“Honestly? He might as well be.”
She inches closer. “What else can you tell me about him?”
“Why are you asking?” I give her a knowing look.
“Don’t give me that. I just think he’s awfully Ice Age in mentality and it’s my job to bring him to modern times.”
“Remi’s doing that just fine. He’s the extrovert who adopted him, so he’s like Creigh’s surrogate father.”
“He’s too hopeless and needs two extroverts adopting him. Why is he so…silent? No matter how many questions I asked him, he flat out ignored me.”
“He’s not really talkative. You see him but don’t hear him.”
“Aww, that’s just sad.”
“Being quiet isn’t sad, Anni. Some of us just…prefer silence.”
“Are you saying I’m being too loud?”
“No. Well, a little.” I sigh. “But I’m used to it from Ava, so you can talk all you want.”
“Wow. I’m honored. I can’t believe I’m being shamed for being energetic.”
“Well, you were just shaming Cray Cray for being quiet.”
“Aww, you guys call him Cray Cray? That’s so cute for someone so hot.”
I grin. “You think my cousin is hot?”
“Well, of course he is. Are you blind?”
“You’re so straightforward. Go for it, girl.”
She lets out a long sigh, then eats a bite of her salad. “I can only admire from afar. Unless I want the person I admire to be killed by my brother and father. Besides, my marriage is probably already decided. So I’m just living life for as long as I can.”
“I’m sorry, Anni.” Being a mafia princess must be a lot of pressure, too. Just different from the type our family names and our parents’ accomplishments put on us.
She throws up a dismissive hand. “I’ll think about that when the time comes. Now, I’ll just be a normal college student.”
“You should probably stay away from Creigh, though. He is really as you saw yesterday. There’s no hidden door or a secret path.”
A gleam of mischief passes through her eyes. “Or that’s what you think. There’s always something to discover.”
“What if you’re disappointed by what you discover? What if it’s way different from what you bargained for?” Not sure if I’m asking for her or someone else.
“That’s what makes it even more fun!”
“Suit yourself.”
“Can you invite them over later? Or wait, I can ask Remi.” She types a message in a conversation that seems so long. Wow. Did these two start talking only yesterday? That’s basically the length of my conversations with people I’ve known all my life.
Anni pauses mid-typing, her expression falling. “I forgot that I have to stay with Jer tonight.”
“Jeremy willingly invited you over? I thought he was actively keeping you away from his club.”
“He is, but this time is different. He needs to keep an eye on me within the mansion they live in because Papa’s guards have full access there.”
“What’s going to happen tonight?”
She searches her surroundings. “The Heathens’ initiation ceremony. It happens, like, twice a year. They did a mockup at the end of the previous semester and the attendance was huge. It’s brutal as hell, let me tell you.”
My fingers shake at the mention of Jeremy’s friends and I force them back into stillness.
Of course Killian will be the first in line for anything brutal.
“How brutal are we talking about?”
“Whatever you can’t imagine. Just leave your life and dignity at the door if you want to get into this. You also need to receive the invitation text, or you can forget it.”
“So they choose their potential members?”
“Of course they do. Otherwise, they’d be wasting their time with weaklings. It’s why most participants are the toughest ones from The King’s U. I heard they’re sending a few invitations to REU students this year, but that’s probably so the Heathens can use them as spies. Not sure.”
“Does it get dangerous?”
“I’m sure it does. The original members would wear these neon purge mask things and terrorize the potential members so that only the strong remained. I heard that some student drove himself off a cliff after the last initiation.”
The half-eaten sandwich remains suspended near my mouth as blood drains from my face. “W-what did you just say?”
Annika is completely oblivious to my state and digs her fork in her salad, the sound heightened in my overly simulated head.
“Not sure what happened, but I heard he almost got into the club, but didn’t, and the next day, he drove off a cliff. They ruled it as a suicide, but you never know with these things. Like it’s so easy to disguise death as anything when you have the right resources. Maybe they killed him, maybe they played with his brakes, or maybe it was just suicide. You can’t dismiss any option… Oh my God, why are you crying?”
I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. Annika gets close and pats my shoulder. “Are you okay? Did you actually know him?”
Slowly, I nod. “He was my friend.”
Her expression morphs to one of horror before she winces. “I’m so sorry, Glyn.”
“You don’t have to be.” But the people who made him drive off that cliff should be.
I always wondered what made Devlin take that drastic decision, but now that I know he was part of some satanic club’s initiation, it all makes sense.
Hidden hands pushed him off that cliff.
And maybe finding out exactly who’s behind his death will finally give me the closure I’ve been searching for.
But how on earth will I be able to get an invitation?
A shadow falls over us, bigger than the casual cloud. The scent is enough to know who’s behind it, and I stare up at Killian.
The sun casts a bright shadow on his face and dark hair that appears bluish under the light. The hard contours of his face mesh in a symphony of physical supremacy. And his black trousers and shirt only add to his immortal charisma.
I hate how beautiful he looks, but what I hate the most is the booming flutter in my chest upon seeing him.
Or the memory of his fingers between my legs.
Or how wet I was.
No, nope. Not the right thought to have in front of a monster who smells such emotions from a planet away.
Gathering my wits, I ask, “What are you doing here?”
“It almost sounds as if you don’t want me here.”
“Wow, am I that obvious?”
He narrows his eyes, “I can get any access card I want.” Then he slides his attention to Annika. “Time to go, princess.”
She stiffened as soon as he showed up, probably because of his relationship with her brother. “I have classes this afternoon.”
“That you won’t attend.”
“Ugh.” She glares up at him. “And why did you come to fetch me?”
“Volunteered.” He grins down at me and I wish I could become one with the ground. “I can let you stay here for a bit more if you invite me to your little picnic.”
“You can stay—”