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“Let’s see how far this rabbit hole goes,” I murmur as I turn back to the texts. My voice is steady now that I know what I’m looking for. Groups, not sects. Groups. “You can’t hide from me, assholes.” The fear is pushed aside by a sense of purpose. I need answers, and I’ll be damned if I don’t get them.
These men who walk around with their secrets cloaked in charm—they’re not just influential; they’re guardians. Guardians of a legacy so dark, so twisted, it seeps into the very foundation of KnightsGate University.
“KnightsGate.” I pause, squinting at the text. “KnightsGate. Knights Templar?” I pull my face. “Bit of a reach.”
But maybe not. All religious sects start somewhere, and ones as ancient as this one appear to be... fuck. The dots are there, I just need to connect them.
I suck in a sharp breath, the revelation like ice water down my back. They’re not just protecting their status or their wealth; they’re keepers of an ancient agenda, one that involves bloodlines and power, rituals, and sacrifices. It makes sense now—their obsession, their intensity. They’re bound to an oath older than the cobblestones of this fucking place.
“Shit,” I curse, the word slicing through the silence of the library. Every whispered word, every lingeringtouch—it wasn’t just some sick game. They’ve been grooming me, shaping me to fit into their world, whether I want to or not.
A cold wave of dread washes over me, threatening to drag me under. I’m in too deep, drowning in their world of shadows and lies. This knowledge is frightening—I am entwined in their web, and there’s no clawing my way out.
There’s no ignorance to hide behind anymore, no bliss in not knowing. I’m a pawn in their game, but I’m also the only one who knows enough to bring it all crashing down.
“And they willneverlet that happen.”
I close the book with a thump, the sound echoing off the walls. I stand up, my legs shaky but resolute. Fear laces through my veins, but it’s edged with something fiercer—a determination to fight back, to reclaim my life from the shadows that seek to consume it.
I slip out of the library, the door closing with a finality that rattles me to my core. “Time to end this.”
37
EVER
My feet pound against the cobblestones. The chill evening air bites my cheeks as I make my way towards KnightsGate Manor. It’s a fortress of secrets, and I’m about to storm the gate.
Gaight. Gate. However you spell it, it means something here.
“Brave or stupid?” I mutter under my breath, but it doesn’t matter now. The darkness inside me stirs, fed by anger and a remorseless need for answers. I can’t turn away from this, not after what I’ve learned.
I reach the towering doors of the Manor and hesitate, my hand hovering over the ancient brass knocker as I look up at the coat of arms.
It swings open, making me jump and clutch my heart with a loud squeak, revealing Alistair’s imposing figure, backlit by the low light of the entrance hall. His blue eyes meet mine, assessing, calculating. “Find what you were looking for?”
Stepping past him, I give him a withering glare, which seems to only amuse him. My heart hammers—not with fear, but with the adrenaline of confrontation.
“Join us,” he says, and there’s a thrill in his voice that matches the dangerous glint in his eye.
He slams the door, and we walk into the living room.
“Ever,” Ben greets me as we enter.
“Benedict.” My reply is curt, a verbal shield against his calm possessiveness. He knows I’m pissed as I’ve used his full name, and he arches an eyebrow in acknowledgement that friendship time is over.
Charlie sits beside him, his laughter absent, replaced by a seriousness that sits oddly on his usually cheerful features. “Ever.”
“Charles.”
He snorts. “Is that the way it’s going to be?”
“Yeah.”
Damien emerges from the shadows like a spectre. His light grey eyes lock onto mine, reading me as easily as a children’s book. “Determined to play your part?” he asks, a challenge woven into the simplicity of his words.
“More than you know,” I reply, meeting his stare head-on.
He reaches for my hand and grasps it firmly.
