Page 12 of Broken Empire
I pulled it out and stared at the neat calligraphic writing on the front. When I found it earlier, Shay told me it was probably an initiation invitation from the Schöneberg Group, but I ignored it and stashed it in my pocket because I wanted to enjoy the evening with her before I thought about opening it.
If Shay was right, and itwassome sort of tap invitation from the Schöneberg Group, then it could be exactly what I needed to gain access to their inner sanctum and rescue her from them. What a lucky fucking break.
I ran the tip of my finger along the edge of the envelope to slit it open.
It didn’t contain an invitation after all. It only held a small cream-colored piece of cardstock with a black ten-digit number and a short note beneath it.
The code is your birthday in this format: MM/DD/YYYY
I frowned, staring at the card. Presumably, the ten-digit number was a phone number. I had no idea what the code was for, but there was only one way to find out.
I dialed the number and listened carefully, breath hitching in my chest. It rang once before beeping shrilly and playing a robotic message.
“Please enter your code.”
I tapped in the eight digits of my birthday on the keypad and then returned the phone to my ear. Silence reigned for thirty seconds before another robotic message began to play.
“Hello, Killian Troy Knight. We would like to offer our sincere congratulations to you for your selection for initiation into the Schöneberg Group. Before we give you any details on what your initiation will entail, we would like to share some information about ourselves.
We understand that you have been, and still are, a member of other social clubs and collegiate societies, but you will find that the Schöneberg Group is leagues above any of them. In the forty-seven years since our inception, our ranks have included America’s most powerful, wealthy, and innovative people. We have built and maintained a level of wealth tantamount to that of an entire nation, and we have used that wealth to gain a level of power that has allowed us to successfully manipulate and steer governments in the directions we choose. No other society has come close to matching that level of power and influence.
Every year, we choose potential new members from a very limited pool of young, educated men and women with ties to business or family networks that we believe to be useful and necessary to the maintenance of our organization. You are one of those potential members, Killian.
If you join us, our secrets will be bestowed upon you along with all the support and generosity of our current members, which is far beyond the scope of any other society, family member, or individual, no matter how rich or important you think you are already.
In short—membership in the Schöneberg Group is key to becoming the most elite of the elite. A person who not only participates in society but also molds it. Without us, you will surely do well in life, but never as well as what could’ve been.
Membership is not free or easy. It requires unwavering loyalty, a lifelong vow of secrecy, and a strong commitment to aiding our organization through whatever means possible. The financial and social rewards are endless, however—you will be on top of the world for the rest of your life. An influencer, a cultural tastemaker, a modern monarch.
If you are not interested in everything we have to offer, please ignore this message. We will not contact you again or try to change your mind.
If youareinterested, please note down this time and address for your initiation ceremony: 8:00 p.m. on December 2ndat 1 Belvedere Museum Lane, Tarrytown.
Please arrive on time, and be sure to set aside at least four hours for the ceremony. Do not tell anyone where you are going or what you are doing.
We hope to see you there, Killian. Thank you for your time and consideration.”
The automated message cut off with a soft click. With my heart hammering, I redialed the number on the card and listened to it again so I could write down the time and place.
My stomach twisted into knots as the date registered in my mind. As serendipitous as the arrival of the invitation was, it still wasn’t enough to help in my quest to find Shay, because the second of December was a whole week away.
I couldn’t wait that long.
I had to do somethingnow.
5
Shay
My eyelids fluttered halfway open.Something dark was looming over me. Assuming it was Killian, I closed my eyes and muttered to him. “I’m not ready to get up yet.”
“Too bad. It’s time to wake up.”
That wasn’t Killian’s voice.
My eyes snapped open again. A man in a black outfit and matching black balaclava was standing over the bed. I could see that he was about six feet tall with brown eyes. Everything else was covered.
My brain remained fuzzy with sleep for another few seconds as I stared at the strange man, blinking with confusion. Then the memories from last night finally poured back in, like a dam had broken inside my mind.
