by Caitlyn Dare
We take a few more steps forward, the chill in the air as well as all the unknowns right now making my skin erupt in goose bumps.
"You can remove the blindfold now."
Part of me doesn't want to. While I can't see, I'm in the dark—figuratively and literally—about what's happening around me. But knowing I won't be able to hide much longer, I reach out and pull the fabric from my face.
"What the hell?" I breathe, taking in the scene before me.
We're in some kind of old church. Candles line the walls, casting a warm glow throughout the vast space, and the rows of pews occupied by countless black-hooded figures.
"What is this?"
"It's the Initium. It's for you, and the new Rexford offering."
"I'm an offering?" I ask, reading between the lines.
Marcus nods, but he doesn't speak again. Instead, he wraps his fingers around my upper arm and walks me forward, down the aisle toward a cloaked figure standing at the front. "Cargill," he says once we come to a stop. "I present the Easton Electi initium. Bexley Louis Easton."
The figures turn to reveal two more men who each assess me silently.
My hands tremble at my sides under their scrutiny, and I hate that I'm intimidated by them, but there's no fucking chance I'm going to show it. I might not have a fucking clue as to what's going on right now, but there's no way I'm showing even an ounce of weakness.
I lift my chin in their direction as the door we came through only minutes ago closes behind us once again.
Footsteps head our way before two more hooded figures come to a stop beside us.
"Cargill," one of them says, just like Marcus did. "I present the Rexford Electi initium. Alexander Harrison Rexford."
Alex?
I turn to the side and find exactly what I was expecting.
Alex is standing in the same insane outfit that I am, only he doesn't look like he usually does. There's no sign of the smirk that's usually playing on his lips, and his face is white, as if all the blood drained out of it a while ago.
"Thank you," one of the men says, nodding to Marcus and the man who brought Alex in. "You may be seated."
Rustling sounds out behind us, and, finally, Alex looks over at me. His eyes widen in shock when he recognizes me. Confusion covers his face. It's a look I understand, and a huge part of me is relieved that I'm not the only one who doesn't have a fucking clue what is happening right now.
"Easton, Rexford. Thank you for your offering."
Both Marcus and Mr. Rexford take a step forward and stand either side of the two men before us.
I look at each of them standing there with their chins raised in their air like they're in charge of the fucking world and their eyes on the men—I'm assuming—behind us.
I knew Gravestone was a weird place, but this right now is going beyond anything I ever could have imagined.
"Welcome to tonight's Initium. We have two offerings for initiation tonight. Gentlemen, I present you with Bexley Easton and Alexander Rexford.
Alexander Rexford…
Did he know about all of this, or is he as clueless as I am right now?
I don't know why I'm asking myself this as we're encouraged to turn around. His wide eyes and pale face say it all.
The second I look up from the stone floor at my feet, I lock eyes with the one person I want nothing to do with.
Cade fucking Kingsley.
He stands there in the front row with his crew on either side of him, his hood over his head and a smirk playing on his lips.
He knew about this. Whatever the fuck this is. That motherfucker knew.
"Tonight, on the dawn of a new moon, begins the initiation process. Over the next two weeks, the initium will be tested.” Phillip Cargill’s voice echoes through the chamber. “The status of Electi, though a birthright, must be earned. Upon successful completion of the Initium, on the night of the full moon, you will be anointed as Electi and take up your rightful place in society.
"Initium Easton, initium Rexford, please take a step forward." Every set of eyes before us watches as we both do as we're told.
"Electi," he barks, and Cade, Tim, Channing, and Brandon stand and take a step toward us. Amusement dances in Cade's eyes, and I swallow down my apprehension and hold his stare.
"Disrobe." The voice booms from behind us, and to begin with I don't think it can possibly be directed at us. That is, until Cade's brow rises as if his patience is running out. "You heard him. Disrobe."
"Uh…" I glance over at Alex and watch in horror as he does as demanded of him. The black fabric pools on the floor at his feet, leaving him totally naked.
"Easton," someone growls quietly.
Realizing I don't have much choice, I follow orders and allow the fabric to fall from my shoulders.
I regret it the second Cade moves and the reflection of the candlelight flashes in the blade I now realize he's holding.
My stomach twists with uncertainty.
“Please stand for the blood oath.”
One of the men behind us begins chanting something in another language I don't understand before the rest of the men start repeating certain words back to him.
Marcus steps up to me once more, and, when I look down, I find him holding that small glass vial that was inside the box.
Holy shit.
Blood oath.
They're not joking.
I look to my left, and my eyes collide with Alex's at exactly the same time Cade steps up to me, the point of his knife pressing against my upper thigh.
"Sanguis." The knife presses into my skin. "Imperium." He drags it across my thigh, pain burning through me. "Electi." Warmth begins to trickle down my leg before Marcus drops to his knee and collects some in the little bottle before twisting the top closed and passing it back to one of the men behind me.
Cade takes a step back, an accomplished smile on his face.
What just happened might be some kind of fucked-up ritual…
But he's going to fucking pay for that.
10
Mia
“You look pretty,” Sasha says as she finishes coating her lashes with mascara.
“Thanks.” I smooth the skirt down my thighs, hoping it’ll grow a few inches. It’s short. Really short. But when I arrived at Cade’s house an hour ago with my outfit choices, Sasha took one look at them and deemed them all inappropriate. Apparently, the theme of the night is sexy slut, because she’s wearing what can only be described as something that wouldn’t look amiss on a professional dominatrix. Effortlessly, she pulls off all the leather and lace with her slim frame and feminine curves. I, on the other hand, am not so used to having the curve of my ass on display.
“Cade will freak when he sees you. Bexley, too.”
“Bexley? He’s going to be here?” My stomach flutters.
“Maybe.” She winks at me through the mirror. “All set? The guys will be back soon.”
“Where have they been again?” Cade’s instructions for tonight had been vague. He texted me, telling me to be at the house for seven and to wait with Sasha.
“They had a meeting…”
“A meeting? Like an Electi thing?”
“Something like that.” She brushes me off, grabbing her cell phone and shoving it into her back pocket. Picking up the red lip gloss off the dresser, she coats her lips in it before offering it to me.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“You need a little something to take off the edge.” Sasha moves over to her nightstand and opens the drawer, pulling out a small tin. “I’ve got E, blow, or some good old pot. Choose your poison.”
“You want me to… I mean, I don’t take drugs.”
“Of course you don’t.” She rolls her eyes at me, and I feel about six inches tall. “It might make the night a little easier.”
“Easier? What’s that supposed to mean? It’s just a party.” But the second the words fly out of my mouth, I know I’m wrong.
It’s not just a party.
It’s a party at Cade’s house—the Electi’s house—on the night of the new moon. Who knows what strange things will go down. Especially after how cagey they were all acting today.
“Should I be worried?” I ask Sasha. I still don’t know if I can trust her. She is one of them, after all. But she’s been nothing but nice to me, and I have a gut feeling she’s on my side.
“You’ll be safe. Everyone who matters knows who you belong to.” She eyes the pendant lying against my chest.
“Great,” I mutter under my breath.
“You sure you don’t want something? I think I have some Xanax in the bathroom cabinet, that might be—"
“I’m good, thanks.” I plan on sticking to alcohol only.
“Suit yourself.” Sasha plucks a small blue pill from the tin and pops it on her tongue.
“Do you do that a lot?” I watch her wash it down with the remainder of her soda. Although, now I’m beginning to wonder if it’s more than just pop.
“Sometimes.” She shrugs as if it’s no big deal. “I like the buzz.”
“Are the guys into all that?”
“They dabble now and again, but usually only when it’s the inner circle. In case you haven’t noticed, Cade doesn’t like to be out of control.”
The doorbell rings somewhere in the house, and Sasha gives a little shriek of excitement. “Time to get this show on the road.” She fluffs her thick, auburn hair and grabs my hand, and I’m almost positive I hear her whisper, “You’re going to wish you took the drugs.”
Cade’s house—the house he shares with the other Electi—is a big, sprawling place on the edge of the lake. Shrouded in trees and set on the edge of the forest nestled between Gravestone and the college campus, it’s the perfect place for college kids to let loose and go wild.
Tonight is no exception.
When I followed Sasha to open the door earlier, a group of guys and girls spilled into the house and turned it into party central. There’s a DJ booth set up in the corner of the huge yard, pumping out chilled beats, and girls in bikinis sit around the edge of the pool, splashing their toes in the water, while guys circle them like piranhas.
I recognize almost everyone here. They’re verus, like me; kids descended from the founding families.
Annabel spots me and hurries over. “There you are.” Her dress barely covers her ass, and she’s got a goofy grin plastered on her face. “Are you okay?” I ask, frowning. Her pupils are blown wide, and she can hardly stand still.
“Hell yeah.”
I grab her hand and pull her to the side. “What did you take?”
“Relax,” she shrugs, “everyone is doing it. I feel so freakin’ good.” Annabel throws her arms around me and hugs me like her life depends on it. “I love you, Mia.”
“Okay, happy girl.” Sasha peels my friend off me. “Why don’t you go hang out with Jared and his friends.” She spins Annabel around and gives her a little shove.
“Will she be okay?” Dread pools in my stomach as I watch some guy I recognize from school pull Annabel into his side.
“Jared will watch out for her. Come on, let’s go find the guys.” Sasha takes my hand, leading me away from the crowd and down a dark path. I can see a small stone building, some kind of mausoleum. Shadows dance over the roof and walls, and a shiver runs up my spine.
“What is this place?”
“The guys come out here sometimes to get away from the craziness. Relax…” I ground to a halt, hesitating, and she rolls her eyes. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
“Easy for you to say, you’re one of them.”
“Newsflash, Mia. So are you.”
Just then, male laughter pierces the air and Cade and Ashton spill out of the door.
“Sasha, I see you delivered us tonight’s offering.” His lip curves with wicked intent.
“Knock it off, Ash.” Cade moves around him and stalks toward me. “You look beautiful, babe.” He runs his knuckles down my cheek, and although I want to repel his touch, I can’t deny his sudden one-eighty softens something inside me.
But I know better than to fall for Cade Kingsley’s attempt at seduction.
“We should get going.” He flicks his eyes to Brandon and Channing, who spill out of the building. Something passes between them, and my brows furrow.
“What’s going on?” I ask, the hairs on the back of my neck tingling.
“You’ll see.” Cade dips his head and kisses the corner of my mouth, then grabs my hand and starts leading me back toward the party.
Like a slow-building wave, people stop what they’re doing as Cade and the Electi pass. I feel their stares of intrigue and glares of jealousy. Like me, the verus understand Gravestone’s history, the traditions and ceremonies. We don’t truly know, nobody does… nobody except the Electi and Quinctus, but we’re aware of the town’s ways.
Cade comes to a stop in front of the French doors leading back into the house. Pulling me into his side, he waits for his friends to fall into line beside him. I catch Sasha’s eye as she lingers at Brandon’s side, but she simply smiles.
I don’t feel like smiling. I feel like the rug is about to be pulled out from beneath me.
“Who’s ready to party?” Cade yells, and his voice is like a shot firing in the air. People cheer and clap, their crazed maniacal laughter rising into the night’s sky.
“I said, who’s ready to party?”
The noise turns to madness as the gathered crowd jostles to get closer, as if they can’t resist Cade’s magnetic allure. Even I sense it—his power rippling around us like a current in the air.
“Tonight is the new moon. It marks the beginning of a new cycle. Rebirth. It also marks the start of the Initium.” There’s a collective gasp. The Initium is one of Quinctus’ most sacred ceremonies: the trials of the new Electi. All first-born male heirs must complete the Initium.
A commotion behind the crowd of people draws my attention, and I narrow my gaze to see Tim and Channing pushing two hooded figures toward us.
“What is this?” My voice wavers.
Cade grins down at me, his eyes glittering with victory. “Surprise, babe.”
Before I can ask what he means, the two guys stumble before us, landing on their hands and knees. They’re dressed in some kind of robes, their legs bare beneath.
Cade nods at his friends, and Tim and Channing fist the hoods and yank them off.
“Bexley?” His name dies on my tongue as I stare into his cloudy eyes.
“What the f-fuck, King… sley,” he slurs the words, his head rolling on his shoulders.
“What did you do?” I breathe, trying to wiggle out of Cade’s hold.
“Meet our newest initiates. Alexander Rexford and Bexley Easton.”
A shock goes through the air. Excited whispers carrying on the breeze, but I’m speechless.
Completely and utterly speechless.
“What the f… uck did you give… us?” Bexley thrashes against Channing’s hold, but it’s futile.
“Electi isn’t just handed down because of your name,” Cade sneers. “It’s earned. So tonight, consider this your first test. Take them to the pit.”
“The pit?” I balk. I’ve never heard of something called the pit. But whatever it is, it doesn’t sound good.
Channing and Tim haul Alex and Bexley to their feet and drag them across the yard toward the lake.
Cade is about to follow them, but I grab his arm and tug sharply. His eyes collide with mine, darkening.
“What the hell is this?”
“Turns out Bexley and Alex aren’t who we thought they were.” His jaw clenches. “Consider this part one of their induction into the Electi.”
I have so many questions, but Cade looks one second away from storming off, so instead I ask, “What happens at the pit?”
“That depends on your boy.” He eyes narrow with accusation.
“My—” I stop myself. He’s baiting me, but I refuse to give him the amm
unition. Nothing happened with me and Bexley, not really. And now I know he’s Electi—or at least, he will be once the trials are over—whatever spark I felt with him is gone.
He’s one of them.
My stomach sinks.
Whether he wants it or not, Bexley Danf—I mean, Easton—is one of them.
How did this even happen?
Maybe Sasha was right when she said I should have taken the pill, because this night is already fucked up, and I have a bad feeling it’s only going to get worse.
I press my lips together in defiance. Cade’s brow arches, and he looks almost impressed. He doesn’t say another word as he snags my wrist and pulls me toward where everyone has disappeared to. Darkness envelops us as the trees seem to close in, making the world grow small. But then we spill into a clearing, the amber glow of flames from a nearby bonfire lighting up the night sky. Everything is quiet, hushed as Cade leads me through the human circle. He hands me off to Sasha and Channing, who each take my arms as he moves toward the center. There, Bexley and Alex wait on their knees.
“Do you know what this is?” Cade asks them.
“F-fuck you,” Bexley spits, his body swaying. His tan skin glistens under the moonlight. He’s burning up, his muscles quivering as Ashton grips the back of his head and forces him to look at Cade.
In this moment, I realize the whispers and rumors are true. Ashton Moore is depraved. Maybe even more depraved than his best friend. His maniacal grin twists his face, making him appear like a monster in the dark.
“Rexford… be a good boy and tell your guy what this is.”
“Caedes.”
“Ding, ding, ding, and the point goes to Rexford.” Cade leans down and roughly grabs Alex’s jaw. “You’ll make Daddy Rexford proud before the night’s out. That’s right, everyone, Alexander Shaw is, in fact, Harrison Rexford’s bastard child. But rules are rules, and the first-born son of an heir gets their shot at becoming an Electi.”
Anticipation buzzes through the crowd. A lot of these kids live for the whispers and rumors that circulate Gravestone like an unrelenting breeze. But hearing it and seeing it are two very different things.
“Caedes is usually a little bloody fun. A chance for initiates to show their strength and go head-to-head with their fellow initiates. But not this year… this year, they will compete in a different gauntlet. This year, they’ll take on… us.” Cade yanks his t-shirt over his head and cracks his knuckles. Raucous applause fills the air, a bloodthirsty shrill that I feel all the way to the pit of my stomach.