Page 26 of Bride By Initiation

"Then, you know I'm not here to hurt you. Sit down," she orders again, pointing to the couch.

I put the knife down and join her in the family room. I choose the cushion directly across from her and cross my legs. I tap my fingers on my thigh and stare at her. "How did you get in?"

"That's a dumb question," she replies.

"Why is it dumb? It's my house. It'd be good to know how you got in so I can fix the security issue so nobody else can intrude."

She scoffs and waves her hand in front of her face. "No one else is getting past your father's men. I'm the only one who can. Well, me or any of my associates." She smiles arrogantly.

A chill runs deep into my bones.

"Stop being scared," she instructs.

"I'm not," I claim.

She leans toward me, peering closer and asserting, "Really? You look a tad on the frightened side from where I'm sitting."

Annoyed and a bit freaked out, I question, "Why are you here?"

"Ah, don't worry. I come bearing good news from the Omni."

"The Omni? John used that word, but I don't know what it means," I blurt out.

"Omni is short for Omnipotence."

I cross my arms over my chest. "And why are you talking about omnipotence?"

"Well, the Omnipotence, or again, Omni for short, are our leaders. Their authority overrides all others in The Underworld. They're all-powerful, and they have no limitations. They are the ones we answer to. They are the ones we get permission from. They are the ones we go to when we need to seek truth."

I stay silent, processing what she's saying.

"You still want the truth, correct? About your father?" she questions.

I release an anxious breath. "Yes, of course."

"Great. Well, the Omni have decided to approve your bid for initiation."

"My bid? I don't know what you're talking about," I state.

"Yes, your bid to join. I'm sure John has talked to you about initiation, hasn't he?"

"Not really," I say, more confused than ever.

"Well, if you're going to join The Underworld, you must go through initiation. And, like I said, I have good news. The Omni has approved your bid."

"I didn't place a bid, nor would I know how. I don't even know if I want to be part of whatever this organization is," I claim.

Arrogance washes over her features. "You've already decided. There's no question you want to pledge. You just don't want to admit it yet."

"That's not true," I blurt out.

"Ah, but isn't it?" she asks, giving me a knowing look.

My stomach flips and my heart races.

She continues, "You have proved you're elite enough to have a bid for initiation. This is a good thing."

"It sounds like a snobby country club," I reply.

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