“Really.”
“You have no idea how much I’ve waited to hear those words,” I murmur, the honesty raw and painful. “Now say it again.”
She does, her voice a beautiful whisper.
“Again,” I demand.
“I love you, Xavier Donovan.”
“Fuck, I can’t get enough. Again.”
Delilah laughs. “How many times is enough for you?”
“The limit does not exist.”
Chapter 42
XAVIER
The cold December air bites at my skin as I stand among the other recruits, all of us gathered in a clearing deep in the woods. My hoodie falls off when I lift my head, my gaze pointed toward the fraternity miles away where Delilah sleeps. A vision of her fills my mind, and a renewed sense of purpose rises.
Along with a sense of dread.
The McKenzie heir will be dead soon if I don’t figure out a way to save his life—while preserving my own. My father won’t tolerate failure. That is the only thing I know for certain.
Well, that and the fact that Delilah will hate me after this, no matter what I do.
The moonlight casts shadows on the ground, and the tall skeletal trees loom, their branches clawing at the sky. The frost-covered grass beneath my boots is hard, and a crunching noise hits the air every time I shift my weight. Beside me are Benjamin and Declan, their expressions neutral.
Tonight, we’re not wearing physical masks, but have donned mental ones to protect our thoughts. The third and final Triallies before us. For some of the men here, this is the last time they’ll see the moon.
The head of the Gage family claps his hands together. Everyone present, even the other leaders of the founding families, turns their attention to him. His son, Eric, stands a little straighter, his ever-present scowl in place.
“Recruits, welcome to the final test of your initiation,” the council member says, his voice echoing in the clearing as he gestures to an opening in the ground. A pair of wooden doors have been unlocked and opened, providing a glimpse of the stairwell that leads underground into nothing but darkness. “Tonight, you will enter these tunnels as recruits and emerge as crows, finally worthy to join our ranks within the Order.”
Eric scoffs loudly before muttering, “Only some of us will.”
Although he waves a hand to silence his son, Gage smirks in approval. “The past three years have not been easy. We’ve pushed you to your limits, tested your strengths, and exposed your weaknesses. Tonight, that resilience, along with the skills you’ve obtained through training, will be your greatest assets.”
Benjamin stiffens, his shoulders rising with tension. Declan glances at me, and I nod, communicating that I’m ready for whatever comes. I have too much to live for to die tonight.
“Inside these tunnels, you will encounter challenges designed to test everything you’ve learned.” Gage gestures to the dark maw of the entrance behind him. “You will know you’ve successfully completed the Trial when you locate the door marked with the symbol of a crow. You must reach it before dawn, although not all of you will live long enough to find it. Such is the way of the Order: it does not tolerate the weak and foolish.”
His tone is colder than the winter air, his threat as clear as glass. My objective remains the same: keep me and Benjamin alive.
Gage looks to my father and Declan’s, and the three council members share a weighted look. My father clears his throat, and I clench my jaw in preparation.
“Remember the rules,” he says. “No killing unless it’s in self-defense. Everything else is permissible. Recruits, your time begins in five…”
My eyes narrow. Self-defense?
“Four…”
I look to Declan to confirm whether or not he finds this minor addition suspicious. He gives me a solemn nod, indicating I’m not alone in suspecting sabotage from other recruits.
“Three…”
“Stay close,” I whisper to Benjamin. He swings his gaze to me, giving me a full view of the anxiety coursing through him.
