“They’re just memories. Things that happened in our past, when we were still close,” I said. “I don’t know what they mean.”
“Hm. Well, the gods do send messages to us in dreams,” Alexei offered. “Perhaps there’s something you can learn from revisiting those times.”
“I don’t understand what they want me to know,” I said in frustration.
Alexei shrugged. “You say that Elijah changed, that he was a good person and then he became bad, but maybe that isn’t true. Maybe the evil was always there, underneath what you experienced, and you looked away. Perhaps you did not wish to see it.”
Professor Victor called the room to attention then, cutting our conversation short.
Alexei’s words stirred sadness in me. Was he right, and I had put on rose-colored glasses all these years when it came to Elijah, ignored the signs and pretended he was the best shifter I’d ever known, even when the reality was right in front of me?
I remembered Truda. She had died after the priestesses and the cathedral had refused to help her. She had begged me to help, and I didn’t, because Elijah had convinced me not to. Part of her death was on my head.
Elijah’s manta scarred me. I didn’t think Malovia needed to accommodate outliers, either.
Until I became the outlier.
“How could I have been so foolhardy?” I asked. “I think back, and don’t understand how I continued to look the other way.”
Alexei took a breath and said, “We make excuses, for the people we love.”
That much was true. Some part of Elijah’s behavior had always been abysmal, even at the best of times. I’d attributed it to the fact that none of us were perfect, and we all made mistakes.
Yet Elijah never acknowledged his. That should’ve been my first clue things weren’t as they seemed. I admitted he wasn’t perfect. He never did.
Professor Victor cleared his throat then, and said, “I suggest you take very clear notes. I won’t be slowing down, and we have a lot to cover today.”
There was the shuffling of papers, and Victor turned a page in his book. “Today we’ll be learning about the psychology of cults. How they get started, how they remain powerful, and why people come to join them.”
Alexei cocked his head in interest, and I leaned forward. This might be interesting. It could help us discover more about the Black Claw, and how to infiltrate it in order to gain the griffin stone.
“As we all know, the fae have had their problems with cults in the past, most notoriously the Black Claw, which is a group of pro-Unseelie radicals who believe themselves to be descended from the dark fae, despite their extinction years ago,” Victor said. “The Black Claw is a supernatural faction. But there are some similarities the Black Claw shares with all cults that are very particular to remain aware of.”
The Unseelie fae weren’t quite extinct— there were a lot of half-bloods running around in Dolinska such as Emma and I, I was certain of it. But how many members of the Black Claw were actually part Unseelie? I couldn’t be sure.
“There are many misconceptions about cults,” Victor began. “People believe that cultists dress and behave in a strange way, that cults are full of mentally unstable people. But increasingly, studies show that cults are composed of intelligent and skilled people who have been manipulated to put the cult’s best interests ahead of their own. In fact, the most successful cults are difficult to spot. They blend in with society, and act in such a way that it puts potential victims at ease. They are good at pretending to be normal, and relatable.”
Victor tapped his book. “What defines a cult is the concept of mind control. Now, this isn’t a spell, or a magical device that takes away a person’s free will. Rather, this is the twisting of that free will through psychological techniques. They deceive, acting under the impression that they are making a better world for its members. For example, the Black Claw operates under the illusion that they wish to make a fair and just world, one where Unseelie descendants can live and practice dark magic freely without fear of persecution. But once you join, the goal is twisted. The cult will act exclusive, insisting that their way is theonlyway. The Black Claw insists that joining them is the only way to live as an Unseelie fae, because to exist openly otherwise would cause them to be discriminated against; therefore, there is strength in numbers.”
Victor sat up. “A cult is much like an abusive relationship in that the cult members attempt to control you using a persona of love. They will manipulate your relationships with your family, your friends. In the beginning, when one joins a cult, they will feel as if they’ve found a caring family, someone who understands them. They will surround you with loving members of the group that you won’t want to leave, then, once you’re thinking of exiting the cult, the leaders will threaten to terminate these relationships if you don’t do as you’re told.”
Alexei was getting very uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat next to me, as if Victor’s words were difficult to hear.
“You okay?” I whispered.
Alexei frowned. “His lecture is really hitting home.”
I didn’t understand what he meant. Alexei’s gaze was steely as Victor went on.
“In a cult, everything is controlled. Outside information is forbidden and considered evil. Anything that does not come directly from the cult is a lie,” Victor said. “Members in the cult are encouraged and rewarded when they report on each other for having thoughts and feelings that go outside the cult’s teachings. They keep members so busy with cult activities and meetings, they are too tired to think about their situation. Often, a cult member’s finances, time, and relationships are wrapped up in the cult itself, and therefore, they have great consequences for considering leaving.”
Alexei was fidgeting again. It was like he couldn’t sit still. His face had gone quite pale. I worried he would pass out.
“Fear and intimidation are two very useful tools to cults. Once you get to a stage of fear, it is very difficult to leave a cult. In the Black Claw, disagreeing with the acolytes who lead their dark ceremonies is akin to disobeying Droga himself, a sign you disagree with the gods. Punishments and threats are doled out. A cult will tear down and demolish an individual’s character until they no longer have a sense of who they are. By this point, leaving a cult is extremely difficult. Those that do manage to escape have typically lost everything. They have to start their lives completely over, and for too many, this is too daunting a task to undertake. So they remain in the cult, and the cycle goes on.”
Nicoli raised a hand. “Why would someone want to join a cult when there’s so many consequences?” he asked. “It seems obvious to avoid these types of groups.”
“But it’s not,” Victor retorted. “Many people who are in cults are completely unaware that they’re a part of one. People are never given full information about the cult from the beginning, and don’t realize how far in they are until it’s too late.”
