“Who the hell are you?” a male voice snaps behind me, and I quickly turn around, a blow slams into my arm—my gun flies across the floor.
Then the man is on top of me, kicking my feet out from under me and grabbing me by the throat. Too fast. I wasn’t ready. A cultist masks stares at me as he squeezes the life from my body. In a scuffle, I pull off his mask, leaving his face bare.
A scowl on his face and a look of determination appear back. Then the front door swings open, and Jennifer and Molly come barreling through. A shot rings out, and I jolt as the cult member's blood splashes across my face, his body going limp on top of mine. Shit, this wasn’t the plan.
The girls rush past me and clear out the rest of the house, then come back to help me.
Molly kicks the man’s body off of me and holds out her hand.
“Thanks,” I mumble as she helps me stand. “Is there anyone else in the house?”
Jennifer shakes her head. “No, it would seem they left out the back door while we weren’t looking. Either that or the other member and the victim abandoned both of you when you guys started fighting. We lost them.”
I look at the man on the floor and let out a sigh. Then I lift his mask from the floor.
“What are you doing?” Jennifer asks.
I shake the mask in the air and say, “This is our trophy. One down, many more to go.” This is just the beginning.
Chapter 27
Ryven
The church is a sea of black—cloaks, shoes, masks. Shadows are in motion. I too, wear all black and my colored mask is over my face as I watch each member pass by.
Members from every district appear, stalking behind the door Cedric won’t let me cross. So I wait, like a loyal dog behind a closed door.
“The meeting will start in just a minute, so make sure you’re ready,” Cedric says, clapping a hand on my shoulder.
I nod and stand against the wall by the door. I’m supposed to just listen, sit outside and pick up scraps like a beggar. I’m nottoo sure what the point of this is, but I’ll do his bidding if it means I’ll learn any inside information about the council.
A loud bang sounds, like an anvil hitting a table just beyond the door, and people hush one another as the meeting starts. It’s louder out here than I anticipated. I can stand here more casually than expected and listen in on the meeting without looking like I’m snooping.
I can work with this.
As the meeting proceeds, multiple different voices sound. The people who decides who lives and who dies. One of which is Cedric’s. “He will be a good addition. I’ll vouch for him,” he states.
Who does he vouch for? What’s happening?I instinctively edge closer to the door to hear a little better.
“You say you’ll vouch for him, but you only gave him rank the other day. What the hell makes you think he’s capable of such a task?” a voice I’m unfamiliar with asks.
Someone inside clears their throat, and I listen harder to hear what happens next. “Ryven is one of my best. Loyal to the cause. Loyal to you, Your Majesty. Please take me for my word and trust me.”
He’s talking about me. What the fuck?He’s vouching for me with his life—and he couldn’t be more wrong.
Another voice speaks, lower and harder to make out. “If we are still losing members, someone is feeding information. A leak.”
I go still. That’s me.
“We’ve already lost three confirmed cells this month,” the voice continues. “The pattern is too precise. Too surgical. The rebels know more than they should.”
A pause. The tension behind that door could cut steel.
“If it continues, we’ll start vetting from the inside. High ranks included.”
Shit, no one is safe.
That’s the real reason Cedric wanted me here. Not to test my loyalty—to protect himself. He’s sweating just like the rest of them. One wrong whisper and the council will slit his throat to make a point.
