Tiptoe higher

Allani

Seeing the look on Allani's face, the Melilia laughed.

"Just kidding. Killing really isn't my thing. I prefer torture. Killing is just too sudden, y'know? First they're sitting there, and then bam! Nothing left. You can't hurt them anymore. I prefer to keep them alive as long as possible. You get more out of it." She smiled. Her teeth were sharp.

Allani returned one, and then attacked. She vaulted off the counter and slammed on top of Melilia, pinning her the floor with her knees, her arms wrapped tight around her neck. Lia's smile only grew, the vein-like marks on her face pulsed and darken red.

A click of gun stopped anything more from happening.

"Off my girlfriend please." said a drawling, male voice.

Allani obeyed, stiffly getting up. She raised her chin defiantly as she looked at the man pointing a gun at her head, a smile still on her lips. He had red hair and sharp features.

"Hands up, sweetheart. That's good. I don't think we've met." He smiled and bowed. "Jaime, head of the Inextroables. Lil, doll, please put her in the back room with the others."

Melilia did so only too happily. Allani determinedly kept her small, smug smile as Melilia grabbed her raised hands and painfully twisted them behind her back. She could feel something rip, a muscle or ligament. Melilia shoved her roughly across the room, ripping a few more things as Allani inadvertently stumbled. She still managed to keep any noise escape from her still smirking lips.

The back room was dark and tightly packed. Allani was unceremoniously dumped on the ground. She could see Renée in the dim light, an ugly bruise on her cheek, and her gold-brown hair missing a chunk. Rachel sat in the middle of the prisoners, her legs crossed, looking both unharmed and unafraid, queenly. There were about twenty others, including poor Mira, as well as the two Inextorables. Two against twenty. Should have been better odds, but most of the revolutionaries were tied up or handcuffed, and they didn't have powers.

Jaime stopped to light a cigarette and then addressed Rachel. "Want one?"

"I don't smoke."

He smiled and nodded. "That's good, it's a nasty habit. Very bad for you. I'll die young, most likely. That being said, I'm afraid you lot have learned a worst one. Rebellion has never ended well for anyone."

"Apparently." Rachel responded.

He laughed.

"I'm afraid we'd like to know exactly who you're working with, you're overall plans and information on project Bloodlet."

Rachel's voice was calm. "We're working for ourselves, are planning a peaceful protest in a few days from now, and know nothing about this project."

"My dear darling, we simply don't have time for nonsense." He sighed. "We need answers quite quickly. So I'm giving you one more chance to tell me the truth and then things are going to get immensely unpleasant."

Rachel fixed her blue eyes on his green ones. "We're working for ourselves, are planning a peaceful protest in a few days from now, and know nothing about this project," she repeated quietly.

Jaime tsked and nodded to Lia. "Choose who you want darling."

Melilia looked thrilled. She gave Allani a passing glance which made her stomach turn, but that was nothing compared to the fear when she grabbed Renée.