Page 181 of Degradation

Fuck me, the man is dense. I shake my head, catching Magnus’s wife’s eye and I know she’s not stupid. I know she understands. I’m curious as to why Magnus hasn’t bred her. Surely, he’d prefer an heir from his own direct line?

“Not the last.” Antonio says, as if he’s grown used to my brother’s lack of understanding. “Your child, if it is born a boy, will be the next Chapter Lord.”

Conrad blinks, staring between Antonio and Magnus as if this is some sort of joke. “My child?” He repeats. “My son?”

“If you have one.” I murmur. There’s every possibility that baby in his wife’s belly is a girl. What will Magnus do then? And what will he say if my wife is the one to produce a boy first?

Magnus looks down that long table at me and I can tell he has the same thoughts. I reach over, squeezing my wife’s hand, taunting my brother that little bit more.

He glares back, taking a deep sip of his impeccable wine.

It’s a good thing we’re moving to America. A good thing we will be far from his reach. If my wife gets pregnant, I’ll need to watch her far more than I already do. She might be related to the Grand Master but I know even that won’t be enough. I’ll need to ensure Magnus doesn’t choose to fix the situation to his advantage.

As soon as it’s possible to do so, as soon as the first plates are cleared, I’m up, and I’m pulling Paitlyn to her feet.

“Leaving so soon, brother?” Magnus says, as his wife side-eyes him.

“We have things to do. Things to pack.” I reply, “You might not have heard, brother,” I say in the same tone he uses, “…but we’re leaving these shores.”

He sinks back in his chair. “I heard.” He says. “And I wish you well over there. Both you and your wife.” It’s the first time he’s said it without disdain. He glances at her, running his eyes over her and then his own wife squeezes his hand like she’s had some sort of influence in this.

“Goodbye Magnus.” I say as I reach him. “I know you’ll make an excellent Chapter Lord, you were born to play such a part.”

He grins at me then, that sinister one he gets when he’s about to do something truly horrific. “Oh I will be.” He replies. “We are Blakes were destined for it. And you’ll be back before you know it. Brynn’s baby will be born in the Cathedral, for everyone to witness. We’ll need to put on a full family show for it.”

Of course we will. He wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to wave his metaphorical dick around.

I nod back, leading Paitlyn out, feeling as the air physically changes, feeling as I can actually breathe again.

Pailtyn

Two Months Later

Ican smell the salt of the ocean. I can feel the spray as the wind carries it up over the rocks and peppers my skin.

This place feels like a dream. A figment of my imagination almost. It feels so far from the life I’ve lived up until now.

We moved here not long after Magnus started the cull. Our house is big, luxurious, but it also lacks the stuffiness of all those old blue-blooded monstrosities I knew so well. Devin got an interior designer to make sure everything was minimalist and laid out in a way that was as accessible as possible for me.

I’ve never felt so at peace. So at home.

The pathway down to the cliffs is a gravel one. It’s easy for me to walk, easy for me to know where I am, and most days I stand here, metaphorically staring out, revelling in the fact that no one is watching me, no one is hunting me.

I’m free. Finally, I’m fucking free.

Devin works for our Grand Master now. I don’t ask what he does. In truth, I don’t want to know. Some weeks he comes home stinking of blood and dirt and God knows what else, and some weeks, he doesn’t come home at all, though he always lets me know when that’s the case. I know this is part of what grants us our safety, what provides our new path in the Brethren, so I do better than to complain.

Besides, I now have Calix, my Spanish mastiff. He’s by my side like an almost permanent feature, giving me company but providing me with protection. He’s big enough that he comes up past my waist and his fur is so ridiculously soft it’s hard not to be constantly stroking him.

I lower my hand, scrunching his ears and he leans into me, playing the big softy. But we both know what he’s here for. He’s trained as a guard dog. And the fact that he’s capable of ripping out a man’s throat with very little effort definitely gives me comfort when I’m alone. It’s like having a mini Devin, a mini monster, our very own hell-hound, if you will.

Not long after we arrived here, Devin sought out a doctor to ‘fix me’. It took me a good while to recover but now, I’m so much better for it. He couldn’t reverse what Guthrie had done to me, but he could repair some of the damage and I at least have feeling now.

Antonio still has my mother. My uncle, Pearce, is still MIA and I know there are enough men hunting him to ensure he’ll be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life.

Devin has turned the perimeter of this place into a fortress. No one gets in or out without his knowledge.

I’m safe here. I know my uncle won’t come for me, but it still scares me to think about the fact that he is out there. He has nothing to lose now, surely, that makes him even more dangerous than ever?