My jaw tightened and I gazed coolly at Kyan, ignoring the blazing heat travelling down into the pit of my belly as he drank me in. I was dressed up for them tonight, but for once they’d dressed me as a dark queen. And royalty bowed to no one. Not even each other. It made me feel quietly powerful, because when I was through with them, I’d be a true queen and they would be dethroned, cast at my feet and begging for mercy.
“Let’s go,” Blake growled, leading the way out.
Saint had a pair of strappy flat sandals waiting for me by the door and I tugged the cloak tighter around me as I put them on and the cold air swept in from outside.
“I’ll keep you warm, baby,” Kyan said, wrapping his arm around me. I didn’t even care to remove it, happy to take his warmth. It was the least he owed me.
Saint and Blake moved either side of Monroe ahead of us, flanking him possessively, their arms occasionally brushing his like they’d accepted him into the fold already.
The sound of the drums grew louder from the beach and as we drew closer, a huge bonfire caught my eye between the trees. The scent of smoke carried on the breeze and laughter danced in the air.
My heart thumped in time with the building beat of the drums as we veered off of the lamp-lit pathway down the track that led onto Sycamore Beach. The ground softened to sand beneath my feet and I could feel the blazing heat of the flames already, the huge fire roaring at the centre of the beach.
A cheer sounded that echoed right up to the sky and it took me a second to realise the entirety of the school were here, hollering for us. Though maybe it was stupid not to have realised it sooner. The Night Keepers were practically gods around here. And after they’d driven the looters out of the gates, I guessed it seemed like they really were deities. But they weren’t the sweet, forgiving kind of all-powerful beings. They were wrathful, vengeful gods who demanded sacrifices in blood.
I spotted Mila amongst the crowd in a cute red dress, waving to me with a slight look of concern on her face as she took in my attire. I gave her a smile which told her I was okay and she offered me one in return that said fuck those pricks. Danny caught her attention from behind, wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss on her cheek. She leaned back into him with a laugh as he whispered in her ear and my heart tugged as I wondered what it would be like to have a normal relationship like that. With a normal boy. Probably very different to being bound to three assholes and my headmaster in what could only be described as a five-way relationshit. Although, if I was being completely honest, I didn’t want to be treated like a princess. I wanted to be treated like a fearsome queen from a barbaric land who enjoyed being roughed up a bit. Like, just a bit.
Beyond Mila, the football team were crowing and pumping their fists. Toby Rosner - formerly Punch – was amongst them, grinning from ear to ear as he was accepted back into the fold, though a bunch of the footballers were clearly still ignoring him. It made me kind of sad for him. He’d been through enough. But I guessed at least he wasn’t an outcast anymore.
Several of the Unspeakables rushed forward wearing black clothes which singled them out from the party, their foreheads marked with a white U. Squits and Freeloader hurried to plant drinks in our hands and I was surprised when I was given a dark and stormy, my favourite. I opened my mouth to thank them but Kyan yanked me closer to his side, glaring at them as they scurried away to the shadows at the back of the beach. Asshole.
My lungs constricted as I spotted Bait there wearing a faceless white mask. The Night Keepers had demanded he wear it at all times, not allowing him to speak with anyone after what he’d done by letting the looters into the school. Some of the footballers spotted him and Chad McCormack led a group of them over to him with Toby in their ranks. They lined up in front of Bait then turned to give him their backs, bending down and throwing sand at him between their legs. He yelped as they half buried him and my heart hardened at the sight. I couldn’t find it in me to forgive him for what he’d done. People had caught the Hades Virus from the looters. Students we rubbed shoulders with every day were now in hospital because of him. They might die. How dare he endanger us all like that?
“Chug your drink,” Kyan dared and I glanced at him as he tossed his own Jack Daniels down his throat with a smirk.
The atmosphere was infectious and I needed the buzz to get through this night anyway so I swallowed my drink in a few gulps and Kyan snatched my glass, tossing it into the sand with his own for the Unspeakables to pick up. I didn’t like being waited on by my friends, but it wasn’t like I had much of a choice. And raising a petition for the Unspeakables’ rights wasn’t exactly possible. Especially when they wouldn’t even vouch for themselves.
“Time to shine, Cinders.” Blake turned back and Saint rested a hand on Monroe’s shoulder, glancing at us with a wicked glint in his eyes that made my heart jolt.
Blake moved to my other side and he and Kyan suddenly bent down, grabbing one of my legs each and launching me up into the air. I cried out in surprise as their shoulders locked
