“This should not be discussed here.”
“There is no further discussion needed. It’s agreed, and she is worthy.”
The man hovering over me withdraws, and my body screams silently in relief. It’s only temporary though as another figure approaches. I can’t see his full face, but I see enough to know it’s my uncle this time. “How many men, besides Stewart and Baldwin, have been inside your body?” he asks.
I want to tell him to go to hell. That it’s none of his business, but I know I can’t. So, I adopt my mother’s bland emotionless look as I reply. “None.”
“How many other men have you had intimate sexual contact with short of penetration?” someone else asks.
“Why does that even matter?” I blurt before I can stop myself.
Tension bleeds into the air, and I can almost hear my mother berating me.
A meaty hand wraps around my throat, squeezing tight. “Answer the question. The next time you are disobedient, we will be forced to punish you. We would rather not do that before your ceremonial initiation.”
The hand leaves my throat, and I suck in a big lungful of air. “Only one,” I reluctantly reply.
“Name.”
I close my eyes before quickly blinking them open. I don’t want to admit this and have my mother know, but it doesn’t seem like lying would be in my best interests. Not if these men truly are all-seeing and all knowing. “Ares Haynes,” I quietly admit, hating my stepbrother with every facet of my being.
Complete silence greets my response. I wonder what this means for Ares and Chad. If they are in danger because of their involvement with me. I tuck that question away to ask Mom later.
“Hold still,” my uncle instructs. “No flinching. No nothing.”
I don’t know if he expects me to respond, but I don’t say anything, gulping nervously as they start chanting again. A soft rattling sound echoes in the eerie chamber as thick incense creeps over my body. Although it’s warm in this room, a sudden chill washes over me, hardening the tips of my nipples and adding to my humiliation.
Hands touch me all at once, and I bite down so hard on my lip I taste blood. Their fingers sweep over me as their chanting becomes louder. The words are in a language I don’t understand. Given their religious backstory, I wonder if it’s Latin. I can’t help flinching when hands land on my breasts and my pussy. I expect a reprimand, but their chanting increases in velocity. The hands don’t grope, they merely remain still on my most intimate parts, but it’s disgusting.
One of these men is my uncle, and one is my lover’s father.
I hold my breath, more scared than I want to admit even to myself.
I am going to kill Mom. She said they wouldn’t touch me.
To distract myself, I zone out, thinking about Jase and what today’s revelations mean for our future. I want him back now I know he was telling the truth and why. I love him, and he loves me. I’m going to fight now. To find a way to replace Julia as his intended because I won’t lose him to her.
I almost cry out in relief when the chanting stops and the hands disappear.
“This completes the first part of the process,” James says.
“Your body is ready. Now it is time to cleanse your mind,” Eric says.
“You will remain in this room overnight to bond with the spirits of our ancestors,” another man says.
“Open your mind and clear it of all preconceived notions,” the fourth man says.
“Let go of your past life, forgive yourself your sins and indiscretions, and emerge born anew, ready to begin this new life, to enter into the protection of The Luminaries,” James adds.
That is the biggest load of bull I have ever heard, and it’s quite possible these luminaries are insane.
Tender fingers release my wrists and ankles from the chains. “I will be back in the morning to prepare you for the ceremony,” my mother softly says, peering into my eyes and silently telling me to trust her.
She helps me off the table and guides me over to where the four men are lined in a row, fully cloaked, their heads slightly bent. Mom pushes me down onto my knees. “Bow before each Luminary, and thank him for his belief and support. Confirm you are ready to give them your loyalty and silence.”
You have got to be kidding me! Mom’s eyes bore into me, instructing me to do what I’m told.
It goes against my every instinct to obey, but I do it, bending my head and spouting the words before each Luminary. A hand on my head and acceptance guides me on to the next man until the charade is done.
