Page 35 of Mark Me

I nod slowly. We all knew it was coming. It’s why he wanted us here without the inter-Cardinals.

“Surveillance round the clock.” The idea of watching Ever while she is unaware, gives my hard-on a hard-on, and I shift uncomfortably.

“Exactly.” Alistair glares at each of us, one-by-one. “We stick to her so close she’ll think we’re her shadow. She moves, we move. She breathes, we’re there.”

“Got it.”

“It is your responsibility to inform your inter-Cardinal,” Alistair snaps, his voice echoing off the chamber walls. “They’re in this too. Everyone’s on Ever-watch.”

I nod, the weight of this reality sinking in. These inter-Cardinals, secondary to our core group but crucial nonetheless, are a network we can’t do without. They’re our eyes and ears beyond these walls.

“And Stanley?” I ask. “He needs dealing with in a permanent sense.”

“We’ll keep them swimming until it’s time to pull the plug.”

Whatever Alistair has in store for Stanley, it’s clear he’s not sharing yet, which thrills me. It’s going to be dark, deviant and utterly devastating.

I can’t fucking wait.

“Understood,” I reply, meeting his gaze head-on.

“On your knees.”

We all drop at the command of North Cardinal and raise our whips again. Throwing it over my shoulder, I close my eyes as it hits my back in a delicate spot that has been worn down already. Smiling, as I feel the blood seep out, I strike harder. This is our penance, our shared sin and salvation, all wrapped into this dark communion.

Each lash is a reminder of our failure to protect True North, to keep her safe from the predators that circle. Alistair’s steady count is a mantra that keeps me centred as I take my punishment. The pain is acute, a cleansing fire that sears away any hesitation, any doubt.

The whip cracks against me for the fifteenth time, enduring our purgatory for her sake. I welcome the pain and let it fill every corner of my being until there’s nothing else left.

I’m going to need a fucking good wank after this.

Stifling the snort of amusement as my fucked-up brain comes up with that thought, I grip the whip handle tighter.

My knees are weak when we reach twenty, but my intention is ironclad. We rise as one, brothers in arms and darkness, ready to lay our lives on the line for the cause. For her.

Tonight, and every night after that—until death or disgrace do us part—we’ll watch over Ever with a vigilance born from obsession and necessity.

“Dismissed,” Alistair says curtly, and we move to leave the chamber. But as I walk through these cold, damp corridors towards the world above, the taste of iron in my mouth, I feel a twisted sense of anticipation even as my back screams with pain, flogged to my limit by my own hand.

We’re the Cardinals, and we’ll stop at nothing to get what we want.

20

EVER

The moment I step down the last stair, their voices hit me like a slap. The entrance hall of the grand townhouse is buzzing with tension, and my friends are at the centre of it. Sasha is flanked by Cass, and they’re both talking at Alistair, who stands there, cool as ever, a dark brow arched in silent command.

“Ever!” Sasha calls out, relief flooding her voice as she spots me. She ducks around Alistair, so he turns around to watch her flying towards me. “Alex told us where you were staying.”

Cass’s expression mirrors Sasha’s as they close in on me, their glares sharp enough to cut glass. “How are you feeling?” Cass asks, her voice laced with concern.

Alistair catches my eye for a brief second before he turns away, heading past us up the stairs, as if granting permission for this private huddle.

“Where’s your phone?” Sasha’s question pulls me back to the present mess.

“I bloody lost it,” I admit. “Somewhere at Jensen’s party, I guess.”

“We’ve been trying to reach you for hours.” Cass’s hands are restless, fingers twisting around a lock of her hair.

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