Page 49 of Revenant

“As good as can be expected. The new recruits seemed thrilled to be in the society, a tad freaked that the scary stories they were told growing up were, in fact, real. But don’t worry, I calmed Alicent down in no time,” I probe, schooling my features.

“What do you mean?” he inquires, trying to keep his voice even, but I know it’s making him tense.

“She had a bit of a panic attack, nothing a little alone time in the tunnels couldn’t fix.” The wink I throw his way tips him over the edge.

“That’s just great, Bas. Take advantage while she’s vulnerable. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“You have it all wrong. I was simply an innocent bystander. She took advantage of me. Where’s the outrage on my behalf?” Pryce rushes at me, but I quickly put him in a chokehold before he can do something he’ll regret.

“Bastian, must you taunt him?” Koen asks, pouring himself a drink.

“It’s so much more fun that way, isn’t it?” I release Pryce, his anger still palpable. “Relax. You’ll be happy to know she gave me the cold shoulder the entire time.” I walk over to the couch, propping my feet up on the coffee table. “I don’t mind. I like the chase. Makes reaching the finish line that much more exciting.”

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” Pryce fumes, taking a drink out of the crystal bottle, not even bothering with a glass.

“What’s it to you, pretty boy? Your new plaything already boring you?”

“Don’t you fucking start with that, Bas—”

“Both of you, enough!” Elias yells, silence washing over the room. Eryx saunters in, bypassing the fridge.

“Mind tossing me a bag? I’ve worked up quite the appetite.”

“Bastian, give it a rest,” Koen says, getting up and grabbing us both a blood bag since Eryx has a stick up his ass.

It tastes like acid going down—everything does since tasting her. “So, what’s the deal tonight? Heard there was an outing I wasn’t privy too.”

“There’s not,” Eryx says bluntly, leaning against the counter like he’s surveying the room.

“There is. Apparently Alicent’s going out tonight, and I figured what better way to make amends.” I finish the rest of the bag, trying to keep my composure even though I want nothing more than to get it out of my system.

“Where?” Pryce asks, a bit of an edge in his tone.

“We’re going out? I’m all in!” Sage walks out of the bedroom, only wearing a shirt and underwear, shaking her ass a little too hard on her way to Pryce’s side.

“There’s nothing happening tonight, even if there was, you wouldn’t be attending,” Pryce bites, clearly irritated that he’s the one stuck managing the new fledgling and the mess of emotions that comes with her.

“You must’ve misunderstood,” Elias insists.

“Hard to misunderstand what she said, with her own voice. I’m sure it’s something to do with Moriah, but she wasn’t thinking too hard about it. Her thoughts were…elsewhere,” I quip, effectively shoving a sock in all their mouths.

All of them stare at me, trying to decipher if this is another game or not. But as the seconds skate by and nobody utters a word, I finally realize. “It’s not on campus.” The reality sends them into overdrive, anxiety coursing through their systems like adrenaline laced with speed.

“She can’t leave campus,” Elias says, already making his way to the door.

“There has to be another explanation. Even Moriah isn’t that stupid.” Koen’s words sound like he doesn’t care, but his wheels are turning, trying to put the puzzle together.

“Pryce can just compel her to stay; it’s an easy fix,” Elias suggests, shrugging his shoulders like it’s that simple.

“Except…it didn’t work last time,” Pryce comments, still trying to figure out how it didn’t. All of our abilities have worked thus far on her. I can read her mind like an open book; Koen’s ability to control emotions like a volume knob has been proven to be effective more times than we can count. Eryx claims he hasn’t walked into her dreams, but none of us believes that for a second. Elias hasn’t had the opportunity to share his particular ability, but Pryce has. And for some reason, unknown to us, it didn’t work.

“If she wants to leave, let her leave,” Eryx finally says, just as the rest of us are nearly out the door.

“Are you crazy?” But my question falls on deaf ears. It’s like he’s given up. After all these years, we finally have the key that’s been missing, and this is when he decides to throw in the towel. “Don’t fucking act like you don’t care,” I spit, brushing past the others back into the room. He acts like her presence doesn’t affect him, but I think it affects him the most. Whether he wants to admit it or not—he hasn’t fed in days.

“Let her own self-righteousness get her killed. Have any of you thought maybe she’s not the one? After all these years, Veil’s look alike just so happens to show up? You all can’t be that dense. We’re being played.”

“You’re terrified of her, Eryx. You’re not scared of what she can do, or who she is. But how she could make you feel. And that’s something you can’t deal with.”