Page 15 of The Price Of Possession

She cast her gaze down at the table. “Clara, I'm sorry about last night. Kieran can be such a dick. I feel responsible for not stepping in more forcefully. Especially after that night a few weeks ago…” she trails off, looking guilty.

I shake my head vehemently, waving her off. She has no idea how sick he truly is, and I plan to keep it that way. She has enough going on. “No, I can handle him. That night was my own choice. Well, sort of, it's complicated.” I blow out a breath.

I can't tell her he knows exactly what I need more than I know myself or how his depravity does something to me. I can see it now: Yes, Vesper, I love when he drugs me. It's the only time I can feel like I have self-worth. It's all I've ever been good at; spreading my legs. The pleasure masks the crippling anxiety and depression and lets me immerse myself in anything else, casting out the bad memories.

Her eyes hold an ounce of pity. “Okay, well, did he happen to talk to you about anything yesterday?” she asks. She runs her nails along the mug handle. She's always been awful at hiding stuff.

I raise a brow. “I mean, we didn't exactly do a lot of talking, Vesper.” I snort. The mug meets my lips.

Her eyes twitch. She becomes mum. Obviously there are a lot of unspoken things going on. I have yet to see this side of Vesper. We've had no issue telling each other everything, but lately It's crystal clear she's keeping things from me. Her constant avoidance. Her subtle cues lead me to believe she's dealing with more than she's letting on.

I settle against the back cushion. I wave my hand and slam my fist against the table. “Alright, what the hell is going on? I feel like you're hiding things. Zain is even being weird. We used to tell each other everything.”

She chews her lip and twirls the end of her hair. Her eyes settle closed. A deep exhale leaves her throat. A stray tear beads down her cheek. The flood gates open full force. “I don't want you to hate me,” she whimpers, bracing her arms around her middle. Her dark hair falls over her face.

I lurch forward. “Did Zain hurt you? Is he forcing you against your will? So help me God Vesper—”

“—No,” she says quickly.

I blink a few times. “No?”

She sighs, using her palm to wipe off her wet cheeks. “No. It's a lot. Like, it has to do with everyone. Everything. I've been fighting a war within myself to tell you or not.” Her lips tremble.

I clutch the mug in my hands like it's my lifeline. “I could never hate you, Vesper,” I assure her. Whatever this is, is weighing heavily on her. Vesper has never been the type to hide things unless she feels it affects the other person in a dangerous way. She's a natural protector to those she cares about.

Then she drops a bomb on me. She tells me how the junior and senior Elites are involved in an underground pleasure cult called Void. They pick an Offering each school year to join the Void. She explains how the new scholarship student each year is offered. If the Offering declines, they get their scholarship taken away and the youngest female Elite would be forced into the role. Then after they fulfill their duty, they are cast aside. Banished.

I slowly piece it all together. Kieran's sudden interest. Vesper’s avoidance. She's the alternative if I don't accept.

“It's blackmail,” she grits. “They choose scholarship kids because they are more desperate,” she winces at her own words. They don't offend me. The truth is the truth. “Kieran's father, Mortensen Grimshaw, runs the school and Void. He's the guiding hand behind all of this. We've been working with Kieran to get you out of all this somehow,” she says quickly.

“How did you not know about this Void stuff if you're Elite?”

She sighs. “My father chose to keep it from me. Most Elites know about it. Very few are kept in the dark. Usually those who alienate themselves or protective fathers. Pearson never brought it up. I told you how sheltered he kept me.”

My brain can hardly process all of it. I'm thrown into the middle of this whirlwind. Have I been sleeping with the enemy? My decision determines the future. On what happens to Vesper. On What happens with my scholarship. Is that why he's been hellbent on breaking me in.

Everything on the line is based on one singular choice I need to make. Maybe this doesn't have to be a negative. I can claw my way to the top, getting that degree I'm desperate for. Only I would make lemonade out of lemons.

She bursts into tears. “I don't want you to hate me because—” she sucks in a deep breath. “---I married Zain! I married him! And now I can't be forced into the offering role,” she sniffles.

My brows knit together. “Why are you crying? That's a good thing! You're safe from their depravity. They can't touch you,” I reassure her. My hand rests against hers along the table. Her ruby ring shimmers in the sunlight. Even now, she looks out for me more than anyone else has in my life.

“He's my brother. My father’s death was no accident,” she whispers under her trembling breath.

Her words slap me across the face. “What?” I inch back against the seat. Tears sting her cheeks as she explains everything. The adoption. How Zain is her half-brother. Her father's role in all of this. Even Jax's death was at Zain's hand.

“Jesus Christ, Vesp. You carried this all on your shoulders?! I would never judge you. You can always tell me anything!” I jump up from my seat and crawl over into the booth with her. “We're going to figure it out. I promise,” I hug her tight.

Her lip quivers. “I'm so sorry. I should have been honest sooner. I promise we're figuring out a way to get you out of this.”

I blink a few times, processing. “So, if you are safe from being offered, what happens if I decline?”

She stammers. “I–I don't know. Zain and Kieran didn't say . . . ” she trails off.

I have already decided I won't be declining. Everyone has done so much on my behalf. I refuse to be a problem for anyone and I'll be damned if I lose this scholarship. It is not an option. Plus, this gets me one step closer to being somebody. I suppose any rational person would be petrified.

I drag my eyes up slowly, meeting hers. It's as if she already knows, reading my mind.