept her mouth shut. Mimi was her only connection to the outside since her capture, best not to piss the blond off...anymore than usual. Why did they put Mimi in her cell anyways?
As if the blond could read her mind, Mimi scoffed and leaned against the dirty wall. "Cruel and unusual punishment. Maybe they want to me kill myself, would save them the trouble."
"By all means, don't let me stop you." Schuyler bit back. She guessed this was Kingsley's idea of a joke, putting them together in her cell.
Mimi ignored her last comment. "How many of us are captured?"
Schuyler told her about Bliss and Lawrence, the only two she knew of. But she was skeptical about telling Mimi anymore. Mimi couldn't be working with the Silver Bloods if she was captured herself right? "Why didn't they just kill you then?"
"Probably, to get to my family."
"Mimi, somethings happened to Bliss. She... she's."
"I know. My dad explained everything." It sounded like Mimi was annoyed. "How much did Kingsley tell you?"
"Enough. My mother's a traitor and I'm screwed." Schuyler sighed. "We all are."
"What are you going on about? Are you telling me you actually believe the lies Kingsley fed you? He's Kingsley!" Mimi growled.
Schuyler sat there silently. Mimi had caught her off guard. Instead the blond took the moment to enjoy knowing the truth before her. Then Mimi repeated the Charles' story.
"So they kept it hidden from everyone? Even my grandparents...even you?
Mimi sneered. "They made the right choice. It would have gotten out of hand if everyone knew. They handled the situation better this way, without anyone interfering."
Right. Some situation it turned out to be.
Mimi picked up on Schuyler's disbelief. "They had it all under control. Something unexpected just occurred and they didn't to see the danger in it." She paused and saw Schuyler didn't follow her. "You."
The Silver Bloods found about Schuyler last year, when one of them attacked her. She wondered if her blood tasted different than a pure Blue Blood's. She had to hand it to them though, the Silver Bloods were quick to realize the potential of Schuyler's odd blood lineage. But Charles figured that out too, hadn't he? He kept Schuyler close, under his watch. That's why he adopted her. She wondered why Charles didn't just kill her then.
"So it's possible to, stop being a Silver Blood." Schuyler thought out loud. "They suppressed Bliss' Silver Blood side. Can't they do it for others too?"
"Of all things, this is what you're worried about? How about trying to get out of here? Squeeze those anorexic wrists of yours out of those chains and help me out of these." Mimi shook her arms riddled with heavy chains.
"You want to try walking out of this place, be my guest. There's no way we could do it on our own."
The thought of Mimi and Sky stuck in a prison cell together amuses me. I can write that unfriendly banter til I get carpal-tunnel.