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

To Maree, my maid, my friend, my confidante, I plead you live a life full of happiness and freedom. Please leave Phillip, becoming a Venari would seal your fate of living behind an aging cage. You will never grasp true happiness by being confined to the palms of his hands.

My son’s:

I wish that you both always rule with more love than power. Use the light to see you through, as darkness could never lead you through darkness, only light could do that.

I wished for a better world. Where the Silver Swans could be unleashed to bathe in the crystal water of purity and not be crucified.

Signed, Katsia Hayes

Katsia put her pen down on top of her desk for the final time, stood on the chair she had sat at numerously throughout the years, wrapped the noose around her neck, and took her final leap.

I sucked in a breath, my hand coming to the front of my throat.

Bishop came to me, pulling me into his arms. “You gave Katsia her final wish, baby.”

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and sunk into him as he slowly rocked me. “You’re my little hero.”

We made our way downstairs, and then outside. Bishop beeped his Maserati, but I froze. “Wait!” My hand dug into my handbag and gripped around a set of keys. I dangled them in front of my face.

Bishop grinned.

“I think Daemon would have loved to see this.”

We both slipped into my Lamborghini, and Bishop gestured to the pedals. “I trust your driving, but just saying, you need to go easy—” I floored it forward and flew out of the driveway, passing everyone who were on their way to Daemon’s funeral. “Or not.”

Adrenaline spiked through my veins as my fingers clenched around the leather steering wheel. I turned to face Bishop. “We’re going to be ok.”

He grinned back at me. “Always, Kitty.”

My phone vibrated, and I opened it, slowing to a safer speed.

Bishop: Riddle me this, Kitty, what’s round, smooth, and is home for a sparkling stone?

My eyebrows pinched together.

I looked at him. “What?”

His lip kicked up in a grin. “Don’t worry about it, baby. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, I’m sure you’ll figure it out someday….”

I put my phone back down and floored it to the funeral.

If you had told me that I’d be where I was when I first started Riverside Prep, I would have laughed at you. I struggled to make friends, let alone turning a whole bunch of friends into family. I smiled, even though today was one of the saddest and hardest days I would have to face, I recognized the amount of support I had around me. If it weren’t for these people, I may not have survived losing Daemon. I now understood the name “Silver Swan.” I was built to handle any and everything life threw at me.

As graceful as a floating swan, but as deadly as a silver bullet.

People gathered around the burial ground like I’d seen in so many movies before. The parts that they don’t show in the movie though, is the feeling of your world stopping as its happening. Micaela twisted in my arms and tears streamed down my face. My heart snapped in my chest. I struggled to keep my emotions at bay.

“You see, sister.” Peyton leaned forward as we watched my friends and family mourn the loss of Daemon. “You don’t belong with them. You belong with us.”

She sat back in her seat. She was so wrong. I deserved to be there, with them. They were my family. Daemon was my family.

I glared at her from across the dark black limo.

“It’s for the best, Tillie, those people aren’t good people,” Carter added, his eyes coming to mine.

“Why are you here, Carter? You were Madi’s friend. How could you?”

His laughter was smug. Mocking. “I never was her friend. She killed Ally.”

“You and Ally?” I asked, confused.

He leaned back in his chair. “That’s right. Ally didn’t send the video—I did.”

“Let me go,” I deadpanned.

Peyton shook her head and laughed. “Never. They will get what’s coming to them, and then some. You see” —she leaned forward again— “The Circle doesn’t even know that I’ve been working with Katsia all along, our mother. You need to learn your loyalties, sister.”

Carter’s eyes came to mine again. “They’ll get what’s coming to them.”

I wanted to scream, to demand they let me and my daughter leave, but then an excruciating pain thudded on the side of my head and everything went black.

“I think I love you, Daemon.”

His head tilted, but his eyes studied my lips. He always watched me with importance. He made me feel like I mattered. Cherished, loved.

“Te amo?” Then his eyes glassed over as he slowly rocked Micaela. “I—I’m not—not good.”

I shook my head, my hand falling to his thigh. “We can make this work. I know we can.”