Page 3 of Ink Deep Devotion

Maybe that’s what I deserve, since it all started as a deal. I looked at Mila and viewed her as nothing more than a pawn. Slowly, she made her own moves, then reached the other side of the board and changed. She was no longer a pawn, but now a queen I just dethroned.

Cassandra reaches for my hand again, as if I’d ever be willing to kiss someone like her. She tastes like ashes, suffocating and chalky, like an empty void compared to Mila.

Once we break from the forest line, I can be free from this bitch. I whirl around,“Don’t. Fucking. Touch me.” I sneer at Casandra. Most women would shrink away, but she only smiles and purrs.

If Cillian is correct, this is our last night here, so there is no need to keep up the act with Casandra. She reaches for me again. I grasp her wrist.“Touch me again and I’ll take everything from your family.” I lean closer, painting on a menacing face,“Try me.”

Her eyes judge me, and then she takes a step back.“You still want her,” she spits. “She’s…nothing.”

“Says a woman who has no self-value or worth.” I hiss, turning on my heels, not caring to entertain her longer.I leave her and walk along the forest to where Cillian told me to meet him. I spot him and Dante, and the worry etched on Dante’s face finally makes me feel something again.

If killing in The Cleansing was an audition, then what did the three of us audition for?

“Do we stick together or split up?” Cillian asks us both, but before he answers, people step out from the tree line so seamlessly we almost miss it.

“We love a chase; by all means, run, boy.” A deep voice chuckles darkly. He’s not one of the cloaked men who oversaw The Cleansing. Sure, he’s wearing all-black, military-grade gear, but if you look close enough, you can make out some of the features of his hardened face.

Dante steps forward in front of Cillian and me.

Instead of fear, I feel a massive sense of relief. Thank God I listened to Cillian and pushed Mila far away. She would have clung to my side and then tried to fight when they took us. She would have been just another casualty.

“Bravery will get you nowhere.” Another guy snickers at Dante.

Cillian and I step up, creating a wall.

“It’s so cute to see them think they stand a chance, but it’s even funnier to watch their reactions when one of them dies.”

“Another King.” The man to my left sighs.“I hope he’s more fun to catch than the last two.”

I lean forward, ready to rip his head off, but Dante edges closer to me, causing me to hold my ground. He’s referring to my cousins, Titan and Damian. Both of them have been practically radio silent since my dad put me in this school.

“Shit,” another man emerges from the darkness closer to Cillian,“You look just like him. I wonder if you’ll beg for death just like he did.”

I know Cillian had an older brother who died and I know where we are going next is what killed him.

“My bet is yes.”The man replies; it’s too dark to see his face, but I know his grin is stretching from ear to ear.

Cillian lunges, his eyes locking on the man; every muscle in his body flexes with a raw fury. I can’t say I blame him.

He fell for the bait. They wanted a fight, so let’s give them one.

Cillian’s movements are quick. Everyone underestimates him, thinking he moves slowly due to his size. He manages to grab the man’s shoulder, dragging him closer. His arm swingsback to land a deadly punch, but then before Cillian can touch the man, two shadows repel down from the trees, grabbing Cillian. He tries his best to jerk them off but more men attack. It looks like one of those documentaries where smaller animals manage to take down a lion.

Dante rushes toward Cillian, but before he can take his third step, three men pounce on him, trapping him against the base of the closest tree. The branches shake from the impact.

I barely have time to react before I’m slammed from behind. My breath is robbed from my lungs as the ground rushes up to meet me. The cold earth presses into my face. My muscles scream, already battered and burning, every inch of me on fire from the hit. I taste blood and dirt gritting between my teeth, but the weight pinning me down is relentless, choking the air from my lungs.

“What kind of king doesn’t even put up a fight?” The man on me spits in my face as he shoves my cheek so hard into the dirt I won’t ever be able to clean it from my pores.

“A wise one,” I sneer as I twist and jerk, but it’s useless, so I stop. This is just the beginning. The real fight is in the far distance. If I want to survive, I need to learn about my new surroundings.

“Maybe you’re not my enemy.”

“You’re right. I’m not; an enemy would just kill you; I’m something far, far worse. I’m going to break you; then reshape you.” He says with a sadistic hint of pride.

I feel something hard and tight lock my wrists together. It’s a struggle not to panic, so I try to taunt him in hopes it pisses him off enough to give me more clues.“Taking a page from my playbook. How original.” I sneer.

“Oh, he’s going to be fun.”

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