Page 13 of The Organization

“Drinks at Joe’s?” I asked the question needing to escape her and the proximity I continuously found myself in.

“Yeah.” Aria nodded, lost in her own thoughts.

I walked down the corridor, following that lemony scent, vaguely aware that Aria was keeping pace with me, but in truth, I wasn’t aware of much else. She split off - away from us - and before I knew it, we were stepping into the cigar smoke that welcomed you at Joe’s. It was one of two bars on the premises, but it was the least pretentious of the two. In fact, it kind of reminded me of home, equipped with faded green carpets and an old wooden stage that hosted karaoke and anything else that seemed to fly. The wooden bar was water stained and warped, and standing in the den of it all, I took the first deep breath I had since stepping onto The Society’s premises. Funny how certain scents could either relax you or have you reaching for your gun.

Raquel, ever the party queen, sat at a table with a bottle of champagne on ice.

The two girls bantered, and even I had to admit that how they interacted wasnice-normal,almost, in that popular high school girl way. My gaze sought out every corner and crevice in the hopes of seeingherhere, even when I knew I wouldn’t.

Raquel was in the mood for celebrating - something about us surviving our first official day of The Society’s bullshit classes.

“You wouldn’t be celebrating if you saw how Ajax and her interacted in his class.” I threw Aria a bone, hoping that Raquel caught the hint.

Honestly, the prospect of going to class was ludicrous. Did they really think my father wouldn’t sit me down and dish out the facts? That I needed to sit through Ajax wax lyrically about how The Society was out to save the fucking world? No, they were rejoicing in the knowledge that they were wasting my time, and all I could do was sit here and nod and smile about it.

Raquel questioned Aria, bringing it back to the problem at hand. “Did he flirt with you?”

“No.” Aria barked the answer out, thankfully covering up my snort.

“He can’t stand her.” It was the only commentary I could offer that wouldn’t give myself away as my gaze scoured the room for her. Even when I knew she wasn’t there, it didn’t stop me from looking.

She shrugged her shoulders as if Ajax’s approval didn’t bother her in the least.

I listened with half and ear, bored with the female gossip that even Aria and Raquel seemed to succumb to.

“Speaking of class, what was up with Marissa’s questions today?”

I held my tongue, pressing my lips together as I slowed down to offer a reply that wouldn’t give too much away. Because there was no doubt in my mind that while Marissa had phrased her questions innocently, there was a much larger motivating factor behind it. I just wasn’t surewhat.

“She was trying to get Ajax to admit that The Society has a breeding program.”

Raquel and Aria sat in silence, and so I surged forward, throwing down a statement that portrayed Marissa and I as friends, when we were anything but.

“I told her it was stupid - Itold hernot to bring it up, so that was her roundabout way of asking.”

It was better this way - safer for her, especially if she wasn’t just The Society’s pawn. Aria’s expression was one riddled in panic, and suddenly, I was retracing the words I had just uttered, trying to figure out what exactly had her nervous.

“You didn’t know?” I tried to hide the disbelief from my tone, but judging by her expression, I was doing a shit job at it.

It just didn’t seem possible. How the fuck had her parents kept her in the dark? What did she think she was here for? Did they not explain that she would walk out of this pit with a husband?

“Aria - how can you not know?” Raquel chimed in.

Ex-fucking-actly.

She shrugged by way of reply. That was it, and suddenly, all the idiotic classes that The Society was making us sit through didn’t seem so idiotic. How many other people didn’t know? How many more were kept in the dark, only informed when it suited The Society?

“How fucking sheltered did your parents keep you?” It was the only question I could ask, and I knew that I was an asshole for snapping at her, but it couldn’t be helped.

“Apparently,very,”She answered on a croak, this time devastation shattered her normally cool facade. I sat there quietly, unsure of what to say - I couldn’t very well offer her mycondolences, could I? We were all in this god-awful situation, at the mercy of The Society and whotheydeemed fit for us.

“Are either of you going to tell me about the breeding program?” It was Aria’s turn to snap - to demand answers, and I knew that it was up to us to provide them. If her parents didn’t prepare her, thenwewould because fuck knew what extravagant tale The Society would spin when explaining this to her. My gaze found Raquel’s and she dipped her head in agreement - in silent understanding.

I cleared my throat, easing her into the harsh reality of who The Society truly was.

“So you know how people within The Society tend to only procreate with other members in The Society?”

“Yeah?” She sounded confused, and my heart broke for her just a little. “I thought that was like a non-written rule - youhaveto settle down with someone in The Society.”

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