Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Peach
In The Woods Somewhere - Hozier
I exit the rundown building, waving at Cathy as she shouts to get home safe.
"Always!" I throw back, carefully closing the glass door behind me.
The window on the door is a mosaic of broken glass that looks like it’ll shatter in a million pieces if someone blows on it. We added a protective film to prevent that, but it's not the first time a man vandalizes the shelter because we helped his ex-wife escape an abusive relationship.
I get into my expensive car, always avoiding looking at all the other ones parked here. It makes the difference between them and me too stark, and I hate it. With anticipation making me tense, I check my messages as soon as I'm sitting behind the wheel. Alex, Ella, the different groups. Three missed calls from Elijah.
Nothing from Wren.
My stomach twists, and I'm not sure if it's from stress, the need to hear from him, or the wish that what happened this morning was just some nightmare I made up.
Something has changed, and there's a hole inside me. Like the man he was held such a special place in my heart that I'm missing him. I don't want to lose him, yet I can't help the fear that consumes me when I think of that report from the police.
Caleb's skull was crushed in. How violent does someone have to be for that to happen?
I call back Elijah as I start driving away from the shelter, and I already hate myself for the reason I do it. I don't care about what he has to say, and I don't want to talk to him. But I want to see if he talks about Wren.
" I haven't heard from you today," he says instead of a hello.
"It's Saturday. I was volunteering at the women's shelter."
I turn onto the main street on the North Shore of Silver Falls and double check the car is locked. Anything can happen on this side of town, and I know my car screams I have enough money, please come rob me.
"Of course. It's just…you know... You were with Wren this morning, slept in his room and all. I wasn't sure if you spent the day with him or something."
Just hearing his name makes my whole body tighten with anxiety. Yet I want nothing more but to hear about him.
"Yeah, I was just too drunk last night. He took care of me."
" You know you can always come to me if you're not feeling well, at a party or anything. "
Yeah. Except I don't want him to ravage my body like his brother did.
" What happened with Caleb? You had an argument?"
God, this really doesn't look good.
"And now he's dead. Is that where your question is going?"
"Peach, I know you didn't kill Caleb. I just want to make sure you're okay."
Of course I didn't kill him...your brother did.
"Have you heard from Wren today at all?" I ask, unable to help myself.
" Not since I saw him with you. Look, I can't talk for long, I just wanted to check on you."
I nod, even though he can't see me. "Thanks. I'm fine." I hesitate for a moment, then decide I need to clear my mind. "Are you doing something tonight? We could grab dinner and watch a movie at my house or something?"
"Uh...I can't, actually. I'm busy tonight."
"Elijah Hunter," I gasp jokingly. "Are you finally making friends other than me on this campus?"
He chuckles awkwardly. "Yeah, no. It's a family thing. I probably won't be on my phone either, just so you know if you don't hear from me."
"Oh...okay."
I'm dying to ask if Wren is going to be there, but he would clock that something is wrong. He and I never talk about his brother, and I already mentioned him once in the conversation.
"Well, have fun with your family. I'll see you tomorrow or something."
I hang up as I'm crossing the bridge back to the South Bank of Silver Falls. Everything seems newer here, the contrast with the poorer side of town too shocking to ignore. Yet it doesn't seem to bother anyone who grows up in the richer part, let alone us kids who were raised in billionaire town half an hour or so from here.
The second I get out of my car, I notice a package on the porch. It's a good indication that the girls still haven't been home today. Surprised to see my name on it, I pick up the black box and envelope, wondering if my dads had a gift delivered for me since I told them about the paper I'm working on for the engineering journal only yesterday.
Walking in, I still scream Ella’s and Alex's names in case they're here, but since no one has replied by the time I get to my bedroom, I know for sure I'm not seeing them until probably tonight or tomorrow.
I drop the box on my bed, my bag on the floor, and open the envelope as I kick my shoes off.
Penelope Sanderson-Menacci,
After careful consideration, I have decided to personally invite you to the Dionysian Mysteries.
Under my command, you are to present yourself at the structure designed by Daedalus tonight before sundown.
You will drink Circe’s wine and turn into who you truly are.
Find a husband, and you will become the patron goddess of lawful marriage.
Get caught by a god, and you will serve us as a goddess of lust.
You may not be late.
Yours,
Hyperion
“What the fuck?” I mutter to myself.
I take a picture of the letter and send it to the group chat with the girls only.
Peach: I think Xi Ep is having a stroke.
Not thinking much about it, I put my phone to the side so I can take off my clothes and get in the shower. That letter and package can only come from Xi Ep, the sorority I’m part of. I barely participate in anything anymore, especially since both Ella and Alex left. There’re a couple girls from cheerleading I still talk to in there, and I go to their parties from time to time, but not much else. They’ll kick me out before the end of the year, I have no doubt. Especially because I don’t plan to play along with whatever the fuck this new thing they have going on is.
I’m standing in front of my bed in my towel, water dripping from my hair when I decide to open the box. It’s clearly going to be clothes of some sort. It’s the exact package for it.
My eyes widen as I pull out a see-through dress.
I snort. “Fucking hell.”
It’s a dress that looks like what women would wear in ancient Greece. The kind we see on sculptures and vases, representing the goddesses of Greek mythology.
I grab my phone again to tell my friends, but realize I have a few missed calls from Ella. I call her back right away.
“ Peach .” She’s panting, sounding like she’s running. “ No matter what happens. Do not go .”
“What?”
“ I’ll explain everything as soon as I get home. I’ll be there in a minute. ”
I check the time on my phone before putting it back against my ear. “Don't you teach dance classes at this time on Saturdays?”
“ Chris is calling. I’m going to take it. See you in a minute. You will not be going to the initiations tonight. Promise me. ”
“What initiations? Is that what that letter is?"
“ Promise me. ”
“What the fuck. I promise.”
She hangs up, and I look at the letter again. Dionysian Mysteries. What the hell is this thing?
I’m glad I got dressed by the time Ella comes in because she isn’t alone. Her boyfriend, Chris, is with her, towering over the both of us with his 6’4” frame.
She wouldn’t bring him for no reason, and it doesn’t help with the state of anxiety I put myself in while I was waiting. Something serious is happening, and I need to know what.
“Peach, when did you receive this?” he asks as he approaches my bed.
I realize I’m cracking every single one of my knuckles one by one as I answer, betraying my stress. “It was on the porch when I got home from the shelter. What is it?”
They eye each other, and Ella sits on my bed, tapping next to her. “You should sit down.”
I do, my gaze on Chris walking anxiously around the room as he massages the back of his neck.
“Did your dads ever mention something called the Silent Circle to you?” he asks as he finally stops right in front of me.
I shake my head, this situation becoming more confusing by the minute. “No.”
“I didn’t think so,” he agrees. “As far as I know, they’re not part of it. Anyone else? A family member? A friend?”
“What are you on about? You know my family is just me and my dads. Who else would talk to me about this…thing. What even is it?”
“It’s a secret society,” Ella explains calmly next to me, but it doesn’t hide the slight tremble in her voice. “And what you received today is an invite to initiate.”
“However,” Chris jumps in. “They’re very secretive. Only members and their families know about it. And receiving an invitation usually means someone trusted you enough to talk to you about it and invite you to join them. They had to get you approved by the board too. So, I’m sorry, but I have to ask you again; has anyone ever mentioned the Silent Circle to you? A boyfriend, maybe? That’s usually how it works.”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, because I’m known around here for my long-term relationship with my boyfriend, who’s part of a secret society. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m telling you, no one ever told me about this. It must be a mistake.”
“A mistake with your name on it,” Ella says, putting a hand on my thigh. “It’s for you. Someone wants you to initiate, and you must not go.”
“Okay, I’m going to stop you right there. I’m learning just now that you’re part of a secret society, Ella Baker.” I push her hand away. “How long have you been keeping this from me? Does Alex know?”
She shakes her head. “She doesn’t. And you can’t tell her. They’re dangerous, Peach. Anyone who knows about them and shouldn’t is dealt with.”
“Dealt with.” I snort. Making fun of this is easier than accepting the fear that is thickening my blood. “What, do they kill people? Are they some sort of Illuminati or something? Is Beyoncé part of it?”
Ella’s face scrunches with anxiety. It’s only when she brings her hand to her collarbone, scratching and turning her skin red with stress, that the seriousness of the situation hits me.
“Els,” I say with a calmer tone. “Don’t scratch. I’m joking.”
“It’s not a joke,” she rasps, her voice barely audible.
Chris grabs her hand delicately, pulling it away from her skin. The damage is done; she scratched herself to the point tiny drops of blood are appearing on her red skin.
“I’m sorry I kept this from you. I didn’t…” Her eyes dart to Chris. “…I didn’t have a choice. They don’t give you one.”
And with that statement, everything hits me.
I regret giving you a choice.
"Wait." I put together the words from Wren and his behavior this morning. "Wait," I repeat. "Wren…is he?"
She shakes her head, refusing to answer rather than it meaning no .
"He said something to me this morning, about…about choosing him tonight and forever? It was weird and he?—"
I stop myself short. Do I say something about Caleb's murder? Ella is my best friend, my confidant. I've never hidden anything from her. Chris, however, I don't trust. Even less now.
"Did Wren say anything about asking you to initiate into a society called the Silent Circle?"
"Of course not," I snap. "Because it's fucking ridiculous, and because if he did, I wouldn't be so clueless. But he did ask if I’d received an invite. He just… He didn’t invite me."
"Then there's nothing we can tell you about who is or isn't part of it," Chris concludes, keeping the secret to himself, even though it's clear as day that Wren is part of it.
Ella takes the letter from my bed and gives it to Chris. “Who’s Hyperion?”
"Well, he won't say that in front of me, will he?" I say as a challenge to Chris.
His eyebrows pull together as he reads it again. “I have no idea. But in Greek Mythology, Hyperion was a titan. I’m going to guess it’s someone important, a board member, probably.” He pauses. “Which makes no sense, really.”
“None of this makes sense, Christopher.” I release a frustrated breath. “But please, tell me why this titanic board member of a secret society inviting me makes even less sense.”
“Because invites are usually sent by members who are about to initiate. They send them to their girlfriends or whoever they want to initiate with. They have to bring a woman to the initiations. An established Shadow inviting someone is always with the wrong intentions.”
When I blink up at him, he explains in more detail. “A man who wants to initiate into?—”
“Of course, only men would be allowed to initiate for that kind of bullshit. We’re just brought along as prizes, aren’t we?”
Ella grabs my hand on her thigh before looking at me with imploring eyes. “Please, try to stay calm for more than a minute.”
“How about he tries not to piss me off.” I bite my inner cheek, swallowing back the rest of my rant. “Fine.”
I turn back to Chris, waiting for the rest. “You may talk.”
He nods. “A man who wants to initiate into the Silent Circle has to bring a woman with him. She’ll have to be successful in her initiation to become part of the society as his Hera, or his future wife. If she fails, she becomes an Aphrodite. Men who are already members, or as we call them, Shadows, already have a Hera. If they invite a woman to initiate, it’s very likely she’ll become an Aphrodite.”
I take it all in. I’m not stupid; his words technically make sense, but the whole thing sounds completely made up. I catch myself biting on a strand of hair I hadn't even realized I'd brought to my mouth, then pull it out and tie my hair in a ponytail.
“I’m going to pretend this whole thing doesn’t sound like it’s coming out of a conspiracy sub-Reddit and go along with it.” I huff. “If a Hera is a Shadow’s wife, what’s an Aphrodite?”
His hesitant gaze darts to Ella.
“What’s an Aphrodite?” I insist.
“In simple terms, any man from the Circle can access her whenever they want, and she has to be available for them at all times," she murmurs.
“What the fuck?” I spit, jolting to stand. With fire in my eyes, I turn to face my best friend. “When you say access, I’m guessing you mean she’s a fucking sex toy for them?”
“Yes,” Ella whispers as shame coats her cheeks a deep red.
Weirdly, it doesn’t sound made up anymore. Because any occasion those disgusting bastards have to use women’s bodies, I know they will. Reality, if I’ve ever seen it.
I turn to Chris. “You’re part of this? You had her initiate, didn’t you?”
Ella jumps to his defense. “Don’t be mad. It’s more complicated than that.”
“You’re letting it happen?” I hiss at her.
“I don’t have a choice.”
“What are you?” I ask my friend. My head keeps on turning from him to her and her to him, and I’m getting whiplash. “His devoted wife, or every man’s whore?”
“Peach.” Chris’s stern voice cuts through my anger, but he must think he’s talking to someone else if he believes a telling-off will stop me.
“Ella.” I grab her arm, shaking her slightly as if needing to wake her up. “Please, please , tell me you did not follow this man into a secret society that would take most of your consent away.”
“That’s enough.” Taking hold of my wrist, he forces me to let go of her. “It was complicated.”
I shrug him off, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Oh, please. Complicated coming from a manipulator like you means it took you a while to trap her, but you finally did. I told her you were poison for her life. But here we are. You’re still here, and she’s forced to stay with you now. Isn’t she?”
“Peach, please,” Ella pleads. “It’s not like that. Not anymore.”
The anger that comes with watching someone lose their freedom boils my insides.
“Not anymore ? Are you fucking brainwashed? Who else is part of this? That's what Wren meant this morning, isn't it? He wanted me to initiate, and now he's sending me this fucking…fucking bullshit invitation.”
Chris shakes his head. “I’m not at liberty to share any information about members. If you don’t know who invited you, or anyone who told you they were part of the Circle, then I can’t share any more details.”
“Fuck you, Chris. Seriously, fuck you .”
“No one had a choice in this, Peach,” he adds calmly. “I know you’re angry. I was angry too. But the difference between you and us is that no one is forcing you to attend. You caught a member’s eye. He wants access to you. You don’t have to go. In fact, I’m telling you not to go. Your best friend is begging you not to go.”
Tilting my head to the side, I smile at him. “Your condescending tone is infuriating. So much so, it almost makes me want to go.”
“God, Peach,” Ella huffs out.
“I might be infuriating, but your stubbornness could kill you. Just let that sink in.”
Chris is always calm. He’s not the kind of guy to shout or get into a fight. He’s dangerous alright, but not the kind of danger you tell yourself to stay away from. That’s how he got Ella. Mind games, scheming, manipulation. He’s good at it, and the fact that he never snaps shows a control I could only dream of having.
But I see it today. The way his jaw clenches when he mentions that secret society called the Silent Circle. The anger flashing in his eyes when he talks about the Shadows. And the undertone of fear when he tells me not to initiate.
“I have to go,” he murmurs as he checks the time. “I won't be home tonight, Sweets. Maybe you should stay here."
I want to scream that home is here, in the house she shares with her best friends. But I know that’s not true. First, it was Alex, when she moved half of her stuff into her boyfriend’s house on the North Shore of Silver Falls, far from campus and our sheltered life. She splits her time between here and there. Then it happened to Ella.
Chris might be a manipulative fucker, but everything he does is for her. He encourages her to do whatever she loves, he got her back into SFU after she got expelled for sleeping with a professor, he helped with her crippling anxiety, her eating disorder, got her to see a therapist again when she had all but given up. He pays for everything now that her family has fallen from grace and lost it all. He takes care of her mom, keeps her in Stoneview when everyone knows she can’t afford it anymore. And in the summer, he bought Ella her dream house by Stoneview Lake. She didn’t even have to ask because he knows that’s what she dreamed about. It’s peaceful, relaxing, and she’s always wanted to live by the water. And so, she splits her nights between here and there too.
Sometimes, I end up all alone in this huge SFU mansion, not really knowing what to do with myself, but what kind of friend would I be if I told them? They found happiness, and there’s absolutely no chance in hell I’d get in the way of that. Even if their boyfriends are obsessive, possessive, unhinged people. I fucking hate men, but I love my friends.
Ella goes onto her toes, wrapping her arms around Chris’s neck. His big hands grab her waist, practically snapping her in two.
“I’ll stay here."
He nods, stepping away. “Send me a picture of what you have for dinner because I know it'll look good." Smiling softly, he brushes strands of hair behind her ear.
A flash of jealousy courses through me. Not because I want Chris. But the way he cares is so beautiful and subtle. He doesn’t tell her to eat, to make sure she’s fueling herself. He knows her issues, but he doesn’t make them obvious or remind her. He’s smart about it, and I know how much it helps a girl like Ella.
Fuck, I hate moments that make me wonder what it’s like to not be the only one taking care of yourself.
The second he closes my bedroom door, my best friend turns to me.
“I know you were never the biggest fan of Chris?—”
“And even less now,” I cut her off without being able to control it.
She takes a deep breath. “I know , Peach. I’m not asking you to love him or even trust him. But I’m asking you to trust me. I didn’t have a choice. My family was indebted to the Circle. Joining was the only way to help them. Chris never had a choice either.”
“It’s funny, but I have a feeling he had way more of a choice than you did. Because he's a man. Because that's just how the world works, and that secret society works the same.”
“And that’s why I’m telling you not to join.” Her stern voice surprises me, but it shouldn’t. Ella always becomes much stronger when it comes to protecting her friends rather than herself.
“Of course I’m not going to join, Els,” I tell her more calmly. “Why… why would I ever?”
She digs her baby blue eyes into my green ones. “Because they’re good. And if someone from the Silent Circle wants you, they’ll do everything in their power to have you. And they have a lot of power, Peach. More than you can imagine. Forget about the money your family has, the help cops could get you, the power you think your dad holds from being a local politician. Forget about how strong you think you are as a human being. They have control over everything .”
“You’re scaring me.” I don’t feel ashamed to admit it to my best friend.
“Good. If anything else happens, you need to tell me, okay? Because the only person who could help you is someone from the inside. That’s Chris.”
I nod, my eyes playing ping-pong between hers. “I won’t go to those initiations. No matter what. Promise.”
As I take her into a tight hug, I can feel her heartbeat racing against my chest. “I love you, Els,” I murmur against her head.
She pulls away. “I love you too.”
She’s about to leave, but stops after taking a step backward. Her lower lip trembles when she says, “They killed his dad.”
“Chris’s?”
It has to be him. His father died in November last year.
She nods, silent until she finally admits what happened. “He was part of the Circle, and he betrayed them. Chris joined to save him and failed. Every day of his life, he’s part of something he hates. Every day, he talks about revenge. But a single man against the most powerful society that ever existed isn’t much, is it? We’re stuck, but you don’t have to be.”
Suddenly feeling the guilt from snapping at Chris earlier, I gulp. “I won’t be.”
She smiles. “I’m going to have a bath. I need to relax.”
“Of course. And Els…thank you for the warning.”
She waves a hand as she leaves. “That’s what best friends are for.”
What a fucking mess. I still struggle to believe anything they told me, but reality often feels stranger than fiction, doesn’t it? And things start to make more sense now. I believe strongly that Wren was talking about the Silent Circle this morning. I have no way to prove it, but what else would he be talking about?
I don’t have time to process anything Ella just said when my phone pings. I swipe it open right away. My legs can barely carry me when I see the message.
It’s a picture from May.
A picture of me laughing as I stand right next to Ania on the bank or the Silver Snake River. Right where she died.
The message is what makes me crash to the floor.
Hermes: Did you receive your invite, little murderer? You will go to the initiations, or I’ll post the picture. And not a peep to your little friends.