Page 9 of Wicked Lord

“That shit is not sanitary,” Slate muttered.

That wasn’t the worst of it. We’dallhave to drink from that cup.

Bass lifted the goat skull enough to reveal only his mouth and sipped the bloody wine before passing it to Vaughn. He did the same and then handed it to the new Grand Domnus, the highest ranking member who usually dealt with the Ascended.

Jasper Bishop—a long-standing member of our Inner Circle, and a cut-throat business attorney who could charm you while simultaneously taking you for all you were worth—took over the leadership position after Stanford Davenport’s untimely demise last year.

The visiting Grand Domnus lifted the chalice, the firelight casting ominous shadows across his terrifying ram-skull mask. “Drink from the cup and let the blood renew our ties.”

As the four of us waited for the cup to make it around the room, Killian stared at a masked brother a few feet away. The tension in his shoulders and the curl of his fists told me exactly who had caught the full force of his dangerous stare.

“Do you plan on attempting to murder Micah Preston with your death glare all year?” I whispered.

Killian cracked his knuckles like he was about to storm over there and deck Micah. “The fucker deserves it.”

I sighed and fidgeted with my mask again. “Don’t you think it’s time you let this thing go? You got the girl, and Micah helped us big time. We couldn’t have taken down Bass and your stepfather without his help.”

“Yeah, Kill, the guy’s not so bad.” Slate rested his arm around Killian’s shoulders. “Can you blame him for drooling over Lexi Vega? She’s a hot piece of?—”

Killian’s head jerked in Slate’s direction. “Finish that sentence, and you’ll be the one who ends up murdered.”

Slate lifted his hands in surrender. “Sorry. You know I speak before I think. But I’m just saying, maybe lighten up on the dude. He came back, and now he’s stuck in the Serpents & Daggers forever, and not because his family dictated it like the rest of us.”

“Micah knew what he was signing up for.” Killian rolled his neck. “Besides, he only wanted in to find out what happened to his friend. The dumbass probably had thoughts of grandeur, taking on the brotherhood and bringing the Lords down from the inside.”

I chuckled under my breath. “Taking this organization down would be harder than destroying the Russian mob. Not happening.”

Despite his stupidity, I felt bad for Micah. My heartstrings tugged as he stood alone, no doubt feeling the weight of Killian’s stare.

After every member sipped the disgusting bloody wine, it was returned to Vaughn. Bass removed the goat skull, revealing dark circles beneath his lackluster blue eyes and deep hollows below his sharpened cheekbones.

“To the future. May it be prosperous, and may all of you flourish under your new leadership.” Bass withdrew Vaughn’s plain white mask and placed the skull over his face.

The new Domnus lifted the chalice, probably grinning maniacally behind that creepy ass skull. “Our blood is from one cup. Our bones are from one beast. Our soul is from the same shadow. Brothers above all. We enter this world together. And we shall only leave with a dagger pressed against our throat and the serpent’s poison in our veins.”

We repeated the oath like a bunch of fucking dazed cult members, and then Vaughn drank from the cup again.

Everyone clapped, congratulating Vaughn. I hoped the four of us could stay off his radar. I’d rather not be pulled into dangerous assignments for the brotherhood any time soon.

When the ceremony concluded, we tossed aside our masks and lowered our hoods. The youngest members brought in trays of food, my mouth watering as delectable aromas filled the air. I didn’t bother with manners and just grabbed an entire platter of mini sandwiches, dropping it on one of the tall pub tables that had been dragged out of a storage room.

“You’re not planning to eat all that, Ax, right?” Worry lines developed across Killian’s brow beneath dark brown locks.

“Of course not. I’m sharing.” I picked up a sandwich and motioned it around my three best friends. “Dig in. Make sure you get enough to eat. I can grab another tray if necessary.”

Gage rolled his eyes. “I think this is plenty.”

Killian suddenly stiffened as Micah sauntered up to our table and gave a cautious smile.

“Hi, guys. How’s it going?” His blond hair was neatly combed away from his face, even after wearing the mask and hood, and the firelight reflected in his glasses. “How’s your summer so far?”

“Why are you talking to us?” Killian clenched his teeth until his jaw became so sharp he could probably slice Micah’s fingers off.

Micah shrugged. “I don’t really know anyone else here.”

“You don’t know us either.” My roommate gulped his drink and slammed it on the table.

The sadness in Micah’s hazel eyes poked at my heart. “I’m just trying to figure out my place in this shit since I’m stuck here now.”