Page 3 of Tyrant

“The fuck we will,” I say. “I’ve got this.Sir.”

“Take Peri and leave,” Luc says. “Demo and Vic will go get our new arrival. She has no idea what’s about to happen to her.”

“What did she do to warrant coming here?” Demo asks in his thundering voice.

“That doesn’t matter,” Luc says. “Your only job is to obtain her. Kidnap her.”

That’s the end of the meeting. Luc sits down on his throne and waves us off. We leavePergand take off our robes, but not our masks. Orders have been given and orders will be followed.

A kidnapping.

A murder.

Just another normal day and night here at Sinners Academy.

Chapter Two

SERAFINA

In my current dream,there are men in masks and black robes. They’re in the background of the dream though. I’m not sure if they are good guys or bad guys. All that matters to me is that my father is still alive and we’re getting ice cream.

I’m my current age but dressed like I’m seven. In a red dress with my hair in pigtails with little round balls at the end of each pigtail. It’s my favorite dress. One I wore as much as possible. So much so that my father bought three copies of the dress because I insisted on wearing it seven days a week.

I don’t remember where the ice cream truck has come from. It’s literally stopped in the middle of the street. Traffic is backing up. Cars, taxis, box trucks. Everyone just sitting there, watching my father and me.

His favorite ice cream is chocolate chip mint. I always call thattoothpaste ice cream. My favorite? Vanilla with chocolate syrup and rainbow sprinkles. My dad teases me that vanilla is boring. I tease him that his ice cream is just sugary toothpaste.

We laugh. Hard. The ice cream melts but it never touches my hand. I find that weird. Don’t you? Of course, I know I’m in a dream. I know that my father is dead. I know none of this is real.Yet when the men in black robes and masks start walking toward my father and I, I feel tense. I feel scared.

Before I can say anything, my father leans down and whispers into my ear,“You are hereby now the property of Sinners Academy…”

I jump back and look to see that my father is gone and in his place is one of the men. Black robe. Mask. He grabs for my throat. My eyes suddenly pop open.

I’m ripped from the dreamworld only for it to be replaced with the real world, which is two men in black robes and masks standing over my bed. One has a hand to my throat. The other places his left pointer finger to his mask.

Shhh…

I shake my head. I kick my right foot and connect with theShh-Guy’s arm. ThenThroat-Guypresses hard at my throat. I lose my air and show my hands.

“You’re coming with us, Serafina Lockart,”Throat-Guysays in a growling voice. “You are now part ofSinners Academy. There is no escape. There is no talking your way out of it. If you choose violence, we will be forced to respond with violence.”

“And our violence is ten times worse,”Shh-Guysays.

His voice is insanely deep too. The voices are weird. Almost… fake… They are fake.

I nod. Anything to getThroat-Guyto lessen his grip. When he does, I take a deep breath. That gives me enough air to collect myself and let out a loud scream. After all there are two fucking men in black robes and masks in my room who are threatening to hurt me. What else am I supposed to do here?

Throat-Guytries to grab for my throat again but I quickly pull the covers over my head. Which is a stupid idea. I can’t see them and they certainly know where I am. BothThroat-GuyandShh-Guygrab me. Well, they grab the blankets on my bed, with me in them.

They’re big guys and very strong. I’m like a marble lost in a soft taco here. My screams are muffled and I’m out of fresh air. Panic hits me even harder and there’s nothing I can do.

I feel myself moving. At some point mymotherhas to know something is wrong here, right? Or will she wake up to find me missing and then I’ll end up on the news and maybe get some Netflix special made about me…?

Oh. Fuck.

What is happening?

“She’s stopped moving,”Shh-Guysays. “Is she dead?”

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