"Piper," I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you take a moment? Let me speak with Morpheus and find out what he knows."
Piper's angry gaze shifted from Morpheus to me. "You want me to leave?"
I stepped closer to her, lowering my head down to her level. "The blood lust in your face is nothing like the emotions I am getting from you right now." Piper's eyes widened, and she ducked her head as if to hide. "Are you not moment's away from defying my orders?"
She wouldn't meet my gaze, her fingers tightening around the stake in her hands.
"Give it to me." I held my hand out.
Piper pulled her lower lip between her teeth, and her lids flipped up to show me the depths of her hate for the vampire before us. "No."
"Do not make me take it from you," I warned her, my own hand wrapping around the one holding the stake. Piper's eyes locked with mine for a moment longer, and for a second, I thought she might fight me on it before she nodded slightly, her hand releasing the stake into mine. "Thank you."
She didn't respond and simply stalked out of the room. Marcus followed after her without a word, as did Allister.
"Where are you going?" His twin called after him. "Don't you want to know why the council framed you?"
Allister shook his head. "No. I know I'm innocent and if they want to hurt us, take us down, they'll do it without me knowing all the details. Just figure out what we're going to do about it before we lose everything."
Draconius turned his gaze back to me and shrugged.
Sliding one hand into my pocket, I gestured with the other hand toward the couches. "Shall we? You might as well get comfortable. This may take a while."