Darkness Rising

CHAPTER [ 15 ] FAMILY DINNER

It was time to get this show on the road.

Lenore slid up to her Uncle, eyeing the vulnerable parts of his body. She reached out for him, fingers hovering near his throat for a moment. It would be easy to take his life, no struggle—no mess. She inched a bit closer, the heat of his skin and flutter of his pulse beneath her hand. Patrick cleared his throat and she flinched, sending a sidelong look in his direction.

Camila gave him a sharp elbow to the side, shushing him under her breath. It was hard to know if it was intentional but she found herself secretly grateful, either way. She had almost given into the desire and ruined Kaiser's plans. Lenore didn't want to imagine what might have happened then.

She turned her attention back to her Uncle, eyes narrowing. Tired of waiting, Lenore gave his cheek a few taps. There was movement beneath his eyelids, a twitch in his brow before his lips formed a familiar frown. She gave a few more taps, a bit harder this time.

"Wakey, wakey."

His eyes fluttered open, eyes squinting against the bright lights.

"Good evening, Uncle."

He flinched at Lenore's voice, whipping his head toward her. Those ugly black eyes went wide at the sight of Lenore. His face went pale. "You're dead."

"Am I?" she asked, lifting his glass of water and taking a sip.

"H-how? How is—"

"This possible? Hmm? I guess Arkaydian's will isn't everything." Lenore waved a hand dismissively.

He shifted in the high-backed chair, realizing then that his body was restrained. She almost heard the quickening of his heart as his body went stiff. "Y-you—what is the meaning of this?"

Lenore set the water glass down, leaning against the side of the table and stretching out her legs in a position of leisure. "I thought you'd all be happy to see that I was alive—even if you were the ones who sacrificed me and threw me away like garbage. We're still family, right? So, I set up this little dinner to celebrate my homecoming."

She waved a hand to the beautiful dinner set out on the table. He took in the sight before him, eyes straining when he noticed his wife and daughter, still unconscious and set at the table. His breath quickened as his gazes swept across the table to see the twins. Lenore watched as he stopped breathing altogether—the horror slackening his jaw, leaving his mouth agape.

Then the screaming began. Horrid and piercing, it rattled around her brain and echoed off the walls. She was surprised to know a monster was capable of such emotion.

"Don't do that." She slapped her hand over his mouth, muffling his screams. He tried to break out of her hold but she pushed back, slamming his head into the back of the chair. "We don't want to wake the others, yet. I thought it might be nice for the two of us to chat—"

His eyes bulged, glancing toward the shadows where Camila and Patrick stood, watching. Their red eyes reflected the light a bit like wild animals in the dark of night. Lenore tightened her grip on his face, fingers pressing in painfully. "Don't mind them too much. Act like they aren't even there. You're fairly good at that if I recall. Are you going to keep screaming?"

He bit her. Hard. His teeth sank into her flesh. She knew he had drawn blood; she felt the blunt edges as they broke through the thin, soft skin of her palm.

There was a subtle shift in the room, followed by the sound of a gun being cocked. "Release her. Now."

Patrick was ready to blow her Uncle away over a little bite. It hurt like hell but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She wondered if this overreaction was something Kaiser had ordered or his own choice. Either way, it did bring a strange warmth into her cold heart.