“Because of the sins of some humans, the kafirs, it means we are in danger of being overrun by these unnatural creatures. We must stop them before this happens…before our kind is extinct. We must prepare ourselves for the great war ahead.” He glanced at the group of suited men in the front row. “We have good friends who wish to help us in the lord’s work, and when the time comes, they will provide us with their full backing…as we will provide to them whenever they need it.”
Something clutched at Ivy…fear for Junaid. The Association was strong, influential and rich. And had the backing of powerful human organizations. Would they ever go as far as launching an attack on supernaturals? The thought of Junaid in danger made her shiver.
John had not finished his sermon. “This is a good time to remind our members that none of you must mingle with those beings or fornicate with them. If any of you are found to do so, you will be punished and expelled from the Association.” His eyes held no reproach when they landed on Ivy, but the guilt made it feel as if his threat was directed at her. Thankfully, he shifted his attention from her. “The subject has come up many times before, and you are probably wondering why I am paying it particular attention today.” He looked around the hall, and when she thought his eyes might return to her, Ivy nearly trembled with fear. Surely he hadn’t found out about Junaid…but his gaze went past her, landing two rows behind her, on a pretty young woman with dark hair and hazel eyes. Ivy couldn’t help the relief that shot through her. “It is up to our females in particular to uphold our values, maintain the honor of our organization and ensure that no abominations are brought forth from their wombs.”
Again, dread clutched her insides, as if the words were meant for her. After she was with the shifter the last time, Ivy had contacted Rehana to get hold of contraception—another slight against her faith, but she had no choice, did she? At least her friend didn’t ask questions…
“Ivy?” came Michael’s sharp voice. “You appear to be in a daydream. Are you listening to father’s words?”
“Yes,” she mumbled. “Of course.”
John still had his eyes fixed to the woman behind Ivy. “Ann, please stand.” The woman remained where she was, her lips quivering as everyone turned to look at her. “Ann. Do you have something to confess?” She shook her head, looking down at her hands. Ivy was close enough to see the tear that fell on to her hands. “Ann. We are waiting for your confession. Please stand.” The woman stood but kept her eyes on the ground. “It will be better for you if you confess without duress.”
Tears now streamed down the woman’s face. “I made a mistake. Please forgive me.”
John’s voice boomed across the hall, making Ivy jump. “A confession, Ann!”
“I have fornicated before marriage.”
As a gasp traveled around the hall, sending shivers up Ivy’s spine, John nodded. “A grave sin. The chastity of a woman is a precious gift for her husband, and you have thrown this honor away. Soiled yourself. But we await the rest of the confession. There is another sin for you to confess, isn’t there?”
The woman now visibly trembled. “I was with a…warlock.”
John’s voice rose. “That supernatural shall not go unpunished. But the members who discovered this terrible secret have been unable to unearth his identity. So tell me. What is his name?”
“It was not his fault—”
“His name, Ann.” Ivy’s mouth tightened as the woman’s silence ignited indignation among the members. Loud recriminations, curses even, with one member calling for her to be stripped and expelled on to the street with her shame. As others took up that call, John lifted his hand, and the members fell silent. “Your refusal to give up his name…your desire to protect him after he has soiled you…proves you are beyond redemption. Come to the altar.” The woman did not move. “Come to the altar so we may all see your shame.”
And in that moment, Ivy truly hated the man who was to be her father-in-law. How could he humiliate the poor woman before the whole Association gathering?
Ann stared at the man and woman on either side of her. Her parents. The owners of a successful chain of clothing stores, they were among the Association’s more affluent members, and she was their only daughter. Surely they would support her? But instead, they kept their eyes down; their daughter could expect little comfort from them.
“Do not seek support from your parents after your shameful actions. Come to the front.” She stood and walked to the front. By the platform, she stumbled and fell, but John reached down and grabbed her by the hair, ignoring her cries as he pulled her to stand beside him. “This woman has done so grave a sin that it cannot be cleansed even by our blessings and baptizing. We therefore expel her from our Association.”
The woman fell to his feet. “Please. Have mercy. It was just one night.”
“If I have mercy on you, you will spread your filth among the rest of our Association and damn the rest of us with you.”
“Hear, hear!” a man shouted. “Strip the whore and throw her out on the street on her naked ass.” Loud cries of agreement came from all sides of the hall.
What was wrong with these people that they would publicly shame a young woman like this? Ivy looked at Ann’s parents, and to her horror, they nodded. “If that is the lord’s will,” said her father.
They didn’t even glance at their daughter, as if they didn’t notice her tears…or fear.
John’s gaze now locked with that of her parents. “Her mother and father should punish her for this transgression…prove they are willing to do what they can to uphold our values.”
“We have spent our whole lives upholding the honor of the Association,” said Ann’s father. “What can we do to prove our commitment?”
John addressed the hall. “I would suggest that Ann’s parents disinherit her, rewrite their will and present it to the Association for safekeeping. It is up to them to decide who they will leave their properties and wealth to.”
Ann’s father stood. “I have no doubt in this matter. After our deaths, our property will belong to the Association.” He glared at his daughter, and she cowered, as if wanting to hide inside herself. “After our daughter has shamed us, this will be the only way to redemption…the only way for us to achieve salvation is to ensure that our worldly goods are used for the lord’s work.”
John nodded, satisfied. “If that is your wish, so be it.” His voice turned hard again when he faced Anna. “You will be cleansed and baptized, but your sin is such that it is unlikely that any member would take you as his wife. You should be grateful for any Association male who lays a claim to you now. If you are so blessed, you will spend the rest of your life in gratitude for the favor bestowed upon you. At the same time, you will pay penance for the gift and right you deprived him.” As Ann nodded, Ivy wanted to cry for her. It only took one look around the hall to see several males assessing Ann’s youthful body. Some of them had wives so docile that they would not object to their husbands taking a second to satisfy their lust. Ann would not remain unclaimed for long. “Now leave this hall, for we do not wish to have you in our midst until you have been cleansed and blessed.”
The woman scrambled from the stage, crying as she ran from the hall, followed by curses and jeers.
Ivy turned back to the stage, shaken. I made a huge mistake. If anyone else ever found out about Junaid, her life would be over…like Ann’s was.
“May I speak?” Ivy turned to see an attendee standing near the back of the hall. Adrian, a young outspoken man born into the Association, who would have been an outcast if his affluent parents were not generous donors. He narrowed his gray eyes. “You have shamed that young woman for fornicating with beings you regard as unholy. Yet why is it that at the front seats of our hall, in the most prominent position, sit people who are involved in crime against innocents? Is that not unholy?”
Hisses rose around him. “Sit down,” whispered someone. “How dare you question our leader?”
“It is all
right,” said John. “A good leader is not afraid of question. Yes, we have connections with different human organizations, but the difference is that these groups, in their own way, perpetuate the work of the lord. It is not up to us to judge them for what they do in their personal time.”
Adrian smirked. “After what we just witnessed, it is not up to you to judge these humans who have committed murder and other felonies?”
John shook his head. “That is a judgment best left to the lord.” He then waved his hand, indicating the meeting was over.
CHAPTER TEN
* * *
THE CONFLICT WOULD START…soon.
The rumors had been drifting around for long…stories of disruption in the harmony that had been established between humans and supernaturals, but despite all expectations, peace prevailed.
Blade had asked Junaid to come to his office after he ended his shift, and when he reached it, the fae Ethen was already there. The three of them now sat with glasses of whiskey in their hands.
The demon’s face was tight, and Junaid had not seen him so stressed since the day they took down James, the mob boss, to rescue Blade’s girlfriend. “Junaid…at least you’re sure the Association wedding is a legit occasion?”
“It is.” Junaid bloody wished it wasn’t, though. “But to be on the safe side, there’ll be scanners all over the place and extra security.” So many Association members in one place was always something to be worried about.
“Good job,” said Blade. “The vampire Leke’s been in touch. One of his tech guys has intercepted communication between a leading Association member and their new best friend in the borough—James’ replacement.” James, a ruthless sadist, had controlled many illegal operations in Manhattan before Blade and his friends, including Junaid, brought him down. He’d disappeared, and the Association quickly filled his position with another mobster, Miller, a new arrival in Manhattan whom little was known about. “Supernaturals are constantly mentioned in the communications. They’re encrypted so the vampires can only uncover so much detail, but yes, we need to be on our guard.”
“Are you sure we should go ahead with this booking? We could cancel it.” Possible repercussion was not the only reason Junaid made the suggestion. Anything to delay the wedding…
Blade frowned at his whiskey, the red ring around the black iris of his eyes hinting at agitation. “That might cause more problems than it solves. And we need to show the government that we are at least co-operating with human organizations. Anyway, like you said, it’s a legit marriage.”
“In that case, I’ll make sure the ceremony goes smoothly.” Junaid kept his voice under control. The last thing he wanted was for Blade or Ethen to guess at the real reason he wanted to cancel the marriage booking. There were now only two weeks to the ceremony…but because of the booking he might meet Ivy before then. He hadn’t called her, wanting to give her the space she needed, but every time his phone rang, he hoped it would be her. It was madness, but his lion just wouldn’t back down and accept she wasn’t interested in him.
What of those glances, the way she reacted to his kisses…what about the tears, which he was willing to bet she’d never shown anyone else? But damn it, the Association was a strong organization, and convincing her to leave it behind would be impossible. She was so conditioned by it, that even the mention of leaving it the last time he saw her had her scuttling away like a frightened rabbit.
“We need to start preparing,” said Blade. “The last thing I want is to spread panic, but we need to be ready in case we do come under attack.”
Junaid’s eyes shot to him. “They wouldn’t do that, would they? Come on, there’s still a government in place.”
“Yes. But the government only allows us to run our businesses and live among humans because it has no other choice. If it comes to our kind against the mob and the Association, you think the state will stand up for us?”
Probably not. “But isn’t it too early to talk about conflict?” God knew, Junaid had always been up for a fight, and he’d been the first to volunteer when they rescued Blade’s female from the mob, but now it was a different matter. A woman he cared about was involved with the other side. If it went into the conflict zone, they would both end up on opposite sides, and man, when humans fought, they didn’t give a damn about who was innocent and who wasn’t. As it was, it only took a minor crime by a non-human and the whole of their kind was seen as a threat in the human media.
“Some of them just need an excuse to go on a rampage against supernaturals.” Ethen slammed his glass on the table so hard that whiskey fell out of it. “If they did attack, they would go for all supernaturals. Look at their military history…how ruthless they’ve been whenever they’ve attacked their own kind.”
And if humans went after all supernaturals, there were those of their kind who would respond in the same manner. Nobody would care if a random lion shifter was interested in a woman from the Association, especially if she didn’t return his bloody affections.
Blade sighed, loud. “None of us wants a fight, but we need to start organizing ourselves and be prepared for the worst. I’ve already spoken to Leke and his horde and have a meeting with the other Eclipse partners. We need to start thinking about venues that could be a target.”
And the reason Junaid was included in this meeting was becoming clearer. “No prizes for guessing which location would be top of the list…” Eclipse was the most popular social venue in Manhattan, and its owners had offended both the mob and the Association.
Blade nodded. “We need to increase our security. I’d like you to work on that, Junaid. Someone else can manage Freefall for now.”
“I understand.”
“Once we’ve secured the most likely targets, we need to prepare ourselves for the worst.”
“You know my kind,” said Ethen. “I can’t speak for everyone, but there are many of us itching to get a good fight in with the human agencies.” Itching to fight could be dangerous…result in mayhem. His concern must have shown in his expression, because the fae followed that with, “But don’t worry; my lot can control themselves when they have to.”
“I don’t doubt that,” said Blade. His eyes flitted between them both. “I hate dividing supernaturals into species, but at the moment, it seems the only way to get us organized. Shaun will speak to the werewolves, and Junaid, could you speak to the lions? We’ve already got Ethen to represent the faes, and the vampires and elves are sorted, but we need to find strong representatives for the other supernatural species, too. We need to form a core team that will be ready to help maintain order when the time comes.”
“What about Edge’s wolves?” asked Junaid. “Are we including them in this?”
Those red rings in Blade’s eyes brightened. “Edge is a stellar wolf, but as for the others…they were under the influence of Rasmus for too long. I don’t know if they can be trusted.”
Rasmus had been taken down by the newborn vampire Veronica, but under his guidance, that gang of wolf shifters had gained an atrocious reputation. They’d broken supernatural regulations and gone around changing humans to their kind.
“But they hate humans,” said the fae. “Wouldn’t that be enough to make them loyal to the supernatural cause?”
“The problem is that they hate all humans with a vengeance. If we involved them, it might lead to a situation that will be difficult to control. I suggest we keep them out of this and only bring them in if we’re desperate.” Junaid thoroughly agreed with that. And not for the first time, it was obvious why Blade had been unofficially nominated as the go-to when inter-species problems arose. “I reckon the best thing would be to recruit a trustworthy leader from each species and form a team, and for now, we keep this under wraps to avoid panic…”
Again, Junaid hoped it wouldn’t come to the worst. He closed his eyes and brought his thumbs to his temples, massaging them. He was in enough of a shitty situation with Ivy, and the last thing he needed was to be worried about
her safety, or the fact that his kind might go into outright conflict with hers, driving them both even further apart.
IVY HAD BEEN AGITATED SINCE the Association meeting.
Over the last few days, the poor woman Ann had been in her thoughts. Apart from Adrian, nobody had the guts to support her. All of them, herself included, were too scared of the Association to speak against it even when it did wrong. How could that be right? She’d got hold of Ann’s number but had no idea what to do with it. After all, she couldn’t exactly come forward and offer help. And what could she do, in any case?
She had showered and was in her dressing gown, sat with mother in the living room, just before they retired to bed. Mother lifted her eyes from the book she was reading. “Did you have some milk, dear?” Her eyes were on Ivy’s dressing gown, as if she silently questioned why she wasn’t already in bed when it was after 9.
“Yes,” said Ivy, “I’m just not sleepy. I’ll go to bed soon.”
“It is not good to change your routine, especially now it is so close to your wedding. Come, let us retire for the night. If you pray to the lord, you will soon fall into restful sleep.”
“Yes, mother.”
She ascended the stairs behind Pearl, and for the first time, she noticed how mother’s shoulders stooped. Her mother was not old by any means, but a lifetime of constricted emotions and desires had squeezed the life out of her. At the top of the stairs, mother kissed her on the cheek. “Good night, dear. See you at breakfast.”
In her bedroom, Ivy kneeled before the shrine—a small altar lit by candles and displaying a photo of Allias—and prayed. Dear lord, please forgive me. Please help me forget the shifter and do my duty in accordance with my faith. Do not allow me to stray.
Lion's Heart (Blood Moon Book 4) Page 10