Who the fuck was that Lord and why was he with my girl? Was it meant to go down this way? Was she supposed to have led him to me? I have to find her.
“Let’s go.” Adam claps his hands.
FOUR
KASHTON
INITIATION
One of them
Senior year at Barrington University
It’s hot. I’m sweating and my skin is blazing from the heat coming from the nearby fire.
I’ve been tied to this wooden post for quite some time. The slightest movement feels like splinters in my back.
My arms are secured behind me. I’ve tried to untie it, but it’s useless. My ankles are tied to the post and so is my neck.
They’re either going to burn me at the stake or brand me.
The hood is yanked from my head, and I blink rapidly to adjust to the sun beating down on me. A quick glance tells me that I’m in the courtyard with my three brothers. And the firepit before me tells me we’re about to be branded.
“Lords,” a man says. “Today is the day that you take your oath. And with that oath comes great responsibility.”
I look up, scanning the balconies, and see all the Lords gathered to watch. Not a single one in a cloak or mask. They get to be seen today. To watch the next generation take their spot in the society.
“As a Spade brother, you will be the ones who must punish those who disobey their oath. You will show them that we do not take our life for granted. You are their jury and executioner. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” the four of us answer.
The Lord nods and steps away from the firepit. The smoke makes my eyes burn, and I hear Adam coughing as he chokes on it.
My father appears in front of me, and he looks just as disappointed as hedoes angry. He never wanted me to make it this far. “Kashton Landon Pierce, you have completed all your trials of initiation. Do you wish to proceed?”
I want to laugh in his face, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. “I do, Father,” I answer through gritted teeth. It’s the closest to acceptance he’s going to get from me.
His face tightens when he speaks. “A Lord must be willing to go above and beyond for his title. He must show strength and have what it takes. If you fail your position as a Lord, your brother will take what you earned.”
They’re the only ones I’d allow to kill me.
He turns and walks to the firepit, picking up one of the brands. When he returns, he shoves a rag into my mouth, forcing the back of my head into the wooden post I’m tied to.
“Kashton Landon Pierce,” he begins, “welcome to the Lords. For you shall reap the benefits of your sacrifice.”
My entire body tenses as he shoves the hot brand into my sweat-covered chest, and I bite down on the rag in my mouth.
If my existence makes him angry, then I will vow my life to make him miserable.
FIVE
EVERETT
Eight years old
My father ushers me into the room with his fingers digging into my upper arm. He shoves me into a seat and orders, “Stay.”
Where am I going to go? I don’t even have shoes on.
