Page 79 of The Honor Society

Son of a bitch! No wonder he wasn’t worried about War, he knew he’d eventually have no choice but to concede because he still had his page. And now, a clean way for him not to lose his life and for his line to continue through Jenner with his pride intact. He never needed War’s loyalty—he owned his debt.

Brilliantly done.

It was his last trick.

And because he didn’t have to use it for me—he could use it for Jenner.

I did good.

I did really good.

“Famine,” The Chancellor addresses me. “All have voted in favor, please take your seat.” He tilts his head towards my mother. “Your sins will be recorded in The Ledger and we will vote on the allotted time for the debts to be paid. Shall we include your plan to sway votes in order to unseat me?”

Mom squeezes her eyes shut. “Nobody should have so much power.”

“It’s voted upon. Agreed upon. Fighting evil with evil.” Axel says. “Nobody ever said we were saints. We keep order. You broke that. Ergo, there will be a debt owed.” He walks over and snatches the white scarf from her hand and places it over my head. “War. Conquest, please escort War from the room.”

They both stand and walk War out the back door. It’s all very civilized until they come back for my mom.

“A debt is still owed. You will walk across the hardest path to prove you understand the gravity of what you’ve done. And this time, we will pay you back in kind. Famine starves after all. You will now be starved of your resources, your protection, the shield of The Honor Society, and last of all your daughter until she is ready to speak to you if she ever is—again. Accept this punishment by walking the path.” I don’t understand then the crowd parts and leading to another door is an entire pathway of sharp rocks and glass. “When you’re ready.”

A tear slides down her cheek. “A mother’s love knows only how to protect and save, it has no sanity.” She doesn’t touch me, barely looks over my head as Conquest and War stand on either side of her. She removes her black heels and stands on the end of the pathway. The only sound in that entire room is that of her feet crunching the rocks and glass as she walks out of the room.

Alive.

Which, she’s lucky to be, for now.

She tried to overthrow the system using not just me but the people I loved, the fact that Uncle Dorian was involved is still staggering to me.

He hasn’t gotten his punishment yet but he also didn’t back anything she said and is still at my side. Maybe he’s mine to use now? Mine to punish?

Once she’s gone. Axel turns towards The Chancellor. “The official Convocation has commenced.”

“Bring forth the first complaint.” The Chancellor holds up his hand.

And for the next five hours I learn things I’ve only ever read about in books and seen on TV as complaint after complaint from families, officials, innocent people, are all brought forward and recorded from The Dean’s List into The Ledger or struck from The Ledger and immediately dealt with accordingly.

The Honor Society has a budget of five hundred million a year, and is privately funded. In total, it’s worth over two billion dollars. So that’s new. And what I thought was just a secret society is so much more than that.

It’s balance for the upper class. It’s respect. It’s honor. And it’s the only way to keep those who have money enough to be above the law—to be tried by it. It isn’t justice, not exactly. It’s a court built for those rich enough to buy themselves out of every other court without consequences.

“Manchester,” Axel calls out the last name. “Guilty of fraud, murder in the first degree, walked clean last week, opposing family, the De Langes are giving us a boon and allowing us to deal with it as we see fit since the FBI has been breathing a little too close to the organization.”

I blink. “Organization.”

“Mafia.” Jenner says under his breath.

Oh, cool, just that.

“I’ll add it to The Ledger and contact one of the underbosses this week, consider the debt recorded. How much time have they given for restitution?” Axel asks.

“A week.” The Chancellor winces. “Dead man walking.”

“So, it seems.” Axel records it.

The Chancellor stands and holds up a bell. He rings it once. All the doors open and several servers walk in with food and wine. “The Convocation has officially ended. Thank you all for attending may you walk in peace in the shadows and prosperity in the light.”

“Amen.” The Proctor says.