XXXII
Tori
S yn spends the entire meal like nothing is wrong. He says very little as I hurry around them to set their table, take their order, and serve their food. Even when he leaves, he does so without even a hint of a threat.
But everyone is still watching me after he’s gone, and my stomach feels like there are things bouncing around in there. I slide into the seat opposite Penny, wanting to just sit before I attempt to eat anything.
“What happened?” Penny asks. “Are you okay?”
I’m about to assure her that Syn hasn’t done anything—yet—and that I was just caught up by Payne, but a shadow falls across the table. I look up and find Lissa Carmichael and Declan Salaway staring down at me, Declan with a smug smile on his face.
Lissa and Declan were initiates like me, becoming members of the Elite the night that I became an initiate myself. Maybe that should be enough for their moral support, considering they’d gone through what I am now, but I don’t even expect a vague understanding from her.
Whether it’s because Syn decreed it, or by her own choice, Lissa doesn’t like me. Considering Gemini yelled at her in front of everyone, calling her stupid, it’s probably more like she hates me.
But she dug food out of the trash and tried to force me to eat it, so I can’t say the feeling is anything but mutual.
Declan… he’s never really gone out of his way to treat me like shit—or if he has, it’s not been to my face. There’s a possibility he could be one of those behind the color of my hair, or the worms in my bed. But there’s as much love in his eyes for me as there is coming from Lissa.
“What do you want?” I ask them.
“Don’t talk to me with that attitude, neophyte,” she says, her lip curling with disdain. “You must give all members of the Elite respect—”
“Yeah, but I don’t,” Penny cuts in. “So say what you’ve got to say and fuck off. Or just skip to the last part and fuck off anyway.”
Lissa’s jaw tightens as Penny flips her hair over her shoulder and flashes a bright smile, but instead of saying something bitchy or threatening back, Lissa just turns to me. “I came to say goodbye, actually. I’m so happy to know that the trash is going back where it belongs. I even genuinely wish you luck in finding a delightful meal in there for you to celebrate with.”
She’s saying that to get a reaction from me, and I wish my stomach hadn’t churned uncomfortably in response.
“What are you talking about?” I ask, trying to ignore the smirk she has when I try to fight the nausea that washes over me.
Lissa cocks her head. “You really are stupid, aren’t you? You dared to make Syn wait for dinner, and now, instead of being on your knees in front of him, begging for forgiveness, you’re sitting here and being late for your punishment.”
“Hey, Lissa?” Penny asks brightly. “What’s the name of your plastic surgeon?”
Instantly, Lissa’s back straightens as she folds her arms. “I don’t have a plastic surgeon.”
“Cool. I mean, it would be kind of annoying having to pay twice.”
“Have you been sniffing glue?”
Penny holds her hands up in the air in surrender. “All I’m saying is that I thought your surgeon didn’t do too bad of a job—a little crooked, but you’re working with a deviated septum, and they’re tricky—but if that’s au naturel , then maybe it won’t be so bad when you go to the surgeon for the first—” her hands make finger quotes, “—time.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my nose,” Lissa cries, her voice rising a few octaves.
“No, but if you don’t walk away from this table, you’re going to need a fucking amazing surgeon to fix your nose once I’ve punched it back into your brain cavity.” Penny stands suddenly, and it’s enough for Lissa to flee.
Declan stays, ignoring Penny as he looks at me. “It won’t matter if you drop to your knees and beg, or you drop to your knees and give him the best blowjob he’s ever had. Nothing’s saving you now.”
“Do we need to talk about your plastic surgeon?” Penny places her hands on her hips. “Because I lied when I said Lissa’s nose job didn’t look bad. I’d advise not using the same person.”
Something comes over Declan, like he’s channeling Syn’s inner venom. Only he directs it all at Penny instead of me. “Lay a finger on me, and the only call being made is to the funeral home. And it won’t be an open casket.”
As he walks away, Penny sinks to her seat, somehow managing to look completely unnerved. “Don’t look so worried. I’d only punch Lissa if she threw the first one, tempting as it is. And I wouldn’t give Declan the chance to get the first hit in.”
“Penny, I need to go. She’s probably right about Syn, and I can’t…” I don’t finish my sentence, nor do I wait to listen to her response.
Outside, it’s dark and ice cold. Even though the groundskeepers have already been out with the salt for the paths, the ground is glistening. It hasn’t rained for a few days, so I run over the solid grass alongside the paths, preferring to let my stiletto heel find a little grip there rather than attempt to run on the stone.
The lights are on and I can see Syn, Royal, and Gemini in the living room. That’s not completely unusual, but there’s something about the three of them being downstairs together that leaves me feeling uneasy. Hurrying around to the back of the house, I enter through my assigned door. After taking a moment to straighten my appearance, I walk through the house, stopping in front of the living room. I knock on the door waiting for Syn to call before I walk in.
Syn is sitting in the armchair opposite the door, but he doesn’t look up as I approach him. His attention is on his phone, but I have a feeling he’s not really looking at anything in particular, given how his jaw is tense.
Lissa and Declan were right. He was waiting for me, and I’ve failed his test.
“I’m sorry I was late and that affected your dinner service,” I tell him. “Dr. Wright wanted me to meet with him and he kept me late. I’ll make sure it won’t happen again.”
“It won’t happen again because you’re going to pack your bags and leave.” Syn doesn’t look up from his phone until he’s finished speaking, and then he carefully places the phone on the chair arm before he finally focuses his attention on me.
“I was barely late and this was the first time—”
Syn holds his hand up and raises one finger. “Late for dinner, despite the clear instructions.”
“That wasn’t my fault, and the professor said that…” The words die on my lips as Syn holds up another finger.
“Wearing clothing that has not been provided by me.” Another finger joins the first two, making him look like a boy scout. “Taking it upon yourself to move out of the room assigned to you.” He lowers his hand and crosses his arms. “And I’m adding talking back and refusing to address me with the correct term. Three strikes is fair, but you’ve made it four. You broke the rules. You need to go,” Syn says, like it’s the simplest thing on earth.
I stay rooted to the spot. Even if I wanted to leave, I don’t think I can move. I’m not happy or even relieved that I’ve been given my freedom. Instead, the fear I had of leaving too soon hits me.
Passing the initiation was never my goal. I’ve never held some deluded belief that I stood a chance of becoming a member of the Elite. Making it to the end was my hope. Syn’s never given me a timeframe, and my assumption was that the first initiation had run from the start of the semester until the end of midterms, so by that logic, the same eight weeks would get me to the end of the semester—probably with some big finale, which would have me failing my exams and leaving James Keyingham altogether anyway.
A quiet exit like this was something I never even dared to hope for, so I should be relieved…
But I haven’t been able to plant the camera Payne gave me only a few hours ago.
I haven’t had the opportunity to see if it would work and give me Syn’s password.
And I haven’t had the opportunity to use it and see what’s on his computer.
Because they had become possibilities.
“You’re still here?” Syn asks. “Don’t tell me you thought you would actually pass this initiation?” He bursts out laughing, but it sounds forced. “Members of the Elite need to be able to follow rules. I was more curious to see if a dog like you could even be trained.”
“Right family, wrong breed,” Gemini says.
His words are enough to throw Syn off as he turns towards him with an arched eyebrow. “What?”
“Right family, wrong breed.” Gemini frowns. “Or is it the genus?”
Syn lets out a long sigh. “For the love of God, Gem, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Dogs.” He shrugs. “Well, foxes.”
As Royal wearily rubs his face, Syn just stares at Gemini.
“You keep calling her a dog, but really, she’s a fox—a vixen. Vicki the Vixen. And foxes aren’t a domesticated species.”
Syn continues to stare, running his tongue over his lower lip. “You are aware that you’re proving my point, right?”
“No, I’m making my own point.”
I can’t tell if Syn looks pissed or bemused, but I’m also not sure he knows either. He just moves over to the sofa, sits down and spreads his arm over the back before gesturing to the space in front of him. “The floor is all yours, Gem.”
“You’re trying to train an animal that can’t be trained,” Gemini says like that’s obvious.
Having Gemini make me wear a fox’s tail by anchoring it in place with a butt plug is one thing, but I definitely don’t like him referring to me as an animal.
Gemini rolls his eyes. “The problem isn’t the animal, it’s the person who’s dumb enough to try to train it.”
“Go fuck yourself,” Syn snaps.
“And you think I have weird kinks,” he mutters before he starts to unzip his pants.
“For fuck’s sake, Gem, he doesn’t mean here,” Royal says.
“I know,” Gemini says as he winks at me. “But if I don’t follow instructions, Synny’s gonna get pissy.”
“I swear to God—”
“He kinda has a point,” Royal says quickly, cutting Syn off. “Tori wore that dress to support me at the game. And she’s in the bedroom upstairs because I told her to move in there. You told me she was only going to stay in the basement for a couple of nights and it’s been weeks. Whether you agree with my decision, I’m the one who made it and Tori’s only listening to what I told her to do.”
Syn’s glare morphs into a look of incredulity as he turns to Royal. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“When you look at it, she was late to dinner. Because of that dick professor. No other initiate has ever been kicked out for breaking a rule, without punishment.”
“Being kicked out is her punishment, and I don’t have to answer to you about it.”
Royal sits back in his seat, settling an ankle on his knee as he relaxes. “No, but if you think Gemini’s annoying now, how do you think he’s going to be tomorrow? Next week? Christmas? How much peace do you think we’re going to get if he’s not allowed to do at least one punishment he’s had lined up in his perverted little brain for the past month?”
Gemini’s mouth drops open. “Hey, I’m right here, dickhead.”
As whatever this is turns into friends bickering and insulting each other, I keep quiet. I need to stay, and much as I’m not sure I’m even capable of receiving Gemini’s punishment, the last thing I need to do now is voice my opinion.
“Ah, come on, it will be fun,” Gemini whines.
Syn rolls his eyes. “For who?”
“Definitely for me. I think Royal will enjoy it, and I also have a feeling Vixen is depraved enough, that she’s gonna enjoy it too. You might too, if you could remember how to laugh.”
I’m honestly expecting Syn to snap. Instead, he looks down at his hands in his lap and rubs his thumb over the bandage wrapped around his other palm. Royal and Gemini share a look, and I get the feeling that neither of them know what happened to Syn’s hand.
“Fine,” Syn mutters. “If you all want to delay the inevitable, let’s.”
With a small squeal of excitement, Gemini claps his hands together. “Tomorrow morning, you’re going to meet us in the entrance, and we’re all going to go to breakfast together.”
I wait, but Gemini doesn’t give any more details, even when Syn asks.