Crimson Rebirth

Part 30

 He held her in his arms far after the sobs had faded, keeping her close even as her tears dried. Even as the day fell back into night, Kaiju kept one arm around her, holding her close. The tenderness of his movements, how protective he was, keeping her as close as he could, told her just how much he loved her, more than words ever could. She felt so much better under his arm, the safest place in the world in her eyes. 

 It was that night they rejoined the coven, Riskel glaring at any vampire who tried to act out, or pushed buttons.

 And buttons were being pushed. Some of the vampires sported black eyes and various other bruises, others had busted knuckles, and the tension was so thick that one could cut it with a knife.

 Riskel himself seemed fine for the most part, if anything, a little disheveled from breaking up fights between his coven members. He shook his head, ashamed FOR them.

 Hisses and spits from vampires were heard in the halls, but sadly, most of the frustration came from the vampires' resentment towards Riskel. Their sense of betrayal was cold like ice.

 Or perhaps it was thanks to a dark raven that silently observed, one eye of blue, another of gold, watching diligently...

 Riskel's gaze met the hissers and spitters. "I seriously don't think you want to go there, any of you. I didn't have a choice, but all of you DID. You CHOSE to go after that clan, you CHOSE to have a damn blood party. I didn't decide any of it for you. If you're going to hate anyone, hate yourselves."

 With that, Riskel picked up a glass of wine, swirling the sweet red slowly, waiting on one of the vampires to get the balls to try and fight him.

 Again.

 Before anyone could ball up a nerve, the raven cawed. A shard of ice glimmered before the vampire, and Kaiju could not help but smile.

 "We've been found," he sassed. He peered up and called, "How long do you intend to stay silent old Wolf?"

 The raven faced Kaiju, not answering, instead preening his feathers with nonchalance.

 "He says he was sending me to ensure a smooth trial."

 Jace rippled into sight, leaning on a stone column in the open dining hall. He smiled. "He's told me what's happening now. So he sent me to be of help."

 "What sort?" Kaiju asked.

 Jace shrugged. "What else would I be than an eavesdropper? I'm a mind mage; I can help gauge the truth from lies if you like."

 Gene blinked in surprise from her spot under Kaiju's arm. "........ He's a bird." She said, her grief-stricken mind racing back to when she was far younger, and how she kept trying to chase the birds like a cat. It was how she got the nickname Little Lioness, after all!

 Riskel cast a cold gaze around his coven, one heavy with indifference. He was still reeling from a shock of his own, and would be damned if a single vampire tried to step out of place again.

 The raven cawed, and like a ghost he vanished. The Mind Mage smiled, and he stated, "Catori's shared with me specific puzzle pieces that seem to connect everything together. So I'd like to hear it from everyone that was involved in this incident."

 He added, eyeing Riskel, "And I will need the consent of every member to explore their minds. And you better tell the truth, because I'll know if you're lying."

 "No reason to lie." Riskel said, casting a glance to his coven members, some nodding their heads as well; they were more than willing to comply. "But you'd have to ask them." He pointed to a cluster of hissers and spitters. "Because while I am willing to own up to every action I have done, they may not be."