Chapter 44
“What the fuck, X?!”
I meet Benjamin’s gaze steadily. “My father wants to eliminate any threat you might pose to his control by challenging him for the technology that’s locked away in the vault. He thinks it’ll shift the balance of power in his favor, giving him an advantage over the other families. And the means to rule the Order.”
The silence that follows is thick, charged with tension and unspoken questions. Finally, Benjamin speaks, his voice strained, “How long have you known about this?”
I swallow the urge to lie. “Three years ago, I was assigned to keep an eye on you.”
“Frank…” Benjamin narrows his gaze. “That was you, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. He threatened you and Delilah. He had to be eliminated.”
“Was she also part of your orders?” he asks, his voice rising in anger.
I shake my head. “I didn’t know she existed until that night.”
“So why now?” Ben’s voice is a mix of fury and disbelief. “Why are you telling me all of this, when you’ve known for years you were going fucking stab me in the back?”
“Because…” I pause, taking a deep breath, the truth surfacing despite the risks. “You mean too much to Delilah.”
Benjamin shakes his head, his expression darkening. “You’re doing this because you’re in love with her.”
I nod.
“You realize what you’re suggesting? Going against your father, the Order... Delilah is seen as a bride, not wife material. They’ll never accept her.”
“I don’t give a fuck.” I fold my arms. “I’ll make her my wife, no matter what it takes. The Order’s rules be damned.”
Benjamin studies me for a long moment, his initial shock giving way to a thoughtful expression. “What’s the plan, then? How do we get out of this without ending up dead?”
I blow out a breath of frustration. “I don’t know. If my father doesn’t kill me when I emerge from the tunnels without you, I’ll think of something. The only way to get rid of my father is to prove his betrayal to the Order, but that’s going to be hard if he thinks you’re dead.”
“And Delilah?”
“I’ll protect her.”
He nods.
“I need to finish this Trial and then get Delilah to a secure location. Stay here until I come back for you. There are MREs and bottles of water.”
“Thank you, X,” he says. “I know your life would be easier if you just killed me and lied to Delilah about it.”
I tilt my head and smirk. “Don’t tempt me.”
“Asshole.”
“Bastard.”
He smiles and flips me off.
Leaving him safely hidden, I move cautiously back into the gas-filled tunnels, my shirt secured over the lower half of my face. The hallucinogenic haze has begun to dissipate, a clear sign that the traps are on a timer, or perhaps they’re just running out of the noxious substance. Either way, I use the walls to guide me, my hand brushing against the cold stone as I navigate by memory and faint light.
Finally emerging into clearer air, I pause, taking deep breaths of the less contaminated environment. The temporary safety is shattered when I spot Eric Gage, his silhouette looming a few meters ahead in the dimly lit tunnel. He tilts his head as I approach, his twisted smirk visible even in the dim light.
“Lost your way, X?” Eric taunts, his voice echoing slightly off the tunnel walls.
“Not at all.” My tone is even despite my adrenaline beginning to rise. “What the fuck do you want?”
Eric chuckles darkly, stepping closer. “What happened to your sidekicks? I hope they’re dead. We both know only the strong will live.”
“Then why aren’t you dead yet?”
His eyes narrow, his smirk fading, replaced by a look of pure malice. He steps closer, his posture predatory, each movement radiating hostility. “You’ve always been a cocky asshole, Donovan.”
I tighten my grip around the flashlight. “Either fight me or shut the fuck up. I don’t have time for your shit.”
“You won’t leave this tunnel alive,” he sneers, swinging the rusted pipe that I left behind. It gleams dully in the faint light, a brutal makeshift weapon.
The confined space amplifies every sound: our breathing, the faint drip of water, the hum of tension thickening the air. The energy coursing through me sharpens my focus, and I square my shoulders in preparation for his attack.
Eric lunges at me, the pipe aimed at my head. I dodge to the side, using my flashlight to deflect his arm away, the impact jarring but not debilitating. He snarls, trying to regain his balance, but I’m already moving, striking out with a calculated blow to his ribs.
He recovers quickly, swinging his weapon again, this time aiming lower. I sidestep, but the edge of the pipe grazes my side, a sharp sting that has me gritting my teeth. I retaliate with a punch to his jaw, my knuckles cracking loudly, the impact making him stumble.
“You’re pathetic,” I spit, advancing on him. “Just like the rest of your family. When my father tells the Order that you’ve been stealing from us, you’re fucked.”
Eric growls, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. “That’s exactly what you always do, hide behind your father like a pussy who can’t run his own empire.”
He charges again. I parry his attack, twisting his wrist and forcing the pipe from his grip. It clatters to the ground, and I kick it away, my focus solely on neutralizing him. With a swift move, I pin him against the tunnel wall, my forearm pressing against his throat.
“You’re going to swear allegiance to me,” I say, my face inches from his. “If not, I’m going to kill you.”
Eric struggles, his eyes wild with a mix of fear and defiance. “Fuck off,” he chokes out.
“No, fuck you.”
I press my forearm harder against his throat. His breath hitches, his struggle weakening under the pressure. The dank, cold air of the tunnel seems to freeze around us, carrying the weight of his impending decision.
Eric’s eyes glow with a mixture of hatred before it morphs into resignation. After a tense moment, he nods once, the fight draining out of him as he gasps for air.
“Say it,” I demand, easing the pressure just enough for him to speak.
“Votum meum tibi,?1” he rasps, each word laced with venom but also the shame of defeat.
“Votum tuum receptum est.?2”
I pull back, releasing him completely. He slumps against the wall, coughing and rubbing his throat, his eyes never leaving mine.
“If you think to fuck me, I’ll tell the Order that you’ve been stealing weapons from me. Then I will bury you and your empire,” I say. “Not my father.”
Eric nods, a slow, deliberate movement. This new alliance is fragile, built on fear and necessity rather than trust, but dominance is the only thing he understands.
Stepping back, I turn toward the path that leads out of the tunnels, a mixture of relief and wariness coating my skin. Gaining Eric’s loyalty through his vow removes him as an immediate threat. If he’d said anything other than the Latin phrase, I would’ve had to kill him for lying.
Navigating the final twists and turns of the underground labyrinth, I walk with a mixture of trepidation and determination. My muscles ache and my mind races, not just with thoughts of the Trial’s conclusion, but with the weight of the secrets I carry. The cool, damp air of the tunnel gradually gives way to a more structured, stone-lined passage. This architectural change signals my approach to the end.
Finally, the door marked with a spray-painted crow comes into my line of sight. This symbol, black and ominous against the old wood, is both an ending and a beginning. I take a deep breath, steel myself, and push the door open.
The change from the dimly lit tunnel to the castle’s dungeon is stark. Torches line the walls, casting flickering shadows over the stone. The room is filled with the leaders of the founding families and other recruits, their expressions a variety of relief, exhaustion, and anticipation.
As I step into the dungeon, all eyes turn towards me. A murmur runs through the crowd, a wave of whispered speculations and curious glances. My father stands among the leaders, his presence dominating. His eyes lock onto mine, sweeping over me, searching not just for signs of my condition but for the one I was supposed to bring back with me.
Benjamin.
The absence of the McKenzie heir beside me is evident. The air in my lungs thickens as my father’s initial expression of expectancy turns into one of thinly veiled rage. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t move towards me, but the slight tightening of his jaw and the hard glint in his eyes speak volumes. Around us, the other recruits and leaders are too caught up in their own reunions to notice the silent exchange of threats and warnings between us.
I stand my ground, maintaining a composed exterior while my mind races through potential scenarios of confrontation and fallout. The dungeon, with its stone-cold walls and echoes of ancient secrets, is oppressive, a perfect setting for my impending death.
Eric shows up a few minutes later. His gaze finds mine, and he gives me a brief nod. I return it.
“It’s dawn,” Daniel Kent says. He shoots his son a proud look, and Declan stands a little straighter. “Any man present will now be inducted into the Order.”
The three council members take turns speaking of honor, of the sacrifices we’ve made, and the strength we’ve shown in completing the Trials. Their words are meaningless to me, overshadowed by the personal stakes that cause my veins to pulse with urgency. My father’s anger is a silent storm brewing on the horizon, and I am acutely aware of the danger it poses, not just to me but to Benjamin and Delilah as well.
“By dagger’s kiss, allegiance sworn,” he says.
“In shadows deep, our oaths are borne,” the rest of us answer, saying the phrase only full members are allowed to utter.
Each leader of the founding families hands out a pistol to the former recruits. The weapon is engraved with “Mors Solum Initium.” It’s a symbol of our new status as crows, a gift fitting for an assassin. I accept mine with a nod at my father, my thoughts already on the confrontation to come.
“We need to talk,” he says, a statement that holds more threat than any scream or shout.
“Yes, sir,” I reply, my voice steady, despite knowing this conversation will determine whether I live or die. As the other recruits disperse, heading towards the celebratory feast, I prepare myself for a different kind of trial—one that involves facing the wrath of Edward Donovan in the confines of the castle dungeons.