Page 55 of Princes of Sin
“You okay?”
I give her a tight smile because my whole arm feels like it’s on fire. “I’m fine, little minx.”
Otto volunteers next, and I feel a bit woozy as my brother sits stoically on the chair, as if he’s getting a fucking tattoo. He chooses a spot on his right shoulder blade.
Astern goes next, and she hesitates about where to put it. “Where did you put yours?” she asks Harlow.
Harlow removes her suit jacket, revealing a sparkly camisole. She pulls the side down slightly, showing off the area on the side of her ribs.
“I’ll get mine there, too,” Astern says resolutely. She pulls the strap of her dress down, and as Theo sears her with the brand, she grits her teeth and screams through them.
“Fuck!”
“All done, princess,” he says, chuckling.
She glares at him as Gideon bandages her up.
“Next?” Alaric orders.
“Cattle, indeed,” Otto murmurs to me. “They might as well have an assembly line.”
“Very funny, Mr. Thorn,” Alaric growls.
Lachlan goes next and hardly flinches as they brand the middle of his back. When he’s finished, he just glares at everyone and resumes his position in the back of our group.
“I suppose that means it’s my turn,” Alex says. He lets out a long sigh. “And I suppose there’s no chance I can still back out and plead bad luck?”
Theo spins the branding iron and chuckles, but it’s not kind in any way. “Not a chance.”
Alex cries out when he gets his brand on the underside of his right arm, but he takes it well. They clean and bandage him up.
“Bring them in,” Alaric tells Sterling, who nods once.
“Bring who in?” I ask, following Alaric’s gaze to the door.
“Your first kill.”
CHAPTER 22
Astern
My body feels heavy, lagged down with adrenaline that’s come and gone. The burning at my side is starting to throb. All I want to do is go back to the manor and go to sleep, but when Alaric drags a bound and gagged man to the center of the barn, none of us says anything. Dread fills me, causing my heart to race–like it knows not to relax. Not yet, anyway.
And I just took the mark, so notever.
My life will never be the same again.
The weight of what happened tonight causes my hands to start shaking, and as the man is forced to his knees before us, Alaric removes the bag from his head, revealing a young man. He looks… familiar.
“The Lords of Darkness has two rules for initiation. One is taking the brand–and the other is making your first kill,” he adds, holding a small knife with a white handle out to Alex. “Last in, first up–it’s only fair. Go ahead,Your Highness.”
My chest tightens when I see Alex’s mouth drop open. “Me?”
Alaric nods.
Alex stares at the knife in Alaric’s hand for a few seconds before taking the knife. “How do I…” He swallows audibly. “I’ve never…”
My legs move to step closer to him, but I don’t know why. I’m helpless, and completely unable to help him, despite wanting to.
