Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ireturn to the party before my father—or anyone else—can realize the star of the show is missing. My father is by my side at once, thrusting a mask in my direction. It’s as heavy as I remember and the same stark ivory. My eyes widen.
“I really have to wear this?” I whisper, my nose curling. “It’s so…”
“No, no. It’s for Jun—and just for tonight, as part of the ceremony. You’re the only one who doesn’t have to wear one. It’s your night.”
I’m grateful I don’t have a heartbeat. He has nothing to hear, no way to tell how terrified I am.
“Does that mean I’ll have to wear it next time?” A pathetic attempt at playing along. There won’t be a next time if I can help it.
“I’m afraid so.”
“I’ll survive. What’s the point of the masks, anyway?”
“It lets Strode know you’re with us. If someone is wearing a mask, they’re off-limits. The Order is protecting them.”
Off limits from what? I repress a shiver.
“Thank you for this. I’ll go find Jun and… tell him to put this on.”
“Hurry. The ceremony will start shortly.”
“Excellent. I can’t wait.”
Can’t wait? Maybe I’m laying it on a little too thick, considering the ceremony revolves around sacrificing my best friend.
I don’t take a proper breath until I walk away from my father. Finding Jun is easy, with his wings and horns. Despite the crowded room, Jun keeps his demonic features on display, and the others stay far away from him.
The party started small, with only ten students, but the room is now filled with masked faces, and it’s impossible to say who’s behind them. They all blend in… all except Jun with his wings, horns, and maskless face.
Standing beside Jun is a man several inches taller, likely Caldwell, judging by his clothes. I wear a sour look as I extend the mask to Jun.
“This is for you,” I say. “The ceremony is starting soon. My father says you have to wear this like the others.”
Jun takes the mask without question. “What’s the plan?”
“We’re going to…” I close my eyes, scrunching them shut. “Caldwell, do you know how to use a sigil?”
He straightens up. “Yes. It’s a simple form of chaos magic, but—”
“We’ll need you to summon Strode,” I mutter. “Before I have to sacrifice Tobey.”
“I beg your pardon. You’re going to what?”
I ignore Caldwell. “And Jun, you’ll use the witch weapon on him. The chaos from taking down the demon may be enough to let us escape with Tobey.”
“No.” Jun reaches into his pocket. “I want you to have the dagger. You need protection more than I do.”
I hesitate, my fingers brushing against the handle of the knife. “You’re a better fighter than me, and we all need protection.”
“No, I’m not. You held your own at the second trial. If those baby demons were an actual threat, you would have saved me. You’re as good as I am.”
A smile tugs at the corner of my lips. “But I’m scared.”
“We all are,” Caldwell says. “But we’re together. Memorize our outfits and look to us if you need help. We’ll be here.”
I take the dagger, and Jun takes the mask. It’s the worst trade for him. His horns stick out, and they offer me some comfort. I know I’ll be able to spot him in the crowd.
Caldwell meets my gaze, pleading with his eyes. “Please. Don’t do anything to hurt them.”
“I would never—"
“It’s time.” My father grabs my arm before I know what’s happening, and he leads me through the dense crowd.
I don’t realize Tobey is there until I see them—higher than the rest, resting upon an obsidian throne. I’m supposed to be the star—but I think, really, they are.
My eyes widen. The flashing lights shine on their face, and in the strobing red, it’s easy to make out their features—anger is like a fire behind their eyes.
“Fuck you!” Tobey’s voice cuts through the room. They’re louder than the music, or at least loud enough for me to hear.
My eyes widen.
They have to be joking—they’re playing it up, as they should—but it still stings.
I move closer, my expression softening. Theirs doesn’t change, even as I stand beside their throne. My father moves to the other side of the room to prepare an altar. Two others in masks are at his side—likely the professors.
This is the room Poppy was in, in the vision Caldwell showed us, I realize. Everything is coming together.
That must have been Amelia’s ceremony.
“It’s fine,” Tobey whispers, though the words don’t match their face.
The nod I give is barely visible, aware that the room is watching. “We’re here for a reason. This is the end.”
My father speaks off to the side, but his words are a hum as he tells the room about the ceremony. My name is somewhere in the mix, but I pay no mind.
“I’m sorry,” I say louder, hoping to continue with the ruse.
“I will never forgive you!” Tobey yells. “My ghost will haunt these halls.”
“Tobey.” The music lowers, and my father speaks directly to them. “Settle down, please. The ceremony is about to start. We require a willing sacrifice, remember? We don’t want any interruptions.”
To my surprise, Tobey listens. They don’t say a word as I step away. They still trust me, and I trust them. Even if this is the end, we have each other.
“I love you,” I say, for the room to hear.
If those are my last words to them, I’ll be happy. I hold my head high as I approach my father.
“It’s a new moon cycle,” my father says. “Strode has required sacrifices for each moon cycle from the time the university came to be. The Order has always been responsible for fulfilling that duty. For centuries, we have done so, and we will continue to.”
I’m frozen as I listen, looking out at the crowd.
“Father?” I whisper.
He pauses his speech, watching me expectantly.
“Why have there been so many deaths this semester?” I ask. “You said it’s once each moon cycle.”
“Times have changed,” he says lowly, just for me to hear. His expression darkens. “He requires more now.”
I’m stunned into silence. If he requires multiple sacrifices each month…
How can we ever keep up? When will we run out of students?
“Castine sits a Hellmouth,” my father says, speaking to the room again.
“And in exchange for the souls we bring, the demon gifts us safety from the other beings of Hell. Members of the Order, like you and I, are given immortality for our hard work. It is our job to uphold the standard of the demon Strode. Today, it is my great pleasure to begin the ceremony for my youngest child, Margaux.”
The room claps—some unsure, some passionate.
“Many of you know about the ceremonies,” my father says. “For those of you who do not, your final trial is to sacrifice the person you love most.”
My eyes dart to Tobey’s, and red tears blur my vision.
“It must be a willing sacrifice,” my father says. “It is a sign not only of your loyalty to Strode but of how loyal others are to you.”
Does this mean Amelia loved Poppy the most? I can’t imagine it. How much is there about my friend that I didn’t know?
Poppy gave her life for Amelia, and we took that life.
I shake my head, chasing away the thoughts. The dagger hidden up my sleeve is sharp and heavy.
Where is Strode? When will Caldwell call him in?
“Margaux,” my father says. “Step forward.”
I do as he asks, with my head held high.
He wipes oil on my forehead. “Palms, please.”
I outstretch my hands, and they shake as he spreads the same oil onto them. “What is this?”
“Oil blessed by the demon himself.”
Blessed, or cursed? I repress a shudder, his words tingling up my spine. For once, my father loses the fanfare.
He looks at me, and I realize how exhausted he is. He’s supposed to be ageless, but he seems a thousand years old and bone weary. His lids are heavy. The gray in his hair no longer looks purposeful.
My father is a puppet for Strode, and it’s sucking the life from him, even as it elongates his existence.
“To the immortal Strode,” my father says, his voice ringing. “We bring to you an offering—a soul given by choice. Continue to protect our school and elevate—”
“No,” I whisper, pleading with my father. “Stop. I can’t. We can’t do this.”
“—elevate this new member of the Order,” my father says, ignoring me.
The energy in the room shifts.
My father meets my gaze. “I’m sorry.”
A single, bloody tear drips from his eye. Hot wind blows through the room, and I turn to where Tobey is on the throne.
“Go,” my father says. “And drink.”
“I can’t. I won’t. I can’t hurt Tobey.”
Despite the evil that has possessed him, another red tear runs down his cheek. “I know—but you must. This is why we accepted Tobey at Strode. This was always the plan. I’m sorry. It is their destiny.”
“It was not my plan.”
He knows, but I need to say it aloud, need it to be heard.
“I am no happier than you are. I’ve grown to care for them, too.” He shakes his head. “I care for all of my students. We sacrifice one life to save hundreds—and thousands. Castine is in danger. This is how it has always been done.”
I don’t care. I won’t play a part in it. The dagger handle presses against my hand as I stride toward Tobey. The defiance in their eyes is gone. It’s replaced with fear now, and more convincing than their anger could ever be.
What the hell is Caldwell doing? We’re running out of time.
My father follows behind as we approach the throne.
Heads turn to us—and then they turn away, looking at a black puff of smoke.
In the smoke stands a man—no, a demon. He has the same red horns as Jun, but his are longer.
His skin is pale, almost translucent, and his hair is silver.
If my father looks old and weary, this being looks retired.
He’s tall—taller than me, and taller than Caldwell.
My stomach churns.
“Strode.” My father greets the demon as if he was expecting him.
Caldwell was supposed to summon him, but something tells me he didn’t. Strode is here of his own accord. He’s here for me, and for Tobey’s soul.
This is Jun’s father. If Jun hadn’t been the one to tell me himself, I wouldn’t believe it. The only thing they have in common is the horns. I look for Jun in the crowd, able to see his horns but not his face.