Hell's Revelation (Book 3)

Chapter 30

"How are they going to do it?" The door hadn't even closed behind me before the words were out of my mouth.

The halls had been blessedly empty and I was thankful that Malick was as predictable as ever and easy to locate. If I'd been thinking more like my usual self I might have been suspicious of both these things, but I was fast running out of rational thoughts as my whole world proceeded to crumble at my feet.

"Rayne, how nice of you to storm in."

Malick was not alone, I was glad to see. Frank, Lucas and Jesse had also succeeded in finding him –although he was hardly hiding in his own quarters. Patrick however was noticeably absent despite my surety that he'd be with the old cleric, and the scowl that was all over Jesse's face told me everything I needed to know about the progress they'd made since I'd shooed them all away from the throne room.

"How are they going to do what, Rayne?" Lucas asked, concern crinkling his forehead.

I tried not to meet his eye, I didn't want anything to throw me off my stride not right now. In truth I don't think any of us had expected to see each other again. I'd made my choice to sacrifice myself to save the others, make the grand gesture that no one had actually asked for. At least I thought I had,but I soon realised it would never have worked. This is what always happened in these situations, the hero would save the day with one act of supreme self-sacrifice, an act they might or might not survive, except when it came to me. It would never have worked, and I was certainly no hero.

Ignoring Lucas I focused my gaze on Malick's sneering face. "Cut the crap, Malick. You know what they're planning, I know you do so just tell me the truth for once in your miserable life."

He looked at me incredulously for a few moments before replying. "Of course I know, I know everything that happens in this place. What I don't know is why you think I'm going to share that information with you."

"Well for one because I know how much you're dying to gloat to someone about your master plan – I know you're really the brains behind all of the details. But mostly because if you don't tell me I am going to rip out those beady little eyes of yours and squash them under my boots like a couple of rotten grapes."

His brow lifted slightly and a look of mild surprise crossed his leathery brown face. "Resorting to empty threats now are we? My, my, we have grown desperate."

"Desperate might well be true, but that is precisely why my threat is far from empty."

I moved slowly around the perimeter of the large table the filled the centre of the room, running idle fingers across the items that littered its surface. Malick's expression of exhausted disdain didn't so much as waver as I drew nearer to him, not until my fingers passed over something cold made of metal and glass. My fingers closed around the small cylinder and I lifted the syringe, the wicked sharp needle point glinting in the torchlight. It was empty, but something thick and sludgy brown clung to the inside of the glass tube. I didn't like to think what it might have contained, nor what had happened to it's contents that didn't matter to me. The needle itself was all the threat that I needed and I would damn well jam it into Malick's eye-socket if he didn't give me some decent answers.

There was a slight glimmer of fear in his eyes and a part of me so desperately wanted to put them out for all of the parts he had played in this twisted, convoluted plot. But answers were more important and my own selfish desires.

"So why don't you change the habit of a lifetime, Malick, and start being a little more helpful. How do they plan to do it? I thought my blood was the key but it's not is it? I died and was reborn, my blood isn't the same anymore, I am not the same anymore. So what the hell is the key to all of this?"

And how can I stop it? I didn't say the last out loud, I knew Malick would tell me there was no way I could stop it. The plans were in motion, it would be impossible, blah blah blah. I would worry about that later, once I'd gotten the answers out of him. And if he wouldn't tell I couldn't deny they would be some satisfaction in disposing with the old cleric so that at least he would be able to advance his own ambitions any further.

He was silent for a moment, eyes fixed firmly on the needle in my hands as he considered his options. Eventually he sighed and relented.

"You're holding it right there in your hand."