Chapter Twelve

Maureen

"Y ou did what?" Villette's eyes widen after I tell her about me and Atlas in the greenhouse.

My head is pounding, and my nipple is still tingling from the nightshade leaf. "Every time I get around them, something strange happens to me. It's like I'm under some kind of spell."

She flops down onto my couch and sighs. "That's because they've marked you. You have no idea what you're a part of now. If I were you, I'd leave town. Get far away from here."

What the fuck?

"She can't," Libra murmurs. I didn't even see her come in.

My throat is scratchy like I haven't drank water in days. "Okay, one or both of you need to start talking right now."

They exchange a look between them that makes my stomach drop.

Libra goes to the kitchen and comes back with a bottle of wine and three glasses. After pouring one for each of us, she nestles down on the couch next to Villette. The two of them sitting side by side look like a designer perfume ad.

"Listen, Blackwell, I realize that your naivety is genuine, so I'm going to level with you. Your family is very powerful. They're fucking scary actually. When I found out that I'd be rooming with you… I'm not going to lie, I wasn't thrilled." Libra purses her lips onto her glass and takes a small sip of the pink rosé.

Villette rolls her eyes. "When are we going to stop paying for the sins of our ancestors? What happened to Riot's family is not her fault."

Libra groans. "Tell that to Riot. What I can't figure out is how she came through the gate."

"Um, hi. Still in the room. What the fuck are you both talking about?" I'm beyond frustrated. Everyone seems to know about my life but me.

Villette flashes me a look of pity. "Sorry, girl. There's bad blood between the Blackwells and the Graves. No one really knows how it started, but basically, your family drove Riot's family out of Ever Graves like a century ago or something."

"That's when Nocturnus was born," Libra adds. "They sold their souls to the devil, so to speak, and are bound to Raven's Gate forever. My brother, Aries, wants nothing to do with it, but Atlas… he got sucked in by Riot's spell just like the rest of us."

It feels like the room is spinning again. I'm no stranger to dark and spooky things, I come from a town full of fucking ghosts. My best friend is a ghost . But devils and oaths and sinister family feuds? That's not what I signed up for.

I take a hit off my vape and exhale slowly. "Are you saying they have powers or something? What is the deal with the ravens? Wait, why can't I leave?"

Villette jumps from the couch and grabs my hands, guiding me to the nearest chair. "Whoa, just breathe. You look like you're about to have a panic attack."

"She should have a panic attack," Libra hisses. "Blackwells aren't allowed in Raven's Gate. Yet somehow, poof, here she is. I had a feeling this year was going to be fucked."

I take a deep breath and glare at her. "Stop talking like I'm not right in front of you."

She shrugs and takes another big swig of wine. "Just stating the facts."

Villette shoots her a glare before turning back to me. "Yes, they have powers. When the feud started, all the families took sides. The Thorns sided with the Graves. My family, the Cranes, do our best to stay neutral. The ravens are hard to explain… Think of them as messengers, watchers, harbingers of darkness. They take more than they give. Nocturnus has served them for decades."

My fingers start to shake around the stem of my glass. I tighten my grip; afraid it will fall from my hands and shatter. "I don't think the ravens like me very much… Did they give them their powers?"

"Now, she's catching on," Libra groans. "For fuck's sake, Blackwell, do we have to spell it out for you? Nocturnus is untouchable. In over a hundred years, there's never been a coven like Riot, Atlas, and Valentin. Every day, they get stronger. Soon, the ravens will be serving them ."

This can't be real. Ghosts are one thing, but covens? I can't. "I'm hallucinating, right? The toxins from Atlas's stupid nightshade plant are clouding my mind."

Villette pours me another glass of wine. "Afraid not, girl. It's all very real. Nocturnus is out for blood. For revenge. And they want their town back."

"Ever Graves," I murmur.

Libra nods. "Yup. And then you walked in like a shiny new toy on Christmas morning. You're the first Blackwell to set foot in Raven's Gate since the feud started. Which means the ravens let you in."

Villette refills her glass. "Which means they want you here for a reason."

I feel my lip start to quiver. "But… I'm not from Ever Graves. My parents were cut off from the Blackwells when I was conceived. I have nothing to do with this fight."

The two stunning girls exchange another look.

Fuck.

Libra's throat bobs as she swallows down the rest of her wine. "That's because your mother was engaged to someone else… Her indiscretion caused a huge rift between the families and sent another clan here to Raven's Gate in support of the Graves."

I'm going to be sick. Should I really be surprised? She's cheated on my father my whole life. "Who?"

Villette shifts in her seat, hesitant. "Julian Erebus."

Fuck .

No . How could my mother let me come here not knowing any of this? She must hate me more than I thought. My dizziness fades as a surge of rage shoots through my body. " Professor Erebus? Fuck," I mutter as I look at Libra. "Earlier, you said I can't leave. Why not?"

"Because the ravens won't let you. Riot's made sacrifices to ensure that you don't." She says it so calmly as if it's perfectly normal to be held captive in a creepy town by a flock of birds.

"Sacrifices?" I ask.

"Blood oaths," Libra states.

The three of us jump as a raven squawks and pecks at the window. The nerves in my body are shot. "Well, fuck me. So Nocturnus is a cult. Great." I can't help but glare at the raven in contempt. Fucking little asshole bird .

Libra nods. "Pretty much."

As I get up from my chair, I try my best not to collapse. My knees are wobbly, and it feels like my adrenaline is sucking the life out of me. "So, I'm marked for what? Death? Riot kills me and gets his revenge? I still don't understand what I have to do with this curse."

Villette's eyes darken. "No one knows. But something big is coming. I can feel it."

Chills race up my spine. And yet a part of me still longs for the version of Riot I met in the bathroom on Halloween. The one who was tender and kind. The one I dreamed about for weeks. But that's before he knew who I was.

I finish the rest of my glass of wine and head for the elevator, my fury building with each step I take.

"Where are you going?" they both cry out in unison.

I push the call button and grit my teeth. "To go let Riot know that he's fucking with the wrong Blackwell."

I hear their pleas of protest as the elevator doors close behind me, but I don't falter. All my life I've dealt with people blaming me for my family's mistakes. I worked twice as hard to forge my own path away from my parents. It's time for Riot to see what I'm capable of.

Just before the doors open to the ground floor, Jessamine wooshes past me. " If you play with fire, make sure you burn them first."

I blink and she's gone.

Oh, I plan on burning it all down.

It's nightfall by the time I reach Graves Library. Aside from a few students lingering out front, it looks desolate. They side- eye me and whisper as I approach the doors. My belly flutters, and I fight down the panic that threatens to send my body into convulsions.

The lights are dim, far too dim to read by. The librarian behind the check-in desk, wrinkles her nose as she gathers her belongings and shuffles past me, avoiding eye contact. I pull the hood of my sweatshirt up around my head and scan the aisles for any sign of Riot.

A few more students close their books and scurry out as I pass them. It's like they're scared to be in here. I glance up at the massive clock that hangs between two iron railings to see that it's nine p.m. Closing time. Only those rules don't apply to Riot. Not when he has his name on the fucking building.

As I walk down each aisle, I can't help but peruse the stacks, running my fingers along the spines, almost forgetting for a moment that I'm being hunted. I turn down the next row and freeze as I notice a change in the atmosphere. My throat constricts from the heaviness in the air.

One by one, the lights hanging over each aisle turn off with a loud click. I breathe deeply through my nose and try to calm my racing heart. Fuck. Some light still trickles in from the moon and the outside lampposts so it's not pitch dark, but I can only see a few feet in front of me at a time.

I keep replaying my conversation with Libra and Villette in my head. Coven. Blood oaths. Sacrifices. I'd give anything to be back in Wickford Hollow right now, drinking jello shots with Bailey. I don't even want her to know about any of this. It's better if she thinks I'm having the best year of my life. She has enough of her own shit to deal with.

Shivers snake up my back as I glimpse a shadow dart past me. "Riot? Quit fucking around. I'm here."

Why in the hell did I come here alone? I should have asked Villette to wait outside for me. At least she'd be able to hear my screams.

"I'm right behind you," Riot yanks my hood down and snarls in my ear.

Fuck.

He spins me around and shoves me back against the bookshelf. Dressed in a black hoodie and black pants, his blue eyes stand out in the dark, glowing like a cat's. Like a fucking predator. I can almost taste coffee and tobacco on my tongue as his scent wildly consumes me.

"Hey there, Firecracker. Thanks for coming." He pins my arms over my head, against the stacks, while gazing hungrily at my lips.

For a minute, he almost sounds sweet, but his monstrous grip reminds me he's anything but.

"You say that like I had a choice," I snap. Despite the pain shooting through my wrists, I can't stop my hips from angling toward him. I shudder as I remember how soft his fingers felt against my skin that night he zipped up my corset.

Riot smirks and presses his hard body against mine. "You're our little slut now, Firecracker. No one else's. And you'll do what we say or else we'll ruin you."

My heart beats so fast, I'm afraid it might explode. "Listen, Riot, please, I'm sorry for what the Blackwells did to you, but I had nothing to do with that. They kicked me out just like they did you."

He tightens his grip on my wrists. "You're a fucking liar just like the rest of them. But I have their pretty little girl in my web now. They have no idea what's coming for them."

I should be panicking but his breath on my skin is sending tingles straight to the center of my traitorous core. I clench my jaw. " I'm not a liar."

A flicker of amusement flashes in his eyes. "Aren't you though? You've told the school you're a Blackwell but you're trying to convince me that you're not. Both can't be true so that in fact makes you a fucking liar ." The light leaves his eyes, and he looks like he wants to murder me.

But instead of scaring me, it turns the heat up in my body. "I never lied to you ."

He snickers and forces my legs apart with his knee. "Why would you lie at all, Firecracker?"

Moisture pools in the apex of my thighs as he presses his hip against my pussy. "You wouldn't understand. People like you never do."

He wraps his hand around my throat. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

A small whimper flutters out of me. "Your last name is on the fucking building we're in. Figure it out."

"Ah, so this is about money. You don't strike me as the greedy type," he snickers.

He has no fucking clue. "It's not about money. Like I said, you wouldn't understand. Everything comes easy for you here. You have a whole fucking congregation of sheep who follow you."

The rage returns to his face, and he squeezes my throat. "Easy? What the fuck do you know about me or this place? Nothing . So shut your mouth before I shove my cock in it."

Another wave of tremors pulses through the delicate flesh of my pussy. His touch is addictive, no matter how brutal it is. I lick my lips. "If you hate me so much, then why am I here? Why do you keep touching me?"

His grip around my throat tightens as he lets my other arm go. I tremble as he drags his hand across the waist of my jeans. "I touch you because I can. Because I relish in the fact that you despise me."

My stomach flips as he unbuttons my jeans.

"You're my penance. My reward for bad deeds. And I plan on using every inch of your body for my own sick pleasure." He unzips my jeans. "As payment for what your family has stolen from me."

I gasp as he slips his hand inside my wet panties. "You're a fucking bastard."

He snickers and pinches my clit. "Yeah. A bastard who gets to play with your pretty little cunt."

I moan as he slips his finger inside. " Stop ."

He chuckles and adds a second finger, stretching me open as he kneads at my tender flesh. "I'll never stop, Firecracker. You can scream, cry, beg… I don't fucking care. You belong to me now. To Nocturnus."

I roll my hips up as he thrusts his fingers in and out. Another moan waffles out of me. "No." I shake my head even though the last thing I want him to do is stop. He touches me like no one ever has. Not for his own pleasure, but for mine. Despite what he says, he wants me to enjoy this.

" Yes ." He hovers his lips over mine but doesn't kiss me. And fuck how I want him to kiss me. I want to taste him so bad.

He squeezes my throat even tighter while palming my pussy with his other hand. He presses hard against the flesh, grinding his palm against my swollen clit, and adds a third finger inside.

I bite my lip so hard I break the skin. Blood trickles down my chin, but I'm lost in this ecstasy, so I don't bother to wipe it up. " Fuck ," I whisper.

"This won't be the last time you bleed for me, Firecracker." His fingers curl up toward my G-spot and an explosion of stars and light cloud my vision. A wave of vibrations rocks my core like electric shocks.

I moan and cry out right before he cuts off the air to my lungs. I don't even care. The lack of oxygen does something strange and new to my body. Like all I can feel is this orgasm taking over. I feel every tremor, every tender flick from his fingers.

Tears stream down my cheeks, and I gag as he releases his hold on my throat. I cough and choke on my own saliva while my orgasm still buzzes through me.

Riot pulls his fingers from my pussy and presses them to my mouth. "I want you to taste what I did to you. That way you'll never question who you belong to again."

My knees tremble. If it weren't for his thigh between my legs, I'd surely collapse. I try to turn my face, but he pinches me hard on the chin, yanking it back. " Open your fucking mouth ."

I can barely part my lips before he presses three soaking wet fingers against my tongue. Another tingle shatters my core as I taste my own cum on his salty skin. He shoves them all the way to the back of my throat and something feral comes over me. I suck them clean.

"The next time you contemplate standing me up, remember this moment," he snarls.

Fuck. I can't do this again. I made myself a promise. Fuck him and his crazy threats. I don't believe in curses or magic anyway. But more importantly, I don't want to crave this .

I zip up and button my jeans. "As fun and weird as this has been, I'm not a piece of property to own. I'm truly sorry that my family has wronged you, but I can't—"

Riot slams me so hard against the shelves, a few books fall to the ground and the air wooshes out of my lungs. "Do you know why you were able to enter Raven's Gate, Maureen? Do you think anyone can just waltz in here? Hmm ?"

All I can do is shake my head as I struggle for breath.

"The night I first saw you at Wickford Mansion… we both killed people."

Fuck. This can't be happening. Tears stream down my cheeks. "You don't understand."

Riot squeezes my wrists so tight, my hands tingle. "It took me a minute to put it all together. But it explains everything. While I was out front murdering your pathetic frat boys, you were somewhere in the house spilling blood yourself. Two blood sacrifices from a Graves and a Blackwell on Halloween night. The ravens saw and opened up the gates for you."

What the fuck? "You murdered those guys from the bathroom?"

Riot snickers. "That's the part you're focusing on? For fuck's sake. Yeah, it had nothing to do with you. They pissed me off later."

He's lying. I can tell by the way his throat bobs and his lip twitches. "It's my fault they're dead. Great."

He shakes me. "Everything is your fucking fault, Maureen."

I cringe at the way my name sounds on his lips. He says it like it's a virus that can't be contained. "So, you know all my dirty little secrets now, Riot. Congratulations. What do you want a medal?"

"What I want is for you to suffer like I have," he roars.

"Oh, is that what your fingers were doing inside my pussy? Making me suffer?" I bite back.

He lets me go and steps back. "Don't flatter yourself. That was me reminding you who's in fucking charge of your traitorous little body."

I slide away from him and back up toward the main doors. " I'm in charge of my body. No one else. And you can't stop me from leaving." Even as I say it out loud, I don't really believe it.

He clenches his fists but doesn't take another step. "Go back to The Nest, Firecracker. You're going to need all the rest you can get."

I laugh as a crazed sensation takes hold of me. "Oh, I will. But only to pack my bags. Fuck this school and everyone in it. I'm going back to Wickford Hollow in the morning."

A flicker of light bounces off his body. Are his tattoos glowing?

"We'll see about that," he whispers.

I don't walk but sprint through the forest. And I don't stop until I'm inside the elevator heading back up to my room.

When I walk in, Villette and Libra are both passed out on the couch amidst a mess of wine bottles, candy wrappers, and weed gummies. An ache twists in my chest. The scene reminds me of all my girls' nights back home with Bailey.

I throw a blanket over each of them and head to my room to pack. If I don't get the fuck out of here tomorrow, this place will ruin me even more than it already has.