The Gray Institute_Rebels' Hell

by Leanne Pearson

  'Before you begin your tiresome monologue of lies, there's something you should know,' I cut her off, crossing my legs and leaning back confidently in my chair. 'A few days ago, you were overheard talking to your fiancé about the misfortunes of Meredith Draper. You were heard expressing regret that you had not told her about Eve Ryder's plans to escape. So, before you tell me you don't know anything, bear in mind that I am absolutely certain that you do. Denying it will only make things more difficult for you.'

  'Whoever told you that is a liar,' She breathes, her strange amber eyes wide with terror. 'I never said that. Not to Richard, not to anyone.'

  'Would you like to know who overheard you?' I stand, crossing to where she is held. She keeps her eyes on the floor, her chest moving up and down with rapid speed. 'It was me.' I smile, folding my arms, waiting for her reply. When she doesn't offer one, I step closer. 'To coin a phrase; we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. If you tell me what you know, right here, right now, you may return to your lessons and to your fiancé without another word. If you don't... ' I step backwards, allowing the Official with the whip to be seen. 'Let's just say you may be here a while.'

  'I don't know anything!' She shakes her head, her voice sobbing though her eyes can not. I watch her, trembling with fear, and remember what Malachy told me: there's no point putting much effort into the interrogations. The students know nothing. It's a meaningless task. But Malachy is wrong, I know that for certain. Carey knows something. Whether Malachy cares or not, whether he's aware that Carey knows or not, matters nothing to me. I want to know.

  I nod at the Official on Carey's right, and at my direction, he spins her around and tears off the pretty white blouse she's wearing, exposing her porcelain back.

  'You may not be the most intelligent Immortal on Earth, but I'm fairly sure you know what comes next. I'll ask you one more time, what do you know about Eve Ryder's escape?'

  'Nothing.' It's more sob than word, and her body convulses, the muscles rippling beneath the skin of her back. I turn to the Official with the whip and nod my head once. He uncurls the leather from the width of his hand, and strikes at Carey's back with force. Though no marks appear on her pretty skin, she shrieks with pain, her head jerking back as the crack of the whip resonates around the room.

  'There's plenty more where that came from,' I speak loudly over her cries. 'All you have to do is tell me what you know, and this will stop.'

  'I don't know anything!'

  Crack.

  'Please, I don't know anything!'

  'You're lying, Miss Carey,' I growl, stepping closer to her, though never in the way of the whip. 'I've been tasked by my father, Sirus Bathory, your Auctorita, to gather information about Eve Ryder's escape. You were her closest friend, her room mate, her Mentor. I overheard you telling Richard Miller that you knew something. Tell me what it is!'

  'We weren't as close towards the end!' She cries, writhing in the hold of the Officials. 'We had a falling out! She requested that I move out of her room. I moved in with Meredith. It's all on record!'

  'What was the falling out over?'

  'It was stupid! Before Richard and I got engaged, Eve liked him too! We fell out because – '

  Crack.

  'More lies, Miss Carey. I happen to know that your friend had very intense feelings for my brother. What was the falling out over?'

  'Okay, it was over your brother! You're right, Eve did like him. We disagreed about it. I told her she should stay away from him!'

  'You're clutching at straws, Carey,' I shake my head. 'I've been lenient with you so far, but unless you start telling me the truth, I'll be forced to take more extreme measures. Would you like an example?' Without waiting for a reply, I signal the Official, who delivers four lashes to Carey's back.

  'No! Please! Stop it, please! I don't know anything!'

  'It's fortunate that our transformation doesn't take away the sensation of pain. It allows us to withstand far more than the average human, of course, but a lash from a whip is never pleasant, especially when the blow is dealt by a stronger Immortal. What you're feeling now is nothing compared to what I can make you feel. Your Immortality is helping you withstand this, but even it can't keep you safe from pain forever.'

  'Please don't.' Carey slumps forward, her body shaking with sobs.

  'Ryder must have known that this would happen to you,' I muse. 'She must have known that you would bear the brunt of her actions. Did she care? Apparently not. She left you here to face them alone. Why are you protecting her? She's no friend of yours.'

  'I'm not protecting her.'

  'I think you are,' I smile. Crack. 'I think you have plenty to tell me,' Crack. 'And unless you start talking,' Crack. 'This will go on day and night.' Crack. 'This is just the beginning, Carey. There are plenty worse things I can do to you. Or perhaps the threat to your own person isn't enough? Perhaps I should send for Miller instead? Let him know what it costs to be associated with escapees?'

  'No!'

  'Then talk!' I bellow as the whip comes down again.

  'Okay! Okay!' She cries, shaking her head furiously. 'Eve did mention the escape. She mentioned it! But I didn't for one second take her seriously! I told her she was crazy! I told her I wanted no part of it!'

  'What is it with that excuse?' I hiss. 'Why was the notion that a new Immortal might try to escape so unbelievable?!'

  'She'd never expressed any desire to leave before then! She seemed happy here!'

  'Where was she planning to go?'

  'She didn't tell me!'

  Crack.

  'Use Amber Mayfair! Use her! You'll see I'm telling the truth!'

  'Amber Mayfair has been Confined for refusing to participate in these interrogations. I'm surprised you haven't already heard. She may be released and offered the chance to again, but until then you're stuck with me.' I smirk.

  Carey sobs, realising she's out of options. 'She didn't tell me for God's sake! You can whip me and beat me all you like, she did not tell me where she was going! She wasn't stupid! She wouldn't have told anyone!'

  The Official raises his arm again, but I hold a hand up to halt him. For a moment, the room is filled with nothing but the sounds of Carey's panting. As much as I would like to continue, as much as I despise Carey for her association with Ryder – whom I despise even more – we have come to a stalemate. Carey is clearly telling the truth.

  'You may go.' I turn away from her, taking my place on the wooden seat to await my next victim.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Eve.

  Malachy stares up at me from beneath the dark hood, his expression blank, neutral – but I spot a flash of something resembling elation in his eyes. He looks exactly the same as he did when I left him, which wasn't so long ago but feels like a lifetime. 'What are you doing here?' I breathe once I've regained the ability to.

  'I was rather hoping Mr Katak could tell me that.' He replies monotonously. I glance at Vlad who stands off to the side, watching our exchange intensely.

  'You asked him to come here?' I glare. His eyes snap up to meet mine and, despite his best efforts, Vlad looks a little sheepish. 'How? Why?'

  'Asil got a message to him for me,' We speak as if Malachy isn't right there in front of us. 'Because things need to be discussed.'

  'What things?' I spit, feeling my old friend anger rear its ugly head. Anger that Vlad refused to tell me the reason for our visit to London until it was staring me in the face. Anger because I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Vlad plans to use me to manipulate Malachy into doing whatever it is Vlad wants. And anger at Vlad's blatant disregard for Malachy's safety. 'Do you have any idea how dangerous this is for him? If he's spotted by a Law Officer, do you know what would – '

  'Eve,' Malachy growls, his tone hard and cold. I glance back at him and feel a jolt of both fear and hurt at the way he's looking at me. 'I didn't give you permission to speak for me.'

  'I wasn't – '

  'I don't have a lot of time,
' He cuts me off, turning to Vlad instead. 'So whatever I'm here to discuss, let's get down to it.'

  'Fair enough,' Vlad looks pleased as he slides into the seat intended for me, directly opposite Malachy. I remain standing. 'You may or may not know by now that we recently broke into the Thailand confine and freed the old Rebels?' It's a question and Malachy appears unsurprised.

  'The Auctoritas have just discovered the break out,' He nods slightly. 'Though what could have possessed you to do such a thing, I will never know.'

  'Don't you speak to him like that you pompous, arrogant brat!' Slav suddenly spits, leaning right over the table to point a finger in Malachy's face. Malachy barely blinks.

  'It's alright, Slav,' Vlad touches the short man's arm lightly and he reluctantly backs off. I stare at him; I've never seen Slav so much as raise his voice, let alone completely lose his temper. I suddenly remember Vlad's words as we sat in the little house on the island: 'Slav will be there purely for security purposes.' I'd thought he meant security from the Law Officers, now I realise he meant security from Malachy. Did Slav know, then, who we were meeting?

  'We needed the numbers,' Vlad turns to Malachy again. 'And the old Rebels are natural allies. Now,' Vlad shifts a little in his chair, getting comfortable. 'Let me ask you a question, Mr Beighley, as something has been eating at me for a long time now. A fact that has remained unaddressed until today,' Malachy holds Vlad's gaze, but his fingers twitch nervously beneath the table. 'You have known about the new Rebel movement for over six years,' Vlad continues, his dark eyes boring into Malachy's light ones. 'Ever since my brother told you the reason for my desertion, you've known a way to find me, to find us. You've known our connections. You contacted Asil yourself to make sure Eve got to us safely, knowing that my brother would bring her to us. Isn't that right?'

  Malachy gives a slight jerk of his head in response. 'My question is:' Vlad continues. 'Why have you never told your father about us?' He raises an eyebrow, but doesn't give Malachy a chance to respond. 'For a long time I figured it was because you weren't taking us seriously. That maybe you thought we were nothing more than a band of ragamuffins with a half-baked notion of bringing down the monarchy. Your fondness for my brother is evident after all you did for him, so I figured you thought; why trouble your father with a bunch of nobodies and get Asil into unnecessary trouble? But tonight – ' He regards Malachy thoughtfully for a moment. 'Tonight you know that we have substance. When you received the message asking you to meet me here, you knew the entire government is in danger from us. You knew we'd sprung eight hundred dangerous Rebels from a prison your father built. Yet you still haven't told him. Why?'

  When Malachy doesn't respond, Vlad takes it in his stride. 'Why are you here tonight, Malachy?'

  'You asked me to be here. And I wanted... ' He hesitates. 'I wanted to try and talk you out of this mess you've gotten yourself into. To persuade you to stop this madness.'

  'That's the reason?' Vlad cocks a disbelieving eyebrow.

  'The only reason.'

  'Really?' Vlad smiles like he knows something. He turns his head, stares at me for a moment, then looks back at Malachy. 'The only reason?' He's openly smirking now, but Malachy remains stony-faced. 'See, I think you have two major reasons why you endangered not only yourself but your entire 'family' by being here tonight,’ He glances pointedly at me again, and I look away. ‘But only one of them concerns me,’ He continues dismissively. ‘Would you like to hear my theory?'

  'I'm sure you'll tell me anyway.' Malachy replies sarcastically, but Vlad continues as if he hadn't spoken.

  'My theory is that you're not like your father. I don't think you agree with his policies, his laws, or his outlook on the Immortal world and its population. I think,' His eyes sparkle with amusement. Amusement and daring. 'I think you want what we want.'

  'And what is that?' Malachy asks coldly. I start to wonder if Vlad is crazy. I, too, share Vlad's suspicions about Malachy – though he's never told me outright that they're the truth – but Vlad is taking an enormous risk voicing them. Malachy is Sirus' son, an Auctorita in his own right, and he has the power to bring a violent end to this entire Rebellion just by opening his mouth.

  'A just government. A democracy as opposed to a dictatorship. Fair sentences for law-breakers, trials and evidence, the ability to disagree with our leader without fearing the repercussions. Everything a suppressed society usually wants.'

  'I see,' Malachy nods, his eyes hard. 'And you want me to, what? Help you bring an end to my father's reign? Step down from my duties as Auctorita when the time is right? Leave my family and join you?'

  'None of the above,' Vlad smiles, leaning closer to our future leader. 'We do want you to join us, but not in the way you think.'

  'You're insane,' Malachy shakes his head, glancing from Vlad to Slav and back again. It's as though I'm not even here. 'Do you have any idea what I could do to you? The risk you're taking simply by meeting me?'

  'Yes,' Vlad nods seriously. 'But you're taking a risk, too. If your father found out you'd visited Rebels in secret, what would he say, I wonder? The only reason I can give for why you're sitting here is that you agree with our ideas. You still haven't answered the question.'

  Malachy hesitates for a long time, his eyes locked on Vlad's. Finally, he seems to loosen a little; his shoulders lose their rigid tension, his expression becomes less distant. 'So what if I do agree with your ideas?' He asks. 'What difference does it make? I'm not Auctorita. I can do no more than you. Unless you wait three hundred years – '

  'We thought about that,' Vlad replies seriously. 'About simply waiting until your reign. But the problem then, you see, is that Sirus will still sit on The Board. As will Caruso. In order for our new world to flourish, they both need to be removed from the picture entirely.'

  'I have no idea what you think I can do – '

  'We're not asking you to do anything,' Vlad cuts in. 'We don't need you to help us bring Sirus down; we can do that on our own. What we would like to know, however, is, once the time comes, will your loyalty be to us?'

  'To you?' Malachy frowns. 'You mean, if you take Sirus' place?'

  'Oh, look,' Slav sneers, eyeing Malachy with open hostility. 'The brat's worried about losing his title.'

  'I couldn't give a shit about my title.' Malachy snaps, and, as usual, I'm shocked by his sudden lapse of upper-class restraint to the point where I almost laugh.

  'Is that true?' Vlad raises his eyebrows, though he's not surprised. 'You don't care about becoming Auctorita?'

  ‘Not for the power or the title.’ I know Malachy speaks the truth; he told me once before. Becoming Auctorita is only important to him insofar as making the Immortal world a just place to live. Insofar as stopping his sister, Lucrezia, from taking the throne in his place and making things worse. Vlad nods as if he understands this.

  'Well,' He raises an eyebrow. 'That only confirms my beliefs.'

  'What beliefs?'

  'You see,' Vlad lowers his voice a notch. 'I always had a feeling you never fully followed Sirus and his regime. Many doubted it but I believed. You don't know me, but I've had the opportunity to watch you closely, and to witness the things you've gone through,' I assume he's referring to Aleks and her Confinement, and my stomach tenses. 'I always suspected you never wanted to follow in your adoptive father's footsteps but, out of duty, accepted you would have to. The best leaders are the ones who never actually wanted to lead. The ones who were simply thrust into leadership – like Aed. I wasn't alive during her reign but I've heard she was a fair and just Auctorita.

  We've had problems deciding who should take Sirus' place once his reign is toppled. Aed was suggested but nowadays we're not sure of her loyalty and besides, she handed her reign over to Radha after tiring of it. Of course, certain Rebels volunteered themselves for the burden, but we can't have just anyone running our government. We need someone who knows what they're doing. Someone who's been trained from a young age to govern our world. But also so
meone who wants the same things we do. We need you.'

  Malachy stares at Vlad as if he's got a screw loose. It takes him a moment to find his voice. 'You're saying the Rebels still want me to reign?' He frowns. I'm as perplexed as he is, but I keep my mouth shut – for now.

  'Yes,' Vlad nods eagerly. 'It just makes sense. You're equipped for the job better than anyone. You're next in line anyway. The only issue was your loyalty. As I said, I've had my suspicions for quite some time but now I know for sure... '

  'I just told you,' Malachy shakes his head. 'I can't help you overthrow my father.'

  'And I told you, we don't need you to,' Vlad replies. 'There's not a lot we need you to do right now. But before I tell you anything more, I need to know whether or not you're with us.' For the first time since Vlad started talking, Malachy's gaze finds mine. Only for a brief moment before he turns his attention back to Vlad, but Vlad has caught the exchange. 'Eve, what do you think?' Vlad asks.