As well as a psychopath.
It’s nothing new.
The Master of Ceremonies conducts a quick wedding ceremony. When he says, “You may kiss the bride,” Ares pecks Bree on the cheek, both of them clearly uncomfortable.
“You must kiss her on the lips,” Carter says, and I imagine sticking a knife between his shoulder blades.
Ares presses an awkward kiss to Bree’s lips as Jase links his fingers in mine under the table.
“Happy?” Ares snarls, glaring at Carter before glancing in my direction. I keep a neutral expression on my face. It’s only one fleeting kiss, and it doesn’t matter.
Rhett takes over from the MC, conducting a shortened initiation ceremony. He has Ares kneel and repeat the same vows I did the day at the crypt, first in Latin, and then in English. The MC passes around a gold chalice, and we take turns making incisions in our palms and dropping some of our blood inside. After we have all drunk from the chalice, Rhett announces Ares is now a Luminary. I’m surprised I wasn’t asked to fuck him in front of everyone. As the only other woman in the room—Bree can’t do it as Ares’s wife—I had anticipated it was coming. But Rhett makes no mention of that or the branding part of the ritual, and no one raises the topic.
The final part is the anointment of them as the Pride & Wrath Luminary and his wife, which the MC conducts.
Eric Stewart passes around Band-Aids, and we all apply them to the cuts in our palms.
After everyone is seated again, Carter hands out more paperwork. No one can say he didn’t come prepared. “That is the proposed communication announcement. Please read it and confirm if you agree. We need to get ahead of this now before rumors start.”
Jase and I read it together. It’s pretty basic. Just confirming Manford’s and Salinger’s arrests for high treason and the new appointments.
“What about Salinger Finance & Investment Banking Ltd. Who will take over as CEO in Walter’s place?” Eric Stewart asks after we have all approved the memo for distribution within Luminary circles.
“Ares and I will speak with the board after Christmas and ask them to appoint an interim CEO while Ares is being trained to take over his family business.”
Ares opens his mouth—to tell him to go fuck himself, I assume—but then he clamps his lips shut again. Thoughts of Lili overrule any natural reaction he just had.
Carter purses his lips and looks down the table at Ares. “Do you have something to say?”
Ares smirks at him as he leans back in his seat. “What about my name?”
“You read the communication. Your birth name is Blade Salinger, and that is the name you will go by. We’ll sort out your official paperwork in due course.”
“What about our branding?” Bree asks.
“That will be taken care of before you all leave,” Carter says, proving he has left no stone unturned. Rhett looks over at one of the guards standing by the door. “You can let our first guest in.”
I suck in a gasp when Chad is led into the room. He looks furious and rattled. I get up and go to him immediately, pulling him into a hug. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
He shakes his head before taking my hand.
“What is going on?” Jase asks.
“He needs to swear the oath and be initiated into the Sloth Luminary unless you’d prefer his life to be at risk?” Carter gloats as he runs a hand through his hair. The prick could have told us this was all going down.
“Let’s just get it over with,” Chad says.
Jase and I stand beside him as the Master of Ceremonies conducts the short ceremony, and just like that, Chad is one of us. I’m a little confused over exactly what his status is as you can’t be initiated into a Luminary family unless you are blood. Carter previously mentioned the possibility of Chad being initiated into a master’s family, and my dad was brought in as an expert. Rhett didn’t conduct an initiation like he just did with Ares, so I’m not sure how this works or if it’s legit within the Luminary world, but if it protects Chad and means I can keep him, I’ll keep my mouth shut.
At least for now.
“Is that it?” Ares asks, drumming his fingers on the table. “Can we go?”
“We have one last matter to attend to.” Carter snaps his fingers at the guard by the door. “Escort our last guest inside.”
Chad turns rigidly still at my side, and Jase turns his head, feeling his reaction too, before the door is even opened.
But when it is, I understand.
