“No.” The denial is silent as I mouth the word, my voice muted in horror.
Xavier holds the tongs away from us as he reaches down to palm my throat. He rests his forearm against my chest, keeping me still. My heart pounds so loudly I wonder if he can feel its pulse on his skin.
He strokes the side of my neck, his tender caress not visible to those around us. I stare up at him, bewildered and trembling. He leans down and whispers in my ear, his voice shaking. “Forgive me.”
Before my next breath, he shifts and presses the ring into my shoulder. His face becomes a blur as the smell of burning flesh hits the air. Pain sears me, traveling along every nerve-ending I possess and sparking them with agony.
I open my mouth to scream, but the pain is too great. It’s like a collar on my throat, cinching it off from speech and oxygen.
Xavier removes the ring from my skin before ripping off the glove. I can’t pay attention to him as the burning sensation continues. A high-pitched ringing echoes in my ears and I clench my teeth until my temples throb, refusing to cry out.
Although I can’t stop my tears from falling.
He enters my line of sight, his features slowly coming into focus as he takes my face between his hands. I blink away the tears to clear my vision, unsure if I’m imagining the trembling of his fingers against my skin.
Through the mask, he stares down at me. His eyes are liquid silver, swirling with torment and something else. Something too deep and intense for me to decipher.
“Votum meum tibi1,”Xavier says, keeping his focus on me. His voice drifts over me like a stream of cool water, but underneath it is a raging sea, trying to pull me into its void.
The council member clears his throat and steps forward. I want nothing more than to close my eyes and escape reality for a single moment of reprieve, but I don’t. I push past the pain radiating from my shoulder and glare up at the older man.
He ignores me to stare at Xavier, his eyes narrowed behind the mask. “Speak your vow tome, recruit.”
Xavier’s entire body goes rigid, and his hands briefly grip my face before he lets them fall away. Slowly, he straightens to hisfull height and meets the gaze of the council member, head held high. The look in his eyes almost makes me forget about my injury.
It’s not an oath, but a promise of death.
The council member doesn’t move. He watches Xavier, his eyes squinted in irritation. Then his gaze flits to me.
“Say the vow again,” he says, his words a sneer. “And this time, do it correctly, or you can start the ritual over.”
My skin prickles with fear and dread, mixing in with the ongoing pain. Is he serious? I look to Xavier, trying to gauge if he’s going to brand me again. I can’t go through that without giving them what they want. My fear is running rampant.
The seconds tick by, each one feeling like an eternity has passed. Finally, Xavier juts his chin, an act of defiance.
I wilt internally and fist my hands at my sides. I’m screwed.
“Votum meumilli2,” Xavier says.
The older man stiffens. After a moment’s hesitation, he replies. “Votum tuum receptum est.3”
I bite the inside of my cheek, unsure what transpired through the exchange. Did Xavier subdue the man’s aggression or stoke it even further? And what does that mean for me?
So many questions and fuck all answers.
1 My vow to you.
2 My vow toher.
3 Your vow is accepted.
Chapter 30
DELILAH
My shoulder pulses angrily, and my muscles tremble with the effort it takes to lie still. I don’t want to draw any attention to myself while in this vulnerable position. Who knows what other fucked up things they want to do to me?
The council member turns to face the gathered recruits, his rigid posture easing minutely to something less hostile. The lingering tension hovering in the air is met with silence. I scan the audience, noting that no one is clapping or cheering like they did when June was branded. It tugs at my curiosity, but I ignore it when the cloaked stranger begins talking.
