The woman fell to his feet. “Please. Have mercy. It was just one night.”
“If I have mercy on you, you will spread your filth among the rest of our Association and damn the rest of us with you.”
“Hear, hear!” a man shouted. “Strip the whore and throw her out on the street on her naked ass.” Loud cries of agreement came from all sides of the hall.
What was wrong with these people that they would publicly shame a young woman like this? Ivy looked at Ann’s parents, and to her horror, they nodded. “If that is the lord’s will,” said her father.
They didn’t even glance at their daughter, as if they didn’t notice her tears…or fear.
John’s gaze now locked with that of her parents. “Her mother and father should punish her for this transgression…prove they are willing to do what they can to uphold our values.”
“We have spent our whole lives upholding the honor of the Association,” said Ann’s father. “What can we do to prove our commitment?”
John addressed the hall. “I would suggest that Ann’s parents disinherit her, rewrite their will and present it to the Association for safekeeping. It is up to them to decide who they will leave their properties and wealth to.”
Ann’s father stood. “I have no doubt in this matter. After our deaths, our property will belong to the Association.” He glared at his daughter, and she cowered, as if wanting to hide inside herself. “After our daughter has shamed us, this will be the only way to redemption…the only way for us to achieve salvation is to ensure that our worldly goods are used for the lord’s work.”
John nodded, satisfied. “If that is your wish, so be it.” His voice turned hard again when he faced Anna. “You will be cleansed and baptized, but your sin is such that it is unlikely that any member would take you as his wife. You should be grateful for any Association male who lays a claim to you now. If you are so blessed, you will spend the rest of your life in gratitude for the favor bestowed upon you. At the same time, you will pay penance for the gift and right you deprived him.” As Ann nodded, Ivy wanted to cry for her. It only took one look around the hall to see several males assessing Ann’s youthful body. Some of them had wives so docile that they would not object to their husbands taking a second to satisfy their lust. Ann would not remain unclaimed for long. “Now leave this hall, for we do not wish to have you in our midst until you have been cleansed and blessed.”
The woman scrambled from the stage, crying as she ran from the hall, followed by curses and jeers.
Ivy turned back to the stage, shaken. I made a huge mistake. If anyone else ever found out about Junaid, her life would be over…like Ann’s was.
“May I speak?” Ivy turned to see an attendee standing near the back of the hall. Adrian, a young outspoken man born into the Association, who would have been an outcast if his affluent parents were not generous donors. He narrowed his gray eyes. “You have shamed that young woman for fornicating with beings you regard as unholy. Yet why is it that at the front seats of our hall, in the most prominent position, sit people who are involved in crime against innocents? Is that not unholy?”
Hisses rose around him. “Sit down,” whispered someone. “How dare you question our leader?”
“It is all right,” said John. “A good leader is not afraid of question. Yes, we have connections with different human organizations, but the difference is that these groups, in their own way, perpetuate the work of the lord. It is not up to us to judge them for what they do in their personal time.”
Adrian smirked. “After what we just witnessed, it is not up to you to judge these humans who have committed murder and other felonies?”
John shook his head. “That is a judgment best left to the lord.” He then waved his hand, indicating the meeting was over.
CHAPTER TEN
* * *
THE CONFLICT WOULD START…soon.
The rumors had been drifting around for long…stories of disruption in the harmony that had been established between humans and supernaturals, but despite all expectations, peace prevailed.
Blade had asked Junaid to come to his office after he ended his shift, and when he reached it, the fae Ethen was already there. The three of them now sat with glasses of whiskey in their hands.
The demon’s face was tight, and Junaid had not seen him so stressed since the day they took down James, the mob boss, to rescue Blade’s girlfriend. “Junaid…at least you’re sure the Association wedding is a legit occasion?”
“It is.” Junaid bloody wished it wasn’t, though. “But to be on the safe side, there’ll be scanners all over the place and extra security.” So many Association members in one place was always something to be worried about.
“Good job,” said Blade. “The vampire Leke’s been in touch. One of his tech guys has intercepted communication between a leading Association member and their new best friend in the borough—James’ replacement.” James, a ruthless sadist, had controlled many illegal operations in Manhattan before Blade and his friends, including Junaid, brought him down. He’d disappeared, and the Association quickly filled his position with another mobster, Miller, a new arrival in Manhattan whom little was known about. “Supernaturals are constantly mentioned in the communications. They’re encrypted so the vampires can only uncover so much detail, but yes, we need to be on our guard.”
“Are you sure we should go ahead with this booking? We could cancel it.” Possible repercussion was not the only reason Junaid made the suggestion. Anything to delay the wedding…
Blade frowned at his whiskey, the red ring around the black iris of his eyes hinting at agitation. “That might cause more problems than it solves. And we need to show the government that we are at least co-operating with human organizations. Anyway, like you said, it’s a legit marriage.”
“In that case, I’ll make sure the ceremony goes smoothly.” Junaid kept his voice under control. The last thing he wanted was for Blade or Ethen to guess at the real reason he wanted to cancel the marriage booking. There were now only two weeks to the ceremony…but because of the booking he might meet Ivy before then. He hadn’t called her, wanting to give her the space she needed, but every time his phone rang, he hoped it would be her. It was madness, but his lion just wouldn’t back down and accept she wasn’t interested in him.
What of those glances, the way she reacted to his kisses…what about the tears, which he was willing to bet she’d never shown anyone else? But damn it, the Association was a strong organization, and convincing her to leave it behind would be impossible. She was so conditioned by it, that even the mention of leaving it the last time he saw her had her scuttling away like a frightened rabbit.
“We need to start preparing,” said Blade. “The last thing I want is to spread panic, but we need to be ready in case we do come under attack.”
Junaid’s eyes shot to him. “They wouldn’t do that, would they? Come on, there’s still a government in place.”
“Yes. But the government only allows us to run our businesses and live among humans because it has no other choice. If it comes to our kind against the mob and the Association, you think the state will stand up for us?”
Probably not. “But isn’t it too early to talk about conflict?” God knew, Junaid had always been up for a fight, and he’d been the first to volunteer when they rescued Blade’s female from the mob, but now it was a different matter. A woman he cared about was involved with the other side. If it went into the conflict zone, they would both end up on opposite sides, and man, when humans fought, they didn’t give a damn about who was innocent and who wasn’t. As it was, it only took a minor crime by a non-human and the whole of their kind was seen as a threat in the human media.
“Some of them just need an excuse to go on a rampage against supernaturals.” Ethen slammed his glass on the table so hard that whiskey fell out of it. “If they did attack, they would go for all supernaturals. Look at their military history…how ruthless they’ve been whenever they’ve atta
cked their own kind.”
And if humans went after all supernaturals, there were those of their kind who would respond in the same manner. Nobody would care if a random lion shifter was interested in a woman from the Association, especially if she didn’t return his bloody affections.
Blade sighed, loud. “None of us wants a fight, but we need to start organizing ourselves and be prepared for the worst. I’ve already spoken to Leke and his horde and have a meeting with the other Eclipse partners. We need to start thinking about venues that could be a target.”
And the reason Junaid was included in this meeting was becoming clearer. “No prizes for guessing which location would be top of the list…” Eclipse was the most popular social venue in Manhattan, and its owners had offended both the mob and the Association.
Blade nodded. “We need to increase our security. I’d like you to work on that, Junaid. Someone else can manage Freefall for now.”
“I understand.”
“Once we’ve secured the most likely targets, we need to prepare ourselves for the worst.”
“You know my kind,” said Ethen. “I can’t speak for everyone, but there are many of us itching to get a good fight in with the human agencies.” Itching to fight could be dangerous…result in mayhem. His concern must have shown in his expression, because the fae followed that with, “But don’t worry; my lot can control themselves when they have to.”
“I don’t doubt that,” said Blade. His eyes flitted between them both. “I hate dividing supernaturals into species, but at the moment, it seems the only way to get us organized. Shaun will speak to the werewolves, and Junaid, could you speak to the lions? We’ve already got Ethen to represent the faes, and the vampires and elves are sorted, but we need to find strong representatives for the other supernatural species, too. We need to form a core team that will be ready to help maintain order when the time comes.”
“What about Edge’s wolves?” asked Junaid. “Are we including them in this?”
Those red rings in Blade’s eyes brightened. “Edge is a stellar wolf, but as for the others…they were under the influence of Rasmus for too long. I don’t know if they can be trusted.”
Rasmus had been taken down by the newborn vampire Veronica, but under his guidance, that gang of wolf shifters had gained an atrocious reputation. They’d broken supernatural regulations and gone around changing humans to their kind.
“But they hate humans,” said the fae. “Wouldn’t that be enough to make them loyal to the supernatural cause?”
“The problem is that they hate all humans with a vengeance. If we involved them, it might lead to a situation that will be difficult to control. I suggest we keep them out of this and only bring them in if we’re desperate.” Junaid thoroughly agreed with that. And not for the first time, it was obvious why Blade had been unofficially nominated as the go-to when inter-species problems arose. “I reckon the best thing would be to recruit a trustworthy leader from each species and form a team, and for now, we keep this under wraps to avoid panic…”
Again, Junaid hoped it wouldn’t come to the worst. He closed his eyes and brought his thumbs to his temples, massaging them. He was in enough of a shitty situation with Ivy, and the last thing he needed was to be worried about her safety, or the fact that his kind might go into outright conflict with hers, driving them both even further apart.
IVY HAD BEEN AGITATED SINCE the Association meeting.
Over the last few days, the poor woman Ann had been in her thoughts. Apart from Adrian, nobody had the guts to support her. All of them, herself included, were too scared of the Association to speak against it even when it did wrong. How could that be right? She’d got hold of Ann’s number but had no idea what to do with it. After all, she couldn’t exactly come forward and offer help. And what could she do, in any case?
She had showered and was in her dressing gown, sat with mother in the living room, just before they retired to bed. Mother lifted her eyes from the book she was reading. “Did you have some milk, dear?” Her eyes were on Ivy’s dressing gown, as if she silently questioned why she wasn’t already in bed when it was after 9.
“Yes,” said Ivy, “I’m just not sleepy. I’ll go to bed soon.”
“It is not good to change your routine, especially now it is so close to your wedding. Come, let us retire for the night. If you pray to the lord, you will soon fall into restful sleep.”
“Yes, mother.”
She ascended the stairs behind Pearl, and for the first time, she noticed how mother’s shoulders stooped. Her mother was not old by any means, but a lifetime of constricted emotions and desires had squeezed the life out of her. At the top of the stairs, mother kissed her on the cheek. “Good night, dear. See you at breakfast.”
In her bedroom, Ivy kneeled before the shrine—a small altar lit by candles and displaying a photo of Allias—and prayed. Dear lord, please forgive me. Please help me forget the shifter and do my duty in accordance with my faith. Do not allow me to stray.
She then went over to the bed, lying down with her eyes closed.
She did not know what happened to Ann after that meeting, but the woman would soon be blessed and cleansed by John. After that, any male member of the Association, no matter who he was—how wretched or debauched—could lay a claim to the beautiful young woman. It brought nausea to Ivy’s stomach, and she lay on her side, eyes wide as she stared at the shrine.
That was not the only concern that caused her to lie awake at night. John and Michael never included her in Association business, but she had picked up through mother that they were regularly meeting with the mobster Miller, who had taken James’ place as their new friend. Surprisingly, Pearl did not think it a bad thing…what had she said earlier at breakfast? It’s only needed until the supernatural problem is solved.
Ivy squeezed the bed sheet between her fingers until her knuckles turned white. Mother’s words meant one thing…they were looking to get rid of supernaturals through one means or another. Tears bit at Ivy’s eyes. Until now, she hadn’t admitted it even to herself, but the Association was ruthless, and it would do whatever it took to rid Manhattan of the other kind. And after what happened with the mobster James, his replacement was keen to weaken non-humans before they interfered in more mob business.
Ivy pulled the bed sheets off her, giving up on trying to sleep. She reached for her mobile, needing to talk to someone…but the one she wanted to speak to was the last person she should be calling…
“Hello?” Junaid’s deep voice brought comfort. “Is everything all right, Ivy?”
“Yes.” A strange relief spread through her, that he was still fine, and nobody had attacked him in the middle of the night… But how long would he remain safe? The day anyone from the Association discovered the truth, it was not only Ivy who would be punished…they would go after Junaid, too.
“You don’t sound all right. What’s wrong?” Even after two years together, Michael could not pick up on her moods, even when she sat before him...damn it, could she just stop comparing them both?
Yes, they were opposites, in that one was suitable for her and the other wasn’t.
In fact, she shouldn’t even be calling Junaid. If anything concerned her, Michael was the one she should turn to. Except that he would never be there for her, because he would be the kind of husband who would feel hard done by if she tried to burden him with her problems. And she could never talk to him about how she really felt. Just as she’d never been able to talk to mother. “Ivy? What’s happened?”
Her voice was small. “Nothing.”
“You obviously called me because you want to talk. So tell me…what are you so unhappy about?”
Everything.
It was as if her whole world was crashing down around her, and she had no control over it. She was being swept away by events, clutching at anything to survive, just as mother and she did all those years ago. She went over to the window, to stare out of it at the world beyond. But she could see nothi
ng past the houses of other Association members. “Nothing’s wrong. I just couldn’t sleep.” She rested her head against the wall. “I should get going. Good night—”
“Wait, Ivy. Since you’ve finally called, let’s talk. I’ve been thinking about you.”
“I told you, Junaid…there can’t be anything between us.”
“It doesn’t mean we can’t talk, does it?”
There was a numb feeling inside her since the incident at the church, one she was grateful for. Perhaps this would keep her senses dormant, push back the emotions that threatened to pull her future into an abyss. She scratched at the wall, pulling away some of the paper. What she really wanted was to tear a strip of it away, but instead, she stood back. “I need to get out of here, Junaid. Just for a few hours, I need to forget everything.”
“I can pick you up. I’ll come over now.”
She didn’t hesitate. “See you soon. My address—”
“I have your details from the booking. See you there.”
She hung up the phone and then opened her wardrobe to pull out a knee-length red dress, the one Rehana gave her on her birthday last year. She squeezed into it and then stood before the full-length mirror. It wasn’t as revealing as the dress she wore for the bachelorette party, but it was certainly unsuitable attire. Fitted to her form, it was strapless and pushed up her breasts. Underneath it, she wore a pair of black heels, and then she pulled a long coat over the dress.
She turned to lean against the wall, resting her head back against it. What was she doing? She was behaving as if Junaid was taking her on a date, whereas the most he could provide was some respite from the uncertainties that pulled her heart apart into two.
Soon, he called on her mobile. “I’m downstairs,” came his voice over the phone. “See you soon.”
Her mother would be asleep now, because of the sleeping pills she took every night. Ivy closed her door and then crept down the stairs. But she hadn’t reached the front door when Fareeda came out of the kitchen, looking her up and down. Luckily, she couldn’t see what she wore under the coat. A frown creased the older woman’s brow. “Where are you going?”
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