And Ronan whimpers, painfully awaiting a similar fate, but Lucian is evidently done with theatrics. With one wave of his hand, Ronan expires.
Lucian looks slightly weakened by the exertion, moving slowly to one of the remaining chairs and sinking down into it.
I look back at Julian and the other men who’ve joined us, my jaw tight and my threats anything but empty. “We thank you for fighting with us. But make no mistake, if you betray us and our purpose, we will kill you too.”
They nod, their eyes wide and humbled not just by me, I suspect, but by the spectacular display of Lucian’s speech and brotherly revenge.
“Find your fated mates and treat them well,” Rook adds. “You’ll be surprised how much better it will be to nourish what nature has given you. To extend fate’s destiny with your line.”
“Pack your things and leave!” Lucian says then, his voice a command none of them dares challenge. They leave the room in a blur of motion.
I round the chair to stand in front of Lucian, not with kindness, but with demands. I can appreciate and sympathize with his story, and today, he did the right thing. But there is right to be done. Penance to be paid.
Even at the threat of his certain overpowerment, I will not bow down. “I want your assurances that this is the end, Lucian. No more Selections. No more women forced into anything other than a bond of their destiny.”
“My Calloway.” He shakes his head, his mouth upturned in a proud smile. “I knew you were the one. In fact, I knew the Slaters were the only way.” He sighs. “Yes, as the de facto head of the Elite Council, I appoint the three of you as my replacements. You, Rook, and Kane are in charge now. I vow it.”
“Three blue-collar guys…head of the elite state. I’m sure everyone will love that,” Rook grumbles. “That’s not fucking happening, Lucian.”
Lucian just chuckles. “Of course, there will be pushback, Rook. And there will likely be other groups that seek to supersede you. As you know, our rule extends only along the East Coast. Globally, there are twenty-five other Councils that won’t be keen to bend to your rules.”
“We’ve fought our fight,” Kane argues. “The rest will be up to someone else.”
Lucian’s glowing green eyes flick between us, as if he already knows that’s not how it ends. As if he’s certain this is something we can’t say no to.
My jaw sharpens.I refuse to let myself fall victim to biting off more than I can chew. And I’m sure as shit not unknowingly stepping into another war just because Lucian has put us in an unwinnable situation.
“And these women?” I ask. “What will they do?”
Lucian pushes to standing, cracking his neck back and forth while a quiet exhale leaves his throat like he’s already tired of our answer.
“Come,” he says, motioning for us to follow. “Let’s discuss it in my office.”
Romy
Bright lights shine from the gate as it opens in front of us, and the bus pulls into a long, packed gravel drive. I shield my eyes against the onslaught of pupil-piercing brightness as the bus lets off the airbrakes and moves once again, standing from my seat and moving to the front.
My feet are bloody from running in heels for the first mile, and the soles, cracked from running the second when I took them off. My hair is disheveled and my makeup a mess, and the scrape on my palm from the fall I took climbing through the thorns at the edge of the road still stings.
But when the light fades and settles, the last sight I’d ever expect comes into view.
I swear, this is a drive I’ve made before.
A drive that brought me to hell three days ago.
A drive that ends at the place from which we just escaped.
The stonework is the same color and texture, and the still, quiet of fog over the grounds sends an eerie shiver down my spine.
It can’t be. Itcan’t.
Tears prick my eyes as overwhelm slams into me.
For some reason, instead of taking us to a secure location far away, the savior bus I was so sure of has brought us right back to the place we’ve spent the last two hours running away from, and who knows what monsters lurk.
The Elite Council? Punishment for our escape?
“What the hell is going on?” one of the other girls asks, her voice shrill and panicked, watching as we round the circle and the palatial front staircase comes into view. As the other women take notice, the volume of palpable fear on the bus only grows.
