The Descendants Series Vol. 2

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

 “Rayney Cooper.  How nice it is to see you again,” he said.

“Kendric Slayter,” I said through my teeth.  “You’re the one in charge of everything?”

“It’s still Mr. Slayter to you, even though it has been seven years,” he said, laughing.  “And yes, I am in charge around here.  I have been ever since the Directrix took over.”

“Kade thinks you’re dead,” I said.  “How come you haven’t tried to track him down?”

“Rayney, sweetheart, I haven’t taken my eyes off of him for the past seven years,” he said.  He walked toward the table.

“Do not call me sweetheart,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

He laughed, walking toward me.  He ran his hand over my hair.  “You’ve certainly have changed over the years, haven’t you?” he mused, and ran his finger down my scar.  I jerked away from him. 

“A lot of people have changed,” I said.  “And that’s all because of you and your men.  If it weren’t for you, everything would probably be okay right now.”

“That’s why I’ve brought you here,” he said, walking back to the front of the table.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I need you to do something for me.  Just a small thing really,” he said.

“Nothing is ever ‘small’ for the Directrix,” I said.

“You’re certainly right,” he said, smiling again.  “If you do not do this for me, everything will go up in flames.”

“I love your choice of words.  They’re kind of ironic, since everything has already gone up in flames,” I said.

“You see, Rayney, this is important,” he said.  “And if you do this, I’ll let you have your sister.”

I was silent then, eyes wide, realizing what he’d just said.  He knew that I was looking for Rowan.  He had to.  She was probably the only thing that he knew that I would do anything for, besides Lyric or Kade or anyone else I loved.

 “You know where she is?” I asked.

He smiled.  “Of course,” he said, and chuckled.  “She’s only right down the hallway from us right now, locked up.  The same way she’s been for seven years.”

“You’ve had her for that long?” I whispered.  How could they keep her locked up for seven years? 

“Yes.  Only after we killed the man who had took her away from your family a year after she was born, away from you.  He was such a good man, did everything we told him to do.  It was a shame we had to kill him.”

“So you were the one who took her,” I said.

“We couldn’t let you two be together, could we?  We couldn’t let you two know what you were capable of, what you would be able to do together.”

“You know about everything?”

“It’s our job to know everything,” he said.  “Now, on to what I need you to do…”

“I’m not doing it,” I said.  “I’ll get her out another way.  I’m not working for you.”

“Who said I was even giving you a choice…?” 

“I’m making the choice here!” I yelled.  “And I’m not doing whatever you want me to do!  How could you?  How could you kidnap Rowan when we were just babies?  We wouldn’t have been able to do anything then!”