ChapterOne
Ashley
“The vision our founding fathers had has gotten lost somewhere along the way,” Rhett—my despicable newly revealed bio dad—says, waving his hands around in an animated fashion as he explains his plan for world domination. His eyes are alight as he talks, and he reminds me of a cartoon character. The stereotypical villain with the menacing eyes and exaggerated dark chuckle. Except the man standing before me is no fictional creature. His grandiose plans are not the figment of some writer’s imagination. He truly believes the rhetoric, and he’s hell-bent on ruling the world.
A shudder ripples over my body as I contemplate how dangerous this man is and how precarious our situation is.
He is a bona fide psychopath with the resources, wealth, and contacts to make his dastardly plan come to fruition.
I don’t know how we are going to stop him, but we must try. He cannot be allowed to become Lord of The Luminaries.
I’m scoffing in my head, but the danger is very real.
“I am going to modernize our society and the world we live in. I will take the necessary action to eradicate those who drag our world down and hold us back from realizing our potential,” he says. His eyes continue to burn with enthusiasm and conviction. He most definitely buys into the bullshit he’s peddling. “Our founding fathers wanted to create egalitarian control, and that may have worked for a time, but it no longer serves our society well.”
“And will installing yourself as Lord of The Luminaries serve our society better?” Jase coolly asks, arching a subtle brow as he expertly hides his disdain and disbelief.
The Greed & Gluttony Luminary removed the tape from Bree’s and Jase’s mouths when he began explaining, so at least he’s giving them the opportunity to contribute to the conversation. We all know we’re pawns in this twisted game, and our contributions won’t make a difference, but at least we can question him about his intentions and leave here more informed than when we came in.
“I know it will.” Rhett puffs out his chest, stepping over the bullet-ridden body of his young lover on the ground.
Am I a bad person for feeling relieved Julia is dead? I feel a tinge of remorse for my thought, but I can’t summon much more than that. She tried to kill me. The throbbing pain in my skull and my aching body are testament to that fact. I have no doubt if Rhett had let her walk out of this crypt today she would have attempted to murder me again.
So, no, I don’t feel guilty for my thoughts.
Julia brought this on herself.
Rhett drags a chair over and places it in front of Jase. Flipping it front to back, he sits with his legs spread on either side of the chair as he eyeballs my ex-lover. “Spreading the power evenly across The Luminary families was a lofty ambition, but it’s been clear for some time that it’s not working. If it was, we wouldn’t have so much sin in the world. Increasingly, we disagree on how to run things, and our lack of cohesion is causing costly delays. My peers are too weak. They aren’t prepared to make the type of decisions our society needs to restore it to greatness. In our new world, I will have the controlling vote as president and Lord of the Luminaries. The four other Luminary positions will still yield considerable power, but they will work under my control and to my agenda. My word will be law, and no one will challenge me.”
He is legit insane, and he must be stopped.
“Four?” Bree interrupts, a frown marring her pretty face. “Don’t you mean three?”
Rhett shakes his head. “There was once an eighth sin. In the Middle Ages, it was referred to as ‘acedia.’ Today, it is what we know as despondency. This sin is an outlook of gloom and despair, a sense of utter hopelessness that one cannot come back from. This is the one sin that cannot be forgiven. The sense that one is damned eternally goes against Christian beliefs, and it challenges our God’s infinite capacity for forgiveness. It could be argued despond is the most heinous sin. The rising global suicide rates point to the seriousness of this sin. It requires sole focus. Despond and Sloth will be the ultimate ruination of our world, and it’s our responsibility as Luminaries to eradicate it before it destroys humanity. That is why I have been pushing for a fifth Luminary family.”
“It was you who started the separatist movement.” A muscle pops in Bree’s jaw.
“I did. I had no choice when the other Luminaries persistently refused to seriously discuss the creation of a new Luminary family who would have responsibility for Despond.”
“You cannot just create a Luminary family,” Mom says. Her voice is thick with exhaustion, and she’s struggling to keep her unswollen eye from shutting. “History says it is four, not five.”
Rhett reaches across Jase to grab Mom’s chin, tilting her face up and forcing her gaze on his. “You lack vision, Pamela. You always have. You would have made a terrible wife. I suppose I should thank you for being a manipulative cunt. I shudder at the thought of being tied to you for a lifetime.”
“News flash, asshole,” I hiss, spewing the words from my mouth before I stop to question the wisdom of them. “Youaretied to her for life through me.”
An icy chill pervades the air as he drops Mom’s face and swivels around to face me. His brown eyes blaze with anger, and I hate seeing my eyes on his face. Why couldn’t I have inherited Mom’s blue ones? I don’t want to share anything with this psycho. I am sick of the thought of his blood swirling through my veins. I project defiance as I stare at him, even knowing it’s not smart to poke the beast. But this asshole raped and beat my mom. He killed my dad. He kidnapped Chad and handed him over to his sicko wife.
Pain presses down on my chest, and I work hard to swat it away.
I hate him, and I don’t care in this moment if he reads it on my face.
His fingers curl around my chin with more tenderness than I was expecting. The angry lines on his face and the poison in his eyes fade as he pins me with a soft look. “You have so much spirit, and you are loyal. Qualities I admire, so I will overlook your words and your tone. This time.” His fingers tighten on my chin, and he tips my head back.
The throbbing in my skull spikes. An involuntary whimper flees between my lips as I am reminded I have a concussion and a bruised body.
“You’re hurting her,” Jase snaps, sending daggers at Rhett with his eyes. “Let her go.”
Rhett releases me, turning to face Jase again. “Your loyalty to my daughter is commendable, Jason. It’s one of the reasons I approve of you for her. But that does not give you the right to make demands of me. Watch who you are speaking to.”
