The Rites: Ethos Society Part One

by Chloe Gunter

  "Why don't you and I do dinner and a movie together tomorrow. I get the pizza, you get the beer and select some action movie that defies the laws of physics," I offered. Reed was my best friend, and I could only imagine how all of that was affecting him. I wanted to be there for him any way I could.

  "Are you trying to recreate our first date, Char? I'm so flattered babe, I accept." I punched him in the gut making his arms release me as he let out another laugh. "Someone has been keeping you in shape. I don't know if its our morning workouts or those twins." He wagged his eyebrows salaciously and I lost it, joining his laughter.

  "Wouldn't you like to know mountain man," I said moving around to grab my things and put on my shoes. "I mean, you don't even know which one I'm going to go see right now."

  I threw him a wink as I opened the front door, happy to see him smiling again and looking forward to tomorrow night.

  Gage and I had still been doing a delicate dance of teasing and talking, seeing how we worked outside of pressure filled situations and in our interesting dynamic. I knew what would ultimately happen, and how I felt about him.

  So when Gavin had gotten a call and had to leave, I knew it was time for Gage and I to talk. He must have noted the change in my expression because his lips found mine, pulling me in for a kiss that made my toes curl and my breath go ragged as I leaned against the kitchen countertop. I went to deepen it, to pull him closer, but he ripped his mouth from mine.

  "Are you done, Bird? Fighting this and fighting me?"

  His hand was loosely braced on my throat, his thumb directing my chin in the direction he wanted. It was domineering and demanding and it turned me the fuck on.

  "Yes," I said, finally giving in.

  I couldn't deny or try to fight it any longer. I wanted him. I wanted him just as much as I wanted Gavin. I wanted both of them, together, forever. However I could have them, they were mine. And I, I was theirs.

  "I'm not letting you off that easy," Gage said, darting in and nipping my lip. "Tell me."

  "I want you, Gage," I gasped out as his lips trailed a hot path down my neck.

  "And..." he paused his attentions and pressed his face against mine, his lips at my ear. "Tell me, Charlie. I know for a fact that this isn't one sided, and we're not going any further until you admit it."

  My heart raced, feeling like it was going to beat out of my chest as Gage patiently waited, his arms braced on either side of me, caging me in, his cheek still pressed against mine.

  "I love you, Gage."

  "Tell me you're mine." I opened my mouth to try and tell him that it wasn't fair of me to tell him that but he clamped his hand over my mouth, the other moving to the back of my head, holding me there. "I know you're Gavin's too. But that doesn't mean you still can't be mine. When we're together, when we're apart, I want to be on your mind, in your heart. I want to consume you so completely that you don't know where you end and I begin."

  "Fuck, Gage," I said harshly as he removed his hand from my mouth.

  "Oh, we're about to, baby bird. You just need to tell me."

  He cupped me hard through my jeans, pressing the heel of his palm in hard, making me squirm even more. I loved how Gage turned my submission to him into this delicious balance of control, pushing and pulling me to new heights.

  "I'm yours, Gage. But you're sure as hell mine too."

  "I have been for awhile," he admitted, and then no other words were needed.

  He took my mouth, kissing me thoroughly as he fucked me with his tongue, mimicking the movements I knew were about to happen. My hands tangled in his hair, giving him a sharp tug and he let out a moan. I guess I wasn't the only one who liked it rough sometimes. We broke apart, lips swollen and breaths gasping, knowing exactly where this was heading.

  I braced my hands on the marble countertop and lifted my hips, giving Gage access to drag my pants and panties off with one hard tug. Gage's tongue darted out and licked his bottom lip before he slowly rolled up his shirt sleeves, exposing his forearms one at a time. He stared at me like I was about to become his favorite snack, one that he was going to leisurely enjoy whenever he wanted. The sound of his knees hitting the floor as he dropped in front of me echoed through the apartment, and I felt myself grow wetter with anticipation.

  Beep. Beep....Beep. Beep.... Beep. Beep.

  Our phones went off simultaneously and we shared a look, knowing that it was horrible timing but that it could probably only mean one thing.

  It was time for the third and final Rite to begin.

  The messages on our phones were nearly identical, indicating that we needed to bring ourselves to the chamber as we were. The only difference between Gage and I's messages was the times we were requested to be there. His read immediately whereas mine read an hour from now.

  That told me two things. One, this was an individual Rite. And two, it wouldn't last long.

  After I redressed I pulled Gage in close, seeing he was already starting to lock down into his cool veneer. Unspoken words of encouragement and support were exchanged as our lips met a final time, before he walked out of the door and into the unknown.

  The next forty-five minutes were painful. Waiting with so many questions, wondering how Gage was doing, whether or not he would pass. Time seemed to crawl, my eyes fixed to the second hand of the clock as I watched it tick around and around and around. Until finally, it was time to go.

  The chamber was cold as I stepped inside, the usual sconces lit showcasing their hypnotic flames. When I reached the main chamber, I was greeted with three stoic figures who stood behind the stone pedestal. I wasn't sure how this was going to all play out, but I stepped up to the middle of the slab and waited.

  "Welcome novitiate, to your final Rite."

  I stayed quiet, seeing if they would elaborate or what they would say next. You had better believe after the second Rite I was going to pay attention to every single word they said. They wanted a foundation of trust, well, that was a two-way street and I sure as hell was going to make sure they'd held up their end.

  "As you know, your last Rite will be based on our core tenet of trust. In order for you to successfully complete your final Rite, you will be given a series of instructions and it will be your task to fully complete them within the allotted time. The duration of this Rite, will last no more than three minutes. Do you understand novitiate?"

  "Three minutes, complete all the tasks," I summarized.

  The middle figure stepped forward and paused ominously, "Your time starts now. Assemble the weapon."

  The robed arm passed over the pedestal and an old school revolver appeared. Warily, I picked up the gun from the pedestal, checking the pieces over to make sure there was no irregularities or flaws that I was missing that could clue me in to where this was going to go. I tested the weight in my hand as I analyzed the gun.

  After finding a relatively flawless revolver, I assembled it quickly and placed it back on the pedestal. Once again, the robed arm passed over the stone slab, but this time, three bullets remained.

  “Load these three bullets in the chamber, alternating position so that they are evenly spaced.”

  A sense of dread filled my stomach as I followed the simple instructions. Having three bullets and three empty spots in a revolver was bad news on every avenue. As I slid the last bullet into the chamber, my eyes lifted to stare at the faceless figure, waiting for the next instruction.

  "Keeping your eyes on me, spin the cylinder and close it."

  A harsh breath escaped me as the dread from my stomach spread throughout my body. I knew the path this was taking now. The instructions left no room for misinterpretation. I spun the cylinder, the color draining from my face as I closed it without looking. I was about to play a game of Russian Roulette.

  "Turn around and step into the ring of light behind you, novitiate."

  As I turned around I saw a bright overhead spot illuminating a circle on the floor, the kind you saw in classic interrogation rooms. My feet seemed t
o be made of cement as I walked the seven steps needed to reach the light. The coldness and weight of the gun seeping into my bones and up my arm. As I came to a halt, the heels of my boots kissing the outer ring of light, a door opened, the sound of metal hitting harshly against stone.

  I couldn't make out what I was seeing at first, the two dark shapes moving through the shadows. As they grew closer I saw that each shape was actually composed of two people, each having a figure they were dragging across the stone floor until they forced the figures onto their knees within the circle of light with me. The figures, of course, looked identical, shrouded in the familiar robes that exuded nothing but darkness.

  "In a moment, your directions will be to fire three shots from the revolver you personally loaded at the head of one of the figures in the circle. The time has come for you to make a decision, novitiate. Do you want the hoods removed? Do you want to see their faces as you carry out your final Rite?"

  Was I really going to do this? Did I really believe in their mission and trust them enough to follow their instructions?

  As the thoughts circled through my head, I remembered the warning when I first started the Rite. I probably only had two minutes left to finish this and get through whatever else they asked. If I was going to be responsible for shooting someone, for potentially taking their life, a decision that would no doubt stay with me forever, then I at least wanted to show a final respect to the people who were underneath those hoods.

  "I want them removed," I said solemnly, steeling myself.

  The three figures from the podium were now evenly spaced on the outside of the circle between us, so the two closest to them stepped forward, placing themselves behind the kneeling figures. With one fell swoop they tugged the hoods off the figures and I fell apart.

  Gavin and Gage.

  I stumbled and landed harshly on my knees, putting myself on the same level as them. My breath started to quicken, a sign that I was on the verge of hyperventilating as I looked back and forth between them.

  "You're down to a minute and a half novitiate."

  I shook my head rapidly, acknowledging the warning but not wanting to hear it. There was no way that I could choose between the two of them. How was I supposed to trust Ethos when they put me in situations like this?

  "Charlie, its okay," Gavin whispered, the words hard for him to get out.

  They must have put some type of restriction on both of them before this. There's no way Gage would be voluntarily silent at a time like this. As if proving my point he nodded his head vehemently, his crystal blue gaze searing into mine and cutting through the haze.

  There had to be a way out of this. I had seen things, things I couldn't explain, that didn't make sense to my rational brain. Maybe this test of trust, was really a leap of faith, of being able to see and believe that there was more than meets the eye.

  Cradling the revolver in my hand, I made my decision. The instructions said a figure in the circle, they never said it couldn’t be me.

  Slowly raising the revolver to my head, I pulled back the hammer, the action of the gun rotating the cylinder. Muffled sounds from Gavin and Gage greeted my ears as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Squeezing the trigger, I heard the hammer slam and the shot echo.

  One down, two to go.

  "Me," Gavin choked out. It was then that I realized their arms were immobile at their sides. Just like mine had been the first night I was brought to the chamber. I looked to Gage then, who had managed to nod his chin down at himself, the meaning clear that he would accept the next shot as well.

  "Forty seconds."

  "I can't," I shook my head at the two of them, "you can't ask me to do that to either one of you."

  Tears welled in my eyes as I brought the revolver back up, repeating the action of cocking the hammer, the click echoing through the chamber.

  Click. Another dry fire.

  That shouldn’t have been possible. There should have been a bullet in one of those chambers. I breathed another sigh of relief as my body began to shake as I realized that my intuition was right, that there was something going on that I couldn’t yet comprehend. I had to finish this. Cocking the hammer one last time I squeezed the trigger, tasting the salt from my tears that had tracked down my face.

  Empty.

  I collapsed, the revolver discarded on the floor. Pressing my head to my knees, sobs escaped me as the tension drained from my body, leaving me shaky and raw. Arms wrapped around my back, lifting me off the floor and walking with me down the hall into a familiar alcove.

  I kept my head to my knees as the figure sank to the floor and pulled me into their lap. Coldness seeped into every inch of my bones, leaving me numb. I don't know how long I sat there, tears dampening my clothes as they rubbed circles into my back. I could tell now that we were touching that I was against a hard chest, definitely male.

  "Talk to me, Bird. I need to know that you're alright."

  "I don't know what I am right now besides exhausted and confused. Why would you ask me to do that, Whistler? You obviously know what they mean to me, and I'm sure by now you know that I'm aware they're involved with Ethos as well."

  "Trust me when I tell you that it could have been worse. If you hadn't made the distinction between Anorak and Chiron then you would have probably seen Alicia in there."

  "Were they actually there?" I asked, taking note of Gavin's codename.

  "Yes."

  "But I've seen things, things that shouldn't be possible Whistler."

  "You have, Bird. And after your initiation I promise, no more secrets."

  "I'm furious with you, you know that right?" I leaned back, looking at where his face should be. He tilted his head to the left, the only tell he had, and pulled me back against him.

  "I know, but I wouldn't have sponsored you and put you through this if I didn't think it was all worth it,” the words rang sincere despite his distorted voice.

  I thought about that for a moment, but everything was still too fresh in my mind, "Do I ever get to know who you are?"

  "At the initiation, after you're vested, we'll have a moment together where I'll... remove my hood." I waited him out, seeing if he would elaborate or say more. When he didn't, I stood up on shaky legs, making my way to the alcove archway. But before I could leave, I heard one more whisper, not knowing if it was meant for my ears.

  "I really hope you understand, Bird."

  I opened the door to my apartment, and was greeted by the sight of Gavin and Gage sitting on the couch in my front room. They each rose off the couch, their movements hypnotically in sync. It was the first time I could see the damage and potential they could do undercover, and with a bit of work they could be seamless.

  I managed to give them a weary smile. As if that broke them free, they both walked towards me, wrapping me up in their arms. After a moment Gavin broke away and headed towards my bedroom, Gage taking my hand and trailing after him.

  When we got to the room, the bathroom light was on and the sound of the shower started. That was exactly what I needed, to wash the stress and tension away. It was a tight fit for the three of us in the bathroom, but we somehow managed. Gage tugged on the bottom of his black shirt and began lifting it over his head. I felt a similar tug on my own shirt and raised my hands to let Gavin pull it off over my head. As his hand dropped to the button on my jeans, I heard the sound of the shower curtain opening and closing. After he unbuttoned my jeans, he pulled them and my underwear down, helping me step out of them. I went to tug on his shirt but he stilled my hands.

  "You two need each other right now. I've been where you've been and I wish I would have had one of you there. Go, cara, I'll be waiting for you when you're done," Gavin said, giving me a gentle kiss on the lips before making his way out of the bathroom.

  As I opened the shower curtain and stepped inside I was greeted by the image of Gage, one hand braced against the wall as he hung his head under the running water, his hair looking darker and plastered to him. I
pressed myself against his back, wrapping my arms tight around his stomach, resting my head against him. One of his arms immediately came to brace mine against him, holding tightly as we listened to the spatter of water against our bodies and the tile.

  After my skin pruned and the hot water started to fade, I let out a deep breath, "Are you okay?"

  Gage gave my arms a squeeze and I dropped them from his waist and stood up straight. He turned around and brushed a lock of hair from my face.

  "I was going through mine at the same time, and I couldn't-" he slapped his hand against the shower wall, "I couldn't do anything for you. I just had to sit in that circle and remain unmoving and silent, all the while I wanted to take you in my arms and tell them to go fuck themselves. But, I had to trust them, with you, with Gav, and it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. And I can't stop seeing the look in your eyes when you saw me, I don't know if I ever will, and I'm so fucking sorry Charlie."

  "Don't," I said placing my hand over his mouth. "Don't do that to us when we've just started. I love you, Gage, and there are going to be times when we have to make hard decisions. We both decided that we wanted to get involved with something bigger than us, that we wanted to make a difference, and at times that's going to be challenging. But we won't break. We're not fragile. We're not weak. We're solid. And we'll always have each other's back."

  Awe, love, and a fierce look I couldn't place flashed across Gage's face before it settled on mischievous, his small smile lopsided.

  "I want your front as well as your back, Bird."

  A laugh escaped me as he pointedly looked down my body, "Maybe later, lover boy. For now we have someone else waiting on us who is no doubt worried."

  After we dried off, I opened the door to find Gavin laying in my bed with the covers turned down. He opened his arms and I quickly made it to bed and crawled into them. Gage joined us, spooning me from behind as I laid peacefully between the two men.