Page 11 of Sinner's Fury

Immediately, I watched Layla stiffen when a long blade glided past her face only to slide easily into my chest. I stood there, the cool evening air chilling my skin as I slowly looked down and tried to understand what I was seeing.

It made no sense.

I felt nothing. I wasn’t cold, worried, scared... there was nothing, and when I saw him walk out of the darkness toward me, like some haunting nightmare, the monster himself, shrouded in darkness, I knew I was about to face Death himself.

Standing before me, I stared into familiar eyes.

Eyes that held the same hardened stare.

Eyes that I saw not more than an hour ago when he reached for the hilt of his sword and slowly dragged it out of my chest.

An icy wave washed over me, and my knees trembled, giving way as blood, thick and warm, bubbled from my mouth, the metallic taste acrid. I hit the ground hard; the impact taking my breath away, before I saw his face appear in the sky above.

Staring into his lifeless eyes, I felt the world around me fade into an inky blackness, the silence deafening.

Chapter One

Carly

May 2024... Central Park, New York City

I was getting worried.

It had been nearly two months since Justin’s last message. The lack of communication gnawed at my thoughts. A prickling unease crawled up my spine, telling me that something was definitely wrong. I had the urge to call him repeatedly, but I consciously prevented myself from doing so. I reasoned that it wasn’t a pressing emergency. Because Justin had been quite insistent that I should only call in a true life-or-death emergency, I reluctantly resisted the urge to contact him, choosing instead to place my trust in his judgment of the situation.

To fill my days, I dedicated my time to in-depth research, countless internet searches, and the enjoyment of quality time spent with Drew. His nightmares, once frequent and vivid, eventually diminished in both number and intensity, allowing him to adjust to our new normal. Despite the initial struggles, we persevered, eventually developing a seamless and effective team dynamic. Although seemingly relaxed, Drew, much like me, maintained his guard, conscious of the lurking threat.

Sitting in front of my computer, I sighed and leaned back in my chair. I was just as far from the truth as when I began, the mystery deepening with every unanswered question.

Discovering the truth about Mother and theSocietysent a wave of anger and determination through me, fueling my independent inquiry. I never trusted a word Mother said. Her honeyed voice and false promises felt like a snake in my gut, and though I yearned to believe my other family, I needed proof that they weren’t as bad or worse than Mother.

More importantly, I was desperate to decipher the meaning behind Justin’s initial statement, a cryptic message that foreshadowed the life-altering events to come.

I could still recall the unsettling tone of his voice when we met for the first time.

November 2021, Washington, D.C.,

“Dad, it’s a trap.”

My father scoffed. “Carly, stop being so dramatic. If I don’t show up, then everyone will talk. You, of all people, know how this town loves its gossip.”

“What about Drew?”

“Nothing will happen to him, I promise. Everyone believes he’s mine,” my father said, adjusting his bowtie. “And I pay the nanny handsomely to keep her mouth shut. Plus, security will be here.”

My father was a man I deeply loved, yet my earnest attempts to impress upon him the immense significance of this evening’s event were met with failure. His utter blindness and profound ignorance of the situation led him to see tonight’s gathering as nothing more than an unremarkable, ordinary political dinner. He completely failed to understand that tonight’s dinner was actually a celebratory feast marking theSociety’s recent triumph., A fact entirely unrelated to his own aspirations for the presidential nomination.

The second my foot crossed the threshold, I knew all eyes would be on me—a spotlight in a silent, judging room, making the already tense atmosphere heavier. He had to have fucking known that. It’s what Mother wanted. What she had been grooming me for since my birth. Mother didn’t give a flying fuck about Drew or Dad. All she cared about was the fucking Society. The sooner he realized that, the faster he could wake the fuck up and smell the fucking roses.

“You actually love her.”

“Of course I love her. She’s my wife.”

In a gesture of disapproval, I shook my head, turned away from him, and then strode over to my desk. Reaching down and pulling open the bottom drawer, I retrieved a large, thick file and handed it to him.

“Jesus, Dad! You still don’t get it. You need to read this file and learn the truth about the woman you married.”

“What are you talking about, Carly?” my father said, opening the file I gave him.

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