“Please stop.” I massage my temples slowly, taking in deep breaths. “I literally don’t know how I’m going to make it past this day, let alone tonight. I feel like Ally sucks the life out of me, and I’ve had her in all three of my morning classes.” I yank open the lid to my yogurt, tossing it onto my tray. “She’s fucking—”
“Not worth your energy,” Carter finishes, taking the yogurt from me. He laughs. “Calm down or you’re going to get this all over your clothes.”
I can’t help it anymore; my attempting to not look toward Bishop and Nate fails me on epic portions, because I fucking look. Only, they’re not looking at me. Nate has a new girl on his lap, and Bishop has gone back to his stone-cold self, not acknowledging anyone else’s existence. Huh. I thought I’d be pleased, but because of Nate’s icy-cold shoulder he threw at me this morning, I don’t know. I’ve somehow grown accustomed to them watching me, whether it’s creepy, annoying, or not.
“Thanks,” I say to Carter, dragging my eyes from the group of them.
“So what time will you get out tonight?” He swings his leg over his chair so he’s sitting on it backward.
“I’ve just got a couple things to do, but I should be there around midnight. I’ll text you guys when I’m on my way.”
He looks like he’s mulling over my idea, but then nods. “Yeah, okay. We’re going out after school so I will set up your girls’ tent.”
“Mmm!” Tatum wiggles on her chair. “Can you put us in the best spot?”
“What? Tatum, it’s literally in the middle of the forest. There’re a few flat areas where we set up, but it’s black. There are no best areas.” Carter chuckles.
Tatum pauses. “Wait, I thought it would like, have a lake or something pretty?”
He laughs. “No. This is a Halloween party camp out. There are no pretty things.”
I giggle when I see Tatum’s face fall.
“But I bought heels.” She pouts.
Carter laughs again. “Take them back, baby girl. You won’t be needing those.”
Her lip trembles, before she takes a bite out of her apple. “I guess Harley Quinn could wear Chucks.”
Someone find this girl her puddin’.
THE FINAL BELL RINGS AND I nervously pull out my phone from my pocket, sliding it open. I’m sick of not knowing what the hell is going on with Nate, so I send him a text.
Me – What’s going on with you?
Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I head toward the library. Flopping down onto the sofa, with The Book in one hand, I look down at my phone again. Zero new messages. Frustrated, I open a new message and type one to Bishop.
Me – Is Nate with you?
Sighing, and a little more agitated than usual, I shove my phone away and flip open to the next excerpt.
3.
The Ritual
Flames danced around the pitch-black night of nothingness like bright flickers of warmth, tormenting the sky like it had been waiting for me. For my son. Licking over my skin in faded hope, because I’ve come to realize... this was false hope for me. But I hoped someone somewhere would find my words one day, not for solace, and not for understanding.
I walked down the dirt path that led to the center, where the mass of flames were alight from the bundle of dry wood. Five men surrounded the pit of flames, all covered in long, hooded cloaks. They didn’t have to show their faces for me to know who they were. They were my husband’s soldiers. They believed in this atrocious cause just as much as my husband did. Blinded by some false perfection of what the world should be.
My husband has always been an overachiever on a larger scale. It would frighten me at times, because when he was fixated on something or someone he wanted, he stopped at absolutely nothing to get it. It was almost as though a blood thirst would start in his bones, and he wouldn’t sleep until he had his feeding. His latest obsession, I knew it wouldn’t pass. They never did. He always got what he wanted in the end, above all. But I had hoped he would change the plans, the rules.
Though, he said there were no rules. “” he would write, which means “There are no rules” in Aramaic. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, at least not right now, at this moment, but it wasn’t long before I would learn exactly what he meant.
I walked toward the men, my son cradled in my arms.
“Katsia, give me the boy.” My husband hurried from the other side, standing near a large, flat, cold stone.
I looked down to my little boy, my throat contracting and my tears welling up behind my lids. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t care about building a syndicate of men who would rule for generations to come. I didn’t care about riches or power. I cared about my child. But my husband swore that no harm was going to come to him, not one speck. So, slowly but gently, I headed toward the stone, the flickering of the flames lighting up the dark moonlit night like large fireflies.
“Put him down, Katsia. We will do no harm. That, I promise you.”
Clutching my son in my arms, the little swaddle wrap he was tucked into flush against my chest. “Your promises don’t do anything to calm my erratic thoughts, husband.”
He stepped toward me, taking my baby away and placing him down onto the rock before unwrapping the cloak I had him snuggled into. “Your feelings are no business to me, Katsia. Now, leave if you can’t handle this.”
“I will not leave my child with you, Humphrey. Not ever. Do it fast and give my boy back.”
His eye twitched, just as he drew his hand back and then pounded it
