Page 113 of Revere

What have I done?

38

THE DARKNESS YOU CALL HOME

PATIENCE

Maddox’sevil grin grows when he swings open the door to Sigma House. With how I’m standing one step down, he’s even taller than usual.

“Tell your brother I don’t care what he’s doing. I need to talk to him. Now. And I know he’s here.”

Alex confirmed it, but since he’s currently across town, he can’t help me get into the house.

“Someone’s an extra-pissy ice princess today.” Maddox grins.

“Let me in.”

He opens his mouth, and I can tell he has some smartass comment on the tip of his tongue, but his phone ringing cuts him off.

“Yeah?” he answers.

A muffled voice on the other end of the line has my stomach twisting. I know it’s Jacob because, like he said, he’s always watching. Someone probably notified him the moment I headed toward Sigma House.

“You sure? She’s in rare form this afternoon.” Maddox winks at me, and I roll my eyes.

The voice on the other end of the line gets louder.

“Fine.” Maddox hangs up, tucking his phone away. “Looks like my brother’s schedule opened up just for you.”

But instead of letting me in, Maddox steps outside, closing the door behind him.

“Where are we going?”

“Back entrance.” He waves a hand for me to follow. “Scared?”

“No.” I roll my shoulders back.

Maddox chuckles, guiding me along a path that winds around Sigma House until we stop at a door at the east end. It clicks open a moment later, and Declan holds it open for us, blood staining his clothes.

Wonderful.

Just when I think I have the upper hand, Jacob summons me to the Sigma House torture dungeon.

My throat tightens as I descend the staircase, and I try not to let Maddox or Declan see how it’s affecting me. How the stone walls close in with every step, reminding me too much of the basement at my parents’ house.

When we finally reach the bottom, Declan opens a second door and guides me inside. There are five men standing around, with Jacob leaning against a table in the center. He is casually talking to them with his arms crossed over his chest, like there isn’t a stack of bloody instruments beside him.

Unlike Declan, there are only a few flecks of blood on his clothes. I suppose at a certain point, he has people to do his dirty work.

It’s one thing to hear the legends of this place, but to see the stone I know bones have been broken against and to taste the metallic tinge of blood in the air is something entirely different.

Jacob’s green eyes land on mine, and my heart hammers. “Everyone, leave us.”

The room falls silent, and everyone drops their chin, not daring to look at me as they walk past. They obey him like he’s their king.

Worse, their god.

Doing as they’re told until it’s just me and Jacob in a damp, bloody dungeon.