14. Elijah

W ith dry, bloodied hands, I reach into the back seat and reach for the masks. They are made of a hard black material. Not at all flimsy like the ones I had gotten in Blackwood. Taking in my little bat, I place one in her lap. “Are you ready to play, little bat?”

Her hazel eyes shine at the question before looking down at what I had just given her.

The lights catch the dark cracks lining her face, my beautiful broken doll. She balances out my crazy and at times, matches it. Rubbing my hand down my own marked face, I let out a deep sigh still taking her in. All fucking mine.

Rain’s small hands lift it up as black ribbons hang from either side. Holding it to her face, she grips both thick pieces of fabric, bringing them around the back of her head and entwining them with her long dark hair, and ties it into a bow that matches the one already in her hair.

Mine is slightly different. Slipping it on, the leather strap, for which I pre-set the sizing, fits like a glove over my head.

Once both our masks are on, we look at each other once more. “I’m ready,” she answers my unspoken question. Her tone is hushed, my little bat is nervous. She should be. Not even I have been to one of these fucking things before. I’ve only heard stories while eavesdropping on my father and his friends before leaving here.

Getting out of the car, Rain follows suit. I reach back in for my bat before closing the car door behind me. Walking around to the trunk, I lift my boot-clad foot up and kick it a couple of times while shouting, “Wake the fuck up, Francesca!”

Only silence greets me.

Kicking it once more, I give her a chance to stop playing stupid with me. I wait a moment. Still nothing.

Dumb bitch.

Looking at the taillights, I swing my bat and smash both of them in quick succession. Come on, bitch, take the bait.

Pieces of broken colored plastic break off my car and go flying to the cobblestone driveway. Francesca still stays quiet. If she is hoping I will give up and walk away, she has another thing coming. I was built for the long fucking game. I revel in the hunt.

Next, I take my bat, swing it over my head while holding it with both hands and begin to beat the top of my aluminum trunk. With each swing, loud bangs echo around us as dents begin to decorate my car. But I couldn’t give a shit about the car. What’s inside it is my prize.

“Francesca.” Smash. “Wake up.” Smash. “Nap time is fucking over!” Smash.

A high-pitched but muffled scream erupts from within.

Smirking, I can feel her fear rippling along my skin. I taste it on my tongue as my taste buds take it all in. My favorite meal outside of Rain is this.

Torture and murder after playing with my prey.

Reaching in my pocket, I press the button on my key fob and the trunk pops open. The light inside goes on as I look down at the pathetic blonde cunt curled in the fetal position, crying. Her face is blotchy and red, with tears covering her cheeks. Mascara streaks stain her skin.

Tilting my head, I simply watch her.

Little bat steps beside me. “I can’t believe I kissed that.”

Another loud whimper leaves my cousin's mouth.

“E, she’s terribly annoying. Shall we go?” Rain plays the part perfectly. Smiling behind my mask, my fang nips my lip as I respond to her in my own head, Yes, we shall, little bat.

Handing the bat over to Rain, she takes it, gripping the handle tightly.

Reaching in, I grab the sobbing annoyance and throw her over my shoulder. Her body is limp as I do it. If she has given up this easily, that means my fun is ruined. There’s no chance, she was ready to blow The Exodus up. Her fight will come back once I have her in my secured room.

Leaving the trunk open, because I truly do not give a shit—someone else can close it if they want—I lead us up the cobble steps to the large black front door. A large, bald man in a black suit is standing off to the side. In his hand is a scanner, and in his ear is an earpiece. Walking over, he places the scanning device behind my neck, and it beeps once before he removes it. A green light goes off on the screen. He doesn’t speak. Instead, he just nods at me as I go to open the door. He doesn’t scan Rain, he must know she’s with me. But we will still need to get her chipped after. I’ve had mine since I started training with my mentor when I was five. It’s part of being in this life.

Francesca continues sobbing as her lifeless body hangs over my shoulder. Stepping into what The Exodus calls a cabin secluded deep in the woods, and what I call a fucking mansion, shit music immediately penetrates my ears. As I take the rest of the space in, it’s dark with large windows at the back. Wood surrounds us with a river running as the moon glistens off it. A large river rock fireplace decorates one wall, floor to ceiling, and is lit with a bright orange-and-red fire.

Oh, mighty dark one, we meet again.

Glad that fucker is dead. And his whore.

The farther we get in, the more insane it gets.

Black and red aerial silks hang from the ceiling. Looking up, one female and two males are doing acrobatics. One red silk is left untouched. Interesting.

My eyes continue to wander over to the second-story balcony. Elders line the area in their gold masks. I see my dad immediately in his gold rabbit mask. My eyes continue to scan the room, noting the Bishop isn’t amongst them.

The Bishop is the one we all ultimately answer to. I want to care about where he could be, why isn’t he here? Or is he out lurking elsewhere? But I can’t be bothered.

All I care about is that they are out of my way by the time I get up those stairs. As they stand between me and my playroom.

The stairs to the second story finally present themselves as I pass the large pyramid of champagne glasses. Dark liquid fills them, spilling over the edges as more continues to pour down into them.

“E, look.” Rain is next to me, pointing up. We have passed the aerials. Now when looking toward the ceiling, we find dead people who didn’t survive The Reckoning, hanging upside down as their blood drains, dripping into the glassware.

Once I have taken it all in, I nod my head toward the stairs. Rain takes the first step, as I follow. A flash of light hits us long enough for me to see the shining, jeweled plug still perfectly in place.

Reaching forward, I slip my fingers underneath her thin, short, white, and flowy skirt. Her hand is fast to swat me away, slapping my arm. I chuckle, pulling back and making her think she’s won.

Not a fucking chance.

She still has a punishment awaiting her.