The Cult (Cult 1)

I turned around to head the other way.

Malevolent.

Claire cried against me, terrified.

“Get the fuck away from me!” I grabbed the torch out of her hand, set her on the ground, and did the only thing that I could.

I set the tree on fire.

They watched the flames lick the wood before they panicked.

Some sprinted back to the camp.

But the others moved in.

They attacked me for the first time, yanking the torch from my hand.

I couldn’t overpower them, so I hugged Claire to me, protecting her with my body.

“Make them go away…” She sobbed into me. “Please…make them go away.”

I cried…because I couldn’t.

They marched us back to the dais, Beatrice’s blood all over the stone.

Amon watched us, his eyes on Claire.

“No!” I shoved the Malevolent off me and held out the dagger, ready to take down any motherfucker that came for us.

Claire buried her face into my stomach so she wouldn’t have to see.

I held out the knife toward Amon, ready to take on this giant with my little blade. “I swear to god…” Tears blurred my eyes, angry tears. “Don’t you fucking touch her.”

Amon didn’t glance at the knife, not the least bit concerned that I had it in the first place. “I must check the wings of The Divine—”

“Then I’ll check your heart with this knife.”

Forneus rose to his feet, shirtless and in the same black robe. “An-gel.”

I turned my knife on him. “Stop this.”

All he did was shake his head.

“I command you, as your angel, to stop this!”

Forneus stared, and for once, he didn’t have a smile.

Amon withdrew a pill, opening his fingers for Claire even though he was several feet away.

“Come near her, and I’ll kill you. I’ll kill all you motherfuckers!”

Amon gestured to the Malevolent.

The surge of adrenaline was indescribable. I was fucking Kate Beckinsale in the Underworld films. I stabbed the first one right in the neck then got the other in the stomach, throwing my elbow to the guy behind me and breaking his nose. My arm clutched Claire against me at the same time, my knife held out at the ready.

More came.

I did my best to fight them off, stabbing mercilessly, leaving a pile of bodies behind before they removed Claire without hurting me, like their own lives weren’t worth causing me harm.

Claire screamed as she was yanked away. “Constance!”

The Malevolent blocked my path as they took her away, a sea of men that I couldn’t push past.

“Forneus!” I shoved them as hard as I could, trying to get to Claire. “Forneus!”

He just stood there.

Amon extended the pill to Claire.

She was frozen in place, shaking, not sure what to do.

A surge of strength overcame me, and I shoved the Malevolent out of the way. But instead of going to Claire, I went straight to Forneus. I held the knife against my stomach, the tip applying pressure.

Forneus stared, a flash of fear moving into his gaze.

“Protect her…or I’ll do it. I’ll ascend without you—and I’ll never come back.”

His jaw tightened, his face tinted, his breaths grew heavy.

Amon kept trying to push the pill on Claire.

I couldn’t tell how Forneus felt. He looked angry. So angry that he didn’t know how to restrain it.

I pulled the knife away and prepared to plunge it right into my stomach.

“Amon.” His voice stopped everything, commanded the obedience of every single living thing in that theatre. “You hurt your angel…and it hurts mine.”

I almost fell to my knees and broke down in a wave of tears. My body was weak, my knees wobbly, the grip on my dagger shaky. “Anyone touches her…anyone looks at her…” I could barely speak, my breathing was so weak. “And I return myself to heaven—without you. Do you understand me?”

Forneus was furious. It was written all over his face.

“Do you fucking understand me?”

With his eyes on me, he spoke. “Amon.”

The pill was taken away, and Claire was released. Just as I asked, they looked away, turned their backs on her, as if she didn’t exist.

Claire stood there, surveying the scene around her, the tears gone.

It was over.

I grabbed Claire by the hand and led her away from that god-awful place. I took her away, not a single eye on us except those of Forneus. There was no rush, but we ran, getting out of there as fast as we could.

15

Constance

Just like last time, I took care of Beatrice.

It was worse than the time before, but somehow, she’d survived.

I wrapped her up tightly and let her sleep for as long as she needed.

Claire had a lot of questions. “What did they want to do to me?”

I wanted to preserve her innocence as much as possible, to protect her sanity. “I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter, because they’ll never look at you ever again. Alright?”

She nodded. “You…you saved me.”

“I promise, nothing will ever happen to you.” It was a powerful promise, but I meant it. I would kill as many men as I had to to keep it. I wasn’t letting anyone come near her. I shouldn’t have to worry about that now…because my life was the most valuable thing to Forneus.