Page 52 of Deck of Scarlets
“Does the dean of the school know you’re running a cult?”
Father Benedict laughed as if I’d told the funniest joke in the world. “He is one of the Aces.”
My back stiffened in response to his answer. No way in hell was the dean of one of the most prestigious schools involved. “You’re lying.”
“Please, come with me, and I will explain everything,” he offered.
“Not until I know Heather is okay,” I said.
“She is in recovery in another wing.”
“Why another wing? Why isn’t she in this one with me?”
“Her process through the Blessing wasn’t as quick as yours. She needed extra care.”
Josh’s silence behind me had the hairs on my arms standing.
“Come. They wait for us back in the dining room.” He motioned with his hand toward the door.
Stepping on Josh’s foot, I heard a hissed curse before he released me. Flipping him off behind my back so Father Benedict was unaware, I stomped out of the room, ready to find my friend and to get the fuck out of that place.
Chapter Twenty-One
Through the familiar hallways of the beige marble walls and carpeted floors, we returned to the dining hall, only to find the same six white-capped figures sitting around the long table. Three females and three males, all stone-faced, were engrossed in whatever they were doing. None of the others were present, but I was thankful that Josh had accompanied us, even though I still wanted to bash his head in.
Not a single head turned to greet us as we made our way over, each taking a seat. Father Benedict insisted I take the head of the table since the meeting would be about me, and I attempted to keep a level head about the whole thing. Because Josh had been assigned as my guardian, he was allowed to stay for the meeting, and he stationed himself beside me, one hand on the back of my chair. Strange how just moments ago, I was threatening his life, now I felt comforted by his protection.
I clearly needed to seek intense therapy after this.
As they sat ignoring me, each Ace had a scroll unfurled before them, scribbling nonsense with white feather quills. Did they not live in a world full of computers? Pens and pencils? For fuck’s sake, we had lined paper, and they were acting as if technology didn’t exist.
But I was done waiting. “Excuse me?” I called.
My words echoed off the marble walls of the hushed dining hall. Not one shifted in their seats at my disruption.
“I said ex—”
“Father Benedict. Please remind the newly Blessed of her manners,” said one of the females, not looking up from her scroll.
The same female had advised me to continue with the purification ceremony.
I bit the inside of my cheek, holding back my rage.
Josh lightly squeezed my shoulder for support, as if he could sense my irritation.
“My apologies for her outburst, Nora. She is eager to discuss what has happened,” said Father Benedict, who bowed his head in respect.
She gave a silent nod in his direction before closing the scroll, placing the quill in an ink jar, and adjusting herself before turning to the others, motioning for them to do the same.
Simultaneously, they obeyed the one called Nora. Scrolls rolled up, quills returned to ink jars, and then they shifted their attention to me. At the other end of the long table, one of the males stood from his seat, pulling down the white hood to the cape. Tall and lean, with short, dark hair, worry lines on his forehead, and crow’s feet around the softest brown eyes I’d ever seen, he bowed to me, while the other Aces followed suit.
Holy shit, the fucking dean of students was in on this.
“Ms. Remi Watson,” he announced.
The voice of a man with great power had me almost soiling my pants. Josh kept his hold on my shoulder, unaware he was keeping me from passing out.
“The Lord has chosen wisely,” Dean Poverly continued, addressing me and his fellow Aces. “Today begins your destiny that the Lord has chosen you for. Like your fellow Scarlets, each one of you holds a purpose within this order to keep the world safe from unholy creatures.”