Page 38 of Hysteria Rises
But this… this is a whole new era that we seem to be ushering in—with me taking my father’s place. It has me feeling out of sorts. With my jaw tight, I join Nolan where he’s pulled a wood chair from the side of the room and has turned it to face the couch. “I think twenty lashes will suffice.” His gaze bounces from Henry to Kiefer—who both nod—and then to me.
I exhale hard as a cold sweat breaks out over my skin. I know better than to question Nolan, Kiefer, and Henry’s authority. None of us have ever been involved in doling out any sort of punishment. It’s simply not and hasn’t ever been our place to do so. But now… Nolan slaps the cat-o’-nine-tails into my palm.Oh fuck.
Behind me, Cross whispers, “What the fuck is happening?”
My heart jerks erratically in my chest with every beat. No. I glance at Twenty-three and Arrow, then run my free hand through my hair, slowly shaking my head as I attempt in vain to get a better hold on myself. It’s still unclear what is being asked of me. Twenty lashes. But who will receive them? With my gut twisting uncomfortably, I wait with bated breath.
“Arrow, get up,” Henry murmurs. “Straddle the chair backward. Face the girl.” The command in his voice is unmistakable. And I’m certain Nolan and Kiefer left Henry to force his own son to endure this on purpose.
This is my fault. I exhale hard. Arrow has trouble sleeping, so when he said he was willing to go down to the cellar in the middle of the night, I hadn’t thought twice about it. I should have known better.
Kiefer bends at the waist to look Arrow directly in the eye. “You have the wrong idea about who this girl is to you. No matter what fanciful notion you have in your head—She. Belongs. To us.” Those last few words spit from his lips, each firing like a bullet. Lethal.
In a low voice, Henry firmly states, “Son, you know this. They aren’t to be touched unless we give that permission.”
Arrow’s lips twitch like he wants very badly to speak, and it’s anyone’s guess what’d come out. I catch his attention with a sharp jerk of my head. He can’t choose now to let his true feelings run rampant. I’m suddenly convinced that whatever he has to say would be disastrous to let out now of all times. I silently beg,Please, Arrow. Please wait until we can talk.
I’m still trying to make sense of what’s happening when Kiefer points at Malakai and gestures that he should come forward as well.
He joins his father, and a moment later, Kiefer collars the back of his son’s neck, roughly pulling him close before whispering in his ear.
Mal flinches, jerking back, then stares at Kiefer before shifting to look at Nolan, then Henry. What the hell did he say to him? Malakai is a ruthless bastard at times, so the idea that he’d have this reaction makes me even more nervous. His eyes only briefly flick over to me as his lips part. “I—” His mouth snaps shut, jaw going rigid without ever voicing his thought. He exhales hard through his nose, eyes drifting to Twenty-three where she remains kneeling on the floor. “I’m ready.”
Pulling a length of rope from his pocket, Kiefer quickly yanks the girls’ hands behind her. She lets out a gasp, gaze crashing with mine, the light in her eyes dimming. By the time he has her wrists bound, all the air has been squeezed from my lungs. All the pieces click into place. Only now do I understand the full extent of what’s about to happen. They’ll both be punished at the same time—Arrow in more than one way.
A stern mask has come down over Henry’s face, hiding whatever his true feelings are about this entire mess, and he crosses his arms over his broad chest as he huffs out, “Arrow, do you understand why this is happening, son?”
“I—” He draws in a ragged breath, pale eyes focusing on the girl before him. “Yes,” he bites out. “I accept my correction.” A rough swallow moves down the column of Arrow’s throat as he glances up at me.
I take a few deep breaths and attempt to convey with a single look what’s in my head.I’m sorry. My jawworks back and forth as my chest clenches. I don’t know how I’m going to do this. But I will because it’s my place to do so. Yet again, I’m left wondering about the timing of my father’s disappearance. My gaze skirts to Cross to get a read on his thoughts. If he has any at all, he’s keeping them close to his chest. I don’t blame him, and keeping his opinions to himself is nothing new. We’ll talk when we get on the other side of this.
I’m wrenched from my thoughts as Malakai kneels behind the girl, resting his hands on his thighs. He’s an enigma, and most of the time, it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking, but even more so now. My eyes narrow as I observe the way his lower lip is caught between his teeth. He lets out a slow exhale.
Cocking his head to the side, Kiefer flatly states, “You brought her back and have earned the right. But you’ll do as I said now, orI’lldo it.” After a slight pause he continues. “Go on, son. Exactly as I instructed.”
Malakai gives a firm nod then lifts Twenty-three’s dress.
“No,” she whimpers, practically pitching forward onto her face as she flinches away from him.
Grimacing, he spits on his fingers before running them between her legs. She freezes in place at the contact. And true to what I’d expect of her at this point, she stares woodenly at the floor before unleashing her feelings on the matter. After a wretched, gasping breath, she mutters, “I hope I get out of here someday so I can report you sick fucks.”
“Enough, girl,” Kiefer grinds out. “Malakai, Hayze, there have been enough theatrics.”
Making quick work of unfastening his pants, Malakai pulls out his stiff cock, and his eyes lift to meet Arrow’s before he growls, “What’s mine is yours. And what’s yours is mine.” His eyes hold a vicious gleam as he notches his dick at her entrance. He only hesitates a split second while she shakes her head wildly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“You can’t.Don’t,”she whimpers as tears flow down her cheeks unchecked.
“Get on with it.” I don’t specifically know if Kiefer’s speaking to me or Malakai as my gaze is focused on the hellish events unfolding before my eyes—events I’m about to partake in. Dread turns my stomach. I lift my arm. And swing downward. The whip practically whistles through the air before it greets Arrow’s back with a sharp-sounding crack. I feel it cut deep into my very soul at the same time Malakai thrusts into Twenty-three.
I wince as she cries out, her body falling forward, her cheek meeting the wood planks of the floor.
Arrow mumbles only a single word, “One,” as he begins to count out his punishment. My teeth grind, hating every second of this. I train my eyes on Arrow’s reddening skin as I raise and lower my hand over and over again. From this angle, I can tell he hasn’t taken his eyes from Twenty-three. And when we’re in the thick of it, I pause for a moment, straightening, taking a few paces to the side so I can see my friend’s—mybrother’s—face, and I swear he mouths two words.Sorry, siren.
Malakai continues, a muscle at the back of his jaw giving a vicious twitch with every sob that erupts from the girl’s lips.
Without asking for anyone’s input or permission, I make the decision to finish as quickly as possible while the rest bear witness to this terror. I lift my arm and bring it back down, counting for Arrow when he can no longer manage to.
By the time it’s over, there’s a thick silence in the room and the metallic taint of blood permeates the air.
