Page 88 of Bride By Initiation

Valentina slowly puts her arm in the air. She asserts, "Then you've declared your fate, Sean O'Malley Jr."

Zara's hand grips the front of my thigh.

My bones turn to ice.

Valentina swirls her fingers in the air in circles.

Ten skull-masked men come on stage. They line up in front of the other couples.

Terror erupts on the men's and women's faces. A few men protectively tug their chosen bride to them.

The crowd stomps, lifting their wooden torches into the air, and the moon shines brighter.

Valentina throws her arms out and roars, "Cleanse The Underworld!"

The masked men on stage pull out their guns and point them at the couples.

A few women cry out.

A man yells, "This is our destiny too!"

There are two rounds of shots, and all ten couples fall to the floor. Bullet holes pierce each of their foreheads, and blood pools around them.

Zara's knees buckle.

I wrap my arms around her and bury her head into my chest, attempting to shield her from the red oozing around us.

Valentina's fiery stare burns toward me. She points at us, ordering, "Take your place on the altar."

I glance behind me, and another stage rises, along with a small staircase. A tall, muscular man in a black robe and the same skull mask waits in the middle of the stage. He holds a lit torch, but unlike the ones in the crowd, it's gold.

On the right side of him are twenty masked men. Their tuxedos are accented with pink. Rose boutonnieres are attached to their jackets, and they have matching bow ties and cummerbunds.

On the left side of the man stand twenty women. They're all dressed in the same eye mask and dresses as the women in the crowd, but they hold pink rose bouquets. The one closest to the man holds two, one bigger than the rest.

"Oh my God," Zara gasps, then glances up at me, eyes wide.

My stomach clenches. I attempt one last effort to get out of this, addressing Valentina. "You expect my bride to say her vows surrounded by death?"

The man in the robe speaks. His Russian accent thick as he booms, "You will address me now."

I spin toward him, clutching Zara as close as possible, hating that our backs are to the crowd and Valentina. I ask, "Who are you?"

He answers, "I am Kirill, King of the Omnipotence. Until you sit at thetable, you don't make demands. Your blood caused their blood. So you have a choice to make now."

"What's that?" I question.

He points to Zara. "You vow your life to The Underworld and your bride. Or…"

My breath shallows. I don't need to ask about the alternate option. It's clear Zara and I end up on the floor next to the other couples if we don't proceed.

He assesses Zara, asking, "Are you ready to step into the truth?"

She stays quiet, her eyebrows pinned together, unable to speak or tear her gaze off him.

He warns, "When the Omni asks you a question, you answer, or there are consequences, Ms. Marino. Now, I won't ask again. Are you ready to step into the truth?"

"Answer him," I hiss.

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