Page 55 of Loving the Liar

He cuts my naïve thoughts short by reminding me of how I got there.

“And in exchange, we get a brand-new Aphrodite.” He opens a drawer and places a golden necklace on his desk. It has a small seashell dangling from the chain. “Welcome to the Silent Circle. The Bakers are officially back in.”

Reeves is the one who locks the necklace around my neck, pretending not to be scared of Chris’s death stare, but I feel the way his fingers tremble.

The second we exit the office, I notice the two men leaning on the opposite wall. Not any men. It’s Wren and Achilles.

One arm flies to cover my breasts, and my other hand falls flat in front of my mound.

“Oh my god,” I gasp.

I retreat into Chris, my back hitting his chest. The fear of my best friends seeing me like this is only beaten by the heartbreak of seeing them here. Did they initiate?

“Go with them, Sweets. I need to talk to Reeves.”

I shake my head, unable to get over the embarrassment. “I can’t.”

Chris’s hand in my hair pulls my head back until I can see him above me. “You can and you will. Listen to them as you would a Shadow here. Listen to them as if they were me. They’ll take you down to the ballroom and you’ll wait there for the end of the initiations.”

He releases me, nudging me toward them. I’m too mortified to even look them in the eyes, and I might walk forward surrounded by my two best friends, but I’m looking back at my ex now whispering with Professor Reeves.

“Don’t worry, Ella. You’re not the first Aphrodite we’ve seen,” Achilles admits, completely unbothered.

How do they even know?

Neither of them stops walking as Wren reads my mind, touching the pendant around my neck. He doesn’t say anything, not one to waste words when he knows them unnecessary.

“Are you Shadows?” I still find myself unable to believe my best friends have been so close to the Circle and I didn’t even know about it.

They both shake their heads. “Not yet,” Achilles explains. “But sometimes promising Shadows are allowed to attend the initiations. We didn’t do anything tonight.”

“Why?” I rasp. “If you know what they do, why are you here?”

They eye each other as we stop in front of two wooden double doors. I can hear some waltz music being played. It must be the ballroom.

When they decide to keep their answer from me, I flip. “At least don’t do everything you’re told when you should be protecting your best friend, you pathetic sheep.”

“We’re not doing what we’re told by the Circle,” Wren says low. “We shouldn’t be in this part of the temple, but we came the second Chris texted us so we could make sure no one bothers you while he finishes his initiations.”

“We’re looking after you, Els,” Achilles adds. “Doing what we’re told would be to bring you to the Aphrodites’ altar. Where all the new girls get fucked by whoever. In the Heras’ ballroom”—he points at the two doors—“you kneel and watch the ring ceremony.” He shrugs, turning on his heels. “But I guess if you’d rather go over there…”

“No!” I snap. “Don’t be a dick, Achilles.”

He chuckles. “Come on. It’s not that hard to watch a few guys put a necklace around their future wives’ necks and the women a signet ring on the Shadows’ fingers.”

My gaze drops. “Will Chris be doing it with Megan, then?”

“Yes,” he whispers, as if scared to hurt me. It’s unlike him. He runs a hand through his black hair. “It’ll be okay. I told you before, the man won’t let you go. No matter what.”

I take a step toward my friend, letting my hate for another man hit him. “I wish he fucking would.”

He nods, not really caring about my tantrum since it doesn’t concern him.

“We can’t go in there with you,” he explains. “But one last thing.” His gaze goes to Wren and back to me. “Peach and Alex? Not a fucking word. Clear?”

My jaw ticks from the pressure of wanting to hurl insults. “I’ll do what I want.”

“I love you, Els. You’re my best friend.” With a huff, his mouth twists. “I don’t want to make your time at the temple a living hell. So zip that mouth.”

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