Page 7 of Resurrection (Daemons & Lumens #2)

Darren growled and rolled his eyes. “Cannot believe my own son turned traitor for pussy.”

Samuel huffed in annoyance. “Agreed. After all the training we put our sons through.” He looked to Laszlo with a secretive smile. “Shall we impregnate the new wives? I need a worthy heir.”

Andras and Dev both went rigid at the mention of their stepmothers.

I knew very little about them, even with all the digging into cult secrets.

The wives were rarely seen out in the world.

They were all beautiful, though, like pretty dolls, never speaking and always locked away until they were wanted again.

This entire cult had very little respect for women.

Laszlo shook his head. “We don’t have time for that now. Right now, it’s time for a lesson.”

I arched an eyebrow. “What lesson?”

The Kings’ heads all turned in my direction, and I resisted the urge to flinch under their collective gaze.

Before anyone spoke, a door opened across the room and a man I didn’t recognize strode toward us, flanked by two guards.

He wore a custom brown suit, and his graying hair was styled neatly.

He gave the aura of confidence, but his eyes betrayed him.

They darted between the Kings and myself with uncertainty.

Samuel stood and walked toward him with a smile. “Hello, Kingston.”

Kingston . I knew that name. Audrey. Audrey Kingston was in my lecture class. We rescued her friend from that horrible professor. I stared at the man as Samuel patted his shoulder roughly. Was this her father?

“You, guard,” Samuel barked at one of the men. “Bring me my toy.”

The guard walked swiftly across the room to another door at the King’s command. Something was happening here, and I had a horrible feeling about it.

Laszlo turned to me once more. “Today is a lesson about choice. The power to make decisions and the burden of dealing with the consequences.”

“Laszlo, what is this?” Andras snapped at him, his cool demeanor cracking.

The cruel King turned to his son and smirked. “The Obscuritas have survived on rules and obedience. When a new member is initiated, they are given a choice. There is power in choices. Today, we will begin with Edward Kingston.”

Audrey’s father frowned but otherwise maintained his composure as the attention of the Kings turned to him.

The guard who left earlier returned at the same moment, but he was not alone.

Audrey was with him. She wore a blood-stained white gown, matted against her lithe frame.

Her eyes were bloodshot and mascara ran down her cheeks.

“Audrey!” I stood immediately and meant to run to her, but a guard stepped in my way. “What the fuck have you done to her?”

Her father gasped loudly behind me but made no move to go to his daughter.

My blood heated and goosebumps covered my skin as she was forced to walk closer.

She was barefoot and walking with a limp, her hands chained at the wrist as the guard pulled her along.

I couldn’t tell where the blood on her gown came from.

Her eyes turned up to mine, and the pain in her gaze pierced my heart.

Samuel walked toward her with a smile. He reached out a hand, and Audrey flinched away from his touch. The terror on her face told me Samuel Delano was the cause of her pain. I was going to fucking kill him for this.

“Hello, little toy,” he crooned at her. “Say hello to your father.”

Edward Kingston stared at his daughter in horror. “What have you done to her?” he whispered, his shoulders shaking.

Samuel smiled, but his face remained cold. His eyes were entirely too dead for a living man. His lack of emotion was terrifying. “Not much, actually. Humans bleed so easily. But I’ve kept her mostly intact for you. She won’t be forgetting our time together though. I’ve made sure of that.”

Laszlo strode toward Edward with his hands clasped behind his back, the smirk never faltering from his smug face. “Today, you have a choice, Edward. Join The Obscuritas and receive all that we have to offer, power beyond your wildest comprehension, or die.”

Edward’s eyes widened, darting between the Kings and his daughter. “What about my daughter?”

“If you decide not to join us, she dies with you.” Laszlo turned to Audrey. “If you join us, she lives, but she is no longer yours. She is property of The Obscuritas.”

I wanted to vomit at the horrifying scene unfolding before me. I had to do something. I glanced over at Andras and Dev. Their faces were contorted with disgust and horror, mirroring my own.

The silence blanketing the room as Edward deliberated was almost unbearable. Audrey looked at her father, her eyes pleading for something I couldn’t know. But he was powerless here. This wasn’t a choice. It was a show of force from The Obscuritas.

Edward’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I will join you.”

Samuel clapped. “How exciting.”

Laszlo nodded. “Bring in his wife.” He called out the words, and instant dread filled the room.

I watched as Edward’s wife was brought into the room. She was dressed in a simple black suit, her blonde hair tied back neatly. She didn’t look nearly as unkempt or terrified, and I had a feeling this woman had no idea what was going on.

She saw her husband first and started to smile. But then her gaze turned to her daughter, and a strangled sound left her throat. “Audrey!”

Two guards held her back, holding her arms down and forcing her toward Edward.

Laszlo turned back to Edward. “Another choice. When you join us, you begin life anew. Connections from your previous life must be severed.”

Another guard approached and held out a gun to Edward Kingston. The man stared at it, unmoving.

Darren grinned, his face entirely too pleased with the situation. “Shoot your wife in the head, Edward. Do this and you will have more power than you can imagine. And plenty of women too.”

Mrs. Kingston began to sob silently. She slumped to the ground, and the guards stepped away from her.

“Either you all die, or she dies,” Darren growled.

Mrs. Kington’s eyes widened, and her gaze turned to her daughter. “Save her, Edward,” she whispered softly.

Emotions boiled inside me as I stared at this woman, unafraid to die if it meant her daughter would live.

The Obscuritas were so fucked up for this.

I knew Audrey would not be saved. Not when she was in their clutches.

But I wouldn’t let her suffer for long. I refused to let her become a toy for the Kings and their fucked up games.

Edward trembled as he took the gun from the guard. He looked defeated and horrified. His arm slowly drew up, and he pointed the gun at his wife’s head. The silence went on for what felt like hours before he pulled the trigger and his wife slumped to the floor, blood pooling around her head.

Samuel clapped again and turned to the guard holding Audrey in place. “Take my toy back to my room.”

“Welcome to The Obscuritas, Edward Kingston,” Laszlo’s low, menacing voice drawled.