Page 205 of The Harbinger
I gave him a tight smile, but it didn’t wipe away the slimy residue Nikolai’s gaze bathed me in.
Ruslan stood, holding up his goblet, and the crowd followed. Sacha stood beside him, then took my hand and pulled me to my feet. I grabbed my goblet as everyone else and listened to his speech, my body vibrating to take a sip.
“We honor our sacrifices tonight,” Sacha said, translating for his father. “We honor our new prophet, Marina Alexandrovna, and her offering for this church.”
We gather here tonight to honor those who have made great sacrifices and to recognize the role they have played in fueling the darkness within us all,“ the leader intoned, his voice low and steady.
The crowd before him murmured their assent, their eyes shining fiercely.
“For it is only by embracing the darkness within ourselves that we can truly achieve greatness. And so we raise our glasses in tribute to those who have led the way and given of themselves so that we may thrive.”
As one, the crowd lifted their glasses in a toast, the clink of crystal echoing through the dimly lit room.
I peered down into my cup, swirling the viscous liquid. It clung to the sides of the glass like the remnants of a gruesome crime scene. The crowd cheered with joy around me, but it was like a distant echo in my mind. All I could focus on was the thick, red liquid before me. “Why is it so thick?” I whispered to Sacha.
He brought the cup to his lips, taking a long sip before answering. “It’s a special brew,” he said with a sly smile.
The woman on the table caught my eye as I brought the cup to my lips and halted. She still lay there. The pillow that was beneath her head now lay tucked under the table.
My cup lowered as a streak of red came into view, forming a flowing line around the table. It circled the woman, the syrupy fluid dripping from the four corners onto the floor, creating crimson puddles—the source was a bolt of red across her throat.
“You don’t have to drink itthistime,“ Sacha said.
My ears thumped with a deafening whooshing sound that drowned out the clattering of dishes around me. My heart slammed against my throat.
They were drinking her blood, and I had nearly done the same.
The red blemish on his finger wasn’t his. He’d killed her, and she’d laid there and let him do it.
My chest heaved, and my breaths came in rapid gasps. My head swam with a nauseating dizziness that threatened to send me tumbling to the ground.
I stumbled backward, my knees buckling beneath me, and I collapsed into my chair with a dull thud. My fingers clawed at the air, seeking anything to hold onto as I fought to regain my bearings.
Sacha’s hand shot out and snatched the goblet from my grasp before it could clatter to the ground. I hunched over, my head throbbing and my palms pressed tightly against my temples.
“Take deep, slow breaths, Mia. You’re hyperventilating.”
Laughter surrounded me.
They’re laughing at me.
“What’s going on?” Nikolai said from my right.
“It caught her by surprise.”
Sacha’s flippant excuse for his lack of preparation grated against my nerves, setting my teeth on edge and making my chest vibrate with the force of my unspoken retort.
Nikolai grew nearer, and my skin crawled.
“I need some fresh air,” I blurted.
Sacha’s fingers curled around my upper arm with a gentle, reassuring grip. With his help, I pushed myself to my feet.
“I can take her so you can finish the toast,” Nikolai said, leaning in and giving me a soft smile.
“I’ll handle it.”
I cowered away from Nikolai’s outstretched hand and leaned into Sacha. He led me around Nikolai and away from the horror.