Pretty Misfortunes (Cruel Boys of Raven Oak Prep #2)

~Chapter XVI~

~Kieran~

I WALKED INTO THE COUNCIL chambers with my spine strung tighter than a bow. As I dreaded it would come to fruition one day, apparently, even in death, Carnation still haunted me from her precious grave, infecting my mind like the plague she always was.

"Talk to me, Kier." Hansel pleaded. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"I'd rather not say."

"You're angry with me," he surmised.

I turned to him. "On the contrary, I am pissed. What made you think you had the right to relinquish such information to Poe, about Carnation, without telling us?"

Hansel narrowed amber eyes at me. They burned bright like twin flames. "I didn't think I had to ask your permission to talk about the girl I loved."

"You do when that person you are talking to is Poe!" I snapped.

Hansel and Phoenix studied me with similar expressions that embodied concern.

I startled them as much as myself in snapping at him as I did. I was not one to lose my resolve on any such occasion, however when it involved their beloved Carnation I always felt the tension begin to strangle my bones and take root. We made a pact not to talk about her amongst outsiders, so the fact he chose to indulge Poe without consulting the rest of us was a violation.

"Poe?" Phoenix said in mild amusement. "I remember you told us not to get attached to this girl. Now she has a nickname! What the fuck is going on with you?"

"It is like I told you over summer break."

"What about when she finds out what we did to her?" Hansel reprimanded.

"Are you sure that is all you are worried about?" He tensed, reading between the lines of what I was insinuating. "We did more than just break her heart. You of all should know that."

His jaw clenched. "I fucking know."

"Do you?" I was throwing salt on his wounds, of course, but maybe that was because we were both in the same position and hurting someone we both cared deeply about.

"What the fuck are you getting at?"

"I may be the primary villain here, but all of you did your own part in following through on our plans to get rid of Madelyn. Obviously that is not the case anymore."

"That still doesn't excuse what we did."

"I am aware. Do you think I made that proposal to get engaged to her out of lack of judgement?"

"No. But now that I think more on the subject, it would be even more cruel of you to force her into something she may not be ready for."

"I am in the process of telling her the truth."

"When?"

"The day of the charity ball. If there is any day we should tell her, it should be that day."

"Why the charity ball?"

I walked casually towards the round table, remembering a time not long ago when the representation of this circle meant more than a brotherhood. "Morris says he expects Tobias and his son to show themselves. Now that he is out of a coma he will rebuild on his business."

"What business? As far as we know the Carroll family have no money to their name." Hansel said, taking a seat across me in his prescribed throne.

"Not documented in the preceding years Tobias Carroll was hospitalized. Nix sent me a pass key to search the dark web. I uncovered a few rustic news articles surrounding the family and learned quite a bit of history in this city belongs to the Carroll name."