I jerked forward in my cuffs, challenging them silently as they stood in front of me.
“It has come to our attention that you’ve become aware of a plan that we have been putting into motion for some time now,” the bicolored-eyed cultist began.
“Who are you?” I asked, showing not even an ounce of fear or a single hint that I knew exactly what he was talking about.
“You may call me the Prophet,” he started, then he gestured to the one with brown eyes. “This is the Acolyte and, on my right, here is the Recruiter. That is all you need to know about our identities. You will ask no more questions about it and if you do, you will exceed your usefulness and your purpose will no longer be deemed necessary.” His tone was final. It would be too dangerous for me to press the matter, so I dropped it. I didn’t need them to tell me who they were. I would figure it out eventually on my own.
“Why have you taken me hostage?”
“We have our reasons. Some of them you may learn. Most of them you likely won’t. You see, I have my doubts regarding your trustworthiness and loyalty. Do you want to know why?”
“Why?” I snarled.
“I’ve seen you before, Ariana. It took me some time to realize where, but I remember now. You weren’t always a king’s omega. You used to be a scullery maid, didn’t you?” the Prophet began and my blood ran cold.
Did they know who I was? Did they suspect that the Brotherhood had sent me? Did they know my father?
I swallowed every last question and locked them away deep in my soul. I would die here, lost and forgotten if I gave anything away.
I lifted my chin, waiting for him to continue.
“I’ve seen you walking the halls of Valgertha. You used to serve Queen Freya. That bitch of an alpha queen is someone that has been extremely problematic for us, so you can understand my rather immediate suspicion of your appearance in my castle,” he added. I didn’t have to read between the lines. Everything about his body language screamed danger and certain death if I wasn’t careful with what I said next.
On high alert, I leveled my eyes with his. I had years of training for this. I was the daughter of one of the most influential secret organizations in the world. Before I was done with this bastard, I would have him eating out of my hand.
“There’s something else I want to talk about. I looked a bit more into the day you were captured and found it quite interesting that it also happened to be the same day that the city of Ravenrath was sacked by the Brotherhood,” he continued.
I tensed, keeping my lips in my firm line so I gave nothing away.
“You see, that makes me highly suspicious of you in particular,” he said darkly.
I didn’t say anything yet. I wanted to know everything he knew about me first. He would show his hand before I showed him mine.
He reached for me, pushing the neckline of my dress just far enough over my shoulder to reveal Magnar’s mark on my skin. It had long since healed over, just leaving a white scar that sent a very clear message that I belonged to an alpha. He traced a finger over top of it and the mark blazed hot for a long moment before he pulled away.
“When we gave you to Magnar, we expected him to use you just enough to blow off steam. We hadn’t expected him to claim you like this,” he muttered. “Your position complicates things.”
“What’s your point?” I pressed.
“An omega makes an alpha weak. It shifts his loyalty from us to you, and then it can become a problem,” he murmured.
“A slave goes where she is told,” I answered as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
His hand disappeared into his robes for a moment before it reemerged with a horrific-looking dagger. He slipped the sharpened point right beneath my chin. I tensed, lifted my chin and he pressed the blade a bit more firmly against my throat.
It was just on the cusp of cutting my skin. If he pushed any harder, it would slice right through me and I would bleed out onto the floor.
“How did you come to be in both cities, Ariana? It seems like quite the coincidence,” the Prophet asked carefully. His irises locked with mine and I felt that I couldn’t look away. It felt like he was drawing me in.
I cleared my throat. In my time alone, I’d prepared myself for this moment and I recited the story I’d invented during the long walk from Ravenrath to Kingsworth.
“I served an alpha within Valgertha’s army. He captured me in the wilds long ago, tearing me away from my family. He brought me to Ravenrath with him once news of the battle broke and I ran from him only to be captured by the lot of you,” I explained. I never looked away from him. Not even once. My life and the life of so many others depended on it.
“Is that true?” the Prophet asked. His eyes remained on me as he slid the knife down until it settled right at the hollow at the base of my throat. The feeling of the tip of it was sharp and I knew that I had to put on the show of the century if I wanted him to believe me. I had to be perfect.
“Every single word,” I lied flawlessly.
He moved the knife so the edge of the blade slid perpendicular across my throat. All he had to do was jerk his arm just once and my life would end.