Chapter 17

“My little girlis going to go down as a legend,” Mother says pridefully. “I know I gave you a hard time for going so young, but damn—you could become a Sacred Mother after only one mark.”

Sacred Mothers are revered in The Web, holding positions of power and making decisions regarding the future of the Sisterhood.

It’s always been my mother’s dream to attain such rank, but it’s never been mine.

“I don’t believe I’ll be staying in The Web,” I tell her.

“That’s what you say now,” Mother scoffs.

She doesn’t understand me, and she never will. I’ve never wanted this life, but there’s never been a way out of it.

Until now.

All I have to do is murder my husband. It should be a simple thing to do. I have the perfect poison, designed to look like something else entirely.

And yet I can’t bear the thought of killing Mateo.

I should want him dead. He locked me away, after all.

And in doing so, he’s ruined me for all other men because even though our match wasn’t based on love, the feelings he incites in me are just as strong and impossible to ignore.

I’ll never know peace without Mateo.

“I’m not going through with it,” I tell her.

Mother’s brow pinches in confusion.

I push the poison back across the table to her. “Tell The Web I’m out.”

“Did you fall for him?” Mother says, her face awash with shock.

“You could say that.”

“Well, you can’t just leave,” she snaps. “They’ll kill you. Heck, they may even kill me.”

“I’ll see what Mateo can do to protect us, but I can’t go through with?—”

Mother reaches across the table and grabs my wrist, gripping it tight. “You-don’t-have-a-choice!”

I snatch my hand away and get up from the table. “It was nice seeing you, Mother. We’ll talk.”

She calls after me as I leave, but I don’t look back, and I know I never will. I hope Mateo can keep her safe, but I can’t have a relationship with her. Not if she wants me to kill Mateo.

Instead of driving back to Black Thorn Manor, I’m taken to a garage. My door opens, and a hand reaches into the limousine to help me get out.

But as I exit the vehicle, strong hands wrap around me, and I feel a pinch at my neck.

“Let me go!” I kick and stomp, but the hands are too strong, and the harder I fight, the tireder I feel.

The world falls to black.

* * *

“Wait…food…crazy…police…”

* * *

“How long…It’s only been a few hours…That won’t work…”

* * *

“They’re going to start looking for you…Only for so long…”

* * *

The sound of chirping wakes me. My eyes flutter open. I’m in an unfamiliar room with sparse furnishings.

Is this a dream?

I sit up in bed, taking note of my aching joints. Nonsensical thoughts jumble around my head. I can’t seem to hold on to any single one.

Pressing my eyes closed, I take in a deep breath and try to focus my mind.

Where am I? Is the first clear thought I have.

The thicket of trees out the window tells me I’m no longer in the city, but I don’t remember leaving.

A coil of dread twists in my gut, because if I didn’t willingly leave, I must have been taken.

I return to the conversation I had with my mother, and my refusal to do my job. Would she have turned me in right then and there? Did The Web take me into custody?

I grab my neck and find that my collar is gone.

No!

Did they kill Mateo?

Tears form in my eyes, but before they can release, the door flings open and a dark bearded man I’ve never seen before enters the room.

He looks at me, his eyes full of trepidation, and I wonder what could have a big man like him so anxious at the sight of someone as small and disheveled as me, but before I can say anything, he barks, “She’s awake.”