Page 34 of The Honor Society

“You’re a part of a bigger plan, and I already have a job for you. Stay safe. And don’t worry, I’ll be watching. If you get really lonely, you know where to find me. Axel isn’t the only man who knows how to make you scream.”

“I highly doubt you’d get as much as a sigh from me.” I say, eyes heavy.

He chuckles again. “You’re no fun, Charlie. Your body is mine remember? Use your hollow words on him all you want, but from here on out you will only ever belong to me.”

I rear back. “Fuck you!” I scramble away.

“There she is.” He laughs

“Nobody owns me!” I scream. How dare he!

“Correct.” His voice changes a bit losing some of its amusement. “But they need to believe I do.”

I freeze as a trickle of awareness washes over me. What does he mean by that?

“Anyone who thinks you’re under my protection won’t touch you. They won’t come fucking near you. Anyone stupid enough to try…” He pulls a knife from his coat. “Won’t get a second shot at trying.”

“Why would they care?”

“Because blood is currency Charlie, and in this world you’ve been asking the wrong question all along. Where does yours, you think, come from?”

My stomach drops. “I know where I come from. An unwanted family. A bastard daughter basically.”

“No, sweetheart. You know who raised you. You have no fucking clue, who’s already claimed you. Blood speaks better than time. And breaks whatever bonds you currently have.”

“But—”

He clicks the lighter one last time. “Confession time is over Charlie,” Something sharp pinches my neck. “Sleep.”

9

Fifteen Days Until The Convocation

AXEL

Of all the shitty things I’ve done in my life, this may be the shittiest. I tell myself I’m protecting her, I tell myself I’d rather be the broken one, and that last night was enough. I’m the best liar on the planet at this point, aren’t I?

It has to look real.

Feel real.

It has to be real for everyone to see her push me away, not only does it make me look less suspicious, it means The Proctor has marked her and I have no business being in her life. They’ll try to get close to her which gives Axel every reason to be gone and The Proctor every reason to get close until she’s sick of him.

She can never find out.

If she does.

She’ll hate me.

She’ll never forgive me for lying, because this sort of lying is different, and no matter the reason behind it, she won’t see it as black and white as I do. I lie she lives. I tell her, immediately Jude, Lilah, her, the whole operation is compromised.

All it would take would be a look in my direction or her leaning into The Proctor the same way she leans into Axel and someone witnessing it. I almost slipped up earlier, my responses were too fast, too sarcastic. I need to slow it down a few beats to convince her the monster beneath the mask should never be unveiled.

I’m back at the apartment, technically I’m the one who brought her back but she doesn’t know that. She’s sleeping off a nice little injection of ketamine, fuck that would be a nice nap right about now.

My phone goes off.

Jenner limps his way back into the room. “She’s starting to wake up, how many milligrams did you give her?”