Why the hell is she bringing him into this again?
“Why not?” Angela said, keeping a firm grip on Nina’s arm. Nina’s teeth were chattering, and she was tensed and ready to bolt. Any kind of proximity to Stephanie seemed to terrify her.
“Because as you saw this afternoon, he insulted me.” Stephanie made a visible effort to smile. “And because he’s lost it. Don’t you think I’m right? And now that he’s also lost my favor, he’s going to lose a lot more. At least with the sorority, you can always count on your sisters.”
There was a rustle from a corner of the room.
Angela caught a glimpse of Sophia, huddled in the darkness near the veranda, far enough away from the candles that her soft curls blended in with the shadows. Her eyes shimmered, like two black pools of oil, and her lips had parted, like she was astonished by something. But soon her mouth sealed into a grim line, and before anyone else noticed, she quickly turned away and stared out into the night.
That left one more missing person. Kim.
He’d promised to be here, but Angela couldn’t make out any of the other hooded people in the room.
“So are you finally interested in joining us?” Stephanie sounded triumphant, like she knew Angela’s decision already.
“Yes.”
Nina gasped. “Angela, you don’t know what you’re—”
Angela tugged on her arm, shutting her up. It was all an act, but Nina didn’t need to know any of that. Only Kim would know, and if he was there at all, she could imagine him grinning at her boldness. “So what do I do? How do I join?”
Stephanie was smiling genuinely now. “You prove yourself. If you’re a true blood head, you should be able to summon a spirit.”
“You mean an angel?” Angela said, scanning each robed figure for the foreign blonde with the braids. She was there, somewhere, maybe hoping for Stephanie to accidentally plummet off a cliff. The chapel suddenly felt heavy with evil intentions. “Or do you mean a demon?”
“Lucky you if that happens.” Stephanie resumed pacing. “But you could give it a try. Realistically, I’m sure you’ll end up with something subpar. Like most blood heads and”—she glanced at Nina—“gifted people. Maybe a dead human who can pinch people who tick you off. That kind of superficial stuff happens more often than you’d think. Nina Willis could tell you all about it, I’m sure. Which reminds me, Nina, I didn’t welcome you back properly.”
Stephanie’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Welcome back.”
Nina breathed hard, her skin beneath Angela’s palm clammy and moist. “I’m not here to summon a spirit, Stephanie,” she said, her words shivering with her. “All I want is to get rid of them.”
“Get rid of what?”
“The voices and visions in my head. You know what I mean.”
“Good luck with that,” Stephanie said. Her voice lowered, suddenly dangerous. “But you’re not here to be cured. You’re here to be a Sacrament, Nina. You don’t think we’d let you back without good reason?”
“What?” Nina’s face became paper white. “A Sacrament? But I’ll become possessed—”
“You knew what the price was, to come back here, to interfere. So make the choice. Take your place as Angela’s Sacrament or prepare for your next year to be hairless, voiceless, miserable, and wretched. Either will do. I’m not in the most compassionate mood tonight.”
“Enough,” Angela said, forcing them both to pay attention to her again.
God. She’s crazy. Why would anyone join this sorority at all? Unless they’re masochists—
Or social pariahs like Nina, aching for a reason to be accepted by anyone. It might have been the first time in her life, but now Angela was on the other side looking in, and something about that seemed wrong. She wasn’t meant to be a witch, or anything like Stephanie at all. Instead, she was meant to crush her. For a brief second, Kim’s hope that Angela was indeed the Archon held so much gratifying weight, her whole self burned with it. If Hell really had any demons, and they needed company, she’d be sure to send Stephanie home to roast with them.
But I’m not the Archon. I’m just a psycho with a sense of morality.
“If you want to get started,” she said, horribly aware of the echo to her voice, “I’m ready.”
“Oh, of course.” Stephanie blinked away her previous comments, as if Nina’s presence had been nothing more than a fly on her shoulder. The storm continued rumbling inland behind her, and without warning, a fierce wind suddenly rushed into the room, blowing out the candles and throwing the chapel into blackness. “Time to see what you’re made of.”