Page 60 of Sincerely, Butterfly

“Enough,” Jasper commands. “Stop playing with the sacrifice. We have a job to do.”

“All fun, no play makes the big bad doctor a grumpy boy,” Sylas teases. “Don’t worry, brother. You're going to get your pound of flesh. You can keep your thirst for blood at bay for a few more minutes. You're not going to die.”

“The only one who’s going to die is you, if you don’t shut the fuck up,” Jasper threatens.

I shouldn’t smile, it’s not the time or place, but I’ve always enjoyed the dynamic between the three of them. Sylas had this unhinged sort of playfulness, while Wesley is more of the depraved, dry-humor type, leaving Jasper as the broody grump of the three. I’m not surprised. He’s got a lot to deal with, having to be the one who keeps the other two under control.

If he didn’t, I’d have no doubt that there would be a lot more bodies lying around New Orleans.

Logic tells me I should be afraid of them. That coming in here with these three literal killers could be the worst decision I could ever make.

Guess it’s a wonderful thing that I’ve never been much of a logical person.

Death isn’t something I fear. I'm around it every day.

It’s living that scares me. The unknown. Death is predictable, life is not.

Jasper takes the stairs leading down to an open tomb before stepping over the stone side and descending down below.

“Come on, little blood bag. Let’s go bring our god a pretty little sacrifice.”

God. Blood. Sacrifice.

What kind of sacrifice will I become tonight? What events are about to unfold? Is this just going to be offering up my body, maybe a little bit of blood, or will they kill me?

I know they have the power to do so. And the scary part is, no one knows I’m here. They could kill me, get rid of my body, and leave no evidence behind. I know my father would have questions, that he wouldn’t stop until he had answers, but would the Brotherhood give them to him?

It’s not uncommon to go missing from these parties, never to be seen again.

Will that be my fate?

Fuck that shit. My fate is to be much greater than that. I sure as hell plan on making sure of it.

Sylas keeps a hold of my arm, guiding me down the stairs before helping me over the ledge. It’s kind of sweet if I didn’t know he was unpredictable and could throw me down the steps for fun if he wanted to.

It’s a risk that comes with hiding who I am. To them, right now, I’m some no-name, silly little girl, who they believe got herself into something she’s unaware of.

I’m just some sweet little virgin girl who’s pure and naive.

The only true thing about that statement is the virginal part.

The further we descend, the more my nose fills with the pungent smell of damp earth, making me want to sneeze.

The cover to the tomb above us closes, engulfing us in complete darkness. For the first time tonight, I feel a spark of real,genuine fear. Not because of the dark itself, but the monsters that might lurk within it.

I might not fear these three men surrounding me, but that doesn’t extend to the other men in the Brotherhood.

A flash of fire bursts to life, making me stare at Jasper, who’s holding a torch.

Without a word, he starts to walk down a dark path. Sylas and Wesley urge me forward as we follow.

For a little while, the only sounds in the small space are our footsteps against the dirt of the ground, little pebbles pushing into the soft flesh of my feet.

But the deeper we go, the more this faint chanting sound grows louder and louder, until we’re stepping into a wide open space.

Eyes darting all around us, I quickly become aware of my new surroundings.

At least twenty men stand against the walls of the space, all dressed in the same attire that the boys are.