Page 48 of Always Eros

Yves nods and turns to leave, but pauses, slowly twisting around to face me. “You and Syn have always understood my heart the most. I thank you for your kind words tonight.”

“I speak nothing but truth.”

Once he’s gone, I return my attention to Justice, sleeping peacefully on my bed. Kneeling beside him, I stroke his hair. I need to wake him and face whatever he saw. Hopefully, he has answers that will help us, and I pray to Hades that Hale isn’t a traitor. If he is, he will need more than prayers to save him.

Chapter Sixteen

JUSTICE

I peel my eyes open, scrunching my nose. My mouth feels like I’m sucking on cotton balls, and I have no memory of falling asleep. When I’m able to focus, Eros’s angelic face hovers over mine and I immediately calm down. As long as he’s here, I’m safe.

“Hi,” I whisper, my throat scratchy. “What happened to me?”

“You don’t remember?” Eros asks.

I focus for a second, but everything after stepping into Eros’s building is hazy. “Not really. I didn’t drink or take anything. Am I sick?”

“No.” He cards his fingers through my hair, smiling softly. “I have to ask you a few questions. Are you up for it?”

“I think so.”

“It’s about Nightsky.”

“I figured.”

“You told me before that the blood king is dead and has been replaced by the Supreme Being, but you have no idea who the Supreme Being may have been before that title?”

I shake my head. “Oh no.”

Eros nods. “What about the disciples? You said they go out and recruit people.”

“Yeah. Mostly in Sable Cove, but they go outside that area sometimes. Before I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be one, I tried to learn as much as I could. It sounded so exciting, because you get to be in the real world. I was so curious about it.”

“And you saw the disciples?”

“Sure. They were among us before they were chosen. And all the disciples of the past are in the hall in the Devotion room.”

Eros’s brow furrows. “So you’d likely recognize a disciple from the past?”

“Oh yeah. We spent a lot of time admiring them. We had to. To be a disciple is what all male members aspire to.”

“Right. Okay, well, it’s possible you recognized a disciple tonight. Here.”

I pull my head back in confusion. “What? No… I didn’t—” Then a memory comes back to me that makes my chest tighten. An image of a man on the couch, his face covered in blood. My stomach churns as bile rises in my throat. “Yes.” I rub my forehead. “I saw him.”

“Breathe for me, Justice. I need to know what you know about him. We don’t know him well. We found him injured and his memory isn’t great.”

“Why…” I blow out a breath to calm my shaking voice. “He looked like he was drinking blood. The disciples drink blood from the holy vat. They need it for strength. When we came in, it smelled like the Devotion room.”

Eros’s face registers surprise until he blinks it away. “Do any disciples ever leave the cult?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. If they do, I bet someone would hunt them down and bring them back. They know too much. That’s why it’s such an honor. They get to see the Supreme Being and talk to him and stuff. They know all the inner workings so they can carry on if they ever have to.”

“I see.” He takes my hand in his. “Do you remember when I told you that vampires are real?”

“Yes.”

“Hale is a vampire. If he truly came from your cult, it’s possible all the disciples are. Based on what you’ve told me, I’m fairly certain your Supreme Being is, as was your blood king.”

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