He came to my side and ran the knife’s edge along my cheek. “This woman committed betrayal against a Son,” he stated loudly. “What becomes of those who betray or deceive a Son?”
The masked men chanted, “Death.”
I relaxed my body, rolling my shoulders back, as a silent prayer left my lips. Looking up, I stared my mother down. She tried to avert her gaze, but it kept finding its way back to mine.
My father pointed the knife at the men. “You sure we can’t take her in the woods? There’s a small river there. Just a little water is all I need.”
“No,” my stepfather stated, voice firm and final as he moved in closer. “We already risked too much by bringing you here. You have the girl. Kill her.”
My father nodded, his brow creased in displeasure at that answer. I almost expected him to try to kill my stepfather so he could get what he wanted.
But he didn’t. He only circled the chair to stand before me. His voice was a soft murmur as he said, “Hush, little baby…”
I winced but didn’t beg for mercy.
As he drew his arm back, the knife ready to plunge through my chest, the door opened.
Forty-Five
Enzo
This chamber waswhere Sons punished those who’d crossed them. A Son could bring a victim here who’d wronged them and deliver their consequence.
It wasn’t here for a killing free-for-all, and it had rules. Only those who had truly wronged us could be punished here. Four other Sons or Elders had to approve the punishment beforehand. Innocent people couldn’t be brought down here for slaughter.
Each punishment had to mean something.
Had to correct a sin.
My Fawn didn’t commit sins.
The robed men blocked my view from the center of the room, but that didn’t stop my brain from spiraling, from knowing my Fawn was in danger. Surrounded by wolves I needed to slaughter.
The circle broke, and all eyes behind the masks turned toward me when I walked deeper into the chamber. Quickly, I counted eight masked men. My attention slid from them to the three unmasked people.
The vice president and two faces I didn’t recognize.
Though I saw the similarities they shared with Blair.
I took calm strides toward the group, and they parted, but the three still obstructed my view of who was in the middle.
The vice president’s back straightened, and he scooted closer to the woman. “Enzo. What are you doing here?”
I leveled my hateful stare on him. “I’m looking for my Fawn. Have you seen her?”
The fucker visibly gulped, and his false exterior of being a strong man cracked along with that.
My gaze slipped from him to the woman.
Her long black hair and that nose told me who she was.
A doe who didn’t protect her Fawn.
She was a pathetic, low-grade version of my Fawn, who didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.
And if she’d hurt my Fawn, her chances of doing that for long were slim. The same with all these fuckers.
“Your Fawn has betrayed one of us,” the vice president had the nerve to say.
