Page 175 of The Harbinger

“Then why tell me I’m not special?” I shrugged off his hold and moved into the bedroom, making sure the door was still closed.

He leaned on the frame going into the bedroom. His arms crossed over his chest. “Because if you were, I’d be preparing you for our ceremonies.”

Dread chased down my spine as I walked to the bookshelf, and my stomach clenched when I grabbed the leather-bound book. “And if you did that, you’d put my cries in this book as I begged you not to kill me?”

He walked towards me, holding out his hand. “This book has the final words of our most honored believers throughout history.” I passed the book to him, and he opened it up. “Our scribe, Nikolai, stands above them as they breathe their last breath and records their final words in this book.”

“Don’t read from it.” I placed my hand over it, blocking whatever passage he opened up to. “Ruslan and I read plenty.”

Sacha closed the book, then placed it on the shelf where it belonged. “To be a chosen sacrifice is a great honor. They bring wealth and respect to their lineage, and their name is written in the book by our scribe so ourDark Lordwill remember them when they fall.”

“And people volunteer for this?”

“Some, but most are chosen by the prophet.”

“And the prophet was your mother?”

He nodded. “Now we must find another, again.”

“Again?”

“Nina was on track to becoming our next prophet.”

My stomach lurched, and my heart protested the truth.Finally, after all this time, the truth comes out about Nina. “Were you going to marry her?”

“Nina? No. Hell, no. I couldn’t stand her, but she was the perfect choice for the position. We were going to make the announcement at the Remembrance ceremony.”

“But you said… at your office, she was obedient. You were going to show me how obedient she was.”

“She was raised to be obedient. If I told her to step into traffic, she would without question. She was a blind follower, and it was like bamboo under my nails.”

“So you two weren’t… you know?”

“Never.”

“Was this her room?”

He shook his head, and my chest inflated like a million balloons set loose in the sky. “She only stepped foot in this house for ceremonies.”

“I’m so relieved and yet feel so betrayed.”

“Why?”

“Katya made it seem like you and her were a couple.”

“Yet you took my mark and brand despite that?”

One. Two. Three.

I gnawed on my inner lip and thought it through. “Yes. Does that upset you?”

“Why would it?”

“Clearly, I didn’t care if you were in another relationship, and I let you do that to me and make your promise, hell I let you do things to me, I can’t recall another man doing.”

He stalked towards me, but I stepped back, and he halted. I needed space to think for a moment, and when he put his hands on me, I forgot anything and everything I needed to say.

“We believe in taking what you want and using whatever means necessary to get it.”

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