Chapter Eleven #2
“My sister would have loved to meet you…A Vae as my niece calls herself. A fae that had the unfortunate path of coming across my bloodline…How…beautiful.” He said in awe.
“Do they know what you are? Should I tell them? You won’t leave out of here alive the moment they find out,” he whispered in a low voice, a voice only I could hear before his words became silent.
“That you are related to me.” The threat was made, but I was prepared.
I am always prepared. “Have we engaged in sexual acts before in the past?”
“I am here to ask you a few questions,” I said instead.
“So we have…” He said as he leaned back in the chair.
With a trembling hand, he gently smoothed his thin silver hair back.
“I apologize for my looks as I have not been able to keep up my appearance given my current living situation. They keep me on a drop of blood…enough to keep me coherent and breathing…They know they can’t kill me…
only starve me out until I parish…but I will only be here a little while longer. I’m just waiting until it’s time…”
There was a sudden silence that fell between us as I blinked. The double meaning wasn’t lost on me, but it did cause my mind to briefly wander.
“We have never had intercourse, nor have we ever interacted with one another. I do not have much time, and I understand I am being watched. I am looking for your daughter.”
“I don’t know where she is,” he said suddenly as he shook his head. The usual spiel of denying her as if he’d been questioned time and time again. “I have no relationship to Maggie’s mother or her–––”
“I know where Ms. Norwood is, and I know where Poette Davis is. I am speaking about Raven Holmes––”
Dr. Holmes suddenly jumped out of the chair with it flying back against the wall.
The bed flipped up with everything else pushing back as he jumped over the table with his face inches away from mine, showing his blood-soaked fangs with a heaving chest. I could hear the guards anxiously trying to get back in, but I heard Mr. Park stop them as I sat calm and collected.
Not even a flinch. Whatever barrier they put in place for him not to cross, it was futile.
Not only did he cross it, but he was also seconds away from my face when I stared at his fangs. I simply adjusted my frames, unfazed.
“If you want any chance of saving your daughters, you will retract your fangs and listen to what I have to say… You said that you are not the last First Family left in court earlier.”
“They will never find them!” He stammered with his fist slamming on the table.
So to buy time to keep them from killing you, they need to find the others.
Just as I suspected. My daughter will eventually be found out and I, along with her father, will do whatever to protect her.
I blinked, looking at the cameras with a shift of my gaze before looking back at Marvin Holmes.
My voice fell silent as I mouthed the words, letting him watch my lips.
“Your heir and only son is standing right behind me so if you dare to make a move, it will be your last and the Underground as we know it will completely be destroyed. Everything you’ve worked so hard to keep together will be gone.”
Dr. Holmes slowly sat back in the seat, calm and collected with his eyes looking over my shoulder.
He didn’t know who to look at, but I could see the guilt in his eyes.
The guilt of a father who never got the chance to be and eventually abandoned the idea of it until the grandson came along, or so I thought.
“My name is Himora Clarke,” I said out loud before silently mouthing.
“I am married to your son who was born to Poette Davis, the twin to Raven Holmes. We are looking for the rest of the Holmes and extended family because they are in danger and will be considered a threat in the Underground as well as above the moment you are killed. When I leave, please find a way to communicate with me so that we may speak further in private.”
“My…s-son…”
Marvin Holmes stopped himself from saying it out loud as he looked around with a shake of his head.
“He’s…”
“Alive,” I finished. “Yes.”
I could see the blood building up around the corner of his eyes as he fought back tears. So he knows of his daughters but not his son.
“Bellamy,” he blurted out. “Bell–––”
“We are in conversations with your grandson,” I said. Although we haven’t personally met him, we are aware Bellamy Holmes is actively moving around in secrecy and up to date about everything. Lifting my chin up as I peered down at him through my frames, I silently mouthed.
“The mythical story about the moon is real–––”
Dr. Holmes slammed his fist down on the table and snarled with his fangs and saliva showing towards me. I didn’t flinch. The tip of my tongue pressed against my teeth to keep my fangs in check. I gripped the corners of my frames to adjust against my face.
“I don’t want to hear about this fucking make-believe moon bullshit! Leave that to the pathetic wolves to worship the shit in the sky! Not us! We are not–––”
“Headlines will already be circulating about The First Family lying about your birthright which will cause a possible witch hunt on those who associate with you. You have put everyone in danger of being taken.”
“I don’t care…it was never true to begin with…
just made-up bullshit to keep the little piggies on the farm to slaughter.
I don’t…I don’t care,” he dragged with his hand pulling at his face.
“All I ever wanted to do was to protect the Underground…Protect what I have built, my legacy, my school, my home…That is what I’m doing now. That is why I’m here.”
“You need to think about protecting the family that is coming up behind you..” His glossy eyes became cloudy with confusion and unsettled emotions as he shook his head, refusing to hear it. “Again, please find a way to communicate with me so we can keep in touch.”
“They don’t…”
I waited for him to speak knowing Mr. Park was openly talking about sports.
That was the signal to hurry up and leave but Dr. Holmes held my gaze.
He was afraid to speak for the first time.
Could it be about his daughters or granddaughter?
Was it the mention of his son being right behind me and now he was searching for him?
“They who, Dr. Holmes?” I questioned, confused.
Before I could speak, feeling like he was purposely trying to toy with my mind, Mr. Park coughed hard and cleared his throat several times.
That was the cue that we needed to leave this building as soon as possible.
I knew Dr. Marvin Holmes had other ways of communicating outside of this cell. Now we just had to wait.
I quickly checked out and followed Mr. Park to the first set of stairs.
Neither of us spoke because we knew what was at stake here.
Mr. Park began shedding the suit he stole as he winced in pain.
His face stretched and neck twisted, fighting the urge to shift into his true form while we continued to climb the stairs.
When we came up on another door, he banged three times on it before coming out on the other side of a bathroom stall.
Vanessa, the wild woman with the baby and blood, turned around from the bathroom counter and glared at us.
“About damn time!” She fussed. “Come on! They’ve already begun looking for this old ass man. Here, change into this and hurry up so we can go. Himora, you go first. Just be normal. Don’t cause a scene and run.”
“Baby, if anything,” Mr. Park warned in a threatening tone. Part of his face was split into two as his eyes twitched and lids fluttered. I could hear almost three different voices within his words fighting to take control of his body, but he was hanging on.
“No time for that, go. Go,” Vanessa urged. “Hurry up.”
“Right.” I nodded as I stepped out of the bathroom. We were back on the main level of the justice building. Offices began to close and the last bit of media waiting to hear from different trials was pushed out. I signed my name out at the front and stepped out onto the court steps.