Page 25 of Eternal Obsession

Savagely, they beat her into submission.

Then, securing the blindfold, they pulled her from the burning house and dragged her into their darkened carriage.

I mouthed their name, “Stone Masters.”

Chapter Twelve

JADEON

I awoke with a start.

“It is time,” Lord Artimas said as he loomed over me.

Rubbing my eyes still bleary from sleep, I squinted at his ominous silhouette. My head throbbed, a painful reminder of the previous evening when Alex and I had consumed an entire bottle of rum. I was scared Father would get a whiff of my breath and poke me with his stick again.

“Wear something dark,” he instructed. “Meet me downstairs in the study.”

He withdrew.

“Yes!” I leapt out of bed and promptly fell over. I checked the door to make sure he had gone. I dressed quickly, eager to discover what all the fuss was about. My boredom was slipping away. For some reason, my trouser leg seemed to elude me, and I hopped round like a crazy person. My head throbbed and I cursed my brother for making me drink so much rum. Or was it the other way around?

Fully aware that if I was not to anger Lord Artimas, it would be wise to be within his presence immediately, I descended the stairs two at a time.

On entering my father’s study, five of his acquaintances addressed me. This looked serious. I was taken aback by the assembled entourage. Immediately, I recognized the garments of the assembled men, all clothed similarly to my father in black attire with masks around their necks.

Catherine’s father, Father Edward De Mercy, was present, dressed in his priest’s garb. He nodded in greeting. I still blamed him for Catherine’s decision, but per etiquette, politely nodded and acknowledged two of the other men as Lord Hawke and Lord Theron, whom my parents entertained frequently. Still, it was difficult to subdue my enthusiasm which was hardly in keeping with the mood.

The men provided me with a dark robe and handed over a mask. I hoped they did not notice that my hands shook. They all fussed about me, checking the mask’s fit. This accomplished, they pulled my mask around my neck, like theirs, revealing my confused expression. I wondered what Alex would make of all this.

“Listen carefully,” my father began, “for on this night and those following, you will be initiated into the oldest order. I am the Master of the Stones, and you will one day take my place. This honor, bestowed upon you by your ancestors, carries with it much secrecy. It will be up to you to continue with the occupation that has gone on for thousands of years. You will maintain its concealment at all times. That even means keeping this secret from your brother. Alex can never know of who or what you are. Do you understand?”

I nodded. What the hell was this?

Lord Artimas continued. “We are an Order that has existed since the year 2900 before the birth of Christ our Lord. Our ancestors were chosen to maintain peace and safety within the land from those who would fulfill the will of the evildoers.

“We continue these duties today. Witches, demons, walkers of the night who suck the very life from humans by drinking their blood, these and many other such beings exist. And it is our duty, as it will be your duty from this day forward, to destroy any and all such creatures that exist.

“There are many of us. That you will learn. We send out men to find and study the evil ones, the Devil’s own. And upon finding them we decide their fate and the manner in which they should die. The responsibility is far-reaching, and I do not expect you to comprehend it immediately. But before this night is out and before you reach your twenty-sixth year, you will become our loyal apprentice in all things. Are you ready?”

Everything that I had witnessed over the years finally fell into place—my father’s distant disposition, his constant immersion in matters of state such as these, his indifference to his sons. I remembered the young woman who was dragged from the room near the dungeons. The woman with those unusual turquoise eyes.

Recalling her fear . . .

Was that not an isolated incident?

Irrevocably, I was being drawn into something scary and I wanted to resist the pull, but it was too late. I checked the serious expressions of the other men and wondered if I could decline the offer.

“Well, speak, boy,” my father said.

“Lord Artimas, I am honored, but I⁠—”

“You have much to learn. Soon, you will gather the true magnitude of who and what you will become, and the responsibility therein.”

Lord Artimas, escorted by the five men, led the way down into the castle vaults and I followed behind. All this time I had been eager to be in on the old boys’ club, and now all I wanted to do was withdraw. I wondered how much of my time would be taken up with wearing this outfit and hanging out with the oldies. We came to a stop before the room that I had been banned from. The men secured their masks, and I followed suit. The mask stifled my breathing, and I couldn’t wait to take it off.

As though reading my mind, Lord Hawke instructed me, “Until we say otherwise. Understand?”

I nodded.