“Holy shit, how did we get here?”
Isabella is dressed now. Cooper is still telling her to relax and calm down. Everything is fine.
She’s not buying it. She pushes him off her and then looks at me. “How did we get here? How do you think we got here? They brought us here. And I don’t know about you, but I had clothes on the last time I checked.” Then she whirls on Cooper, who is still trying to tell her to calm down. “I will not calm down! Leela threatened me last night! Do you understand me? I don’t care what you and Cadee do, or if you like her better than me, or however the fuck you two feel about each other—but from this moment on, you leave me the fuck out of it!”
Then she pushes him on the chest, walks over to the doors—which are wide open—and disappears.
Cooper follows her, then realizes he’s still naked and turns back to look at me.
I know it’s wrong. I get it. We’re in the middle of a fucking cult crisis here. But he’s naked. And his dick is swinging between his legs and it’s a little bit hard. So I look. Sue me for looking.
“Do you remember anything after we got to the lower level, Cadee?”
My eyes slowly migrate up his body and find his face.
“Cadee!”
“No.” I laugh.
“This is not funny. We lost time. We blacked out. We were drugged. And then we woke up here naked and what the fuck did Leela say to Isabella last night?”
I try to play it back, but just about everything is fuzzy. Then I remember. “Oh.”
“Oh, what? What happened?”
“She…” I wince. I don’t even know how to explain this.
“Just say it.”
“She checked her, OK? For…” I make a face then take a deep breath. “She checked between her legs for… wetness. To see if I was exciting her while she was dressing me. Or undressing me. It’s all very blurry.”
“And was she?”
I nod. “Then Leela pretty much told her she had one more chance and then she’d be turned into whatever Elizabeth is if she blew it. I don’t understand why they care.”
Cooper just looks at me.
“I mean, so what if Isabella likes girls?”
“It doesn’t fit their agenda.”
“Well, it’s dumb. And what do they expect us to do? They put the three of us together, but we’re not supposed to be together?”
He cocks his head at me. “What?”
“I mean, I’m not saying I want a threesome with Isabella. Like… that’s probably a hard no for me. But, what do they expect? This is a creepy sex cult! Your sister-in-law sucked your brother’s dick in front of everyone last night.”
“They expect me to fuck you both and get you both pregnant, Cadee. And then the child I have with Isabella is the heir and the child I have with you is the offering.”
My heart thumps. “Someone told you this?”
“No, but I get it. It all makes sense now. I was thinking it through while you were under the water.”
Holy shit, I forgot about that. “Did I die last night?”
Cooper just stares at me, so I take that as a yes.
“Anyway, go on. While I was dying, you were thinking…?”
He shoots me a look. A look that says, Don’t turn on me. I shoot him one back that says, I’m not. I just want answers.
“I just think this is how it works.”
“So. What do we do about it?”
He walks across the room to his closet, pulls a t-shirt off a hanger, and throws it at me. Then he goes over to his dresser, pulls out another pair of shorts, and throws those at me too.
“OK. I guess I’m supposed to get dressed.”
He pulls on a pair of shorts as well and yeah. That sends a signal. “We woke up in bed, naked, Cadee. Do you see any clothes around?”
I look around. “No.”
“That’s right. I don’t know how we got here.”
“Why are you getting angry with me? I didn’t do any of this.”
He sits down on the bed and leans over, propping his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. “I’m not angry with you. I’m just frustrated.”
“Because of Isabella?”
“Yes. Her. You. Me. All of it. And before you get jealous—”
“What?” I scoff.
“—I’ve invested a lot into Isabella. And she’s gonna lose her mind if we don’t keep her… steady. I’m not gonna let that happen.”
“I’m not jealous of Isabella. She’s my friend. We’re in this together.”
“Then act like it.”
“Excuse me?”
We stare at each other. And while we have not exactly known each other that long, we do have a long history.
I squint my eyes at him.
He squints back.
And I think both messages are received.
“Look, I’m not trying to be a dick—”
“Then stop acting like one, Cooper.”
“—but you’re being way too casual about all this.”
“You know what? I’m going to my room.” I slip the shirt over my head, then scramble off the bed and pull the shorts on. They’re way too big, so I hold them up with one hand as I head for the door. I go slowly. It’s not a mad dash or anything because I want to give him a chance to apologize to me.
But he doesn’t. He lets me walk out.
So I mutter, “You’re a dick, Cooper,” as I leave.
I take the bridge across and look down casually, because there’s a lot of people talking on the floor below. And who do I see? Lars. Staring right up at me, shaking his head with a disapproving look on his face.
What is up everyone’s ass today? Jesus.
I get to the end of the bridge and my door is wide open too. So I push the curtains aside and then stop dead in my tracks when I see what’s waiting for me.
Gifts.
I’m talking dozens of packages wrapped up in pretty ribbons. Glossy shopping bags with tissue paper spilling out the top. My closet door is open and it’s practically overflowing with clothes that were not there yesterday.
There’s a blue envelope with embossed gold lettering propped on the closest bedside table and a small bag off to the side.
“What the fuck happened here?”
I walk over to the nightstand and pick up the card. The light royal blue paper is elegant and thick. And the gold lettering might be real gold foil, because when I brush my fingertips across it, a bit of shimmer comes off.
The envelope is sealed with blue wax on the other side. The impression in the wax is painted in gold and depicts a crest I have not seen before. A lion and a swan.
Fang and Feather, I suppose.
I carefully pull on the flap, but it rips anyway. And then I take out the gold card inside.
It’s not a folded card, more like an invitation.
Again, the lettering is beautiful and I’m fairly certain this was done by hand because it’s written in black ink and not printed.
Dear Legacy,
Welcome!
You are now part of the Fang and Feather inner circle and the official Queen for the current school year. Please accept these gifts as a token of our gratitude and appreciation for your commitment to our cause.
Enjoy your status, Cygnet.