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“W here is she now?” Her voice was calm. Was quiet. It was the same voice that had lured him in years back. Had coaxed to him and and whispered in his ears, filling his mind with venom and poison. Now, however, all it did was bother him.

“In the hospital.” He responded gruffly, twisting his hands behind his back, “I,” he paused, contemplating whether to continue when her eyes swiveled to face him, “Was this your doing?” he asked finally.

The woman leaned back in his seat, her hands on the handle of his chair, her long nails tapping insistently on the leather,

“What do you think?”

Tap, tap, tap.

He blinked, gritting his teeth in frustration as he took a seat in front of her,

“That I’m right.”

“You’re not.”

He jaw flexed, his handing clasping tighter as he tilted his chin to look at her. Under the night sky, her hair lit up like blood in the moonlight, something soft and wholly inhumane swirling around her. He blinked and turned his gaze away, unable to rid himself of the nagging feeling in his chest.

She was going to kill him, he knew, had known for a while, and was going to join hands with his son.

“I don’t have the funds or the people to pull off something so big.” She replied softy, her nails stopping on the leather, “But we can use this. ”

He looked back up, not having noticed his head been dropping. When he used to look at her, there used to be something angelic about the way her face was carved. The way she used to speak. Something beautiful.

Used to be…

“We should kill her.” He began, his dead amber eyes flashing with disdain, “While she lies on the bed. Just get it over with.”

“No.” she replied easily, never snapping, never angry, “We let it go on. Let’s see how it progresses.”

She looked at him now, her eyes unblinking as she stared through him, devouring his soul, “That man,” she began, “The one who’s lying in the hospital after getting caught at the ambush.”

He nodded, returning her calm look with his own glare. How foolish they had been. How cowardly that man had been. Getting caught under Raylene Walker’s foot like that.

“Arwan Lyall.”

“Let him start speaking.”

His eyes flashed, his fingers curling into a tight fist,

“The bastard will–”

The curve of her lips stopped him, the venom in that simple movement making him freeze as she leaned forward, her nails scraping down the leather,

“I said let him start speaking.” She said softly, “I never asked him to speak the truth.”

Understanding dawned upon him.

“Make him lie, darling.”

She turned away then, her eyes darkening with the disappearing moon ,

“Lies are what will save us in the end.”

“As they always have.” He said and she nodded, the smile widening as she echoed,

“As they always have indeed.”