Page 84 of House of Pain
Her mom wouldn’t have been proud to meet this version of her daughter. Alecto wasn’t sure of much, but she was sure of that.
Gael moved around the circle, slicing each and every one of them, drawing a tiny amount of blood that swirled inside the bronze bowl. When he reached Alecto, she didn’t even wait for him to ask for her hand.
She held her palm out to him.
A corner of his lip curled at her eagerness, but he didn’t comment, pushing the tip of his athame into her palm. Alecto bared her teeth at the sting of pain, watching as her blood dribbled with the others’.
Once Gael had enough, he returned to the middle, kneeling in front of the Book. He placed the bowl in front of himself and then lowered the cluster of black quartz inside the bowl, dipping it in their blood.
“Repeat after me.Exteeo,” Gael instructed.
They chanted the words after Gael, their power buzzing in the electric air, and Alecto closed her eyes, savoring the tingles dancing over her skin.
She wasn’t sure whether her heart raced because of the anticipation of what they were about to do or whether it was due to their magic. Or maybe it was both.
When she opened her eyes again, a familiar pair of icy blue eyes were in front of her, glaring maliciously.
Alecto gasped at how accurate her projection looked. It was as if she was staring in the mirror, but more defined and realistic.
“It’s done,” Gael announced, breathless.
“Yeah,duh,” Blaze said.
Gael still kneeled in the middle of the circle, his hands on his thighs. And he had to remain there until they were done with their prank for tonight.
Val laughed, and Alecto wasn’t sure whether it was Val or her projection.
“Do they have a mind of their own?” Alecto asked.
“Of course we do, you dumb bitch,” her projection replied, stepping away.
“Apparently attitude as well.”
Blaze chuckled at that, and Alecto threw him a glare. Though she wasn’t sure to which Blaze, the real one or the projected one, because they looked identical.
“That’s fucking creepy,” Alecto said, shaking her head. “I would not want to have two of you at all times.”
“Are you sure about that, Black? An extra pair of hands, an extra mouth, and an extrasomethin’else could definitely be worth it. Don’t you think?”
“Leave it for Blaze to suggest a threesome with…the other Blaze,” Andro said, chuckling.
“How about we get moving?” Val asked. “Gael, you’ll keep the projections in check. Jolene stays with you to make sure that everything is intact.”
Gael and Jolene nodded.
“I’ll send you a message once we’re done,” Val instructed. “Make sure that they don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.”
“The list isn’t very long,” Jolene said. Or maybe Jolene’s projection.
“Then it shouldn’t be hard.”
31
This time, they had overestimated themselves.
When the Inner Circle reached the old Victorian mansion at the outskirts of Darly, the light on the second-floor window was on.
Someone was home.
