Page 54 of Scorpion

The flight takes less than an hour, and by the end of it, he looks half tempted to turn around and risk the society’s wrath instead. It’s not exactly a look that fills me with much confidence. The trees bow away from the helicopter and the leaves shake as we descend, and I jolt when we touch the ground.

Much to Mathijs’s disapproval, I help myself out and unbutton my coat as a fine layer of sweat builds down my spine from the eerily warm night. Moonlight glints off the machine behind me. As the rotors slow, music filter between the trees, and the distinct sound of laughter and… crying. My eyes dart across the forest, keeping my ears peeled for bird songs or insects, but there’s nothing but the sound of distant wailing.

I glance back at Mathijs’s approach to gauge if I’m just imagining it. He seems unsurprised by the ominous tone. Even the two men and the pilot who joined us are unfazed by it.

Swell. We might all die tonight.

A shiver works its way through my bones, and I stamp it down. It is too late to back down now.

“Not to alarm you,” Mathijs starts, well and truly alarming me, “but I’m going to need you to wear this.”

He holds up what looks like a black tie, and I take a step back. Any reservations I have about this event doubles. I don’t want to back out of this, but I also don’t want to go in blind. “Why?”

A haunted look passes over his features. “Whatever you think you saw when you were deployed… the real monsters are at home. Put the mask on. Please.”

The regretful burning in his eyes is the only reason I don’t go up in arms over the request. With a deep breath, I nod. He doesn’t relax at my acceptance, but still, he wastes no time in tying the blindfold over my eyes, plunging the world around me into total darkness.The cold sticks to my clammy skin as I try to get my bearings. I trust Mathijs implicitly for all matters that don’t involve his own personal security. The things I do for this man.

“Wait in front of the house,” Mathijs orders the two guards before placing his hand on my lower back and intertwining our fingers with his other, steering me through the forest.

My lungs constrict at the loss of sight, suffocating and sharpening me at the same time. All my other senses heighten with my rising adrenaline. The sounds of the party seem closer, and the crisp air burns through my nostrils, making me notice things I wouldn’t have otherwise. Trust in Mathijs isn’t enough to stop my steps from being uncertain and slow—whether it’s from reluctance or understandable cautiousness, it would be complete idiocy to walk into this mess with full confidence.

As we near, another sound reaches my ears that I didn’t hear before.

I still. “Why are people moaning, Mathijs?”

His harsh breath brushes through my hair, and I shiver. “Pleasure and pain go hand in hand.”

I whip my head toward him even though I can’t see a thing. “What is that supposed to mean?” More importantly, does that involve me?

“We won’t be taking part in those festivities.”

I tense. “Do we need to take part in something?”

“Yes.”

I shove his hands off me and rip off the blindfold. If I’m partaking in whatever the fuck is going on in there, he should have told me beforehand. “Enough of this cryptic crap. You better start talking right now, or so help me god, Mathijs.”

He shifts his weight. “You have two options: join or be sacrificed.”

“Excuse me?”

“You can either choose to carry out the task I set for you so you can prove that you are worthy of being associated with us, or you will die.”

What type of fucked-up bullshit has he dragged me into? Have I not proven myself to these people by keeping Mathijs alive? Did I not kill enough men for these goddamn people?

“Why did you invite me to this, Mathijs?”

“Because I want you in my life, and this is how it’s done. You need to prove you belong by my side, or else they’ll consider you a weak link.”

I swipe my hand over my face and count to ten. “How?”

He takes a deep breath. “You’ve proven it to me before. It’s nothing you aren’t capable of.”

More obscure answers. I take a deep breath and weigh my options. Mathijs wouldn’t have kept me alive and spent so much time with me if he expected me to become sacrificed by the end of it. He’ll do right by me. Whatever that might mean. And I’m willing to do what it takes for the sake of our relationship, and proving to him just how committed I am without actually saying the words.

I make my peace with death every time I wake up and step into potential lines of fire. The only difference this time is that it feels like my fate is in his hands, more than it is in mine.

I hesitate before tying the fabric around my eyes again. I’d risk it all for him. That hasn’t changed. If that needs to be further proven, then so be it. He’s been patient with me while I found my footing again, and I know how I want my future to look.

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