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He jerks me, causing me to grunt. “Speak up. I can’t hear you.”

“I said,” I grit out through clenched teeth as he painfully digs his fingers into my lower back. “Ready to be burned,” I repeat more slowly this time.

My head is pulled backwards by my hair and Samuel’s face is inches away from mine. “It’s too late for you, sinner. In a few hours, you will be mine, wearing a white dress or not, covered in blood or not, I don’t care.”

I click my teeth in his direction which makes him jerk back, and I grin. A low hum starts in the room, and the red lights slow their journey around, finally stopping and gathering on me and Samuel.

“Looks like you already started the ritual for me, anyway.” He grins as the hum gets louder and louder, eyes pointedly looking at me up and down.

Ritual?

I’m temporarily flooded with confusion as he pulls away then spins me back into him.

The hum grows and Samuel lifts my chin towards him. His eyes are dark, a vicious smile on his face. “Are you ready to become my wife?”

“Eat shit,” I spit, swiftly pulling the dagger from the belt and stabbing it into his stomach. Blood seeps out onto his shirt as he begins stumbling backwards, his mouth open and eyes wide. He attempts to speak, but a sea of blood spills out of his mouth instead. Grabbing hold of the knife, Samuel attempts to pull it out, only causing the blood to begin slowly waterfalling out and I begin walking him backwards.

“You will never lay a hand on me again, you piece of shit,” I growl as he sputters blood out of his mouth and onto my face, but I don’t care. People part as I continue pushing him and twisting the knife. “You and your corrupt buddies are dying tonight.” I laugh lowly as he stumbles into a chair, my frame now hovering over him. “Not the ending you thought it would be, is it?” His mouth moves up and down as he attempts to speak, but can’t, and satisfaction floods over me as his eyes begin closing. “All those years of your attempts to rape me led you right here. How does it feel?”

He gurgles, his hands falling from mine and I drop my own, leaving the knife half lodged in his stomach. The slower he bleeds out the better.

“Jordan Clarence!” My mother’s growl cuts through the hum as she stands from her chair at the dais. “You fucking demon spawn!”

The hum doesn’t stop; no one but the clergy has noticed what happened—based on their horrified faces. But I do. Their chanting doesn’t sound human anymore. It sounds like something ancient and evil crawled into their throats and has taken a hold of them.

A ritual.

My breaths squeeze my chest and everything seems to blur as I take in the scene around me. I don’t know where to look. The hooded figures seem to be closing in on me, but I’m dizzy, and I can’t tell.

Samuel’s shirt deepens in colour as blood soaks him and spills onto the floor. That’s when I notice the black markings, but I can’t see them clearly enough to make anything out.

A pair of frantic hands land on my shoulders. “Jordie!” Kain’s voice fades in, pulling me into the present. “We need to go.”

I nod, and we push our way through the members. They’re all in a trance, completely oblivious to what just happened.

“Where’s Asher and Blake?” I rush out, taking another look into the ballroom that has now become a ritual chamber.

“They’re already on their way. Come on.” He drags me by my hand and practically shoves me out of a side exit into the small forested area. I grip onto his hand for dear life, kicking my heels off as we bolt towards the front of the castle, sticks and debris cutting at my feet, my dress blowing behind me.

He throws me inside the car and jumps into the driver’s seat as I close the door before he locks it.

The window is completely smashed. “What happened?”

“Later,” he pants as he wastes no time in revving the engine and speeding out of the courtyard. Only the red glow coming from the ballroom windows is present as the castle fades out of view and the car fills with both of our panicked breathing.

32

Kain

Woodland crunches beneath the tyres as I park next to Asher and Blake’s bikes. The ride here was silent. Not that any words were needed. As much as we both knew the truth, neither of us expected what we just saw. Jordan’s vacant eyes stare right ahead at the near-finished warehouse. A low yellow glow from inside lights up her fresh blood splattered face.

“Holy shit,” she whispers, her lips barely moving.

“Did you see what was—” My stomach clenches, threatening bile to rise up. “Did you see what was on those platters?”

She nods, squeezing her eyes shut.

I sigh. “Hey,” I say softly, guiding her chin up to face me. She bites her lip. “Look at me.”