The Ends of the World (The Conspiracy of Us #3)(11)

I felt Stellan look down at me. We were taking my symbol, so we were taking his name. It only seemed fair.

Behind the mass of Circle members, I could see Keepers standing against the far wall. Jack and Elodie, though, were near us. I met Elodie's eyes for a second, and she gave the smallest shake of her head. She hadn't seen anything, either.

"Repeat my words," the moderator said, translating into English after a long speech I couldn't understand. "I pledge fealty to my brothers, and may nothing come between us, to my death." We repeated the words. "I pledge to do no harm to my own, or risk losing my life. My blood, my family, my brothers, stronger as one than apart. The thirteen as one, a world ruled by blood."

"By blood," came a murmur from the group.

From all corners of the room, bells tolled, their light tinging reverberating off the walls. The chanting started up again, low, the bass to the bells' soprano, and then the crowd parted to reveal a fire that had just been lit. I was startled for a moment that they'd let smoke touch this ancient place, but this was the Circle. Of course they would.



       
         
       
        

The moderator threw a handful of something into the fire and it flared high, blinding me and releasing the pungent scent of herbs. I felt Stellan wince. Fire was one of the only things in the world he was afraid of.

The moderator called something in a language I didn't know, and a smaller group of people stepped forward, holding knives.

"A baptism by flame unites the lines," the moderator said. This was the last part of the ceremony before the tattoos. I felt a tug in my gut. Were we really going through with this?

"Rule by blood!" the moderator announced.

"By blood," the crowd murmured again.

Sergei Vasilyev came forward. He sliced a line across his forearm and let the blood drip into the fire as the flames tried to lick at his skin. Then the moderator handed him something.

It was a small box, its lid hinged open. "This same blood, combined as one, will make the Circle complete," he proclaimed. Combining blood. That sounded as familiar as the box itself.

Mr. Vasilyev let another drop of blood fall into the box, and handed it off to his right. The next Circle family head, and the next, all the way down the line, did the same. The fire crackled, growing as if fueled by the offerings.

I had my eyes planted firmly on the box. Stellan pressed closer, his hand over mine at his elbow. He'd seen, too, and by the look in their eyes, so had Jack and Elodie. It might be the same replica box we'd seen last night. It was the same size and shape. But it looked-different, somehow.

The chanting grew louder. Stellan and I were each handed a knife of our own. By unspoken agreement, we stepped away from each other. The chanting grew frenzied as I came to the edge of the fire. The heat was like a wall this close. I put the tip of the knife to the forearm farthest from Stellan, and drew the blade across my skin. I felt a bead of sweat drip down my chest. I held my arm over the fire, as far in as I could reach, and watched the dark droplets sizzle as they fell.

I stepped back. The box was placed in my hands.

I knew immediately that, though it looked just like the one we'd seen last night, it was not the same. This was far older, like the one at the Melechs' was a toy. I held my arm over it, and let my blood drip inside onto wood already stained red.

And then I saw it. Etched into the back wall of the box was our symbol.

If anyone had spotted it, they might have assumed it had been specially engraved for today. But this carving was not new. I looked up. Stellan's eyes were burning into me like he was trying to read my mind. I tilted the box so he could see, and then glanced back at Jack and Elodie and let my eyes widen a fraction. 

The moderator cleared his throat and gestured Stellan forward. The chanting continued.

Stellan stepped to the fire, letting his blood drip. He rejoined me, and I reluctantly handed him the box. Once we finished this, the ceremony would be all but done.

I could see the same thoughts swirl behind Stellan's eyes. He took the box. His blood dripped inside. The bells chimed like a chorus of heartbeats. Row after row, the Circle members got to their knees.

That's when Elodie screamed.

I jumped so hard, I almost knocked the box out of Stellan's hands. The chanting cut off abruptly.

"Run!" she yelled, pointing. "They're coming for us!"

It didn't matter that she was pointing at nothing. It didn't matter that it didn't make sense. This was her version of pulling a fire alarm, and it worked. Keepers were rushing to their families, hustling them toward the exit. People screamed, threw back the hoods on their robes.