The Blood Rite

Chapter Fifty Six

They left at midnight. After Emelia had dressed Ruby up, she'd led her to where Orpheus waited with a large group of Shadows. Ruby stopped by his side and ignored his gaze. His eyes continued to roam over her as she stared forward until he said, amusement lacing his tone, "You accepted it."

Ruby didn't deign to answer. She didn't want to admit that she'd gotten scared last second and only allowed a small part of the darkness in. It was small enough that it numbed her to her guilt but she still felt the fear. The anger. She honed in on the last.

He chuckled, "Good to know you're no longer scared of me."

Confusion lined her brows, and she tried to make sense of his words, but couldn't. He'd tortured her and he was going to kill thousands. She wouldn't let him get to her. So, shaking it off, she ignored him. As they waited for what she wasn't sure, Ruby balled her fists in her skirt and tried to hold on to that sliver of darkness.

It was trying to escape back down into the chasm. Maybe she wasn't allowed to pick and choose how much she could let in. Maybe it was all or nothing. But Ruby didn't want to lose her humanity just yet and turn into Orpheus.

Would you actually?

She shoved the question away. Ruby picked at her dress. It was velvet, the skirt floating around her legs and landing in a puddle at her feet. It was crimson with black lace trimming the deep neckline, the sleeves at her wrist, and the slit up her leg. Emelia hadn't given any reason as to why Ruby had to be dressed up in order to slaughter innocents but Ruby hadn't asked either. Her hair was wrapped into a loose coil at the nape of her neck. She huffed a breath, stiring the curls around her face.

Now that she was thinking about it, the question was too much. "Why do I need to wear this? Pants are a lot more practical."

"The red hides the blood." She arched a brow and with the tiniest lift to the side of his mouth, he said, "It's a symbol, Ruby. A show of power."

"Why do you need a show of power if you are going to kill all of them anyways?"

"I'm not," he said simply, "if I do, who will be left to fear us? Fear can't spread if it is eliminated."

Ruby screwed her mouth and tore her gaze away. She hadn't expected to leave anyone alive. Part of her was glad about it, but she knew that it didn't matter. All of them should be left alive.

A large crowd of Shadows strolled through the forest towards them. Ruby stiffened but from the way Orpheus's shoulder sloped the barest inch, she knew that this was what they'd been waiting for. They didn't speak when they approached, only moved to stand with the rest. Ruby tried not to make eye contact with them while watching them in her periphery.

"Let's move," Orpheus said, loud enough for the rest to hear.

They walked through the field and into the woods. Ruby followed blindly, unsure of where they were going. Were they attacking a specific base? Eventually, the more time passed she grew irritated.

"Where are we going?" She snapped.

"Tonight is a holiday for the hunters," he said, his voice floating from beside her in the dark.

"So?"

"What do you think people do for holidays?"

She stopped to think, then understanding hit her. Ruby turned and tried to get a good idea of their numbers, "What are our chances?"

"With you? Winning. Without you? It's up to luck."

"And you?" She asked, head spinning, "What will you do? Stand on the sidelines and look pretty in your symbolic suit?"