Page 56 of Song of Tenebrae

He’s not too long after, pantingDemoninto my neck, and biting into my flesh. His forehead hits mine and he feels hot, almost burning my skin.

“Raiden?” I drop my legs and my toes hit the floor as he groans. He doesn’t move and I begin to worry. “Raiden!”

“I need a shower, a cold one,” he mutters as I turn us around, resting him against the wall.

“Okay,” I rush over to his discarded pants, “let’s get these on.”

“No,” he shakes his head, “no one will care if we’re clothed. Let’s get out of this fucking basement.”

I snicker as I go back to where he’s standing and wrap an arm around his bloody back, “I kinda like it down here now.”

“Good, in two nights we have mass down here, in the small temple I had built.” He leans into me and we leave the room. I look down the long, dark corridor and see a red glow coming from a door at the very end.

“What else is down here?”

“Cells.” He sounds drowsy and I guide us back to the stairs. Did he say cells? Like a prison? I shiver as cold tentacles of apprehension skim along my spine.

We reach the top of the stairs after a slow climb and I guide Raiden in front of me, watching him stagger forward.

“Tempest?” A small, tentative voice floats up to me from the darkest depths of the basement, “Tempest, is that you?”

Fear has me stopping and looking down into the dark void. Did I really hear that? Is it haunted down there? Are the ghosts of past sacrifices calling me back to them because I’m the one that got away? I finally blink myself out of the hold the voice has over me and hurry after Raiden.

I just can’t shake that the voice I heard sounded so fucking familiar.

Incognitus

While Raiden let’s his whore strip him of his pride, someone is settling into the cottage on the property, and making themselves at home. Edward has warned them and still, they party and take part in shameful activities. They make me sick and it’s infuriating that I never noticed before. Well, I did notice but we let it slide for them, let them do what they wanted because we were getting what we wanted in return, and now they look like a bunch of fucking fools.

I can’t wait to remold them into what they should be, tough warriors for the order, and me: their rightful leader. I can’t see the cottage from my room’s window, but I can see the maze and what looks like a soft glow of lights just beyond it. I know it’s Eugene, it must be and he needs to be found before he decides to kill us all.

There isn’t much time left before he comes looking for Raiden’s body or to wipe this house clean of everyone in it. I can feel the anxiety take hold of me and I’m itching to go find Eddy, even though I know how dangerous it is. I need to know what’s happening.

Fuck it.

I grab my hoodie and throw it on, tipping the hood into place to hide my features. I need to get this done myself and I either kill Raiden tonight, forgoing my plan of doing it during the black mass, or I kill Eugene. I know which kill is the most sensible but I have never been known for my sensibility.

I rush out of my room and down the stairs, it’s quiet and I hope I don’t see anyone I shouldn’t.

Chapter Sixteen

Tempest

After cleaning Raiden’s back, he insisted I stay in his room for the rest of the trip, and then he corrected himself by saying for the rest of our lives. Once he passed out, laying on his stomach, and snoring softly, I made my way to the kitchen. I’m fucking parched and starving after whipping the fuck out of my man’s back.

My man.Sounds so strange.

I hear a shuffling sound coming from around the fridge and I curse myself for not turning on the lights. I walk slowly to the kitchen entrance and I’m almost plowed over by a large body. Hands grip my waist to stop me from falling back and I suck in a breath, readying to scream.

“Tempest?”

I look up at the hooded figure and swallow down my irritation, “Squall! Why the fuck are you rushing around the house?” he drops back his hood and looks around the kitchen, “is something happening? I saw you rush out of the room earlier.”

His fingers dig painfully into my hips through my silk robe before he releases me, “go to bed and stop sneaking around the house in the early hours of the morning.”

He doesn’t sound like himself and his voice is a little off. I step away from him and hurry from the kitchen, not wanting to be in his space any longer. He felt dangerous and it’s a reminder that I don’t know any of them well. I look over my shoulder back toward the kitchen as my foot hits the bottom stair and I can’t see Squall in the dark room. I let out a breath and turn around to find Hail, lowering his hood, and scowling at me.

“What the fuck are you doing up?” He snarls and I startle a bit at the tone of his voice.

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