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It’s evident what game he’s playing. The division Orpheus spoke of within his inner circle is evident between Killian and Daemon as they stare each other down.
Orpheus set this into motion, maneuvering them and me like pieces on a chess board.
Murderous rage is in his eyes as they move from Arianna and Killian to Orpheus. “What the fuck, Orpheus?”
Killian chuckles, his hand on Arianna’s throat as he pushes her forward. She winces, her pleading gaze latching onto Daemon. For a split second, his face softens, the rage leaving it, as he gazes at Arianna, more than a hint of familiarity in his gaze. It’s painfully obvious he knows her, and right now, he’s revealing his weakness. She means something to him, though I don’t know what.
My gaze moves to Orpheus. His arms are folded over his powerful chest, gloating as he watches the three of them.
“Problem, Daemon?” An amused smile curls his lips but there’s a hardness in his eyes that clearly shows Orpheus’s rage.
“Yes, there’s a fucking problem,” Daemon snaps, his chest rising and falling like a fire-breathing dragon about to charge. “What is the meaning of this, Orpheus? Why is she here?” His voice trembles on the last words.
“The game has changed, Daemon.”
Bile rises in my throat as I watch the power struggle take place, knowing I had a role in this. I’m unsure if Orpheus intends to control Daemon, remove him from the inner circle, or kill him, but it’s obvious he’s being punished. And Arianna is a way for Orpheus to control Daemon.
Even though part of me feels for Daemon, the opportunistic part is focusing on the fractures in the façade.Destroy from within, Chase. Look for the weakness and capitalize on it.
I glance down at Mackenzie, who is staring at me as though she knows something is amiss.
When Mackenzie finds out I made a deal with the devil, I hope she can forgive me. I did it for her. For us.
At the end of the day, the only loyalty I have is to the woman beside me.
42
MACKENZIE
Chaos reigns down inside the church as Orpheus, Daemon, and Killian engage in a power struggle, while Rosario and the other three members of Orpheus’s inner circle look on. The other cult members ignore what’s happening, too busy writhing around, chanting and singing, talking about seeing colors and hearing sounds.They have to be on drugs.
I feel bad for Arianna, an innocent caught up in the mess that has been brought into the church. But I forget about her and the chaos unfolding when I look up at Chase. He stares down at me, whiskey eyes veiled in secrets. Like a spiderweb that allows you to see what’s behind it but doesn’t let you inside without getting caught in the sticky trap.
But I know Chase well enough to know something has been wrong since the day I was in the restroom with Rosario, and we heard Orpheus unlocking the attic door before his boots thudded up the steps, the sound lighter than usual but still apparent to my straining ears.
He’s not the only one with secrets. I’ve been keeping a few of my own. I’ve never told him about Rosario being Orpheus’s captive. Nor did I reveal anything about Emersyn, although Rosario’s brief story about what happened to her gave me nightmares.
Rosario meets my eyes from across the room. I give her a subtle nod to her questioning look, confirming that her secret is safe with me.
I was washing my hands at the sink when I heard Orpheus’s footsteps thudding quietly down the hallway. I froze, my eyes locking on Rosario’s in the mirror. Despite the veil covering her face, I could see her skin was paler than normal, and her eyes were wide. Her accelerated breathing was visible in the movement of the bodice of her dress. When she grabbed the rosary and twisted it, I knew she was in distress.
Oh shit. Is he going to barge in here and flip on Rosario for bringing me here to bathe?
Then we heard the click of the locks on the attic door, followed by Orpheus’s boots softly thudding up the stairs.
Fuck. What is he going to do to Chase?
I whipped around, wordlessly pleading with my eyes that I needed to go. I pointed to the ceiling, but Rosario shook her head. She glided over to me. “No, Mackenzie. You mustn’t go. It’s safer in here.”
“He might hurt Chase,” I whisper back, scared and furious.
“What are you going to do if he does?” she asks quietly.
Determination pulls my shoulders back. “Whatever I have to.”
Rosario wordlessly stares at me for several beats. The silence increased my anxiety as my gaze darted from her to the ceiling, listening for shouts, screams, or sounds of a struggle or fight.
Overwhelmed by worry, I trembled so hard I could barely stand. My hand curled around the edge of the counter, holding on, but I felt myself slipping.
