Page 17 of Created in Chaos
“There are exceptions to every rule, as you are well aware, Morningstar.”
“Are you implying I’m exceptional, or that I don’t follow the rules? I’m not sure I understand.” My brother pretends to be obtuse.
Rory’s jaw ticks. “Only pointing out the fact that there are allowances, and I feel I am well within my right to utilize them. If you speak out again, I’m afraid I’ll have to hold you in contempt.” He averts his eyes too quickly, assuming the matter is over.
“To ensure I don’t become one of the sheep who follows blindly, I will always take the risk and accept the consequences. I thought that was what we stood for.” Lucian belittles Rory with a few well-placed words, guaranteeing everyone heard him. There’s a low rumble of sound as people make noises of approval.
“One acre of the Morningstar estate shall be absorbed by the common grounds at the cost of the family.” Rory’s eyes are damn near bugging out of his head with the decree, but he keeps his voice calm.
Lucian gives a lazy shrug as he covers his head with his hood. It’s far too late for the act to be seen as anything but a mockery, which I’m sure was intended.
“If anyone here has any information on the attack, please come forward. You may do so with anonymity and rest assured your identity will be protected from any retaliation.” Rory tries to continue after the disruption, but Lucian’s dissent is too fresh, too effective to be ignored. My brother’s intent wasn’t to keep our involvement a secret, it was to ensure that those who really are involved know he doesn’t trust anyone, let alone the president, because we have every intention of finding who really left Nova for dead.
“Meeting adjourned,” Rory snaps and steps off the dais.
Now that the meeting is over and no votes were cast, the secrecy hoods get pushed back, revealing suspicious glances and scheming gazes. I leave my cloak in place in solidarity with Nova. She was nervous to wear the thing in the first place but did it all the same. She’s as tough as Lucian accused her of being, but I knew that the first time I met her.
I hate not being able to reach out and touch her, but as we head toward the elevators to ascend back to the surface, I make sure to brush against her several times. We’re some of the first to exit the chamber, so there’s virtually no wait for the lift, but we do have a few others in our group. None of them speak to us, but I see them trading glances in the small space, as if they think my twin is going to lose it and start killing people for the fun of it. Normally, I would get a kick out of it, but now it feels as if Lucian knew something I didn’t all this time and I’ve just been fucking around while he knew the rules.
I think it’s high time I take this shit more seriously and join my brother in his war.
NOVA
I gulp down a breath as soon as we step out of the elevator, relieved to be out from under the school and happy I didn’t have to hoof it back up the stairs. I keep my hood up as we exit the dark halls to the waiting row of cars. Lucian leads us to a black car that looks like all the others. Once we’re seated inside, I tap his thigh to get his attention and motion taking the hood off.
“You may speak, lamb,” he says around a smile, enjoying my acquiescence a little too much.
“Can I take this off then?” My hands are already poised to remove the fabric.
“Not just yet, Nova. If they didn’t know it was you with us, then there’s no need for us to tell them now,” Nox answers reasonably. “You did really well, no freak-outs.” He bumps his shoulder into mine.
“I didn’t want to get outed as an intruder and end up being sacrificed to the devil,” I snark, feeling strange about the entire ordeal. They have to realize none of this is normal. Not everyone attends meetings in secret and thinks they rule the world.
“We’ve already established that the only sacrifice you’ll be offering is your virginity,” Lucian adds conversationally.
I jab my elbow into his ribs. “Sorry.”
He grunts softly, then throws his arm over my shoulders and pulls me in close so his mouth is near my ear. “You’re going to kiss it better when we get home.”
My insides blaze with awareness at the demand, because it certainly wasn’t a request. “In your dreams,” I retort, unable to let it go so easily.
A chuckle rumbles up his chest, allowing his warm breath to cascade down my neck. “In my dreams, we do much more than kiss, lamb. Would you like a demonstration? Or I could tell you all about it.”
I click my tongue and try to pull away from him as I grow increasingly uncomfortable with how I react to him, but he refuses to release me. Instead, he gathers the material of my hood in his hand and inches it away from my face, allowing air to brush my cheeks in what feels like the first time in forever.
“You’re all flushed. I told you that you should have gotten naked first.” His free hand skims up my leg, and I don’t shove his wandering fingers away like I should. “Or is there another reason you’re all pink?” I don’t answer him, but I do hold my breath when his palm lands dangerously close to my crotch. If it weren’t for my thick thighs stopping him, I’m sure he would have gone all the way, and even worse, I don’t know if I would have stopped him.
When the car makes a sudden stop, Lucian grips my inner thigh, but he turns to look out the front windshield. “What the fuck?”
“Sorry, sir,” the driver says quickly. I notice the brake lights of the car in front of us are glowing brightly in the darkness of the night, but considering we aren’t even out of the parking lot, I’m a little surprised by the sudden halt. Lucian’s eyes narrow, but he doesn’t berate the man like I worried he would.
Not another word is spoken until we roll to a slow stop at the side entrance of the Morningstar home, and even then, it’s only Nox coaxing, “Come on, Nova,” with a hand extended in my direction to help me from the car.
I gather the black fabric of the cloak, then climb out, making sure not to trip. Nox keeps my hand in his as we head up the short stairs to the porch. It’s not until we reach the door that I realize Lucian isn’t with us. When I glance back over my shoulder, I notice Lucian, his arms loose at his sides as he glares at the driver, who is now standing just outside the car.
I allow Nox to tug me into the house, but I’m curious about what’s going down outside. “Need anything?” he asks as we head toward our room.
“No, thank you,” I answer without really thinking about the question. I’m too preoccupied with everything that’s happened in the last two hours.