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And stupid.

Ready for it, I easily sidestep his quick punch, and then I deliver my own. A swing straight into the man’s jaw. I feel his bones crush against my knuckles as the floorboards shudder under my feet. My fist meets his face with a satisfying crack.

My opponent rocks on his feet, dazed from the power of the punch, and then, like a thick tree trunk falling in the forest, he collapses backward.

Bam. Down onto the ground.

Out before we even begin.

I stand above him, expressionless. There’s no need to continue.

“Please... don’t...”

His words stumble out of his mouth as he looks up pleadingly at me. Stunned. Shaking.

A lifetime of training... years of pain... everything I’ve become... to bring me here to this very spot, and all it needed was one punch?

What a mess.

Out of the shadows, Elder Leopold Anguish emerges, clapping slowly at my triumph. His expensive citrus cologne fills the surrounding air. He’s a senior leader of the Castaways and the patriarch of the Anguish family. A well-respected venture capitalist whose family owns one of the most famous hotel chains on the planet.

I don’t like him. He doesn’t like me.

“Well done, young man,” Leopold purrs. “One strike? That’s impressive, young sir. Very impressive.”

He’s trying to act cool and all-knowing, but I still catch the surprise in his eyes. He thought this was going to be a more even bout. In his sixties, Leopold’s light blond hair is slicked back. He’s fit for his age. Slender.

“Thank you, Elder Anguish.”

My voice is flat. I’ve done my job.

“But don’t celebrate yet. You’re still not a member of the Castaways. There is still one final ritual to undertake before you can be initiated.”

I take a step back as men scramble to pull my former opponent away from the center of the room as he sobs in self-pity.

“I know what’s next,” I reply to Leopold. “The nearly impossible task every initiate has to do.”

The Elder smiles.

“Yes, it has been called that. Nearly impossible. How fitting. It’s a task that will put you to the test, different for every Castaways initiate. Tailored by us Elders to unravel your true character. Do you think you’re ready for it?”

My knuckles burn. Adrenaline still courses through my veins. I taste iron at the back of my throat. The Elder has deliberately not given me a moment to process what’s just happened.

“Yes. I am.”

What could it be? To kill? To seduce? To blackmail? I’ve heard tales of them all. It doesn’t matter what the Order requires me to do. I’m prepared for anything.

“I like your boldness, Mr. Cote,” Leopold remarks. “Remember the Code of the Castaways? We are always watching. We’ve studied you. We know your weakness. And we have it ready for you now.”

I blink.

Ready now?

As if answering my thoughts, Leopold turns to a man by the door to the ritual room.

“Bring her in.”

There’s a commotion on the other side of the door. A yelp. A scuffle.