Tacet a Mortuis (The Elite King's Club 3)

“Tillie,” I started, but Elena stepped in for me.

“You, sweet girl, are not a nuisance.” Elena wrapped her fingers around her chin, lifting her face. “You and Micaela are family now, just like Madison, and Tate, and the rest of the Kings. Just like Scarlet and I. You will find that no matter how much we may hate each other at times, we always take care of our own.” She pulled in a breath. “I believe my son loves you.”

I gasped. Even though I knew it was true.

Scarlet grinned.

Tate shuffled in her spot.

I began to think Scarlet was more of Tate and I was more Elena.

Elena continued. “But right now, he’s so clouded in hate and confusion that he won’t allow any other emotion in. Time, please just give him time.”

Tillie’s shoulders relaxed slightly before she nodded. “Ok. I can give him time.”

Wrapping my belt on, I leaned to the side, catching Scarlet staring at me. “Hey, so how many people affiliated with the Kings are actually going to be there?”

I was getting comfortable, scanning around the plane. It was a lot different to the Hayes’ jet. Theirs seeming more superior.

“All of them.”

I froze. “Shit.”

“When we get in there, I need all of you to pay attention to my body language. You don’t move unless I fucking say, or fucking incline that you are going to move, do we understand?” I called out, facing all of them. The trip was fast because we had two jets flying here with around forty or so men.

“Yes, boss,” Spyder teased, cocking his head. Fucker.

“Son, it’ll be fine.” Dad came up beside me.

“I know.” I inched my head over my shoulder. “But I don’t want any mistakes. I don’t want to lose anyone.”

“And you won’t. Hey, I’m proud of you, kid.”

I gave him a small smile. For my dad to say that, it meant a lot, but right now wasn’t the time to relish in it.

“Remember,” I added, looking around at all the faces that were here, ready. Some I hadn’t seen since I was a young pup, and some I had never met, but we all had one thing in common: loyalty. “The Lost Boys are not standing with Katsia, mainly because they’re smart, but also because they’re very black and white, and they know who is in charge and who merely acts in charge. Katsia has her guards, but not that many. I’m not worried about what’s going to happen when we enter these gates, but I am stressing that you don’t make any irrational moves. We don’t want to kill her. Yet.”

Everyone mumbled in agreement, so I turned to face the high gates, pulled out the card that my dad gave me earlier which gives us access to wherever we need to get to on here, and swiped it over the laser panel.

Daemon

One, two, three, four, five, six…six…six….

Quiet! I ordered in an attempt to hush them all. Trickery, War, Rage, Deceit, Evil… The six demons were running wild in my thoughts. They had names, because they had their own voices. I became aware of this very young. There was no love, I had no love in me, but when Madison was around, I felt the closest thing I could ever feel that came close to love. She engulfed me, completed me and brought joy to my life. I knew not of joy, or happiness, until I met her. The bond between us both was unshakeable, unbreakable and as strong as a rip current in the middle of an ocean. I would die for her and then come back to life to kill whoever tried hurt her and then die for her again. The day in the forest was still a blur for me, but I figured out quickly that Deceit had taken over. His presence was still on the tip of my tongue hours after his retreat. I hated myself, still hate myself, and I will never forgive myself for that day. How do you kill the very things that haunt you in your head? How do you strangle something that morphs into smoke the second you try to mentally grasp around its neck? How do you kill someone that essentially is you? I was sick. So very sick. I didn’t deserve to share the same blood as Madison, let alone the same womb for nine months.

“Daemon, don’t you think?” Bishop asked, leaning against one of the panels that were outside the shops on the only street of Perdita. The war was no longer brewing; it was ready to be served.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked toward where Bishop was, beside Hector but front-on to Katsia and her small army of men. We weren’t outnumbered, but it would be a good fight should the war erupt. “Of what?”

“That Katsia would look better with her blood spilled over the ground.” I felt the energy shift before I saw her. The room fell silent as I turned to see who it was, and my gut clenched. Scarlet, Tatum, and Madison were walking toward us, breaking through the thick gathering of Kings and others. Oh yes, she’s here, let’s kill her. Get it right this time. I ignored Deceit.