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Mackenzie loses her cool. Releasing my shirt, she whirls around, raising her bound wrists. Awkwardly beating against the massive beast’s chest, she screams obscenities and insults. “You fucking asshole. Stop hitting him.” She’s irate as she continues her tirade, releasing her pent-up emotions on Orpheus. “Let us go, you freaky motherfucker. Who the fuck paints their face like that when it’s not Halloween?”
Before I can blink, Orpheus backhands Mackenzie so hard that she flies against me, knocking me off balance. We both stumble, my back slamming into the dusty wall before her lithe form tumbles against me.
“Children, behave.” Orpheus stomps over to us, a murderous expression on his face. He raises his hand like he’s going to beat the shit out of us, causing fear and despair to swirl inside me like a tornado. I feel sick because I’m unable to protect Mackenzie.
“Orpheus, stop.” A lacy dress fills my vision as Rosario wedges herself between us. “You don’t need this kind of negativity. You have a ritual to prepare for.”
Her words ease his temper. “Ah, Rosario. The voice of reason.” Nodding, he spins around, pinning me and Mackenzie against the attic wall. Rosario immediately hurries over, pulling two syringes from her long dress. Although Mackenzie and I squirm, we are limited by our bound hands and Orpheus’s massive frame. She injects me, then Mackenzie, with the syringe.
When she’s finished, Orpheus steps away from us. “Now that I’ve ensured the girl is pure, I shouldn’t be dawdling. I need to speak to my followers and ensure they are appropriately prepared.” He waves his hand dismissively. “Handle them, domini regina.” Orpheus catches our bewildered expressions and sneers. “That means lord’s queen. Ensure you treat her like one.”
Rosario waits until his attention returns to her before curtsying. “Yes, my tenbris dominus. My dark lord.”
As Orpheus strides to the steps, I study the back of his black robe. It has a similar image to the tattoo on his arm, except there’s a giant pentagram within a circle. The words “Divinity of the Chosen Ones” surround it.
What the fuck? Is Orpheus a satanic cult leader?
My limbs grow heavy as the drug courses through my veins. The thud of Orpheus’s boots on the steps sound like thunder inside my aching skull.
Rosario’s voice is soft and comforting, a contrast to her larger counterpart. “Come with me to your bed. It’s much softer than the floor.” She grabs Mackenzie as she tries to stand, her small body swaying from whatever she injected her with. Although my balance isn’t much better, I pull Mackenzie to my side, the two of us staggering to the thin, stained mattress on the floor.
I curse my bound wrists as Rosario takes over, helping Mackenzie lie down. Taking advantage of her distraction, I reach for Rosario’s veil. But she’s too quick, slamming her elbow into my balls, making me double over. She easily shoves me onto the mattress beside Mackenzie.
“It’s no use fighting, children.” Her voice is a soothing whisper despite the pain and fear bouncing inside my stomach like a boat on turbulent ocean waves. Maybe it’s the drugs, but I swear I hear her mutter, “Trust me. I’ve tried.”
I blink, fighting the exhaustion that beckons me like a siren’s song.
To my surprise, Rosario brushes Mackenzie’s hair from her forehead. With the sunlight shining through the dirty windowpane, it’s easier to see her through her veil. It’s such an odd sight, watching Rosario touch Mackenzie like a mother would a child.
Rosario has a soft, rueful smile on her lips as she begins singing “Amazing Grace.” I raise my brows, remembering Mackenzie telling me Rosario sang that to her as she dragged her to the car.
When Rosario glances at me, a faint blush spreads over her face. She quickly averts her eyes as though I caught her doing something she shouldn’t. “Go to sleep, Chase. You’re going to need the rest for what is to come.”
An ominous chill overtakes my body, making me shiver.
I fight sleep as long as I can, keeping my eyes closed so Rosario believes I’ve succumbed to the exhaustion while I keep an eye on her. She continues stroking Mackenzie’s hair and singing to her. Her words circle inside my head like water in a clogged drain, making me half insane as I wonder what the hell lies ahead.
The drugs overpower me, and I surrender to the darkness.
13
MACKENZIE
Bright light dances across my eyelids, warming my cold skin. My lids flutter, my body slowly regaining consciousness before they finally open.
The most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen greets me. Whiskey-colored eyes stare into mine, brimming with so much emotion it makes my heart stutter inside my chest, my breath freezing inside my lungs.
When a slow smile stretches across Chase’s chiseled face, my chest hitches, and fluttery wings flap inside my stomach. I return his smile, my heart dancing inside my chest. My body stirs, reacting to the look of concern and yearning lighting up his irises, the light brown color sprinkled with golden flecks. He is the only good thing about being stuck in this creepy attic.
“Hey, angel. How’d you sleep?” His deep, husky voice wafts over me, his warm breaths feathering over my skin, reminding me of the sun. My body tingles, feeling alive again. It’s how I imagine the trees in the forest must feel when spring finally arrives, chasing away the chill of a long, cold winter. Everything inside me feels light and airy. My pulse flutters like a ballerina, gracefully dancing against my throat.
I stretch my aching legs, the horrors of this house trying to creep inside my head, but I refuse to allow reality to intrude. Not yet.
“Hey, whiskey tango.” I blush the second the words slip from my lips, cringing when I sneak a peek at Chase. He stares at me with raised brows and a question in his eyes, and I start counting down the seconds in my head until he asks about it.
I frantically search for something to say to distract him. “How’d you sleep? Are you okay?” My eyes move to the angry red and purple marks above his restraints. It’s obvious he was trying like hell to get out of them.
“Hey.” Gentle fingers go beneath my chin, tilting my face to his. “Stop worrying about me.” His brows crease from irritation. “Stop trying to distract me. It won’t work. I know you too well, Kenz.” His face moves closer, making my breath stutter inside my chest for the second time in a span of about five minutes. “Why did you call me whiskey tango?”
