Page 32 of Her Wicked Knights
"Fuck yes!" He cheers, lifting me off my feet. I don't even get a chance to say anything before I'm screeching when he spins me in a circle before dropping me back on my feet, where I stareat him, breathless, trying to contain my excitement, and a little dizzy. "You crushed her, Mars!"
I shouldn't feel as excited as I do. We won a relay race, not the lottery, but the victory is amazing all the same. And it was fun. I want to go again, honestly.
"We make a good team." I tell him proudly.
Rev's eyes darken. It's an almost imperceptible shift, like maybe the moon just passed behind a cloud.
"We could be great."
Audrey's shrill voice catches my attention before I can come up with anything to say back, and I look over in time to see her chuck an apple right at jake's chest. It hits him with athudbefore making impact between his legs. He groans, doubling over, as Audrey storms off.
"Oh my god! Jake!" I rush to his side as he hits the sand in the fetal position.
17
Rev
Idon'tknowwhywe're here, but here we are, gathered in my father's church with whiskey and beers. Next to me, Tripp catches my eye. I manage a smile for him and try to look like I have any idea about what's going on here. I guess I must be successful, because he leans in and gestures around us. "What is all this?"
"Who knows?" I laugh. "I just got a message that we were supposed to meet here. I didn't know who'd be coming."
"Meeting in the church to get drunk... is that sacrilege?" His eyes sparkle a little with the humor of his own joke, knowing that the only one who cares less about whatever the fuck my father believes in is me.
"Could be." I say seriously. "But there are worse things we could do..."
For a second, I see something in his eyes I didn't expect—a flicker of heat or hunger. It's gone as quickly as it comes because he blinks, contemplating what I'm saying, and it's gone and I'm frozen, my mouth dry as I wonder where his brain just went with that delicious innuendo. He opens his mouth to say something,but he gets cut off by aa loud chord of music ringing through the air, a piano note that plays over the speakers.
"Assemble, coven." Whit's voice, deep and dramatically throaty for effect, comes after it. Then Divide by The Plot in You starts playing, and I glance at Tripp, raising an eyebrow in unspoken question. He shakes his head when he realizes I have no clue what's going on.
"What is this shit?" Colton drops onto the bench next to me, smelling of whiskey and the cold night. But he doesn't feel cold at all, and I'm sure it's because Audrey was keeping him warm. I glance up to see her as she slinks into the wooden pew beside Jake, her dress slightly askew.
I roll my eyes, exasperated. "Why do you fucking put up with her again?"
"Because I need someone to keep me warm at night." Colton shrugs, as if he couldn't give a fuck less that his girlfriend has eyes for another guy. But Audrey doesn't just have eyes for Jake. I'm pretty sure she's in love with him. Or, at least, she would be, if she was capable of feeling normal human emotions. I am pretty sure, though, that she's a sociopath at minimum, incapable of normal human emotions. I'd assume she was a full-fledged psychopath, but she craves attention, and psychopaths can't be as narcissistic as her. "Having one consistent girlfriend is better than pulling up my phone every night looking for whoever is naive enough to drop everything and come running."
I laugh, unbothered by his attempt to rib me over my sexual proclivities. Tripp is sheltered and I have no doubt he can't even imagine how depraved people can get during sex, but Colton isn't innocent. I have no doubt that he at least imagines choking Audrey out when he's taking her from behind. I'm also sure that no matter who I choose to keep me warm, it won't fucking matter. None of them will be the people I want most, so what's the point?
Fog erupts from somewhere behind us as the doors open, and then a moment later, I see the figure stride in, dressed all in black. A plague doctor mask points toward the ground, peeking out of a hood as the figure strides down the center aisle toward the steps.
"What the fuck?" I laugh, wondering just how high I am.
More laughter comes from all around as he ascends the steps and turns around to face us. "Welcome brothers."
"Jesus Christ." Tripp groans, his eyes darting to mine to see if I'm seeing what he's seeing.
Okay, apparently, I'm not high enough for this shit.
Whit stands in the center of the stage with his arms spread, looking like a maniacal bird about to take flight and descend upon us.
"Fucking nutsack." I snort.
But as ridiculous as this all is, whatever the reason he's assembled us like this, it's too ridiculous to not get a laugh out of it. Whit looks like a cult leader, and he's summoned us all here in the dead of night to... what? I turn my neck, looking to see who all came out for this. There are more people than I expected—Mark, Carson and Nick, some chick I recognize from homeroom in freshman year, a couple members of the football team who sit quietly on the other side of the aisle from us. No sheep to be seen, though, so I'm guessing no sacrifice is about to occur.
"Thank you for joining us tonight." Whit says, looking out at the faces of his cousin's old friends. It's weird, and I think everyone but Whit realizes it. None of us are telling him that, though, content to watch him make a fool of himself here with his dog and pony show.
"What the fuck is this?" Mark demands, kicking his sneakers up on the pew in front of him and tipping his head back. "You summoned us all here to watch you play make believe?"
"There's a party down the road." Carson grumbles next to him. "Nikki Jane looks like she's on the verge of blacking out already."
