Page 32 of Her Wicked Knights (Their Hallowed Queen #3)

Rev

Be patient and wait , Colt said.

That was almost a year ago, and I'm tired of waiting.

It's why we're here tonight, at the three ring circus that is Whit's little dog and pony show.

It's been over a year since Jenny Clark was murdered and nine months since the Lavigne's were, too.

It's been forever since I've seen Marley smile, a real, genuine smile, not one of those fake little diplomatic things she gives to try and convince everyone that she'll be okay.

Hadley moved home so that she could finish her senior year in the same school, and the same house where she lived with her family before someone broke it apart.

It was probably the only good thing that came out of the whole tragedy, because Marley began to spend less time with Audrey and more time with someone who actually fucking cares about her.

Lately, though, she's been weird again. I assume that's grief, but I don't know.

I wasn't sentient enough to grieve when my mother died.

I'm surprised that she hasn't been dragged into these little cult meetings, but I suppose it wouldn't benefit anyone to have her possibly catching onto the truth of what happened to her parents.

It's been weirder than ever between us all, because I can't hold her the way I did that night, and I ache to.

I also feel like a piece of shit every time I look at her, because I'm keeping something huge from her.

I notice Audrey and Jake aren't sitting together tonight.

Jake's leaning forward with his head in his hands at the front of the church, and he may even be praying.

I don't believe in the same God my dad pretends to, but if he does exist, I hope he's not as merciful as they say.

Jake deserves to fucking rot for what he did.

And I do mean for what he did, because I don't doubt his guilt anymore.

He's fucking guilty, that much is clear.

What's still not clear, even after all this time, even after three of these damn 'conclaves', I don't understand.

Whit storms in and a hush falls among his followers. I say followers, but I think it's really just his friends, mine, and the two dumbasses willing to believe every word out of his mouth.

"Alignment is nearly complete." He announces, once he stands before us. "The chains are falling free."

I squint at him, wondering what chains he's talking about.

"Sacred geometry reveres the triangle. Three points, each of equal distance, the smallest number of sides capable of closing out a shape... preventing outside influence."

I glance at Colton, who looks like he'd rather put his head through the wall than listen to another word of this nonsense.

"The only thing more sacred than the triangle is the trinity of triangles. Nine points, nine sides." He gestures to us, like we're points and sides and not fucking people who would rather be anywhere but here.

I'm not sure why we are, honestly. Mark, Nick, and Carson are all headed into their junior year of college, so you'd think they'd be above playing pretend with Mark's cousin. And yet, somehow, they seem to be here for it.

Audrey sits with a girl I haven't seen before, a red-head who keeps glancing around nervously. I don't blame her.

"Nine of you, who have agreed to the eternal bond of blood."

I'm not sure what bond he's talking about, but maybe Tripp does because he breaks the moment. "Ten, actually. Including you."

Whit's eyes run him over thoughtfully, and for a minute I think he may lose his shit. But he only nods.

"So, it is."

He flicks his wrist toward the back of the church, and I must turn too fast, because it looks almost like something flies out of his hand as he turns it.

A moment later, I forget all about it as the door slam shut behind us, the heavy sound of them closing us in feeling suddenly more like a tomb sealing than anything else.

The flames in the candles jump, towering impossibly high into pillars of fire, before they die down to their regular flickering.

"What the fuck?" Tripp whispers, leaning forward to try and see if he missed something.

The girl next to Audrey stands, clearly at her limit, and I watch as she walks fast toward the exit and pushes on the doors.

They don't budge.

"What is this?" Colton asks, watching the girl as she attempts to throw her body weight against them, clearly suspecting that something is wrong here.

Multiple somethings, I'm guessing. Those doors are heavy, but they don't shut on their own, and they don't lock.

Either someone is standing on the other side, holding them closed, or. ..

I don't really know what the alternative is.

Magic?

It seems too ridiculous to even think about. And yet, I swear I saw something come out of Whit's hand.

"Alignment. The last sacrifice on summer solstice helped bring back some of our power. But the full strength of it is chained, bound beneath rot and decay. More blood is required to break it free."

His admission to a sacrifice is as good as a confession, but it's not like any of us happen to be recording him right now. We're all a little too fixed on the fact that he's stalking down the aisle toward the doors that won't open- toward the girl who's frantically beating against them.

I stand, but my motions feel weird as I move, trying to insert myself between him and her.

"Whit." I say calmly. "Stop scaring the girl."

"She should be scared." Whit says, his eyes trained over my shoulder.

He grabs me by the arms and attempts to move me out of his way, but I'm stronger.

I plant my feet, shake my head. "Whoever's on the other side of the door, tell them to let her out.

We're here because we want to be, but clearly she doesn't."

"You want to be here?" He laughs. "Prove it."

I don't have a chance to tell him to fuck off or to ask him how, because he holds his hand out to the side, and I think he's about to slap me, so I prepare to knock him out with a single punch.

But instead of striking me, something silver flies into his hand seconds before his fingers wrap around it.

I've just realized it's a blade when he holds it out for me to take. "Go on. Show me you want to be here."

"Please!" The girl screams, beating on the doors for another minute before turning back to take us in. Her wild eyes dart around the room, looking for an escape she won't find. When she seems to sense as much, she sinks to the floor, her back against the door. "Please, let me leave."

"Kill her." Whit commands, like he's just telling me to shake her hand or something.

"What?" I snort. "No. No, I'm not a killer."

"You have to be." He says. "Because it's kill or be killed."

"Knock it off." Colton growls, finally standing to try and reason with the megalomaniac standing before me, holding a fucking knife.

"Come on, Whit..." Mark tries. "Knock it off."

"Knock it off?" He laughs, turning his wild gaze toward his cousin. "There's no knocking it off. We're not leaving this thing half-done. You can't leave raw power in chains like that. You're all here. You've all committed to the cause, so let's see your commitment."

"So, you're responsible for Jenny's murder." Tripp says, standing up with his fist clenched.

"I orchestrated it, maybe." Whit shrugs. "But I didn't kill her. There's no blood on my hands yet, which is why you have to do this."

"Go to hell." I tell him, striding toward the exit again. I'm just reaching my hands out to push the doors open when they burst into flames. Orange and blue fire licks at the door, jumping out toward my touch as the girl screams, the flames catching hold of her shirt.

I don't think. I just react, flinging her toward the ground and ripping her shirt over her head.

But the flame is faster and less forgiving; it ate through the fabric and is already burning her skin.

A chorus of her screams fills the air, and I look around, frantic, for water.

There's holy water in the basin, but it won't be enough, so I do the next best thing.

I throw myself on top of her, smothering the flame that dances along her spine.

The acrid stench of burning flesh fills my nose as her screams finally taper off, and when I pull away from her, I'm pretty sure some of her skin comes off on my leather jacket.

There's no holding back the swell of vomit, but I at least turn to the side before it pushes through me and I spew my guts on the flagstone ground.

"You're underestimating what I'm capable of, and I highly advise against it." Whit says. "The first seal broke and restored my magic, but to access the full scope of it, there are two more sacrifices that must be made. Do you want to be one of them?"

I couldn't speak if I tried. I can barely see him through my watery eyes as he stands before me. He moves just before another wave of vomit makes me stiffen and purge my guts, and then I feel someone's hands on my back, rubbing circles there.

"This is fucking insane!" Someone says.

"You can't keep killing people." Colton says. "Someone's going to catch on."

"Brooke's not from here." Audrey says.

I gulp through the burn in my throat, which feels absolutely fucking raw from the smoke and my own stomach acid.

"It's why Jake picked her."

It's blurry, but I see Jake glare at Audrey, as if that's something she wasn't supposed to reveal.

"Look, this is all getting a little out of hand." Carson stands, his hands out like he thinks he's about to preach world peace. "Let's stop attacking one another, okay? We're all here for the same thing, right?"