Dark Need (House of Sin 3)

And I can’t help but be in awe at the sheer power those women exude, especially the older three, who wear crowns of branches on their heads. The one in the middle has a cane, and she looks over the crowd with displeasure in her eyes. Is she … the leader of this … cult?

Whatever it is, I can’t even put my finger on what it’s supposed to be. But the fact alone that it bears so much resemblance to the Holy Ground makes my skin crawl. No wonder they have relations with the House.

I hide behind a tree to stay unnoticed while I search for a clue to Soren’s whereabouts.

They must not have been happy to see him if he got sent back here without his metal.

Maybe he’s not allowed to join the party or whatever it is they’re doing.

I search the grounds, trying to understand the layout and see if I can find Soren, when I notice a big and sturdy-looking wooden hut in the back, hidden behind the trees, away from the others. There are thick metal bars in front of the small windows, making the whole thing look like … a prison.

My heart skips a beat as I jolt away from the tree to get closer, but every step I take must be a calculated one. I can’t get noticed, can’t be seen, so I have to be very careful about every move I make. One wrong one and I’ll end up dead on that blazing pyre.

Sweat drops trickle down my back as I hop from tree to tree while watching the people dance, hoping they don’t notice me. It only takes one set of keen eyes and then the game is over. I’m lucky today is apparently a day for celebrations because they’re far too busy toasting and eating and dancing and … burning the corpse of an animal.

The sudden shock makes me gasp, and I quickly jump behind a tree and cover my mouth to stop the bile from rising.

Why did I have to see that?

I turn my head again, only to see one of the men cut their arms and bleed all over a cloth, which is also thrown into the fire.

What are they doing?

Sacrificing blood?

For what?

I slap myself to stay in the here and now. No point in trying to decipher their rituals. I just need to find Soren and get the hell out of here before the whole thing turns into a bust.

I make my way to the seemingly abandoned loner hut in the far end of the village and check the surrounding area to make sure no one’s here to guard the damn thing. After I’m sure it’s safe, I sneak up to the hut and go inside through a thick wooden back door, closing it behind me to make sure no one saw me.

But when I turn around, I almost shriek.

Soren is right there, in the middle of the room, tied to a post on the ground, his hands above his head, his feet chained to the floor, and his face is covered in bruises.

His own people … locked him up?

Wounded him?

Why?

Is it because of failing the House … or because his belt is gone?

A shiver runs up and down my spine as I step closer, but he refuses to look up. Does he even realize I’m here? I’m so close now I can hear the droplets of blood fall onto the floor, and I reach out for him.

“Soren?” I mutter in complete shock.

As my fingers touch his face, he flinches.

He’s never flinched.

Only when I peer over at him do I notice the welts on his back.

Tears form in my eyes, but I push them away as I go to my knees in front of him, grab his face, and look directly into his eyes. “Soren. I’m here.”

And when he finally sees me, truly sees me, a small spark lights up in those eyes that show nothing but a deep, dark abyss. And I know right then and there that I made the right decision to come and find him. And that I will not stop before I’ve saved him from this hell.

Chapter 42

Soren

I see her image in front of me, but how could it be real?

How could she be truly here?

It must be a figment of my imagination. A cruel one, too, because I’ve wanted nothing more than to see her face again, hold her in my arms, and kiss her lips until the shame fades away and there’s nothing left but her and me.

But that can’t ever happen. I’m here on the island, and she … she’s safe, where she should be.

If only my brain could get the fucking memo.

“Soren. Look at me.” The hands force my head up again, and I lose myself in those starry eyes that carry an ocean of hurt. “I’m here.”