Chapter Seventeen
I blinked a few times, trying to register the words that just came from that glorious mouth. “For me?”
“Nickie would kill me herself if I let anything bad happen to you.” His words were a giant slap in the face, enough for me to regain common sense. How stupid was I to entertain the idea of him feeling anything toward me?
I nodded, internally embarrassed by his false declaration. “Right.” Then another thought occurred. “Speaking of Nickie—”
“Not now, we have to get to the ceremony.” Not now? Or not ever? She must know, right?
Josh didn’t waste another second as he led the way. I stepped past the threshold to find myself in a well-lit hallway with a deep, rich-blue carpet and walls made of beige marble.
Josh had me follow him out the door at the end of the hall to reveal a spiral staircase descending to God knows where. I hesitated at the top step, looking over the railing to see others dressed in scarlet capes, some in white. A few males escorted a white-caped lady at the bottom, the identical bows and arrows strapped to their backs.
We eventually followed the small group, and we ended up in front of a wide, open room with intricate designs of stained glass covering one whole wall. Swirls of blues and greens sparkled under the fluorescent lights, the colors dancing on every surface. Its design had been replicated to match the cathedral’s main floor, minus the high ceiling. Shorter pews sat along the aisle, one side dedicated to those dressed in scarlet, the other were the males in all black.
I immediately recognized Chloe and Anna from past encounters. The two men dressed like Josh and Kal sat to the right, and then there was the group sporting long, white capes behind the dais. From what I could see, six sat directly behind a man dressed in a black robe with scarlet swirls of gems starting from the arms until it spread like twisted vines on the front. It was the priest from earlier, Father Benedict.
“Glad you finally decided to join us, Remi,” he said.
“Forgive us, Father,” murmured Josh, bowing to the man before taking his seat with the rest of them.
Father Benedict gave a nod of acknowledgment. “It is now time for the induction. Collin, please let the others in.”
Collin, who wore an identical robe to him, appeared with a group of six girls, leading them to the center of the room. One of them was Heather, but nothing surprised me more than her friends, Colleen and Meghan. They lined up next to Father Benedict, looking out into the crowd as if they were all proud to be there.
That flipped my stomach several times.
“Come here, Remi,” adjured Father Benedict.
Heather locked eyes with me, waiting to see if I would join them. I had never seen her so stone cold. She had become someone I barely recognized.
“I’ll pass,” I managed to say.
Josh stifled a laugh, while others simultaneously turned to gawk.
“Forgive me for having you here; I assumed you accepted our invitation,” Father said.
“She is here and will participate,” said one of the white capes. Her long silver hair peeked through the hood.
I crossed my arms in protest. “Excuse me?”
“The Lord has let you enter; you shall participate. It is the will of his doing.”
Another situation I wasn’t prepared for, and with Josh nearby, who could easily carry my ass up the steps to the altar, I had no choice but to continue with their little charade.
I forced a smile as I awkwardly made my way to the line of the other females. Everyone stood proudly, facing the rest of the room.
Father Benedict smiled like he had just won the lottery, walking gracefully as he spoke. “Tonight, only the purest will be chosen to follow our lead in the Lord’s path of redemption. Tonight, we will witness the Lord’s work once again.”
Everyone bowed their heads, including the inductees, minus myself, as I glanced around the room, trying to discover hidden exits or possible weapons to use in self-defense in case things got ugly.
“But first, we must purify our souls to fulfill our duty.”
The men in the front disappeared, only to return with buckets, placing them at our feet, filled to the brim with water. Next, they positioned chairs behind each of us, instructing us to sit down.
“We walk this earth leaving a carbon print. To begin the purification, one must place their feet in the blessed water. If the water turns black, the Lord has decided to release you from your duty,” explained Father Benedict.
Right on cue, the others removed their shoes and socks, placing their feet in the water as it splashed over the floor. I sat there, unsure if they had filled it with poison.
“It would be in your best interest, Ms. Watson, to follow the steps for the purification,” said one female in a white cape.
I gritted my teeth and followed the others, surprised to find the water warm. Everyone continued to observe as we soaked our feet, waiting to see what might happen.
Father Benedict leaned over one of the girls, eyeing the bucket where her feet were submerged. “Your water has turned black, Amelia. I am afraid the Lord has chosen to relieve you.”
Sadness swept across her face as one of the men removed the bucket, her feet dripping with black water. She gathered her belongings and exited the room.
My stomach twisted in the tightest knot. What the fuck is going on here?
Father Benedict continued down the line, peeking over each shoulder to examine the water, stopping once again at the pretty brunette two seats away from me. “Unfortunately for you, Colleen, the Lord has chosen the same fate.”
Like the girl before, a look of disappointment twisted her delicate features, and she exited the room with her belongings.
I gazed down at my own feet in the water. Not a single trace of black could be found when Father Benedict approached.
Was that a good or bad thing for me?
“The first trial is complete,” he announced.
So far, Heather and I, her meek friend Meghan, and a couple of the other girls had made it through. The rest of the room watched with such intensity—especially Josh. I wanted to throw up.
Father Benedict placed a hand on my shoulder. “Our hands symbolize strength and power. It is with our hands that the Lord guides us to salvation.”
Our buckets of water were replaced with a long table rising from the floor, holding silver bowls with more water. I could only guess what he was looking for.
“Just like our feet, we must purify our hands. Ladies, please proceed.”
I watched the others dip their hands delicately into the silver bowls. My slight hesitation was enough for one of the members dressed in white to grunt a warning, pushing me to take part in the next act of the purification ceremony.
Grinding my teeth to hold back a snarky remark, I took a deep breath and proceeded. The water was cool as I submerged both my hands, watching for any sign of the water of black swirls. Mine never did.
“My dear, sweet, Meghan. Unfortunately, the Lord has relieved you of your duty,” announced Father Benedict, patting her back with sympathy.
A quick drying of her hands, and she was escorted from the room without looking back. Three girls remained, including Heather and me. I began to sweat, my anxiety coming out from the shadows to destroy me, cursing myself for not stashing my flask somewhere on my person.
“But the rest of you have clear water. It is now time for the third and final cleanse.”
Once again, the men had removed the silver bowls and long table, only to place them behind our chairs instead. A new set of silver bowls was added—more significant than the hand bowls—to then have us stand to turn our chairs around so the back was to the front.
Father Benedict took one long stride to stand behind us, observing the table. “The mind can be swayed if tainted by those of a negative nature. The Lord has granted us one final chance to cleanse our senses from the doing of others. Ladies, please lean back into the water.”
Heather and the other remaining two gently leaned back, their hair soaking in the blessed water while I sat, a baseball cap hiding my blonde locks. If my water turned black and Heather’s remained clear, I would have no issue dragging her out. And I wouldn’t hesitate to kick and scream in the process.
“Remi,” called Father Benedict.
“Right,” I said, taking off my cap and tossing it aside. With one last look at the crowd before me, I leaned back into the water, my scalp embracing the warmth.
“Kennedy, my dear.” Without another word, she sprang back in her seat and left the room, the sound of water dripping from her hair on the marble floors.
“Tiffany.” A sad sigh echoed through the quiet space, then a door slammed.
So, Heather and I had been chosen.
“Excellent, ladies! You have completed all three steps of purification!” declared Father Benedict.
The crowd clapped in unison; no smiles touched their mouths.
“Now, we shall have you both dry off and enjoy the supper we have prepared for everyone.”
I felt a small hand touch my own. “Remi?”
Heather. Water dripped down from her forehead, and pure happiness radiated from her body.
“Heather.” It occurred to me then; Heather’s participation was willing from the start. I’d never seen her so happy and at peace with what just transpired, and that had me thinking, what the fuck was I still doing here?
She pulled me to my feet, our hair dripping on the marble floor. Finding my baseball cap, I laced up my shoes after drying off my feet with one of the softest towels I’d ever felt in my life.
Josh nodded in my direction before guiding us to another room. What surprised me was the number of rooms the basement of the cathedral held. With doors left and right, I was unsure where any of them led, yet the mystery left me a little curious to find out.
Inside, a long white table covered in a variety of fruits and meats made my stomach rumble in hunger. Glasses of red wine glistened under the lights, while a violinist sat in the corner, playing a beautiful tune. The white capes—some female, some male—sat at a separate table, eating silently. Father Benedict was seated at the head of the long table, motioning for us to join. Heather and I chose chairs next to the scarlet capes, while the men in their prestige uniforms shuffled to the opposite side.
Heather began to pile her plate with fruit, roasted vegetables, and a piece of steak. The food looked more delicious than what they served at the school, and that was saying a lot because they didn’t skimp on anything.
But it was her sheer ease that made my stomach upset. How easily she dismissed what happened, like how do you explain water turning black? Magic? There was no way, yet she was unharmed beside me, feasting as if it were her last supper.
“Remi?” Josh said. I hadn’t realized he sat across from my place at the table.
“Yeah, sorry. Just a little… surprised,” I confessed.
Kal had finally joined the supper, only to sit as far away from our little group as possible. Thank God.
I looked back over at Josh to find him handing me a plate filled with different meats and sides.
Heather topped it off with a garnish before pouring a hearty glass of red wine. “Eat, please.”
“The food is excellent and you’re missing out just sitting there with a frown on your face.” Josh scooped up a spoonful of veggie mix and devoured it in one mouthful.
I aggressively stabbed at some baby carrots. “Happy?”
He raised an eyebrow and took a sip of the wine. “Ecstatic.”
“If I knew sooner of your acceptance, Remi, I wouldn’t have been so secretive around you,” said Heather, drawing my attention away from Mr. Pain in the Ass.
Nibbling on the baby carrot, I eyed her from the side. “Yeah, I didn’t realize it was a secret.”
The entire table fell silent. A clear sign they were all eavesdropping.
I caught Chloe’s stare, her words floating back to me for a second time. Stay away from the elite. You have no business with us.
I guess I’m one of them now.
“There is a lot to discuss after tonight, but for now, ladies, we will feast in honor of your successful cleansing,” said Father Benedict, raising a wine glass.
Others followed suit, but Chloe remained fixated on me. I squirmed under her stare and turned my attention back to Heather and Josh, thankful for their distraction. We chatted as if what had happened before was a distant memory, which made swallowing the food a bit easier. The white capes never looked up from their meal, and after finishing before us, they exited the room without glancing in our direction.
Josh must’ve been following my gaze and said, “Those are the Aces. The head of this Order.”
“The Aces?” I asked.
“Only a select few from the Scarlets and the Tutelary Saints are chosen to guide the others after they’ve served a certain number of years in the Order,” explained Josh.
I dropped my utensils and leaned forward. “What and what?”
A light chuckle came from Heather’s left. “Josh thinks he’s the master of everything in the Order.”
“Fuck off, Baron.” Josh threw a dinner roll at him, but he caught it with ease. Baron had a familiarity about him; I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“Sensitive, are we?” he teased. His dark hair fanned his brows, those bright hazel eyes filled with humor, right down to his dark, flawless complexion. He was quite mesmerizing to look at. Jeremy would find him delectable. Which reminded me…
“Does Nickie know?” I asked Josh, ignoring Baron.
His hand was frozen mid-air with a piece of steak stuck to the fork. “No.”
“Who’s Nickie?” asked Heather.
“His lover,” snickered Baron.
Josh’s eyes turned into dangerous slits. “Mind your business.” His words were filled with venom.
“Well?” I edged.
“Well, what? Our relationship isn’t up for discussion.”
So, it’s a relationship now . “She’s my best friend,” I stated. Irritation trickled in. If what I’d become a part of was dangerous, there was no way in hell Nickie would be involved, regardless of us not speaking. I still cared for her safety.
“I’m well aware of the status you share, but unfortunately, that does not extend to us.” He took another sip of wine, glaring at me over the glass.
“I don’t want my best friend involved.”
“She won’t be.”
“I don’t trust you.”
Baron whistled. “Jeesh, you could cut the tension with a knife over here.”
Heather went back and forth, waiting for one of us to speak. “I would be careful of Remi. She looks like she’s ready to cut Josh instead.”
“My money is on Josh. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty,” commented Baron.
Heather shook her head, laughing. “Remi has claws. I would be extra careful.”
The tapping of glass caught our attention, a relieved look on Josh’s face at the interruption. But if he thought I would forget this little conversation, he was sadly mistaken.
“It is time for Heather and Remi to be inducted. The Blessing awaits,” announced Father Benedict.
Confused, I looked over at Heather. “I thought the purification ceremony was it?”
She shook her head. “No, there’s one more step. Didn’t your family prepare you for this?”
Before I could respond, Chloe came to where we sat. “Follow me so you can change.”
“Into what?” She ignored my question and started to walk in the opposite direction. All right.
Heather shrugged and rose from her chair. The others watched as I remained seated, unsure if this part of the induction was safe. I’d made it this far without bumps or bruises, and although the purification ceremony still didn’t make sense to me, what did I really have to lose? Besides a more open social schedule.
“Let’s go, you two. We don’t have all night,” called Chloe.
Not waiting for our response, she motioned for us to follow to a side bathroom off the dining room. Stainless steel stalls and white porcelain sinks occupied the space, with gray paint on the walls—zilch décor but a few mirrors to force you to look at your crappy reflection. I saw two girls with soaked hair about to be inducted into a society nobody knew about, and one of them looked terrified.