Alexei was a stronger shifter than I could ever be. He stood there and watched Kiara writhe in pain as the brand was applied to her skin. Her screams wailed in our ears. I was certain by the expression on his face he was all but breaking. His hands twitched, like he wanted to reach out to her, but couldn’t with the acolytes in the way.
The branding took so long, and Kiara’s screams never stopped. Her voice had gone hoarse by the time the acolytes finally withdrew from her. Kiara sniffed and wiped her face of tears as she gingerly hopped off the stone table. The mark on Kiara’s hip formed a gruesome shape of the letters B and C intertwined together, cut permanently into her hip.
Alexei was shaking by this time, but Acolyte Vesper appeared satisfied.
“The griffin girl has proven herself worthy,” Vesper said, and he turned toward Emma and I. “If you two truly wish to become one of us, you must be initiated as well. What are your names?”
“Adam and Agata Slova. We just had our wedding,” Emma lied. It was easier to pretend we were married mates, with common alicorn names.
“We have Unseelie magic,” I added in. “We thought if we joined the family, we could learn how to cast it.”
Acolyte Vesper’s eyes flashed in greed, as if he was excited at the thought of using us. “That is something you can learn here. You’ve come to the right place.”
He was a liar. I was certain the cult didn’t actually allow their members to use any magic, Unseelie or otherwise.
Vesper gestured to the stone table. “Give an offering to Droga of your blood, and you will be welcomed into our group with open arms, as your blood contains your magic.”
I saw a sheen of terror in Emma’s eyes, and I momentarily panicked. Her blood was to raise Droga, but according to legend, that could only be done on a certain day… except, would offering her blood to Droga now raise him early?
Both of us started toward the stone altar, trying to keep appearances. I took the knife the acolyte had used to brand Kiara, slicing open my palm and letting the blood flow onto the stone. The stone tablet gleamed an amethyst color when I did that, and a deep sense of unease traveled through me. I couldn’t place why, but I felt like whatever I did, it was deeply wrong, and a grave mistake.
Emma was quivering beside me, struck by indecision. But before Emma could cut her hand, or bolt, Acolyte Vesper held out his arm. “Only one of you is required to make an offering, if you are bonded. Your mate has made the sacrifice, and we consider it true.”
Thank the gods. A stroke of luck. I handed back the knife. No one bothered to hand me a bandage, so I bled all over the floor. Acolyte Xantha stepped forward and said, “I will show you to your new quarters. Follow me.”
We were led from that chamber to another, which was packed with dozens of small beds, all crammed within the space. The room was empty, but underneath the bed were collections of belongings, such as clothes and shoes.
“This is where our members sleep,” Xantha began. “Most of them are out in Dolinska, performing the family’s duties under our supervision.”
Xantha’s voice grew cold. “You will be allowed to leave the safety of our home once you have proven trustworthy, to bring resources back to the family. For now, you will be working in Confinement, doing jobs the family needs. I’ll leave you a few minutes to get settled— I expect you to report to Confinement within a half hour. Alexei, you know where to lead them.”
Xantha turned her back on us and left. The moment she was gone, Alexei reached for Kiara. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said, before she winced. “A little pain can’t stop me.”
Alexei’s eyes went soft with concern. Her hands threaded his arms, and I swore even I felt the connection resonating between them.
“Iknewyou’d get hurt if you got involved with me.” His voice wobbled. “This is proof I’m bad for you.”
“I can take it,” Kiara insisted. “It’s worth whatever I have to do, to be with you.”
Alexei’s expression broke. I took the opportunity to change the subject, to try to help him hold it together.
“I know Acolyte Vesper,” I said. “I tortured him some time ago for information on the cult before he got away. He never revealed anything, but I’m certain he knew my secret identity. He’d hinted as such when I pressed him for intel.”
“He must’ve been one of the cultists who figured out you were the Phantom, and told Gabby,” Alexei replied.
“Then we’ll have to be extra careful around him,” Kiara whispered.
“What’s Confinement?” Emma asked. “It doesn’t sound great.”
“I’ve been in Confinement before. It’s where they keep the new people, and anyone who wants to run off. I was thrown in there when I tried to escape the first time,” Alexei explained.
Then he shivered. “I never thought I’d go back.”
“It sounds horrible,” Kiara added, and she placed a hand on the back of his head. It was like the two of them couldn’t stop touching each other.
“It’s mostly menial tasks.” Alexei swallowed. “But if you’re caught running off, they make you do worse things. Let’s just do as they ask, and hope we hear some rumors on the stone.”
