Page 31 of Desecrated Reign

Shrugging her shoulder, Beibhinn tugs herself from Aodhán’s hold, then with a murderous expression furrowing her blonde brows, she strides towards Cadden. Once she slides in next to him, she pivots, giving him a delightful view of her back. Not letting her attitude deter him, he leans closer, bringing his mouth to her ear, and I swear I see the steam billowing from her when he whispers something only she can hear.

I haven’t had much time to discuss what happened between her and Cadden the night Liam died, mainly because she hasn’t wanted to get into it. Like us all, she’s still dealing with the loss of her brother, and she needs time, and I’ll be here for her when she’s ready.

Once the group settles, Jack Keogh, the Ulster initiate, steps forward. He’s the only leader chosen who is not an heir, but from the little knowledge I have, I know he’s Keelan’s wife’s younger brother. Jack takes his time perusing the remaining candidates. Then finally, when his gaze locks onto Aodhán, Keelan clears his throat. Following his King’s not-so-subtle hint, Jack points towards Aodhán. “I’ll take Brady.”

Leaning into Rohan’s side, I whisper, “Why are they all choosing Leinster initiates?”

“No idea, love. But if I had to wager a guess, I’d say they’re being strategic. If they can only choose one of their own, they’re making sure they get the best members from the other teams, first.”

As Orion slides forwards to choose his first team member—a guy called Kade from his own syndicate—I scan the group weighing up my options.

“I know nothing about these people, Rohan. Who am I supposed to choose next?”

His chin tips towards a tall, lean, brunet guy who’s built like a swimmer. “Name’s Brodie Kavanagh. He’s the brains behind Cadden’s muscles. I’m sure Cadden’s banking on nobody picking him because he’s not the obvious choice, but he’s the dark horse.”

Following Rohan’s advice, when it comes time to choose I call out Brodie’s name, much to Cadden’s dismay. A few more minutes pass, until finally all the teams are complete, and everyone seems happy enough with their places, well everyone but Beibhinn, who has a valid reason, and Hannah who is pissed she was picked last. Honestly, I feel kinda sorry for Orion, because he’s the one who has to deal with her.

Finally, before we board the boats, Keelan confirms the four teams before giving us our final instructions. “Team one: Saoirse Ryan, Rohan King, Brodie Kavanagh, and Shannon McIlveen. Team two: Cadden Connelly, Beibhinn Devereux, Lucas Daly, and Dillon Reeves. Team three: Jack Keogh, Aodhán Brady, Meila Owens, and Sibhe McLoughlin. And finally, team four, Orion Murphy, Kade Lynch, Alex Foely, and Hannah Crowe. All teams, please board the boats, and your captain will fill you in with the information you need as you travel towards your destination.”

“Best of luck, everyone,” Seamus offers. “You have four days.”

My eyes bug out of my sockets before flying towards my dad. “Four days,” I mouth.

“Get on the boat, doll. I’ll explain what I can then.”

19

ROHAN

As we pull out of the port in our small cabin cruiser, Brodie and Shannon take a seat in the small area at the stern of the boat while Saoirse and I follow Lorcan into the cabin to find out some answers.

“Four days?” Saoirse bursts through the door, swiping her hands down her face. “Please tell me we’re not sleeping on this fucking thing for four days! We’ve no supplies, and as fancy as this little cab is, there’s no way it will sleep five people comfortably. Not to mention, we’re in the middle of the fucking ocean.”

It takes everything in me to hold back my laughter as I watch her pace the width of the cruiser.

“What are we supposed to eat?” She halts. “Oh my God, is that the test? Strand us in the middle of the ocean for days, and hope we don’t eat each other when the hunger becomes too much?”

Reaching for her, I steady her by clamping down on her shoulders. “Calm down, love. Surely the syndicate wouldn’t leave us deserted in the middle of the Irish Sea with no food and minimal shelter. Besides, four days isn’t that long; I doubt we’ll need to avert to cannibalism.” As the words pass my lips, the doubt creeps in. Then, tilting my gaze over Saoirse’s shoulder, I latch onto Lorcan's amused expression. “Right?”

“Not exactly.”

“What do you mean… not exactly! I’m not eating anyone, I’d rather dive off this thing and die a cold, horrific death.” Saoirse grips her chest, panic stealing her breath.

“Nobody will be eating anyone.” Lorcan raises a brow, lips curled into a sneer at his daughter’s dramatics. “Now, are you both done with your little meltdowns?”

Together, Saorise and I nod, ready to get some clarity.

“The second trial consists of a few different factors—four teams, four drop points, and four sets of instructions. Each drop point is at a different location, all on the same secluded island that’s owned by the syndicate.”

“Oh, thank God. For a minute there I thought I was gonna be stuck on this death trap. I dunno about you lot”—Saoirse waves her hand between us—“but I need to be on solid ground.” Then under her breath she mutters, “I fucking hate boats.”

“Don’t worry, doll. We’re almost there.”

Needing some answers, I pull Saoirse into my arms, and mould my chest to her back. “What happens after we arrive on the island?”

“Once I drop you at your team’s location, you will find a large crate with all the essentials you’ll need—food, shelter, water, and a series of clues to help you figure out how to pass this section of your initiation. Essentially, you’ll be off-grid as you figure out what the trial entails. Consider it a camping trip of sorts.”

“So what,”—my brows furrow—“you drop us off in the middle of fucking bumfuck nowhere, and we’ve to work together to figure out how to get off an island?”

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