AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m super underwhelmed actually. We should have known this one would be on top of things, our dad’s too.”
I shrugged and moved back to the comfort of Maliki. Luce was Luce. Uncle Romero had wanted to replicate himself minus all the fucked up shit he had to go through and he had exceeded even his own expectations. His protégé was exactly the kind of person the Badlands needed to run it.
Lucifuge was a Savage to the core, a lethal prince just waiting for his turn on the devils throne. He hid it well, too. Beneath his charm and easy demeanor lurked something I never wanted to meet. But, he was my cousin and for all his secrets and sins, I loved him.
“Ice,” he said, gesturing to the computers.
We all moved out of his way so he could to the chair.
Sitting down he pulled something out of his pocket and plugged it in to the main computers USB port.
“I’m gonna copy all I find once I’m in,” he explained, tapping a few keys on the keyboard. “This could take a minute, might want to get comfy.”
Great. More time to sit around wait.
“I’m going to look through those papers.” Addy smothered another yawn and went to claim a chair by the roundtable.
“I’m hungry as hell, you can find me in this asshole’s kitchen throwing us something together,” Trix stated, heading out of the room. Just before she exited she stopped beside Luce and asked, “How did you get in here?”
“That’s a secret, just know I can get into anywhere. It’s locked down, though. No one is coming in without me knowing, if you were scared.”
She glared at him and continued on her way.
He, Zane, and Maliki crowded around the computers as Ice worked, leaving me unsure what to do with myself.
I looked around the room. Addy seemed to have the paper thing under control, Trix was a hands on chef who be annoyed if I got in her way.
With no better solution I walked around the leather couch and plopped down, grabbing the remote in the process.
“Let’s see what you’ve been watching,” I mumbled to myself.
I hit the power button, confusion setting in when I realized the TV had never been off, its screen had just timed out. Powering it back on revealed whatever someone had been watching last was paused.
Hitting play, a video began to play, something that had been recorded with a camcorder.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up at the sight of a young girl, maybe ten or eleven at most in a see through white night-gown sitting on the edge of a bed with a man older than my father at her side.
Her hair was something between auburn and golden brown, flowing in waves to her waist, skin pale and slightly freckled. Her round eyes were the color of pewter, and would have been beautiful if they weren’t so empty.
She looked like a lifeless doll. I turned the volume up to hear what was being said, and immediately regretted it.
“Do you know why the sheets are white?”
A small nod. “Yes, Cardinal.”
“Are you afraid?”
A shake of her head. “My body and my life belong to the arc, to be chosen for a Stag is an honor. There is nothing to be afraid of. I am thankful.”
“What the fuck?” Zane voiced.
“Very good. Now move to the center of the bed and present yourself like your mother taught you.”
“No,” I objected as if I were in the room.
Maliki’s hand was suddenly reaching over my shoulder and turning the television off. “I think I speak for all of us when I say no one in here needs to see the rest of this video.”
“No we don’t, but what the fuck was that?” Addy asked, rising from her spot at the table.
