Page 32 of Deadly Sacrifice

“Anyway, on her really rough days, she would go on and on about this place. The Stars, Prudence, they did this to me, she’d always say. The Stars under the black woods.”

Griffin’s face is ashen and bleak. He swallows roughly, a deep frown creasing his forehead.

“What did she mean by that? I wasn’t sure if I was wasting my time when I came to B.U. but I know now that I’m on the right track, aren’t I?” I ask, all but begging for answers to questions I’ve had all my life.

I take a step forward when he doesn’t reply, and he stumbles back a step. Holding my hands up, I plead, “Please, help me understand what’s going on here. Help me figure out what exactly happened to my mom.”

Griffin scrubs a hand down his face, looking like he’s about to give in, but then our privacy is ruptured by a lanky guy turning the corner. He pushes his blonde hair back off of his forehead, saying, “Hey, Griffin, right? I went through rush this year, but I didn’t ever hear back from you guys.” The guy walks right up to us, completely ignorant to the tense glare I’m shooting his way.

Griffin grits his jaw, giving the intruder a tight smile. He pulls his cell out of his back pocket and types something out before showing the guy.

“Maybe next year, then, right?” he says. “Got any tips for me so I don’t blow my chance all together?”

I blow out a hard breath, getting the attention of both guys. Griffin grimaces, signing, I’ll find you later.

My chest deflates. I offer a heavy nod, give the random guy one last glare, and then leave.

18

Asher

Being Asher Malcom carries a lot of responsibility. I make big decisions regarding my career and future. My friends look to me for answers about the frat and Celestials. My father holds me to high expectations, nudging me to follow his path. And like I expected, I’ve been voted in to be president of the fraternity this year.

Oh, and add on the task of ripping Prudence’s heart out, dissolve her into a crying mess, and then hand deliver her to my father?

Yeah, I’m spread thin. It’s stressful more often than not. I’m overwhelmed and hanging on by my toes most days.

But the upside is that when I want to throw a party, I get to throw a fucking party. Not a single person will question me. So that’s exactly what my plan is tonight.

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, if there ever was one. I’ve been on a hair trigger because Griffin’s been extra cold with me lately. I’m watching him, worrying about him every spare second of the day. But he’s hardly even met my eyes the past couple weeks, just like a year ago, after I tried to mend our friendship after a drunken, stupid night that could have ruined everything. He was short with me then too, after I stammered my way through an excuse, not wanting to admit that it was easily the hottest sex of my life.

I’ve never liked guys. Never had fantasies about hard muscle pinning me to the mattress. Never wondered what hot cum would taste like in the back of my throat. Never… except with Griffin. But that was a weird fluke or something, and getting drunk to experiment was dumb on my part. Years of friendship almost lost because I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to know if real life would be anything like my dreams.

I thought I had made an irreparable mistake, but then he got attacked and almost died, and I said fuck it. My best friend needed me. Time to grow some balls, get over it, and move on. I’ve hardly left his side since, and he hasn’t tried to push me away. We simply don’t talk about that one drunken night of sex.

Just another stressor on top of everything else.

But tonight is my chance to let go of all the conflicting shit going on in my mind. I’m going to give myself a few hours to forget about all the responsibilities sitting heavy on my shoulders and just have fun.

Or at least I’ll do my very best to try. And that starts with pounding the drinks early.

***

“Prudence!” I shout with my hand cupped around my mouth. All I can see of her is the top of her head as she bobs through the crowd of rowdy frat boys and slutty sorority girls. Her wild red waves are pulled into a messy topknot, so I can find her easily, no matter where she wanders.

I made Creed invite her. It’s no secret that the two of them have gotten close — as irritating as that may be — and I knew if I texted her to ask for her presence, she’d probably block my number. After sending me something nasty and insulting.

Leave it to my cousin to draw her in only to twist the knife, though. Maybe he has a point about luring Prudence in with false kindness before we break her. I thought it was a dumb plan, but now I’m wondering if he’s been on to something. After all, I didn’t miss the dejected look she tried to cover up when she walked in and found him all over some blonde from one of the sororities.

I watch as she begrudgingly delivers a beer to Creed, cringing as he slaps her ass with one hand and wraps his arm tighter around the blonde on his side with the other. The chick is barely clothed, basically dry humping Creed’s thigh while she glares at Prudence for lingering.

Prudence gives Creed a withering stare and then turns to head back through the dancing bodies, further from my line of sight.

Can’t have that.

“Prudence Cate!” I call louder, ignoring the slur in my words and the strong buzz in my mind, and waving my hand above my head when she finally turns in my direction.

Her hazel stare is cautious, her face passive. She looks back to Creed, curls her lips up in distaste, and then shrugs on her way to me. I watch her every step as she nears. The way the stray locks around her face seem to frame her soft features. The gentle bounce of the full breasts she tries so fucking hard to hide beneath those baggy ass clothes. The blush in her cheeks, and the freckles over her nose, and the swell of her pouty bottom lip.

---