The man leans closer and whispers in her ear. Even from here, I see the fear ripple violently through her body.
Her throat bobs. Then, slowly, she nods.
The man towering over her chuckles darkly behind his mask. He turns, gestures with his hand, and a nowterrified-looking Gabriella briefly glances at me with sheer panic in her eyes before she follows him through the side door.
Whatthe heck just happened?
I don’t have time to dwell on the question. One by one, the initiates leave with their Adepts.
…Until quite suddenly, I realize I’m alone in the room.
My heart skips in my chest, my clammy hands shaking at my sides. I rub my thumbs against my index and middle fingers as a tight knot forms in my stomach.
I turn, looking around the utterly empty room, wondering if maybe Vaughn decided that I could go screw myself concerning this whole thing. There’s no guards. No man in red with the staff. No other initiates or Adepts.
Nobody.
“You made agravemistake coming here tonight, Evelina.”
The gasp curdles and dies in my throat as I whirl to face him. Vaughn has appeared on the dais, staring right at me. He’s wearing a black Bauta mask adorned with venom-green filigree, like the others. But I still know it’s him. I can sense his eyes onme even though they’re lost in the shadows of the mask from this far away.
The knot in my stomach pulls tighter as he slowly steps from the dais and walks over until he’s right in front of me. I can see those icy blues now, stabbing into me and flaying my soul open.
“I…” I swallow heavily. “The invitation?—”
“I thought you’d be smart enough to ignore it,” he growls. His head slowly tips to the side. “Apparently I was mistaken.”
I shiver. “Vaughn?—“
“No.”
He interrupts me, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Don’t say my name,” he hisses. “I’m not your little friend’s brother here. You don’t know a fucking thingaboutme here. But you’re about to find out.”
I tremble, gasping quietly as he lifts his hand and wraps his fingers around my throat again, like that’s where they belong. My entire body twitches and tingles with nervous, terrified energy.
“Your safe word is midnight.”
Fear twists sharply inside me.
“My…” A tremble trickles down my spine. “Safe word?”
“Do you know what’s going to happen here tonight, Evelina?”
I’m freakingshaking, an uncontrollable tremor wracking my body. My throat bobs against his fingers and palm as I swallow, trying to slow my racing heart.
“My…my worst fears,” I croak. “You’re going to make me face them.”
Vaughn’s masked face is utterly devoid of any emotion as it cants to the side.
“And what is that?”
I go silent, and a low, dark chuckle rumbles from behind his mask.
“Follow me.”
He brushes past me and calmly walks toward another door at the back of the big banquet room. I'm rooted to the ground.
