Page 37 of One Bad Knight

The man who arrived was Kat’s uncle.

Kat rolled her shoulders back and straightened, a hopeful smile blossoming on her face as her uncle approached. I drew back, deeper into the shadows, so he wouldn’t notice me.

“You came,” she said.

“Yes, your cousins couldn’t make it, but of course, I wanted to see how you’ve been spending your time.”

Kat hugged her uncle, and he gave her a gentle pat on the back. The look in his eyes told me he was anything but thrilled to be here. But when he pulled back, he gave her a tight-lipped smile.

There were only a few people left milling around, so Kat trailed next to her uncle as he walked from painting to painting, giving each a silent assessment. His expression remained neutral, not giving anything away. Kat’s eyes were glued to his face, trying to gauge his reaction as she wrung her hands.

Finally, they came to stop before the painting of me.

“Is this…” He trailed off.

“The boy I spoke about as a kid? Yes,” she said, suddenly very still.

He stepped in closer to her and said something I couldn’t hear. Both expression and color drained from her face.

When he backed up, her Uncle John said, “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed your little holiday, and these paintings are cute—”

“Cute,” Kat echoed.

“—but this is where it stops, Katherine.”

Kat folded her hands in front of her, her head dropping.

My fists clenched at my side. I could see him visibly destroying her dreams.

Uncle John lifted her chin with a knuckle. He let out a heavy sigh. “There, there. You are a good girl, and you know the right thing to do. We must sacrifice in our family for the greater good. It is our lot. But that is what ties us together.”

It took every ounce of my control not to fly at the man and crack his neck.

Her uncle dropped his hand. “Tomorrow we will announce your intention to attend law school so we can celebrate at your birthday party on Saturday.” Then in a softer voice, he added, “Cheer up, Katherine. The election is going well, and we all have a bright future before us.”

With that, he walked past her and out of the gallery. Kat continued to stare forward as if she gazed directly into the Stygian itself. Her arms hung limp at her sides, and the terrible emptiness in her eyes inspired the most incomparable rage I’d ever known.

In a moment, I stood before her. She stared right through me. “Kat. Don’t listen to him. You are in control of your future.”

She didn’t move, didn’t blink, still caught in whatever hell churned in her mind’s eye. So I took her by the shoulders and gave her a slight shake.

“You don’t owe him anything. This is your life. You should be free to live it how you want.”

Finally, her eyes focused on me. But instead of the usual warmth I found there, they were dark and defensive. “You don’t understand.” She turned to walk away, but I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to me.

“I don’t understand? I was born into a brainwashing cult, determined to use me. I had no say in my present or my future. But I got out. I am free. You can be free too.”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to get me to release her wrist, but I refused to let go. “It’s not as easy for me.”

My grip released at that, her hand slipping away.

“Easy.” A sound of disbelief emerged from my throat. “You think I had it easy?”

“They made it easy for you to walk away.”

“How the fuck can you say that?”

She licked her lips and spoke in a measured tone. “The kittens. You asked what I used them for, and I told you they weren’t to be used. You just love them. But you also must feed them and take care of them. There is a duty you must serve to those you love. It’s different because the order didn’t love you. I love my family, and I have to think of others, not just myself.”