A Rose to Keep (The Society 1)

Alexander sat back and put a hand on Joan’s back.

If I hadn’t been watching Sian’s mother, I wouldn’t have noticed the subtle way she flinched at his touch. Did anyone else see it?

I couldn’t be sure if anyone did or not. Was I seeing things? No, I was sure I saw Joan flinch.

She now smiled and leaned against him as he kissed her head.

“I enjoy plenty of life. I don’t see a reason to make my daughter wait for the details. Halloween night is coming. She needs to know what to do. What will be expected of her.”

Sian put her knife and fork down. She looked ready to throw up, and all I wanted to do was comfort her.

Gideon got out of his seat, rounded the table, and went to her side, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her temple.

“This isn’t the time or place,” Alexander said.

“You’re the one bringing this up. Your daughter is right there. Do you not have any shame?” Lucas asked. “This meal has come to a close.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out five crisp white envelopes. He threw them down onto the table. “This is your list of instructions. Follow them all.”

He got to his feet, turned on his heel, and left.

Dante and William grabbed theirs. I saw our names were printed on the front.

Gideon took his and Sian’s.

“We’ll take our leave as well. Sian, I expect you to do right by this family.” Alexander grabbed Joan, and her parents were gone without any other words.

I hated him. I wanted to go and fucking beat the shit out of him. He was a fucking prick. I didn’t understand how my father could just get up and leave.

As Gideon and Sian read through their list of instructions, I got to my feet and rushed to catch up with my dad.

“Dad!”

Justin turned around. I saw the pinched lips, the frown. He wasn’t happy.

“What the hell?” I asked.

“Son, I know you have a lot of questions, and I want to be the one to answer them all, but right now, you need to follow those instructions.”

“Did The Society send someone to hurt Fred Arson?”

Justin shook his head. “I don’t have time for this.”

“I need to know.”

“Son, you don’t need to know everything that’s going on in the world.”

I gritted my teeth, feeling sick. “Yeah, I do. I’m the one who tried to get answers. I know you’re in love with Joan Roberts. She was your selected back at All Saints and through to college. She was pregnant and an accident caused her to have a miscarriage.”

My dad grabbed my shirt and shoved me against the nearest wall. “Do not ever bring that shit up again. Do you understand me?”

“Dad!”

“No. You were not there. You don’t get to fucking judge me. Do as you’re told and follow the instructions. Do not deviate. Do not test me on this. Do it.”

He let me go, and this time, I stayed perfectly still.

The Society had attacked Fred. I knew it, but now I needed to know who on campus would be able to sneak around undetected and do the deed.

****

Gideon

Halloween night.

It came around sooner than I anticipated.

All five of us left campus. I typed the location into my GPS, and I found us at an isolated home. There had been a key in my envelope along with the code to get into the mansion.

I had to use my thumbprint to open the gates, allowing us all entry.

Sian had sat nervously by my side.

Once inside the house, I knew we weren’t alone. I could sense people around us.

“I know where I need to go,” Sian said, holding up her key. “Room number and the promise of more instructions when I get there.”

That had been an hour ago.

My instructions had been clear, shower, clean myself completely, come down to the basement wearing the single white robe.

This all seemed a little overkill, but I guessed The Society liked order, instructions, rules. This put them in the power position over us. We were their minions. They controlled us.

The basement was exactly how I imagined, candlelit with a bed in the center of the room. White sheets adorned the bed.

I caught sight of Dante, William, and Mateo standing there, wearing robes themselves.

My card told me to remain silent. To stand beside the bed and to await my virgin. I wanted to screw up the fucking card. Sian was more than just a piece of flesh. She was real, alive, living, breathing, and they talked about her as if she wasn’t that at all.

Anger flooded my body. I wanted to tell everyone to fuck off.

Instead, I followed the instructions. My dad had told me when I started this path with The Society, I’d be asked to do things I wouldn’t like or agree to.

This was one of them.