Drake swallowed hard against the bile trying to raise in his throat as he moved through the doorway of the main entrance. He'd never considered himself to have a weak constitution or ever really affected by gore one way or the there. After spending countless days locked in the dank cellar of the werewolf palace, he'd considered his thresh hold for such things significantly higher... Oh, how wrong he'd been...
His entire body shook as his eyes moved across the scattered pieces of vampire remains. No one part would be identified without DNA testing... except maybe the heads... He pulled his sleeve over his hand and covered his mouth and nose as sickness threatened to hit. Several heads were arranged on the center of a table that had been dragged into the middle of the long hallway, each of them wearing a horrified expression. He forced himself to examine each face, praying that Mattie would not be among them.
Drake forced himself to wade through the carnage of the hallway, the thick sticky blood clinging to his shoes with every lift of his feet from the caked tiles. A faint sound like the scurrying of a large animal caught his attention as he passed by one of the storage closets. His hand shook as he hesitated, letting it hover over the doorknob for several long moments. He frowned, disappointed at his own cowardice. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and forced his hand to move. He leaped back and bumped into the wall on the other side of the hall as a broom came falling out. Scuffling of feet and a whimper caused the eyes he hadn't realized he'd shut to pop open and shot down to the floor of the closet. He gasped as he recognized the body huddled into a tiny ball in the corner of the closet trying to hide behind a shelf holding cleaning supplies. "Mattie?" He shot forward, flinging himself onto the floor, and pulled the boy into his arms. "Mattie!" Mattie's trembling hands clung to Drake as he buried his face in the front of his shirt. Drake forced him away, holding him out at arm's length for inspection. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Drake's eyes traveled over him not seeing any signs of injury but halted on the damp stain running down the front of the young vampire's jeans.
Mattie's face flamed with embarrassment, tears freely falling from his eyes, and his entire body trembling as he looked away. "S-so much... I... I've never... seen anything like it..." He whispered.
Drake let out a long sigh and pulled Mattie back into his arms. "It's alright, it's over now."
Mattie nodded against Drake's chest. "I... I thought what had happened at the werewolf cellar was bad... but-but..." He shook his head.
A tap on the wall brought both vampires' attention back to the hallway. "I'll need you to show me where your mother's office is and where the security cameras are." Peg said as he lifted the camera he was holding. "Do you mind? I need pictures of the crime scene." He shrugged, "And all the victims."
Drake sent Mattie a questioning glance. When the younger vampire nodded, he pushed himself up from the floor and stepped back. "Have-have you found my mom-Vivian's body yet?" Drake asked glancing farther down the hallway.
Peg shook his head as he snapped several pictures. "Not yet. That's why I need you to show me where her office is. I suspect she'll be there." Once Peg had gotten the last picture he needed, he lowered the camera and held his hand out to Mattie. He tugged the boy to his feet and stepped back to give him room.
Drake tugged off the button-up shirt he wore and handed it to Mattie. He cleared his throat as he sent a meaningful glance to the front of his jeans. "I'm sure you could probably go upstairs and change... and pack now if you need to..." Drake murmured.
"Not quite yet. He may be the only witness. We'll need his statement while they're fresh on his mind and before he has time to alter his story."
Drake's brows knitted. "He wouldn't do that."
Peg frowned. "Maybe not, but it's protocol. Trust me, I don't want to be here any more than the two of you. But what must be done, must be done." He nodded down the hall. "Lead the way, if you will."
Drake's breath caught as he stopped in front of the open office doors. Bullets had heavily sprinkled the walls leaving big gaping holes in the drywall in several places. Blood and black ink stained nearly every surface, painting, and fabric in the room. But the most horrifying part of the entire room was Vivian's remains. She had been artistically posed on the top of her desk. Her face was contorted into one of raw pain and terror. Drake's eyes blurred as he fought against the darkness that threatened to overtake his vision. The flashes of the camera only intensified and added drama to the scene put out on display. He stumbled backward nearly falling over a body. He grabbed Mattie's shoulders and turned him out of the room. "Go pack your bags. Your statement can wait."
"She had still been alive when this was done..." Peg said as he inspected the heart in her hands before tracing the intestine that was binding her wrists to their point of origin. "Still attached..." He muttered.
Drake swallowed hard. This had not been what he had had in mind at all when he'd said his mother needed to be punished for her crimes. Yes, she'd always been cold and indifferent... but... no one deserved this type of death... "How-how can you tell? That she was still alive, that is?"
Peg nodded to the wound as he pushed back the fabric of her designer dress with the tip of a pin he'd found on the desk. "There's bruising around the puncture marks." He moved to the gaping hole of her chest. "The intestines were removed first... then the heart." He frowned as he made a verbal note. "She was still alive but had already lost a lot of blood when the heart was removed. You can tell because the bruising there is much fainter." He let out a heavy sigh. "I'll still need to see the security footage, but it seems pretty obvious what happened here."
Drake swallowed hard, feeling himself grow fainter as he contemplated Peg's words. "This-this way..." He backed out of the room and stumbled down the hallway, forcing his focus on the bright light of the morning sun coming through the main doors. He collapsed on the bloodstained entryway mat the second he was out the doors. His breaths came out as loud pants. Instead of saying anything, he pointed to the building between the main gates and the staff housing.
Peg patted his shoulder as he walked past him and toward the indicated building. "See that your brother or whatever the boy is to you is ready to give his statement in the next twenty minutes. This shouldn't take me long."
Drake's eyes widened. "But our security is top of the line?!"
The corner of Peg's lips curved into a cocky smile. "I assure you they're no match for me."
Poseidon joined Peg in the security office. "Have you cracked their system yet?" He asked as he pulled out a seat beside his son.
Peg pressed a combination of buttons and then set back with his hands resting on the back of his neck. "Piece of cake... or rather vampire..." His eyes moved from the screen to meet Poseidon's. "Our girl went on quite the rampage... And I don't think she was entirely out of control as one would hope with such acts."
Poseidon arched his brows in intrigue. "What gives you that idea?"
Peg pointed to the screen as it replayed the events inside the office from earlier. "Because there's a lottttt of control to her movements and... skill... that couldn't have come from an out-of-control monster.
Poseidon's brows furrowed as his eyes widened in surprise. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Impressive control indeed... especially considering the amount of blood she seems to be losing." His brows bunched as he set forward and pointed to the screen. "Rewind it! Right there!" He pointed to familiar shadows who moved around the corners of the film. "Dammit..." He hissed as he pushed away from the desk. He stood and ran a hand through his hair. "Can you take this with you?"
Peg nodded. "Yeah, no problem." He pulled a drive from his pocket and plugged it into the main tower of the computer. A few button-hits later, and he was pulling it back out. "There, finished."
"Good. We need to get everyone back to the palace... And I'll need to have a conversation with BOTH of my brothers."
***
Jos watched in amazement as the beautifully terrifying gods and goddesses of Tartarus materialized out of the thick black fog all around. They brushed past her, touching her face and studying her from various angles as they did so. Jos glanced over her shoulder at Thanatos. When he nodded, she held her hand out, touching them as well.
"You have come..." A familiar voice said as a beautiful ethereal man stepped out from the shadows.
Jos's eyes held his hypnotic gaze as he glided slowly toward her, the darkness parting before him. She could feel her eyes grow heavy and fought against the sweet lull of sleep that seemed to tug at her mind. "I know you... or at least your voice..." She whispered drunkenly.
He smiled brilliantly. "Yes. I have visited your dreams many times over the past year." His smile faded as he reached out and brushed a ghostly strand of hair away from her face as he searched her features. "But you don't seem to have taken my warnings."
Jos swayed on her feet, feeling a heavy pull of dizziness. Thanatos extended his hand, balancing her with a gentle touch. "I remember your visits... and your voice... but not the words you said..." She tilted her head. "Why is that? Who are you?"
His smile returned. "I'm pleased to hear this. I was worried you would not listen." His fingers brushed her cheek as she leaned into his touch. "I am Hypnos." He nodded around them. "And these are my siblings... many you have met on several occasions... whether you remember or not..." He released his hold on her as he held his hand out to the lurking shadows moving around them. "Shall I introduce you?"
Jos nodded dreamily, her eyes moving around the phantom-like figures in interest.
He tilted his head. "You are not afraid?"
Jos shook her head as her gaze settled on the curious eyes of two small children holding hands. She lowered to a crouch and held her hand out to them. "As they should not be afraid of me." She whispered sweetly.
Hypnos was joined in laughter by several of his siblings. "I assure you, they are not afraid... More like admirers who have gotten a chance to meet their favorite celebrity." He nodded to the children. "This is Apate, god of deception; and Pseudologoi, goddess of lies... You are familiar with them well, I think?" His brow arched knowingly. He watched as the children stepped forward, each cupping one side of her face. "The others can introduce themselves; I believe." He said as his gaze moved around the darkness.
Giggles echoed as two women rematerialized on either side of Jos, each holding out a hand in greeting. "I am Nemesis, goddess of retribution. Amazing work tonight!" She nodded to the other giggling woman. "And this is Eris, goddess of strife and discord."
Eris squeezed Jos's hand. "We have so much more work to do, my dear!" She purred as her body shifted back to fog allowing room for a man and woman to step forward.
They lowered their heads in a sad nod. "I am Moros and this is my sister Oizys." The man introduced. "God of doom and goddess of misery..." The woman squeezed Jos's hand as she pressed her forehead against Jos's. Tears streamed down the goddess's cheeks as she and her brother both dispersed into the fog as well.
Another beautiful man materialized beside Hypnos. They looked as if they could be twins but with features completely opposite from one another. A harsh foreboding settled over the room. Jos clasped her chest as he stepped closer to her. He extended his hand and waited for her to take it. He placed a light kiss on it, a wide, devilish smile curving his lips as he whispered. "I am Epiales... God of nightmares. It is a pleasure to meet you in person." His eyes roamed over her. "At least partially in person, I suppose." He tugged her closer to his side, wrapping an arm over her shoulder as he smiled into the fog. "And they are the Arai... the gods of curses..." His eyes sparkled with excitement as he turned back to her. "They can give you what you need... if you can help us get what we need... what we desire most!"
Jos swallowed hard as she watched the scary creatures materialize before her. "A...and what is it you desire?"
"FREEDOM!" All the shadowed figures charged at her at once, their bodies passing through hers in clouds of smoke and fog. She could feel all their emotions, desires, and fears penetrate deeply into her soul. Her breath caught and her eyes rolled back as the darkness overtook her. The last thing she could remember was the gentle touch of death catching her before her soul could hit the floor of the cave.