Page 76 of Lovely Deceit

“They were close, trust me. They bonded over the fact that Keegan was an asshole to her.” When I still look unsure, she says, “He’s not involved in the Knights, and he’s probably pissed about it. Keegan always gets everything in that family, and Devon gets nothing because his father never conformed. At the very least, he might be able to talk to us about Dee before she died.” She peers down, leaving her half-eaten plate. “I’m trying to remember if he was at the funeral…”

I wrap my arm around her, pulling her to my side. “Well, at least we’ve got something to go on,” I reassure her.

“We’ll talk to Devon,” Alaric confirms. “I might be able to find a list of the girls who were at Devil’s Night, and we can pursue them, too. Hopefully someone would’ve recognized the person Delilah fought with.”

His voice is as hard as both of ours. Since it’s come out that he has his own issues with the Knights and the way they do things, I’m looking forward to having him as an ally. Plus, he’s further in than us Fledglings. “You really think you can get the list?” I ask.

“I’m not going to promise anything, but maybe.”

Eden grins. “And maybe a file or something on Dee’s final assessment? Do they keep records of that?”

Alaric’s uncertain face makes Eden’s smile disappear. “I have no idea. I’ve never heard of it, but I’ll see what I can find out.” He reaches out, sliding his palm across her fingers. “I’m all in. If it’s there, I’ll find it.”

Eden releases a breath, giving Alaric a grateful look, but we’re all interrupted when our phones go off at the same time.

We all look at one another.

Alaric tilts his phone toward him, lips thinning as he reads the screen. I immediately pull my own out to find a text from a number I don’t recognize.

EMERGENCY MEETING. ONE HOUR.

My stomach flips, and I glance at Eden. Her phone is clutched tightly in her small hands. She’s not looking at the screen anymore. She’s peering toward the ceiling in a way that makes me think she’s looking straight past that barrier like it’s invisible. Her real mark is probably the sky.

If this is about Leo, let’s hope he gets what he deserves.

35

Eden

The Knights’ headquarters sits prominently on the Carnegie campus, the sun beaming down on it, eclipsing the horrors that occur within.

My stomach twists. I’m half in agony and half in anticipation that this emergency meeting is Vincent putting Leo’s demise into motion.

I’ve been second-guessing myself all morning. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up to Vincent like I wanted to take Leo down. Those words could be construed in far too many ways, especially for someone who belongs to a secret society and is capable of things like murder.

I want him humiliated. I want him to feel the same red-hot betrayal I felt. I want him to feel like he’s in a position where he has no control whatsoever. I want to see the fear in his eyes when his choices are taken away from him and all he can do is deal with what comes his way.

Who knows what Vincent has conjured, or if I’ll even get the satisfaction I’m craving.

Whispers from the other Knights abound as we walk toward the building. No one knows what exactly we’re doing here.

A robed figure checks us in at the secret entrance. Oliver and Alaric are at my side, and I draw strength from their presence. Whatever happens, it can’t be undone now, and there’s still that part of me that wouldn’t want to undo it in the first place. It’s usually not in my nature to exact revenge, but if anyone needs it, it’s Leonardo Jarvis.

The torch-lit halls are losing their creep factor as we make our way into the main chamber. The sun doesn’t touch any place on the inside. It’s dark and cold in this interior room where more and more Knights assemble.

When the stone chamber is almost full, the Elders take their places around the second level, peering down at all of us lowly people. In the middle stands Sir Jarvis. I can’t gain anything from the shadowy look on his face.

As usual, he doesn’t beat around the bush. “As you all have seen, Leonardo Jarvis has returned to our ranks. He’s been assisting Eden Astor on her path to becoming a Knight. But lest you all believe his membership was reinstated without Trial, it is now time for Fledgling Jarvis to prove his worth.”

His words thunder through the chamber, cutting through the air like steel. The floor vibrates, and everyone around us starts stepping back.

A rumble that settles in my stomach rolls through the room. The center of the floor that’s only a few feet in diameter edges upward. “The fuck?”

“It’s the sensory deprivation chamber,” Alaric answers.

What the fuck is that?

Before I can express my thoughts, rusty iron bars jut up from the floor. The tiny, circular room that reveals itself is ancient, and judging by the sound it makes, I’m unsure if it’s been used in the last half a century.

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