07-31-2015, 12:53 PM
"Wake up." Samara kicked her brother, who had fallen off the couch and onto the floor.
Their apartment was slightly cleaner then Trent's, but Chinese take out and pizza boxes were the main theme. She opened a box on the table and pulled out a cold slice of pizza, as her brother sat up from the floor, moaning.
"Where'd you go? I woke up and you weren't here?" Coyle asked sitting on the couch.
"Monte called said he found a video tape of Rylan Cullen and his packy girlfriend entering the inn. I went over there to watch it."
"Why didn't you wake me up?" He asked, reaching across the gap between the couch and coffee table to pull out a piece of pizza.
"I tried, you were knocked out. That's why you shouldn't drink vodka, you can't stay awake. I see though that you weren't worried enough about my disappearance you couldn't take time away from ordering another pizza."
"Fuck you." Coyle said with a mouthful of pizza. "What was on the tape?"
"Not much, the girl is definitely a werewolf, though I didn't say anything to Monte and the leech."
"Ugh, the leech was there?"
She nodded as she leaned back, putting her feet on the coffee table. "Subtle movements told me that she was one. She held herself like a member of the pack, but I doubt Monte or the leech could tell the difference. She had her hands in her pockets, so they couldn't see her nails. There was also some blood on the collar of her jacket. Maybe the leech was feeding off her? Or they might have been fighting?"
"With each other?" He asked taking another bite.
"No, a leech who didn't like their relationship, I would bet."
Coyle nodded his head as he finished his pizza, Samara was half way through hers. "The leech said something about a funeral for Rylan tomorrow. We should check it out, see if any interesting characters show up."
"I think that would be a good idea." Coyle agreed.
Samara grabbed one of the warm beers on the table. "Just have to find out where."
He snorted, "The cemetery with humans protesting the burial of a vampire in their holy ground would be the best bet."
She chuckled, "That's one thing that really bugs me about meat bags. So blinded by their own religions, and thinking they are better then everyone else. Won't even let a dead leech rest in peace."
"Careful, I might start to think you are sympathetic towards the blood suckers."
Punching her brother in the arm, she sat up, "No, I don't like them, but doesn't mean I don't have to respect their right to live. They die too, and they need to be buried just like any of us."
"I guess." Coyle shrugged, "World would be a whole lot better without them."
"You know some people say that about the pack too." Samara sighed.
He nodded, "Yeah, you are right." He stood up from the couch, a little wobbly, "I am going to bed."
"Hey, Coyle?" Samara grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.
"Yeah?" He looked down at her over his shoulder.
She swallowed, a little nervous about the question she was about to ask, "Do you think the leech is pretty?"
He rose an eyebrow, "Corliss?"
She nodded.
"I guess she is pleasant enough to the eye, why?"
Samara let go of his shirt and leaned back, "I think Monte might have something for her."
"Hey, it's his funeral if he wants to get involved with a blood sucker. Especially them born ones." Coyle turned to face his sister, "Why do you care anyway? He make you hot in the pants?"
"Shut the fuck up, Coyle. I can't believe you asked me that."
He laughed, "So, he does." With a shrug, he headed for his bedroom door behind the couch. "I would suggest dressing less like a slob if you want to attract his eye."
Samara grabbed the pillow from the couch and threw it at him, "Shut up!"
Adriel sat on his canopy bed with a book in his hand. He looked up at her, and waved her in. His room was elegant, mostly decorated with blues and whites, except for the dark wood of his furniture. It was how his late wife had wanted their room, and he always kept it that way, despite her death over a hundred and twenty years ago.
Corliss changed into a flowered summer dress before she went to see the elder. She knew even though he asked her to dress casual, he wouldn't appreciate her under dressed for a meeting with him.
"Did you wear that to your meeting with Monte?" He asked as she came to stand at the end of his foot board.
"No, I dressed casual." She responded.
"Ah." He looked her up and down, "That is rather casual as well."
She swallowed, "I was preparing for bed when they told me you wanted to see me. I didn't want you to wait long."
Adriel nodded, "What was on the tape?"
"Nothing special. Rylan was with a blonde woman, I am not certain if she was a pup or not, she had her hands in her pockets. There was blood on her collar, however. I am beginning to think that Rylan may have kept her as a pet."
He rose an eyebrow, "He was keeping a werewolf as a pet, are you certain?"
"No, I am not certain. It's only a hunch, I will investigate the matter further." She looked down at the brown sandals on her feet, "I was also given his wallet by the female pup. I forgot it in my room, should I go fetch it?"
Adriel shook his head and closed his book.
"There was some condoms in his wallet, coupons, credit cards, and several ticket stubs to concerts and theaters."
"Condoms? He couldn't impregnate a werewolf or human for that matter, why would he need those?"
"Ellice, one of Elder Farquay's toys. He was seeing her in his room for the past few years."
Adriel crossed his arms, "Did Farquay know this?"
"I doubt he would allow Marcellus' toy and his to communicate. They do not care for each other, as you know."
"This is not good news. If Marcellus knew that this was occurring, it could start a terrible political battle between them." Adriel rubbed his face with his hand, "Let's keep this between us, unless it proves to be of importance."
Corliss nodded, "That is all I have. I think I should look into some of these ticket stubs."
He threw the covers off of his legs, and stood from the bed, wearing only long dark blue pajama bottoms. The book in his hands was placed on the night stand, as he came to stand in front of her.
"Tomorrow is Rylan's funeral, I will not have you dishonoring him by not using that day of grief." He took her hand into his own and kissed it.
"I didn't plan on doing otherwise. I did invite Monte to the fundraiser on Sunday as my date."
Adriel frowned, "I suppose it's a necessary evil. I will explain the situations to our elders, and claim him as a guest trying to gain my favor to those that question it. Try not to bring too much attention unto him."
"I will try." She attempted to pull her hand from his, but he kept his grip.
He brought his lips to her ear, and began to whisper, "You are doing well, Corliss. If this plays out well, then perhaps you will receive a position within the clan, no longer my toy."
"I would like that, though I fear repercussions from others in the clan, if I were not under your protection."
He kissed her ear, "Then I will keep you close."
She felt his lips move down from her ear to her jaw line, and his hands move behind her back to the zipper of her dress. Corliss put her hands to his bare chest and tried to push herself away, but Adriel grabbed her hands.
"Adriel, please…"
He silence her with his mouth, and she could taste the blood on his lips. He had recently feasted on one of his pets. "When is the last time that you fed?" The question came when he pulled his lips away from her own, and slid the straps of her dress over her shoulders. The thin dress fell to the ground at her feet.
"I bought some pig's blood earlier today." She answered as his hands caressed the bare skin on her back.
"Let me feed from you." He requested with his lips next to her cheek, she could feel the heat of his breath.
Corliss swallowed, "But I… tomorrow is a day of mourning, I can't feed until Sunday."
"Go to one of my pets tonight."
She could not deny his request, and she knew it. He had merely given her the illusion that there was a choice, with a reluctant nod, Adriel kissed down her neck. She felt his fangs slowly pierce the delicate skin of her throat. The pain was merely passing, and when she felt his tongue and lips suckling, she gave a unwelcome shiver to the pleasure.
Her reaction caused him to smile as he continued to drink the blood that trickled out of her fresh wounds. Pressing her against his body with his left hand, he ran his right hand from her stomach to cup her breast over her white lace bra. Corliss flinched when she felt him stop suckling and dig his fangs in deeper into her flesh.
She knew that he didn't need to feed, this was simply his way of proving to her that he owned her. As a toy she had no more rights then a slave owned by their master. Lately, she had been acting as if she were a vampire of the clan, especially when she spoke in front of the elders. Adriel thought he needed to put her back into place, and this was how he would do so. She needed no further a demonstration, as she understood fully what he was trying to communicate.
As she was about to push him away and tell him that she understood his demands, he turned her towards the bed and shoved her backward. She landed with a hard thud, as the back of her knees hit the footboard. Her hand went to the large holes on her neck to feel the moisture of her own blood. She watched Adriel walk around the bed, and kneel down on one knee beside her, his other leg hung off the bed. With ferocious speed he grabbed her by the throat, bringing her face within inches of his own.
"Have you forgotten your place, Corliss?" His whisper was deathly low, and she could feel his anger.
"No, I know my place." She placed her bloodied hand on his wrist.
"Do you really? I think you have forgotten that you are no longer a Fausto, you belong to me now. My son lays dead because of you." His dark eyes burrowed into her own, "You have been given a great deal more freedom than most toys, and the rest of the clan is forced to respect you. Do you not appreciate this?"
"I appreciate it. I'm sorry for whatever I have done to cause you doubt."
Adriel grinned, "You've brought me no doubt, Corliss. Your loyalty to me is more assured than that of my own children. You need me to stay alive, least the others of our clan destroy you."
"Then what have I done? Tell me." She put her other hand in the center of his chest to keep him at bay; his anger was beginning to frighten her.
"You question my demands and speak disrespectfully to me and the other elders. You are not of royal blood here, despite your marriage to my late son. When I decide that you have earned your place then and only then will you have the freedom you seek. Do as I say, Corliss. Do not think the Faustos would blink if I had you put to death."
He could feel her swallow underneath his hand. Bringing up his other hand, he began to rub her cheek, "Do not forget again, Corliss."
"I won't."
The hand on her neck slowly stroked down to her chest, where Adriel began to pull her bra strap down over her shoulders. She let go of his wrist, leaving a bloody hand print on his arm. With her breast exposed, Adriel leaned forward, pushing his face into her chest as he bit into her flesh once again. Corliss laid down on her back, as she felt his hand move down her thigh.
She listened to the sounds of his suckling, as she looked out the window across the room. The black blanket of night had surrounded the city, a darkness that always surrounded her heart.
Isaac sat beside him, he had given his children to his mother for a while. They had both decided to watch the Rylan Cullen's funeral from the car with binoculars. It was their hope to see something that Corliss wasn't telling them.
"Look at all those limos." Isaac said as he looked out the wind shield, "I have never seen so many in my life, god damn." He sat up in the seat as they started to pass them.
"Yeah, vamps live well." He told him, as he found a spot to parallel park his Honda between two white limos.
When he was in his spot, he picked up his binoculars and looked across the cemetery to the gathering of people. The sounds of the protestors could not longer be heard at this distance. Isaac climbed into the back seat to have his own window to look through.
"Damn kid safety windows." He growled when the back window would only go down half way. "There comes some more." Isaac mumbled as a small group of vamps approached the gathered others.
"Look who else is here." Trent pointed to the small Geo parked amongst the limos.
Samara had already spotted them and waved, and Coyle followed suit. They both had binoculars in their hands as well.
"Hey." Isaac hit his shoulder, "What do the roses mean?"
At funerals each vampire carried a rose that depicted who they were to the deceased. "Red is for masters, the ones that call them toys… I think they fall under the masters category, and lovers." Trent told him, "Yellow is for friends, and white is for family."
Suddenly there was a tap on the window, and Trent rolled his window down. He should have done it in the first place, but thought it would look suspicious.
"Hey." Samara smiled, "You see this?"
"What?"
She turned and pointed towards the group that had came last, "Look at them."
Trent held up his binoculars and saw a group of men with yellow roses, there was a dark haired woman with a red rose, a man with a black hat on with a red rose, and a red head with a white rose.
"What about it?" Trent asked, still looking at them.
"Look at the woman with the white rose."
He concentrated on her face for a moment, "Is… is that Corliss?"
Samara grinned widely, "Looks like she was hiding something from us. Not only that, but the people she is with are Macrea elders. On the other side are Faustos… they all have white roses."
Trent looked to see if she was right, and she was. The group of dark haired men across the grave either carried white or yellow roses, where the Macrea group had mostly yellow roses; minus the two red, and one white.
"Hmm, white means family, right?" He asked, even though he was certain that it was.
"Yeah, that means Corliss is related to Rylan… and that Rylan is a Fausto." Samara felt so proud of herself, and when Trent dropped his binoculars from his eyes, her pride swelled. He looked very disappointed and angry, and she knew that was because of Corliss. "Someone is keeping secrets."
"That bitch!" Isaac barked what Trent was thinking.
"Why the hell would the Macrea's put her on a case where the victim was her own family member?"
"I don't know, but there is more to that, Trent." Samara grabbed his binoculars before he looked again, "Corliss is holding a white rose, the Faustos have white roses. Come on put two and two together."
"Corliss is a Fausto." Trent said after a moment.
"I'll bet my next paycheck that she is the daughter that was given to Adriel Macrea's son. That's why she didn't want us to talk to the Fausto daughter. And, I'll even go as far as to say this…" She smiled when she knew she had Trent's full attention, "I think that they killed Rylan Cullen themselves, and then dumped his body to blame on either the pack or humans. I bet they sent her to divert us from the proper path."
Trent nodded, "Makes sense to me." He was rather impressed with how quickly Samara came up with scenarios.
"Think we should confront her?" Isaac asked.
"Not now, maybe on Monday. Tomorrow, she is taking me to a fundraiser, I will be in a room with many elders from different factions. I'll bet that I can get something out of it." Trent looked through his binoculars at her, "If we confront her now, she'll probably hold out any information from us. Also, the other vamps will get pissed because this is a day of mourning for them. We don't want to cause that scene."
"Maybe we shouldn't tell her at all." Samara suggested.
"Why do you say that?" Isaac was the one to ask.
"We know her secret now, and she thinks we don't. It might be our advantage."
Trent nodded, "Good thinking, thanks for sharing, Samara." He looked at her and she smiled.
"Any time, partner." With that she spun around and headed back for her car.
The burial was almost over, and Trent and Isaac rolled up their windows as the vamps approached their limos. To his luck, Corliss' limo was right in front of him. She walked beside a large man with a pony tail that fell over his shoulders, much like his own. None of the mourning vampires seemed to be paying attention to their surroundings, especially to the obvious beat up Honda parked among the elegant limousines.
"Adriel Macrea." Isaac told him, "I saw his picture."
"Where? I've never seen his picture before." Trent asked, "And I've been in this district for ten years."
Isaac shrugged, "I don't remember where."
Trent looked back at Corliss, and watched as they stopped in front of the limo. His heart beat quickly, as he hoped that she wouldn't notice him sitting in the small car behind them. The windows were tinted, but not enough that she couldn't identify him.
Adriel kissed her lips, before he opened the door for her. Corliss was speaking to him, when Trent noticed a man across the chain link fence with a handful of rotten tomatoes.
"Go back to hell, demons!" He screamed before hurling the tomatoes over the fence at Corliss and Adriel.
Trent was shocked to see Corliss stand in front of Adriel and take most of the attack. Her face and front of her black dress was covered in a rotten, moldy red goo. Trent went to get out of the car to ensure that she was alright when Isaac grabbed his shirt sleeve.
"You'll blow our cover." Isaac said as a guard went to chase after the man that had attacked Corliss and Adriel.
He sighed, and leaned back in his seat to watch Corliss wipe some tomato off Adriel's face with the end of her dress. She held his cheek delicately in her hand as she brushed the filth away. Adriel removed several large chunks of tomatoes from her hair and dress, before they both laughed. Corliss turned around and pulled up the end of her dress, before getting into the limo. Adriel followed her inside, the door shut and the limo drove away soon after.
"Think they are in a relationship?" Trent asked.
Isaac shrugged, "Vamps are touchy with each other, it could be anything."
He nodded his head, "Hey, do you have a black suit and tie that I could borrow?
Their apartment was slightly cleaner then Trent's, but Chinese take out and pizza boxes were the main theme. She opened a box on the table and pulled out a cold slice of pizza, as her brother sat up from the floor, moaning.
"Where'd you go? I woke up and you weren't here?" Coyle asked sitting on the couch.
"Monte called said he found a video tape of Rylan Cullen and his packy girlfriend entering the inn. I went over there to watch it."
"Why didn't you wake me up?" He asked, reaching across the gap between the couch and coffee table to pull out a piece of pizza.
"I tried, you were knocked out. That's why you shouldn't drink vodka, you can't stay awake. I see though that you weren't worried enough about my disappearance you couldn't take time away from ordering another pizza."
"Fuck you." Coyle said with a mouthful of pizza. "What was on the tape?"
"Not much, the girl is definitely a werewolf, though I didn't say anything to Monte and the leech."
"Ugh, the leech was there?"
She nodded as she leaned back, putting her feet on the coffee table. "Subtle movements told me that she was one. She held herself like a member of the pack, but I doubt Monte or the leech could tell the difference. She had her hands in her pockets, so they couldn't see her nails. There was also some blood on the collar of her jacket. Maybe the leech was feeding off her? Or they might have been fighting?"
"With each other?" He asked taking another bite.
"No, a leech who didn't like their relationship, I would bet."
Coyle nodded his head as he finished his pizza, Samara was half way through hers. "The leech said something about a funeral for Rylan tomorrow. We should check it out, see if any interesting characters show up."
"I think that would be a good idea." Coyle agreed.
Samara grabbed one of the warm beers on the table. "Just have to find out where."
He snorted, "The cemetery with humans protesting the burial of a vampire in their holy ground would be the best bet."
She chuckled, "That's one thing that really bugs me about meat bags. So blinded by their own religions, and thinking they are better then everyone else. Won't even let a dead leech rest in peace."
"Careful, I might start to think you are sympathetic towards the blood suckers."
Punching her brother in the arm, she sat up, "No, I don't like them, but doesn't mean I don't have to respect their right to live. They die too, and they need to be buried just like any of us."
"I guess." Coyle shrugged, "World would be a whole lot better without them."
"You know some people say that about the pack too." Samara sighed.
He nodded, "Yeah, you are right." He stood up from the couch, a little wobbly, "I am going to bed."
"Hey, Coyle?" Samara grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.
"Yeah?" He looked down at her over his shoulder.
She swallowed, a little nervous about the question she was about to ask, "Do you think the leech is pretty?"
He rose an eyebrow, "Corliss?"
She nodded.
"I guess she is pleasant enough to the eye, why?"
Samara let go of his shirt and leaned back, "I think Monte might have something for her."
"Hey, it's his funeral if he wants to get involved with a blood sucker. Especially them born ones." Coyle turned to face his sister, "Why do you care anyway? He make you hot in the pants?"
"Shut the fuck up, Coyle. I can't believe you asked me that."
He laughed, "So, he does." With a shrug, he headed for his bedroom door behind the couch. "I would suggest dressing less like a slob if you want to attract his eye."
Samara grabbed the pillow from the couch and threw it at him, "Shut up!"
---***---
"You summoned me?" Corliss stuck her head through the crack in the door.Adriel sat on his canopy bed with a book in his hand. He looked up at her, and waved her in. His room was elegant, mostly decorated with blues and whites, except for the dark wood of his furniture. It was how his late wife had wanted their room, and he always kept it that way, despite her death over a hundred and twenty years ago.
Corliss changed into a flowered summer dress before she went to see the elder. She knew even though he asked her to dress casual, he wouldn't appreciate her under dressed for a meeting with him.
"Did you wear that to your meeting with Monte?" He asked as she came to stand at the end of his foot board.
"No, I dressed casual." She responded.
"Ah." He looked her up and down, "That is rather casual as well."
She swallowed, "I was preparing for bed when they told me you wanted to see me. I didn't want you to wait long."
Adriel nodded, "What was on the tape?"
"Nothing special. Rylan was with a blonde woman, I am not certain if she was a pup or not, she had her hands in her pockets. There was blood on her collar, however. I am beginning to think that Rylan may have kept her as a pet."
He rose an eyebrow, "He was keeping a werewolf as a pet, are you certain?"
"No, I am not certain. It's only a hunch, I will investigate the matter further." She looked down at the brown sandals on her feet, "I was also given his wallet by the female pup. I forgot it in my room, should I go fetch it?"
Adriel shook his head and closed his book.
"There was some condoms in his wallet, coupons, credit cards, and several ticket stubs to concerts and theaters."
"Condoms? He couldn't impregnate a werewolf or human for that matter, why would he need those?"
"Ellice, one of Elder Farquay's toys. He was seeing her in his room for the past few years."
Adriel crossed his arms, "Did Farquay know this?"
"I doubt he would allow Marcellus' toy and his to communicate. They do not care for each other, as you know."
"This is not good news. If Marcellus knew that this was occurring, it could start a terrible political battle between them." Adriel rubbed his face with his hand, "Let's keep this between us, unless it proves to be of importance."
Corliss nodded, "That is all I have. I think I should look into some of these ticket stubs."
He threw the covers off of his legs, and stood from the bed, wearing only long dark blue pajama bottoms. The book in his hands was placed on the night stand, as he came to stand in front of her.
"Tomorrow is Rylan's funeral, I will not have you dishonoring him by not using that day of grief." He took her hand into his own and kissed it.
"I didn't plan on doing otherwise. I did invite Monte to the fundraiser on Sunday as my date."
Adriel frowned, "I suppose it's a necessary evil. I will explain the situations to our elders, and claim him as a guest trying to gain my favor to those that question it. Try not to bring too much attention unto him."
"I will try." She attempted to pull her hand from his, but he kept his grip.
He brought his lips to her ear, and began to whisper, "You are doing well, Corliss. If this plays out well, then perhaps you will receive a position within the clan, no longer my toy."
"I would like that, though I fear repercussions from others in the clan, if I were not under your protection."
He kissed her ear, "Then I will keep you close."
She felt his lips move down from her ear to her jaw line, and his hands move behind her back to the zipper of her dress. Corliss put her hands to his bare chest and tried to push herself away, but Adriel grabbed her hands.
"Adriel, please…"
He silence her with his mouth, and she could taste the blood on his lips. He had recently feasted on one of his pets. "When is the last time that you fed?" The question came when he pulled his lips away from her own, and slid the straps of her dress over her shoulders. The thin dress fell to the ground at her feet.
"I bought some pig's blood earlier today." She answered as his hands caressed the bare skin on her back.
"Let me feed from you." He requested with his lips next to her cheek, she could feel the heat of his breath.
Corliss swallowed, "But I… tomorrow is a day of mourning, I can't feed until Sunday."
"Go to one of my pets tonight."
She could not deny his request, and she knew it. He had merely given her the illusion that there was a choice, with a reluctant nod, Adriel kissed down her neck. She felt his fangs slowly pierce the delicate skin of her throat. The pain was merely passing, and when she felt his tongue and lips suckling, she gave a unwelcome shiver to the pleasure.
Her reaction caused him to smile as he continued to drink the blood that trickled out of her fresh wounds. Pressing her against his body with his left hand, he ran his right hand from her stomach to cup her breast over her white lace bra. Corliss flinched when she felt him stop suckling and dig his fangs in deeper into her flesh.
She knew that he didn't need to feed, this was simply his way of proving to her that he owned her. As a toy she had no more rights then a slave owned by their master. Lately, she had been acting as if she were a vampire of the clan, especially when she spoke in front of the elders. Adriel thought he needed to put her back into place, and this was how he would do so. She needed no further a demonstration, as she understood fully what he was trying to communicate.
As she was about to push him away and tell him that she understood his demands, he turned her towards the bed and shoved her backward. She landed with a hard thud, as the back of her knees hit the footboard. Her hand went to the large holes on her neck to feel the moisture of her own blood. She watched Adriel walk around the bed, and kneel down on one knee beside her, his other leg hung off the bed. With ferocious speed he grabbed her by the throat, bringing her face within inches of his own.
"Have you forgotten your place, Corliss?" His whisper was deathly low, and she could feel his anger.
"No, I know my place." She placed her bloodied hand on his wrist.
"Do you really? I think you have forgotten that you are no longer a Fausto, you belong to me now. My son lays dead because of you." His dark eyes burrowed into her own, "You have been given a great deal more freedom than most toys, and the rest of the clan is forced to respect you. Do you not appreciate this?"
"I appreciate it. I'm sorry for whatever I have done to cause you doubt."
Adriel grinned, "You've brought me no doubt, Corliss. Your loyalty to me is more assured than that of my own children. You need me to stay alive, least the others of our clan destroy you."
"Then what have I done? Tell me." She put her other hand in the center of his chest to keep him at bay; his anger was beginning to frighten her.
"You question my demands and speak disrespectfully to me and the other elders. You are not of royal blood here, despite your marriage to my late son. When I decide that you have earned your place then and only then will you have the freedom you seek. Do as I say, Corliss. Do not think the Faustos would blink if I had you put to death."
He could feel her swallow underneath his hand. Bringing up his other hand, he began to rub her cheek, "Do not forget again, Corliss."
"I won't."
The hand on her neck slowly stroked down to her chest, where Adriel began to pull her bra strap down over her shoulders. She let go of his wrist, leaving a bloody hand print on his arm. With her breast exposed, Adriel leaned forward, pushing his face into her chest as he bit into her flesh once again. Corliss laid down on her back, as she felt his hand move down her thigh.
She listened to the sounds of his suckling, as she looked out the window across the room. The black blanket of night had surrounded the city, a darkness that always surrounded her heart.
---***---
Trent drove passed the scores of protestors that were screaming about demons being buried in their cemetery. Several jumped in the way of his car, and he would have to stop. The local human authorities would shove them back behind the yellow barrier line. When they came to the cemetery gates, Trent pulled out his badge and the guards waved him through.Isaac sat beside him, he had given his children to his mother for a while. They had both decided to watch the Rylan Cullen's funeral from the car with binoculars. It was their hope to see something that Corliss wasn't telling them.
"Look at all those limos." Isaac said as he looked out the wind shield, "I have never seen so many in my life, god damn." He sat up in the seat as they started to pass them.
"Yeah, vamps live well." He told him, as he found a spot to parallel park his Honda between two white limos.
When he was in his spot, he picked up his binoculars and looked across the cemetery to the gathering of people. The sounds of the protestors could not longer be heard at this distance. Isaac climbed into the back seat to have his own window to look through.
"Damn kid safety windows." He growled when the back window would only go down half way. "There comes some more." Isaac mumbled as a small group of vamps approached the gathered others.
"Look who else is here." Trent pointed to the small Geo parked amongst the limos.
Samara had already spotted them and waved, and Coyle followed suit. They both had binoculars in their hands as well.
"Hey." Isaac hit his shoulder, "What do the roses mean?"
At funerals each vampire carried a rose that depicted who they were to the deceased. "Red is for masters, the ones that call them toys… I think they fall under the masters category, and lovers." Trent told him, "Yellow is for friends, and white is for family."
Suddenly there was a tap on the window, and Trent rolled his window down. He should have done it in the first place, but thought it would look suspicious.
"Hey." Samara smiled, "You see this?"
"What?"
She turned and pointed towards the group that had came last, "Look at them."
Trent held up his binoculars and saw a group of men with yellow roses, there was a dark haired woman with a red rose, a man with a black hat on with a red rose, and a red head with a white rose.
"What about it?" Trent asked, still looking at them.
"Look at the woman with the white rose."
He concentrated on her face for a moment, "Is… is that Corliss?"
Samara grinned widely, "Looks like she was hiding something from us. Not only that, but the people she is with are Macrea elders. On the other side are Faustos… they all have white roses."
Trent looked to see if she was right, and she was. The group of dark haired men across the grave either carried white or yellow roses, where the Macrea group had mostly yellow roses; minus the two red, and one white.
"Hmm, white means family, right?" He asked, even though he was certain that it was.
"Yeah, that means Corliss is related to Rylan… and that Rylan is a Fausto." Samara felt so proud of herself, and when Trent dropped his binoculars from his eyes, her pride swelled. He looked very disappointed and angry, and she knew that was because of Corliss. "Someone is keeping secrets."
"That bitch!" Isaac barked what Trent was thinking.
"Why the hell would the Macrea's put her on a case where the victim was her own family member?"
"I don't know, but there is more to that, Trent." Samara grabbed his binoculars before he looked again, "Corliss is holding a white rose, the Faustos have white roses. Come on put two and two together."
"Corliss is a Fausto." Trent said after a moment.
"I'll bet my next paycheck that she is the daughter that was given to Adriel Macrea's son. That's why she didn't want us to talk to the Fausto daughter. And, I'll even go as far as to say this…" She smiled when she knew she had Trent's full attention, "I think that they killed Rylan Cullen themselves, and then dumped his body to blame on either the pack or humans. I bet they sent her to divert us from the proper path."
Trent nodded, "Makes sense to me." He was rather impressed with how quickly Samara came up with scenarios.
"Think we should confront her?" Isaac asked.
"Not now, maybe on Monday. Tomorrow, she is taking me to a fundraiser, I will be in a room with many elders from different factions. I'll bet that I can get something out of it." Trent looked through his binoculars at her, "If we confront her now, she'll probably hold out any information from us. Also, the other vamps will get pissed because this is a day of mourning for them. We don't want to cause that scene."
"Maybe we shouldn't tell her at all." Samara suggested.
"Why do you say that?" Isaac was the one to ask.
"We know her secret now, and she thinks we don't. It might be our advantage."
Trent nodded, "Good thinking, thanks for sharing, Samara." He looked at her and she smiled.
"Any time, partner." With that she spun around and headed back for her car.
The burial was almost over, and Trent and Isaac rolled up their windows as the vamps approached their limos. To his luck, Corliss' limo was right in front of him. She walked beside a large man with a pony tail that fell over his shoulders, much like his own. None of the mourning vampires seemed to be paying attention to their surroundings, especially to the obvious beat up Honda parked among the elegant limousines.
"Adriel Macrea." Isaac told him, "I saw his picture."
"Where? I've never seen his picture before." Trent asked, "And I've been in this district for ten years."
Isaac shrugged, "I don't remember where."
Trent looked back at Corliss, and watched as they stopped in front of the limo. His heart beat quickly, as he hoped that she wouldn't notice him sitting in the small car behind them. The windows were tinted, but not enough that she couldn't identify him.
Adriel kissed her lips, before he opened the door for her. Corliss was speaking to him, when Trent noticed a man across the chain link fence with a handful of rotten tomatoes.
"Go back to hell, demons!" He screamed before hurling the tomatoes over the fence at Corliss and Adriel.
Trent was shocked to see Corliss stand in front of Adriel and take most of the attack. Her face and front of her black dress was covered in a rotten, moldy red goo. Trent went to get out of the car to ensure that she was alright when Isaac grabbed his shirt sleeve.
"You'll blow our cover." Isaac said as a guard went to chase after the man that had attacked Corliss and Adriel.
He sighed, and leaned back in his seat to watch Corliss wipe some tomato off Adriel's face with the end of her dress. She held his cheek delicately in her hand as she brushed the filth away. Adriel removed several large chunks of tomatoes from her hair and dress, before they both laughed. Corliss turned around and pulled up the end of her dress, before getting into the limo. Adriel followed her inside, the door shut and the limo drove away soon after.
"Think they are in a relationship?" Trent asked.
Isaac shrugged, "Vamps are touchy with each other, it could be anything."
He nodded his head, "Hey, do you have a black suit and tie that I could borrow?