Page 86 of The Prom

His gruff voice forms a question that receives a ready answer.

“They are all in place.”

“Perfect.”

I hear movement, metal on stone, and the bed moves. Is this a hospital trolley? Am I delirious?

We begin to move, the screech of the wheels against the stone foreboding, warning me to escape, but I have no energy. My body has given up on me.

My inner voice is screaming at me to wake the fuck up. To take charge of my body and fight like hell. I’m aware of what I must do, but I have no ability to move. It’s as if I am trapped inside my body with no way out.

A blast of cold chilling air wafts against my skin, reminding that I am still living—that’s good at least. It’s a start.

The shadows behind my eyes change as we move, from light to shade and then to darkness.

We enter a room that’s eerily silent, only the screech of the wheels against the uneven stone floor.

I am spun around and pushed against an immovable object and then he speaks.

“Fellow serpents, I welcome you all here today with your dedication to the cause.”

A strange hum is his answer and a rattling of what sounds like chains and he says loudly in a voice that would cause the devil himself to shiver.

“We have two final acts today. Both are unusual. Rather than initiate a member into our club as normal, we are facing two betrayals instead.”

A horrified gasp echoes around the chamber and as it subsides he says cruelly, “Our trusted soldier, Python, discovered her slave was working with the enemy. That slave is Delilah and her punishment is that her life ends here today.”

He says loudly, “The other final act is a different form of sacrifice. The apprentice backed out and betrayed the society.”

There is a shocked murmur of discontent and the man yells, “His victim means something to him and we will take her instead to teach you all that the society is the only thing that matters. Total obedience is required or lose something valuable to you and live with the consequences. This final act will be carried out by every serpent here. We will finish what he started as vengeance.”

I’m aware that somebody is beside me. Is this the girl they spoke of, the slave? I remember the young girl with Drake, emerging from the tunnel dressed in black. He told me she was helping him. It must be her.

I try to speak, but my voice is lost and I can’t move my head. What did he give me? I can’t fight back. I am paralyzed and I finally face the fact that this is where my life ends tonight.

FORTY-FOUR

CASSIE

We reach the house set at the foot of the mountain and my blood chills. It’s like something out of a horror movie and doesn’t appear occupied at all. There are several cars already here, and yet it appears deserted.

“What are we going to do?”

I am fearful we’re too late and Luca says darkly, “We are here for Imogen. We do nothing but watch.”

“Nothing!” The hell I’m doing nothing and leave my best friend in the hands of a psycho creep.

Summer rests her hand on my arm.

“Ssh, Cassie. We’re not supposed to be here at all.”

“I don’t understand.”

It’s as if everyone else knows something I don’t, and Frankie reaches out and grasps my hand tightly.

“I know the back way in. Follow me. There’s a galleried landing that runs the length of the main room they are using. We can observe from there.”

I’m shocked when he removes a case loaded with guns from the trunk and hands one to Luca and Jack in turn.

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