“Who’s going to be the responsible adults when these two social butterflies get drunk and we have to get them back home?” is what I told Cecily so she’d agree to come along.
I’m such a hypocrite, because really, I need them around. Cecily has always been our rock. The ‘brainstorm first, act later’ girl. The ‘I’m here to listen’ friend.
She’s like a mother figure, and having her here fills me with a major boost of confidence.
“Anni!! Why didn’t you tell me this scene is your usual?” Ava grabs her by the shoulder. “I have like a major girl crush right now.”
They’re wearing matching tulle dresses. Ava’s is coral pink and Annika’s is pastel purple. I swear they have something to shop for every hour.
“It’s not, really.” Anni casts a glance at our surroundings. “I’m not usually allowed at Jer’s parties, and by usually, I mean never. The guard let us in earlier because I kind of begged.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll protect you.” Ava nudges Cecily. “Isn’t that right?”
The latter grabs a red Solo cup from the table beside us and releases an unintelligible noise.
“See? Ces always has your back.” Ava tells Anni with a heartfelt laugh.
I inch closer to Cecily, who’s been obsessively watching the stairs. Yesterday, I thought the mansion was huge from the outside, but it’s a downright castle from the inside.
There’s a regal air to it mixed with splashes of gothic touches. It’s undoubtedly old, probably older than both universities’ centuries of age.
I heard that the three mansions scattered across the island were castles that were used as defense lines in medieval wars. Now, they’re used as compounds for secret orders, illegal organizations, and twisted youths.
The Elites, the only REU club that belongs in their unholy union, is probably tame compared to The King’s U’s clubs.
Though I wouldn’t be so sure, considering Lan leads the Elites.
“Are you okay?” I ask Cecily.
Her head whips in my direction and alcohol spills on her hand. “W-what? Why?”
“I’m just asking.”
She smiles big, doing a horrible job at hiding her discomfort. “I’m fine, really. Don’t worry, Glyn.”
“That will just make me worry more.”
“I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself. Really, never mind me.”
My chest contracts and I swallow the drool that’s gathered in my mouth.
Never mind me, Glyn. People like me are just not important.
Devlin’s words rush back to my mind with the lethality of a storm. Red slowly creeps into my vision.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
“You matter, Ces,” I choke out. “You have no clue how much you matter.”
A shadow of incredulousness creeps into her features before they soften, “Thanks, Glyn. You’re like the sweetest.”
“What is this fucking betrayal? I’m the sweetest!” Ava barges in, batting her lashes. “Glyn is the doll.”
Cecily raises a brow. “No, you’re the one who curses like a pirate.”
“And I feel so left out, I’m revoking friendship rights to all of you bitches.”
We turn around at hearing Remi’s distinctive voice. He’s glaring down his very aristocratic—currently pissed off—nose at us while simultaneously flipping his dashing hair back.
Creigh, aka his unwilling shadow, stands a short distance away, both hands in his pockets.
“How did you guys manage to get into The King’s U?” Cecily asks.
“Anni is a doll and put in a word for us with the guards.” Remi’s tone turns dramatically hurt. “Since when do you party without me?”
“Since, uh, I don’t know, you party without us all the time?” Ava points a finger at his chest. “You don’t see us revoking friendship rights, do you?”
“I can’t believe this. So it’s my fault that you don’t come along when I ask?”
“Duh. In case you forgot, you end up ghosting us to shag anything in a skirt.”
“What the actual fuck, Ava? Of course I’d choose shagging over your mimosas and drunken rants about a certain psycho. Shagging is the whole point of these parties, not your unresolved feelings!”
“Screw you, your grace.”
“It’s actually your lordship, but I’ll take the upgrade in title.” He grins. “Now, who’s in the mood for an orgy?”
“Eww,” Ava, Cecily and I say in unison.
Creigh raises one hand.
Annika winces. “No clue what you guys find fun about this party. Can’t we get out of here? I’m game for anything Remi suggests.”
“Anni, honey.” Ava grabs her by the shoulder. “You should never, ever agree to Remi’s plans. He’ll leave you in an unknown place with unknown people and sod off to get his dick wet.”
“I did not leave you in an unknown place with unknown people!” Remi shouts. “I was kicked out of my own house by that fucker—”
Ava slams her palm on his mouth, making him shut up mid-sentence, then glares at him, but he waggles his brows.
Having been released from Ava’s hold, Annika grins and slides to Creigh’s side, then nudges his shoulder with hers. “Didn’t know you’d come. I would’ve picked a better dress.”
His expression remains blank. “Why?”
She rolls her eyes, then tugs on the tulle of her skirt. “Do you like this one?”
He says nothing, continuing to focus on Remi bickering with both Cecily and Ava as usual.
Seeming oblivious to the way Creighton blatantly ignored her, Annika continues, “I didn’t know you like orgies.”
“I don’t,” he says, still not looking at her.
“You just raised your hand when Remi suggested it.”
“He paid me to.”
“Oh, so you don’t like them. Ha. And here I was thinking about getting your attention somehow.”
He finally tilts his head in her direction. “Why?”
Her smile widens now that he’s looking at her. “Because I’m totally going to get you out of your shell since Remi is obviously failing. I wonder if he keeps a list of all the methods he tried so that I can maybe shrink the endless options I have in mind.”
“You talk too much.” Creigh simply turns and leaves.
Annika’s shoulders hunch, but she soon perks up. “I really should get out of here before Jer sees me. Or at least hide.”
I suppress a smile while watching them, but it slowly disappears when I catch a glimpse of Gareth heading upstairs.
It’s a knee-jerk reaction, but I slip from between the others and sneak up behind him.
Since there are so many people and so much chaos around, I manage to blend in seamlessly.
When I reach upstairs, however, an ominous feeling slowly creeps up my spine. I squash it and stay on Gareth’s tail as he slips away unnoticed.
He has a silent presence that’s almost nonexistent when he’s surrounded by godlike presences like Jeremy, Killian, and Nikolai.
However, when he’s on his own, he seems…menacing. Somewhat unpredictable. But then again, one can’t expect Killian’s only brother to be completely normal.
The deeper he goes into the hall, the fewer people there are. He takes a turn and I follow, but in just a fraction of a second, I realize something about the people standing near the walls.
They’re different.
While downstairs is filled with uni students, the age is drastically older now.
They also have mean, angular features and stare at me with threatening poses.
In an instant, I feel myself surrounded by those creepy bunny guards from the initiation. And it’s no less creepy now that they don’t have the masks on.
“Looking for something?”
I startle as a hand falls on my shoulder. I whirl around to find Gareth staring down at me.
How…
I search the path ahead of me. I could’ve sworn I saw him take that turn. How did he show up behind me?
Is there a secret path around here?
“Uh, no,” I say in response to his question, doing my best to school my reaction.
“Being lost once might be a coincidence, but twice is pushing it. So how about you tell me why you were following me.”
I don’t miss how the guards start to step toward me from all sides, circling me like a group of predators pouncing on their prey.
“It’s not that I was following you,” I’m thankful my voice sounds normal enough.
“No?”
“No.”
He pauses, watching me with no change in his expression. “There’s this conundrum nature specialists face in the wild. Some animals return to the trap because they know they’ll find food, so they keep getting themselves live-trapped over and over and…” He steps closer. “Over.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know, Glyndon. You tell me. After all, you’re the one who followed me in my own house.”
The crazy idea I’ve been entertaining since this afternoon slowly manifests and I swallow. “How about a trade?”
“What type of trade?”
“You…dislike Killian—or more like his guts and constant need to make your life hell. I can help you with keeping him off your case.”
He raises a brow. “And how do you intend to do that?”
“By keeping him occupied.”
He bursts out laughing, the sound echoing around us like a haunted chant. “Either you’re being funny or you have no fucking clue who you’re dealing with.”
“I actually do. I’ve been constantly tormented by him since the first time we met.”
Gareth’s expression hardens. “And you think that means something in the great scheme of things? How long have you known him? A week? A month? That has no value or credibility.”
“He’s obsessed with me or something about me, and as long as he has that fixation, then I have power over him.” I push up my chest. “You can discredit me all day, but you and I both know that Killian isn’t the type who gives up on things halfway in.”
A slight narrow of his eyes is the only change in Gareth’s demeanor, but I know I’ve chinked his armor when he asks, “And what do you want in return?”
“I’ll get straight to the point.”
“By all means.”
“I’m investigating my friend’s death, and I was told that he was part of the Heathens’ first initiation for this year. You’re one of the leaders and surely have access to records, camera footage, and stuff like that?”
“What if I do?”
“If you provide me with those, I’ll be your ally against Killian.”
“How do I know you won’t turn against me? In fact, how do I know this isn’t another one of Killer’s sick games?”
“I would never use my friend’s life as a game.” I fumble for my phone and scroll to one of the last pictures I have with Devlin. A selfie in the car. I’m smiling. He’s not. Then I show it to Gareth. “Surely you remember him.”
He pauses, lips thinning in a line. “Devlin.”
“Yes.” I breathe. “He died after the initiation.”
“Didn’t the police rule it as a suicide?”
“Yes, but…”
“You don’t believe it.”
I slowly shake my head. “Like you, I don’t believe in the existence of too many coincidences.”
“Fine.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ll help you in gathering whatever we have on the night prior to his death.”
“Thank you. I’ll be forever grateful.”
“Your gratitude has no value to me. In return, you’ll be my weapon against Killer.”
“I wouldn’t call myself a weapon…”
“Believe me.” A slight smirk curves his lips. “You are.”
That’s totally not true, but I let it go when I notice the men—probably guards—slowly retreating to the shadows.
“How well did you know your friend?” Gareth asks out of nowhere.
“I knew him better than anyone.”
“Did he ever mention us?”
“No…not really.” Just in passing conversation and gossip like everyone on campus would glorify, glamorize, worship at the feet of The King’s U’s exclusive clubs.
“Then I doubt you knew him at all,” Gareth says.
“Can you stop speaking in riddles?”
“Let’s just say Devlin was a lot more than you think. I knew him personally and I don’t know many people personally.”
“That’s impossible. He was shy and introverted.”
“That’s not true. But he was a fucking genius, I’ll give him that.” Gareth stares to the side, then smiles. “Now, for your end of the bargain.”
He slides into my space before I can blink. His fingers lift my chin and my eyes widen as he lowers his head.
The moment his lips touch mine, he’s wrenched off me in a flash.
I stare in complete disbelief as Killian sends his brother flying against the wall.