“No,” Cooper yells. “We’re done.”
The Chairman’s response is commanding and clear. Not to mention loud. “You are not done, Cooper. This has just begun. But you and Isabella will accompany her and oversee her recovery.”
Then he turns to the crowd. “We have a Golden Legacy!”
And they erupt in applause and cheers.
I think I pass out after that. Because the next thing I hear is Isabella. “Jesus Christ, I’m sweating like a whore in hell.”
“Cadee?” I think Cooper is ignoring her. “Are you awake?”
“What happened? Where am I?”
“They gave you a sedative and we’re in the…” He pauses and when I open my eyes, he’s looking around the room. “I don’t know where the fuck we are.”
I don’t either. It’s just a room, but not the one I was in last. Dark concrete walls lit up with sconces. Not fire. It’s way too small in here to have torches for light. I’m actually sitting on a concrete bench that is very warm, and not lying down on the cold tiles of that pool room any more.
I don’t have any idea how I got here. I must’ve passed out again.
“We’re in hell,” Isabella says. She sounds like her normal snotty self. Which I love, because that side of her has been missing for a while now.
“Some kind of sauna, maybe?” Cooper is still trying to answer my question.
“Come on,” Isabella says. “Let’s get her dressed and get the fuck out of this place.”
“Can you stand up, Cades?”
I look over at Cooper and nod. “I think so.” Then I realize what actually happened. “Did I die?”
“No.” Cooper pulls me to my feet.
“You were totally fucking dead. They hit you with those paddle things three times.”
“What the fuck, Isabella?” Cooper is mad. “Don’t tell her that!”
“She can take it, Cooper. Don’t you realize that yet?” I’m wrapped up in a blanket and Isabella slips it over my shoulders and it slides down my arms. “Here, put this on her.” She hands him another folded white garment. “I need to get out of this room. It’s creepy as fuck and I feel like they’re trying to cook us.”
It is hot in here. I guess they needed to bring my temperature up quickly.
“Are we going home now?” I really want this night to be over now. I need about two weeks to process what just happened.
“No.” Isabella snorts. “Now we have to be the guests of honor at some party, if you can believe it.”
“Soon,” Cooper soothes, trying to cancel out Isabella’s pessimistic attitude. And then he glares at her. “Calm the fuck down, Isabella. You’re going to fuck everything up.”
She pauses, takes a deep breath, then wilts a little. Her shoulders curve in and she frowns. “Sorry.”
Cooper pulls another white nightgown over my head and straightens it out. Then he takes a step back to look at me. His wince tells me everything I need to know.
“I look like shit, don’t I?”
Cooper hesitates. But Isabella doesn’t. “It’s a good look, trust me. Exactly what they’re going for, I assume.”
“Isabella.” Cooper growls at her. “I’m not gonna tell you again. Shut. The fuck. Up.” He points his finger in her face. “Do not say another goddamned word tonight unless someone asks you a question or I swear to God, I will punish you.”
Isabella and I trade looks.
But neither of us says anything. Cooper walks over to the door, knocks on it, and then it opens to reveal one of the bodyguards who seem to be all over this place tonight.
“We’re ready.”
And I guess we are. Because Cooper walks out, doesn’t even look back at us, and we fall in line behind him like good little submissive cult women.
A rush of cold air hits us as soon as we exit and Isabella sighs with relief. I can see her point about the heat. She’s still wearing her elaborate gown.
She is Cooper’s Queen tonight.
And I’m just the concubine.
But she grabs my hand as we follow Cooper and the bodyguard, then gives it a squeeze. Which I really appreciate.
We walk through several dark, stone hallways lit up only by the candles spaced about six feet apart on the floor. But then the bodyguard steps aside and Cooper walks forward into a curving stairwell which must surely lead to some kind of dungeon. Because I’ve seen enough Dracula movies to recognize the décor.
We exit the stairwell and enter a large room and continue walking down a gold carpet, flanked on either side with all the Fang and Feather members. They applaud us with a lot more enthusiasm then they did upstairs. But I’m pretty done with this place and I don’t spend a single moment to appreciate it.
The Chairman is standing at the end of the carpet. Jack and Leela are positioned behind him. And Elizabeth is between them, once again on her knees, bent forward at the waist with her head pressed to the floor.
I wonder about her new life. Then consider if I should feel sympathy for her.
No. I don’t. Fuck her. She earned this punishment.
Victor appears with a tray of champagne flutes. He does not look at me and I briefly wonder if he was in the room when I was… what did they do to me? Was that a baptism? A confession? I’m not sure. Definitely a ritual.
But I don’t think he was there. I don’t remember anyone drinking during the ceremony.
Victor offers the Chairman a glass, which he takes. Then he turns to Jack, who takes two, one for himself, and one for Leela.
And then he turns to Cooper.
Cooper slips into his role as future King easily, offering Isabella the first glass, then me, and he takes the last one.
He turns to face the crowd, and Leela tugs Isabella and me behind him. Putting us in our places with a smile.
Whatever.
My head is now pounding and I feel very weak and dizzy, so I don’t even bother listening to the toast my new cult makes in our honor.
I just raise my glass to Isabella at the appropriate time, and then we smile into our glasses as we drink them dry.
The next thing I know, I’m opening my eyes and the elaborate blue and gold tiles on the ceiling of Cooper’s bedroom come in to focus.
I can hear him whispering something. And when I turn my head, I see Cooper leaning over Isabella, talking softly to her.
I think she’s crying.
“Cooper?” I rub my eyes. They feel like sandpaper. “What’s going on?”
He rolls off of Isabella to look at me, and she is immediately up and out of the bed.
“Isabella!” Cooper gets out of bed too and this is when I realize—we’re all naked.
Isabella opens up Cooper’s closet, pulls a t-shirt off a hanger, and slips it over her head. Then she goes for his dresser. Cooper blocks my view and I get a little lost in his muscular back and perfect ass.
He’s got her by the arm and he’s shaking her a little bit. But Isabella is focused on the dresser. And then she’s pulling a pair of Cooper’s sweat shorts up her legs.
“What the fuck is going on?” My voice is raspy and deep. Like I did some serious partying last night.
And that’s when I remember what happened.