GLYNDON

Something moves between my legs and I mumble a whine.
It thickens and I startle awake. At first, I’m disoriented,
my mind foggy with sleep and my response slower than a
vintage train.
But I don’t get to react.
A shadow looms over me, large and threatening. He pulls my
legs apart with a strong hand and I open my mouth to shriek, but
he slams a palm over it.
Terror courses through me and I begin to hyperventilate. My
heart thunders to life with frightening intensity.
I scream, but the only sound that comes out is a haunted
muffled noise.
He expertly removes my knickers and I try kicking my legs, but
he slaps them, forcing me to remain in place. His finger traces my
folds and I close my eyes with shame.
“Mmm. I knew you’d be soaking wet, baby. Were you
fantasizing about how I’d come through the window and deflower
this tight little cunt?”
I shake my head, but I can hardly move it due to his brute
strength. God, I can’t believe I’m being turned on by being
ambushed.
By Killian.
The psycho Killian.
The monster Killian.
The predator Killian, who’ll eat me alive and scatter my bones
in that firefly lake.
With the lack of light, his face is a huge shadow that’s able to
devour me in mere seconds.
“You’re messing up my fingers and you still dare to lie to me?”
His voice darkens, becoming one with the night. “Maybe you’ll
stop the lies when I’m pounding this cunt. You won’t have the
chance to lie when your blood is smeared all over my cock. You
might be screaming, though, but guess what? No one will hear
you.”
He positions himself between my legs and chuckles, the sound
low and absolutely terrifying. “Look at you dripping onto the
mattress at the promise of being deflowered like a dirty little
whore instead of an innocent virgin. Deep down, you like this,
don’t you? You want to be forced to lose control. That way, you’d
be comforted by the fact that you didn’t agree to this. It’s your
mind’s way of assuming you’re not the twisted one who actually
fantasizes about this. It’s fine, though. I’ll be your villain, baby.”
My eyes widen. How the hell does he know about those
fantasies? I didn’t even talk about them to my closest friends—not
even my therapist.
“Mmm. You’re grinding against my fingers again. I like it when
you’re horny for me.” His voice lowers. “But only me. No one will
see this erotic version of you. Isn’t that right, baby?”
I freeze when I realize that I am in fact sliding up and down
against his fingers, reaching for a forbidden type of friction.
No, no…
I seal my eyes shut and breathe heavily, internally chanting.
This is a nightmare, only a nightmare, breathe, inhale, exhale,
don’t let it consume you…
The weight that’s been trapping me slowly disappears and the
smell of wood and amber vanishes as well.
A murmur of voices follow, but I release a breath. It’s a
nightmare. I’m fine.
It’s fine.
“Is she really asleep?” Bran’s voice.
I frown. He shouldn’t be in my nightmares.
“Yeah,” Cecily whispers back. “You know, she barely sleeps
lately and keeps staring or dreaming awake or something. It was
becoming really bad until…well, maybe a few days ago. She’s
constantly looking over her shoulder, but she’s not zoned out.”
“I’ve been worried sick. You have no idea,” Ava says.
“Keep it down or she’ll wake up,” Cecily whisper-yells. “It’s
already a miracle that she’s sleeping.”
“Are you hiding it from her?” Bran sounds a bit distant, a bit
hard, not like the Bran I know.
“Yeah, rest assured, she won’t find that filth.”
Their voices drift into one another, mixing, becoming an echo,
like a giant speaker from far away.
Trepidation trickles down my spine. What’s the filth Cecily
mentioned?
And is this really a nightmare?
I can’t concentrate during class, in the studio, or even when I
talk to Dr. Ferrell on the phone.
Somehow, I can’t figure out if that nightmare was real or not.
Ava and Cecily said they went to sleep right after they kicked
Remi and the others out, so maybe it wasn’t?
I did wake up with my underwear soaked, though. Real or not,
I shouldn’t be aroused at the prospect of being raped.
Just what the hell is wrong with me?
Maybe the Killian from the nightmare, as terrifying as he was,
is right, and I’m secretly into that?
No, nope. I’m simply not going there.
“Can you believe it?”
I lift my head at Annika’s voice. It’s the middle of the day, and
we’re sitting near the fountain with two sculpted angels pouring
water into it. The plan was to soak in the sun, but it’s currently
playing hide-and-seek behind the clouds, so every now and then,
a shadow interrupts the warmth.
Students buzz around us, dressed in all sorts of styles with
their hair as colorful as the rainbow. Annika and I are probably
the only ones who haven’t dyed our hair.
I let my red marker draw absentmindedly on my pad and eat
my sandwich with my free hand. I’m shit at having actual meals,
and Mum will lecture me for a year if she finds out I’m surviving
on sandwiches and burgers and anything where I don’t have to
put in any effort.
Annika has a whole food container. It’s filled with salad and
other healthy stuff, but it looks as aesthetic as her. Even her fork
and knife are purple.
She finishes chewing on her bite of food and thrusts her phone
in my face. It’s on IG’s search, Creighton King.
A few accounts appear, but none of them belong to my cousin.
“He really has no social media. Like none. It’s the same for all
other platforms.”
“He’s not big on those.”
“Is he a caveman? I’m ready to believe that he time-traveled
from the past over the fact that he has no social media.”
“Honestly? He might as well be.”
She inches closer. “What else can you tell me about him?”
“Why are you asking?” I give her a knowing look.
“Don’t give me that. I just think he’s awfully Ice Age in
mentality and it’s my job to bring him to modern times.”
“Remi’s doing that just fine. He’s the extrovert who adopted
him, so he’s like Creigh’s surrogate father.”
“He’s too hopeless and needs two extroverts adopting him.
Why is he so…silent? No matter how many questions I asked him,
he flat out ignored me.”
“He’s not really talkative. You see him but don’t hear him.”
“Aww, that’s just sad.”
“Being quiet isn’t sad, Anni. Some of us just…prefer silence.”
“Are you saying I’m being too loud?”
“No. Well, a little.” I sigh. “But I’m used to it from Ava, so you
can talk all you want.”
“Wow. I’m honored. I can’t believe I’m being shamed for being
energetic.”
“Well, you were just shaming Cray Cray for being quiet.”
“Aww, you guys call him Cray Cray? That’s so cute for
someone so hot.”
I grin. “You think my cousin is hot?”
“Well, of course he is. Are you blind?”
“You’re so straightforward. Go for it, girl.”
She lets out a long sigh, then eats a bite of her salad. “I can
only admire from afar. Unless I want the person I admire to be
killed by my brother and father. Besides, my marriage is probably
already decided. So I’m just living life for as long as I can.”
“I’m sorry, Anni.” Being a mafia princess must be a lot of
pressure, too. Just different from the type our family names and
our parents’ accomplishments put on us.
She throws up a dismissive hand. “I’ll think about that when
the time comes. Now, I’ll just be a normal college student.”
“You should probably stay away from Creigh, though. He is
really as you saw yesterday. There’s no hidden door or a secret
path.”
A gleam of mischief passes through her eyes. “Or that’s what
you think. There’s always something to discover.”
“What if you’re disappointed by what you discover? What if it’s
way different from what you bargained for?” Not sure if I’m asking
for her or someone else.
“That’s what makes it even more fun!”
“Suit yourself.”
“Can you invite them over later? Or wait, I can ask Remi.” She
types a message in a conversation that seems so long. Wow. Did
these two start talking only yesterday? That’s basically the length
of my conversations with people I’ve known all my life.
Anni pauses mid-typing, her expression falling. “I forgot that I
have to stay with Jer tonight.”
“Jeremy willingly invited you over? I thought he was actively
keeping you away from his club.”
“He is, but this time is different. He needs to keep an eye on
me within the mansion they live in because Papa’s guards have
full access there.”
“What’s going to happen tonight?”
She searches her surroundings. “The Heathens’ initiation
ceremony. It happens, like, twice a year. They did a mockup at
the end of the previous semester and the attendance was huge.
It’s brutal as hell, let me tell you.”
My fingers shake at the mention of Jeremy’s friends and I
force them back into stillness.
Of course Killian will be the first in line for anything brutal.
“How brutal are we talking about?”
“Whatever you can’t imagine. Just leave your life and dignity
at the door if you want to get into this. You also need to receive
the invitation text, or you can forget it.”
“So they choose their potential members?”
“Of course they do. Otherwise, they’d be wasting their time
with weaklings. It’s why most participants are the toughest ones
from The King’s U. I heard they’re sending a few invitations to
REU students this year, but that’s probably so the Heathens can
use them as spies. Not sure.”
“Does it get dangerous?”
“I’m sure it does. The original members would wear these
neon purge mask things and terrorize the potential members so
that only the strong remained. I heard that some student drove
himself off a cliff after the last initiation.”
The half-eaten sandwich remains suspended near my mouth
as blood drains from my face. “W-what did you just say?”
Annika is completely oblivious to my state and digs her fork in
her salad, the sound heightened in my overly simulated head.
“Not sure what happened, but I heard he almost got into the
club, but didn’t, and the next day, he drove off a cliff. They ruled
it as a suicide, but you never know with these things. Like it’s so
easy to disguise death as anything when you have the right
resources. Maybe they killed him, maybe they played with his
brakes, or maybe it was just suicide. You can’t dismiss any
option… Oh my God, why are you crying?”
I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. Annika gets close
and pats my shoulder. “Are you okay? Did you actually know
him?”
Slowly, I nod. “He was my friend.”
Her expression morphs to one of horror before she winces.
“I’m so sorry, Glyn.”
“You don’t have to be.” But the people who made him drive off
that cliff should be.
I always wondered what made Devlin take that drastic
decision, but now that I know he was part of some satanic club’s
initiation, it all makes sense.
Hidden hands pushed him off that cliff.
And maybe finding out exactly who’s behind his death will
finally give me the closure I’ve been searching for.
But how on earth will I be able to get an invitation?
A shadow falls over us, bigger than the casual cloud. The
scent is enough to know who’s behind it, and I stare up at Killian.
The sun casts a bright shadow on his face and dark hair that
appears bluish under the light. The hard contours of his face
mesh in a symphony of physical supremacy. And his black
trousers and shirt only add to his immortal charisma.
I hate how beautiful he looks, but what I hate the most is the
booming flutter in my chest upon seeing him.
Or the memory of his fingers between my legs.
Or how wet I was.
No, nope. Not the right thought to have in front of a monster
who smells such emotions from a planet away.
Gathering my wits, I ask, “What are you doing here?”
“It almost sounds as if you don’t want me here.”
“Wow, am I that obvious?”
He narrows his eyes, “I can get any access card I want.” Then
he slides his attention to Annika. “Time to go, princess.”
She stiffened as soon as he showed up, probably because of
his relationship with her brother. “I have classes this afternoon.”
“That you won’t attend.”
“Ugh.” She glares up at him. “And why did you come to fetch
me?”
“Volunteered.” He grins down at me and I wish I could become
one with the ground. “I can let you stay here for a bit more if you
invite me to your little picnic.”
“You can stay—”
Annika hasn’t even finished her sentence before Killian
physically barges between us and steals an olive from her.
“Is that a homage to me? It’s even red.” He points at what I’ve
been sketching—an unfinished portrait.
I slam my sketchbook shut. “Not everything in this life is about
you.”
“Not in this life, no. But your life? Debatable.”
“I’m just…” I start to mumble an excuse to leave.
“Don’t be a killjoy.” He waves in Annika’s direction. “She only
has whatever time I allow her, and then she’s coming with me to
be imprisoned in her ivory tower for the night. You have it in you
to cut that little time off?”
I purse my lips, then reluctantly stay. This isn’t for the bastard.
It’s for Annika, who’s already looking miserable, her shoulders
hunched and her movements sluggish.
“Can’t she stay in the dorm with us tonight?” I ask.
“No can do.”
“You guys are dictators.”
A lazy grin lifts his lips. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, the worst ever. Might want to check your ego with a
shrink. I can refer you to mine if you want.”
He hums, the sound low in his throat. “You have a shrink?”
The question is innocent enough, but it makes me realize that
I’ve divulged too much information.
Maybe he thinks I’m crazy. Maybe he’s one of those ignorant
people who thinks a shrink equals a psych ward.
Not that I care.
Jesus.
I lift my chin. “Yeah, I do.”
“Refer me.”
I stare at him for a second too long. Doubtful doesn’t even
begin to explain my emotions. “Are you for real?”
“Have I ever lied to you?”
“Countless times.”
“That wasn’t lying. I was giving you choices. Not my fault you
go for the hard ones.” He nudges my shoulder with his, and I
swear I nearly catch fire where he touches me. “I’m serious about
the referral.”
“You would willingly go to a shrink?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Because he’s too assertive in his sick ways, that’s why. People
who go to shrinks hope to become better, but I’m pretty sure
Killian thinks this is the best version of himself.
“You realize you’re sick and need therapy?” I try to take a jab
at him.
“No, I just want to see the face of the person you tell your
deepest, darkest secrets to.”
Of course the bastard just wants to get on my nerves.
“Why are those weirdos watching you like creeps?” Anni
interrupts our intense eye contact, and I break it to focus on
where she’s tilting her head.
I groan. “Never mind them. I’m not really liked in my class
because they think I get preferential treatment for who my mum
is. Even my professor likes to criticize me more than he does
them. So I’ve just gotten used to it.”
Killian hums for a beat, then stares at me. “What’s the name
of the professor?”
“Skies. Why are you asking?”
“Just curious.” He smiles and if I were to see him on TV for the
first time, I’d find him charming, crushworthy even, but
unfortunately, I know what hides beneath that smile too well. “By
the way, you should go to sleep early tonight. No roaming in
weird places.”
“What are you now, my father?”
“Shouldn’t that be frowned upon in your moral code,
considering I plan to fuck you?”
I choke on my own spit and Annika grins like an idiot. “Never
mind me, guys. Think of me as a wallflower.”
Killian doesn’t seem to notice she exists in the first place.
“I mean it. No going out.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my
ear. “Be good.”
A shudder goes through me. I can’t help it. I really, really can’t
help it and I hate how vulnerable this makes me feel.
Even as I pull away from him. As I stare at the distance and
try to ignore him.
But he uses Annika to make me talk, and he asks all sorts of
questions about uni and art and my professors. Whenever I refuse
to answer, he starts being a wanker.
It’s scary how fast he can flip from the amicable version of
himself to the insufferable one.
When Jeremy calls him, he finally takes Annika and stands.
“Behave,” he whispers against my forehead before planting a
chaste kiss there that makes my toes curl.
My phone vibrates and I try to gather my bearings as Annika
gives me a sad hug and says she’ll miss us tonight.
Then she turns and leaves with Killian.
I release the breath I’ve been holding since he showed up and
fish out my phone to find a text.
Heathens: Congratulations! You are invited to the Heathens’
initiation ceremony. Please show the attached QR code upon
arrival to the club’s compound at four p.m. sharp.