Sins Among Royals
Chapter 43

The girls stood before the cell just observing Medea quietly. She walked about the cell with perky erratic steps. She bounced and tip toed about the place, her fingers making motions that mirrored the steps she took.

She wore a plain black long sleeved coverall typical of the Blackwell prison, as she paced about her cell she seemingly ignored Amber and Indie who were more than a little concerned about her behavior. It was odd.

“Who made you deceive Noah!” Indie demanded as she broke the silence in the cell hall. She wanted and needed answers. She needed to know if Grace had anything to do with it.

Medea cackled maniacally as she raked her fingers down her face leaving light scratch marks as she did so. She turned abruptly and pressed herself up against the bars of her cell, “mama won’t like the talking,” she whispered in a childish voice before laughing again.

“This is impossible!” Amber groaned in annoyance, “She’s completely lost her shit. Whoever made her do it must have tormented her as well.” Amber couldn’t think of another logical reason for Medea to be behaving in such a way. She had seen others react in the way Medea was but they had been tormented and tortured and thus driven to insanity.

“Not completely impossible,” Indie smiled as a thought popped into her head quickly. She walked towards the cell while ignoring Amber’s protests to keep her distance. As she drew closer to Medea the pair locked eyes for a split second but Indie saw the distrust in her broken gaze. Medea averted her eyes quickly and ran to the opposite end of the cell as she tried to escape Indie. “I have a proposition for you,” Indie offered as Medea stilled against the far wall.

“What do you say,” Medea asked in a crazed whisper of a voice.

Indie pondered how best to approach the situation. She had an idea but she was not entirely confident that it would work. Pacing back and forth before the cell Indie touched her index finger to her lips before she spoke. “We’ll if you help me out I will cut you a deal. Maybe even spring you from prison. Wouldn’t you like that?”

“I like many things,” Medea barked in reply. “If I speak,” she looked up and locked eyes with Indie, “mother kills.” The pitch of her voice dropped and everything about Medea grew dark as bumps rose on Indies skin and Amber shuddered.

“There! See she’s not helpful. Can we go now?” Amber pleaded with her superior but all Indie did was raise a finger and glance at her sternly. It was enough to make Amber shrink on the spot.

“What if you were allowed to see your mate again?” a sly grin crept across Indies lips as she let the words fall from her lips. The reaction it drew from Medea did not disappoint her as Amber growled and grumbled behind her.

“You can’t make that promise,” she whispered harshly.

“Yes I can!” Indie growled in return. In her mind she could make whatever promises she needed to get the information she wanted.

Medea visibly perked up as she leaned against the far wall and slid down to the floor. She climbed on all fours and crawled along towards Indie slowly, as if she were eyeing up her prey.

“Mate?” Medea questioned quickly and in the most calm and normal voice both girls had heard since entering the cell wing. “Where is he?!” Medea suddenly sprang forward at the bars catching Indie off guard. She stumbled backwards as Medea cackled so loud it filled the entire wing before all fell silent again.

Amber moved towards Indie in an effort to help, “you should be careful,” Amber growled. “You don’t understand just how much trouble we’d be in if you were hurt while down here.” Amber knew she would be reprimanded and it was completely likely that Indie wouldn’t be allowed to leave her room for quite some time.

“I’m fine! Don’t fuss,” Indie regained her composure quickly as she looked back at Medea and frowned. “If you help me then I will help you. Do you understand?” She pointedly stared at Medea as she climbed to her feet again. “I don’t know where your mate is but when I replace him I can have you two reunited.” For the time being it was an empty promise but Indie intended to reunite them when she figured out what was going on and who was behind it all.

Indie turned to Amber and motioned towards the door, “okay I’m done,” she had never done this kind of thing before in her life but having grown up with two brothers and Poppy she knew a thing or two about negotiating.

“Don’t need to tell me twice!” Amber shouted as she raced to the door and pressed the button at the side. She couldn’t wait to fill her lungs with fresh air.

The pair were greeted by Andrew who stood promptly from his seat and smiled, “did you get what you needed?” He asked as they stepped through the door and back into his office like area.

“Has anyone been to see her recently?” Indie questioned the man she now suddenly saw as extremely pale with long fingernails and no stench.

Andrew saw Indie looking at him closely and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes, “She told you I was a vampire didn’t she?” he placed his hands on his hips and frowned at Amber, “how many times have I told you? It’s supposed to be a secret!”

Shaking her head Amber looked away and back at Indie.

“Andrew?” Indie repeated as she caught his attention and watched as he pondered it carefully.

“We’ll,” he started as he emphasized the entire word. “Medea has had a couple of visitors but they are few and far between. Isn’t very popular given her state. Did she spit on you? I have wipes if you need to clean it off,” he reached for his desk and pulled up a small box of pristine white tissue paper.

“Gross!” Amber explained, “she didn’t spit on us so put your tissues away Vampira,” there was a tone of annoyance in Amber’s voice as Andrew just sneered at her and put his box back in its proper place.

“Has she always been that crazy?” Indie asked him quickly trying to tick off the mental list she had.

A small grin pressed itself against Andrews purple-blue lips softly. “Yes she was brought in with a straight jacket on. Rumor has it her mate broke their bond after he found out what she had been doing with Master Noah but our steadfast leader had already been told of her infidelity and well, now she’s here in this gorgeous paradise.”

His words made Indie look at him a lot closer. They were genuine.

“You like working here?” Indie asked curiously. She had never met a vampire and till now only thought they were mythical.

Andrew laughed, “I love it down here!” he replied as he returned to his seat. “I get delivered food, it’s nice and cool all the time and if anyone escapes I am way faster at catching them than the lumbering wolves that are usually stationed here.” His smile was replaced with a cocky grin, “for someone like me it is the perfect place.”

Of everything he said Indie heard just one, “you eat the prisoners?” She couldn’t help but be shocked at the revelation. Who would allow such a thing.

Placing his hand on his chest Andrew threw his head back with a laugh, “Oh my goodness no Miss Indie. Your kind aren’t my kind of tasty. In fact you’re rather tasteless,” he grinned and shook his head. “I’m a simple man and I prefer simple humans.” Andrew couldn’t help but chuckle at Indies bewilderment. “I mean no offence but no one would put a vampire in charge of a prison full of werewolves if their main diet was werewolves. What kind of crazy are you!?”

Walking towards the door they had originally come through Indie couldn’t help but frown. It didn’t even occur to her. “Oh Miss Indie?” Andrew called as he opened the door. “Don’t tell anyone else that? Especially those two meatheads out there. Being a guy vampire is hard enough. Can you imagine what they’d do if they found out I was harmless too,” he scoffed as he released the door. His smile faded only to be replaced by a cold hard expression and when Indie and Amber turned to see who he was looking at the pair saw one of the burly men at the door shrink while Indie thought she heard him whine softly. He was petrified of Andrew which made it all the more amusing.

The pair returned to the castle slowly, “We have to go back and see her again.”

Amber groaned, “if I make Wade go with you can I get out of it?” She asked quickly. “I am not too keen on going back so soon.” She shuddered at the thought of it. “Why do you need to go back so soon?” Amber questioned her curiously.

“I got distracted by Andrew and I forgot to press him further on Medea’s mate. I need to know where he is and replace out what he knows.” Indie was certain the mate could shed light on the situation.

“You don’t need to go back to the cells,” Amber urged her quickly. “One of the other guards mentioned that he was released while Master Noah was away, he lives way out in the forest though in a very small cabin. You’d need to shift if you want to get out there.”

It was a spanner in the works for Indie. Her training had barely begun and her not shifting was already a big hindrance. “Dammit,” she cursed loudly as they walked down one of the corridors slowly. “I guess I won’t be sleeping tonight then. I need Wade to teach me how to shift.” she knew she would need to build up her strength and stamina and she needed to do it quickly.

“Indie,” she heard a voice calling her. When she looked up she noticed Noah walking towards them with a frown on his face. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, where have you been?” Noah asked quickly. He seemed rather concerned as Indie floundered for words.

“My apologies Master, I was showing her around the grounds and we ended up down by the river. Miss Indie wanted to know where she could go running to build strength.” Amber’s lie was so quick and so solid that Noah didn’t even think to question them further.

“What’s the matter?” Indie couldn’t help but ask as she steered the conversation in a different direction.

“There’s news on Ebony and Raif. During a sweep of the home security found a diary belonging to my sister as well as a prisoner they’ve kept in the basement for years.” Noah’s brow knitted in confusion. Everything he thought he knew about his family was so wrong and he didn’t know how he was so blind to it for so long.

“A prisoner?” Indie asked more than a little flabbergasted. How the hell could anyone be holding a prisoner in the basement. She realised it was a smaller scale of what was going on in Blackwood but it made no sense whatsoever. “Who is it?” She couldn’t help but press Noah for answers. Everything was getting very odd very quickly.

“It’s Lori’s mate. Heidi’s father.” He responded as he shook his head. “I was informed he had died but it seems like they were keeping him hostage. I don’t have all the details yet but I’m sure we’ll replace out what’s going on soon.” Noah then looked down at Indie and smiled a sorry looking smile. “I’ll have to leave you with Amber I don’t know how long I’ll be but I’ll come and see you as soon as I know what’s happening.” Noah kissed her forehead quickly, “I love you,” he whispered before he pulled back wide eyed.

Both Indie and Amber stood there more than a little shocked. Before Indie could reply however Noah turned bright red and walked away leaving the shell shocked pair completely stunned.