Vicious Minds: Part 2 (Children of Vice 5)

“Never!” I grinned. “Hot blood. Cold blood. I don’t care. I’m not letting go. And you aren’t going anywhere.”

She laughed as I lifted her. “Declan!”

DECLAN—PRESENT

Reaching over, I touched her skin again, and it was colder. Dead….my skin was warm. Hers was cold.

Because she was dead.

Reaching up, I clenched my chest; it hurt.

It burned.

Like claws ripping through my flesh.

“Ah…” I leaned over, trying to breathe.

“Dad!”

Looking up, I stared at my Cora…my cold Cora.

“Ahh!”

24

“Does the wolf apologize

when it stands on top?

Should the lion say his grace,

when he takes his mark?”

~Hidden Citizens

CALLIOPE

“Some kills are always hard until they’re done. Then you wash it away with soap and move on,” my grandfather said from behind me as I finished hiding the bruises on my chest with makeup.

I’d changed into a dark, full-sleeved, red dress with a slit up the thigh. It didn’t say wedding, but I wanted something in case the bandages and cloth didn’t hold, and I bled through it. For the cuts on my fingers, I wore invisible bandage tape and diamond rings. I was most worried about the bruise forming under my eye. I couldn’t put on any more makeup without it caking. I was sure no one else could see it, but for some reason, I was sure I would have a black eye in the morning. I was lucky she didn’t rupture a blood vessel. No makeup would be able to cover that.

“You look good; no one will notice,” my grandfather said, coming to my side. “Even I, who saw how you looked before, am shocked.”

Taking the red lipstick, I dabbed it over my lips.

“You are upset with me.”

“Yes,” I finally spoke, rubbing my lips together before looking to him. “This was a lot of effort just for trust, Grandpap. Trust I should already have.”

“Trust you do have,” he assured me gently, putting his hand on my good shoulder. “Though, out of curiosity, why Coraline? Of anyone, I would have thought it’d be the old woman.”

I frowned. “Why go over my notes out loud now? Are you trying to get me killed?”

“I can see you’re sensitive right now.”

“I wonder why,” I snapped, shrugging his arm off and rising from the chair. I grabbed my phone and began to type in plain language.

“It was either going to be Helen or Coraline. I thought about Helen, but if she died, Wyatt would lose his mind. I do not have time to deal with whatever trouble he’d bring. Coraline was the next best choice because she took over as a mother for most of them growing up. She’s always been seen as the heart of the family. She gets her hands dirty, she stays inside and is the most protected, so losing her is the biggest emotional blow to this family.” I held up the phone for him to read.