Who are still staring intently in Ellie’s direction, seemingly unconcerned or oblivious to the fate of their friends.
My heart makes a mad dash up my throat, trying to escape.
What the ever-loving fuck?
It only takes me seconds to dispatch the crazy-ass cult members. A twist of the neck here, and a slice of a blade there. Asthe last one falls, I lean forward to whisper in his ear, “The only one allowed to worship Ellie is us, asshole.”
“What the fuck just happened?” Ellie asks, taking a staggering step back, away from the bodies and blood on the floor.
Hot anger churns in my stomach and migrates all the way to my toes, feeding a burst of adrenaline that zings through my muscles and clears the fog in my mind.
“They think you’re a goddess,” I growl out. “Theirgoddess. Fuck.”
“They just…let you kill them.” Her voice shakes again.
“It’s not as satisfying to stab someone when they don’t fight back,” Zane says with a petulant pout.
“This is goddamn insane.” Beckett shakily runs his fingers through his tousled brown hair.
“Not insane,” Reece whispers, his voice subdued. “Well, not any more insane than everything else we’ve had to deal with.” He turns his masked face entirely in Ellie’s direction, swallowing convulsively. “You’re…you’re their goddess. The Divine One convinced all the believers that you’re Cassia reincarnated. Of course they’ll listen to what you say.”
Ellie’s face has drained of all color, looking paler than even Reece’s did in the artificial lighting.
“That’s…that’s crazy.”
“Hundreds of years ago, Aria’s family orchestrated this entire fucked-up religion. Maybe, at the time, they actually believed in it. But now, the Paragons of Prosperity is made up of two groups—the fanatics who believe death and sacrifice will bring them good fortune and luck, thanks to Cassia, and those who simply use the religion as an excuse to murder, rape, and steal.
“Most people stopped believing in Cassia…until your arrival. You brought faith back to the Paragons of Prosperity. Themajority of members believe you’re their goddess brought back to life.”
“Fuck,” Ellie whispers, her lips barely moving. “That’s exactly what Aria intended.”
Reece’s voice is solemn when he speaks next. “Aria may be the preacher, but she’s not a god. You are.”
Ellie swallows. “Are you suggesting…?”
“That you may be more powerful than even Aria is? Yes.” He shakily removes his mask and allows it to hang limply by his side. He stares at Ellie with nothing short of reverence in his gaze. I hate it. “You may be the key to stopping this all, Ellie. Forget destroying The Divine One. Maybe the way to stop the Paragons of Prosperity once and for all is to rally its members behind a new leader.”
Fuck me.
25
ELLIE
“So do we have a plan B?” Reece asks, placing his hands on his thighs and heaving out a stuttered breath. We’ve been sprinting down the halls for the last ten minutes and still have not found an exit. We’re running out of time and options.
“Dude, we didn’t even have a plan A,” Zane responds. “We’re literally winging this as we go.”
“Maybe you just need to hide,” I suggest, nibbling on my nail. My thoughts froth as solution after solution pop to the forefront of my mind before instantly getting buried.
“They’ll find me.” Reece’s voice is nothing but a whisper, rife with fear.
“Maybe I could try to convince them to let you go,” I continue, trying to follow the thread my mind unraveled. “Maybe?—”
“The Divine One will kill your men and torture you,” Reece interrupts. “She won’t allow herself to be undermined like that. Not even for you.”
“We can’t just stay here.” Dom begins to pace, his hands clenching and unclenching into fists by his sides. “We’re sitting ducks.”
“What options do we even have?” Beckett interrupts. “We can either help Reece survive the next fifteen minutes and pray The Divine One keeps her word?—”