Page 66 of Lady of Darkness
“Do you remember what we said when you first joined the order, little monster?” he murmurs. “The night I showed you the wall of ancestors?”
My skin pebbles. My hand goes to my ribs instinctively, running over the healed brand. It feels like that was ages ago, but it wasn’t. Only a few weeks. I was convinced my life was over that night. I wasterrified.But now, my life feels full. Exciting.
“I told you that our order is sacred. That you will learn to trust us more than you trust yourself. You will learn to obey our commands, because we do not work alone. I think the phrase I used was…one breath away from being able to read each other’s minds.”
I pull away from him. “I remember.”
“There is no relationship closer than this one,” Theo says from the other side of the room. Gideon is still smirking as he lounges on the bed. Sterling is watching us all with a clenched jaw.
“Not even marriage?” I ask, crossing my arms.
Alaric chuckles. The sound is dark and deep, and it grates down my spine one vertebra at a time.
“Marriage is a piece of paper and a silly vow. This?” He presses himself against me, and I gasp when I feel his hardness against my hip. “This is divine. Eternal. It transcends everything else, Harlow.”
Goosebumps claw up my skin at his words. He reaches behind me and places two hands on my ass, gripping me firmly as he thrusts into me again.
A flash of heat works through me at the animal-like way he’s handling me. At his darkened pupils and ravenous expression.
I open my mouth to reply with a snarky retort when Theo’s phone chimes loudly.
I flick my eyes over to where he’s scowling down at his phone–or one of them, at least. I’ve come to discover they each have multiple phones for different purposes.
“What?” I ask, taking a step back from Alaric.
Theo sighs. “Cecelia just showed up at Blackwell House.”
I stare at him. “So? She did live there for several years.”
He runs his hands through his hair as he looks at me. “The security guard is getting a verbal lashing from her. Looks like she might have found out about the deal between Charles and her father.”
Oh.
“Shit,” I whisper.
I quickly change into jeans and a dark grey sweater, pulling my hair half up and slipping into my boots. Alaric drives us to Blackwell House, and I hop out as we stop near the front door.
The guys follow me.
“What are you doing?” I ask, twisting around as they walk up the front step. All of them changed into jeans and shirts, looking deathly and casual all at once.
“This is as much our problem as it is yours,” Alaric growls, grabbing my hands and tugging me backward. “If she knows about the deal your fathers made, she might blame you. She will most certainly blame us for corrupting you.”
I swallow. I didn’t think about that.God, does she know they killed my father?I don’t have time to consider any of it, because just then, the door swings open.
Cecelia gasps when she sees me with them. Her eyes widen, and her lower lip wobbles.
“Not you too,” she cries, hiccupping.
I walk inside with the guys without saying anything.
Gideon shuts the door as Cecelia backs up a few steps, crossing her arms. “Rose is at the market. Archie’s napping upstairs,” she says, her tone cold. “He really wanted to see you.” She levels me with a petulant gaze.
“Cecelia…” I trail off, unsure where to start.How much does she know?
She stands up a bit taller. She’s exactly how I remembered her–small, and maybe slightly frail from grief, but spunky in a way that makes me wish we were friends.
“Come inside. I’ll get the tea and biscuits.” Twisting around, she stalks toward the kitchen.
