THAT SIK LUV

3. Alliance

Mia paces before me at the edge of bed, gripping her shoulder-length hair in golden clumps between her fingers. practically burning through the wooden floors with the back-and-forth friction.

"He destroyed your entire ceremony! The Deacon was perplexed when that explosion hit. None of this is okay," she declares with fire in her tone.

That's what it must've been. His reason for not paying attention to the girl fighting for her life beneath the water. Right?

"We don't know that he had anything to do with this," Baret corrects her, playing devil's advocate as he always does. "As far as we know, he wasn't even there."

As they contemplate who started the fire in the church, disrupting the finality of my ceremony, my mind focuses on one person and one person alone.

Aero, whoever he is, had everything to do with it. But it's the motive I can't seem to understand.

"The Westwoods are hosting the post-Induct party tonight," Baret declares.

"Even though they refused to come?" Mia asks, sounding annoyed as ever. "Such trash."

I sigh, listening to them go back and forth as they always do.

"Their family remains the top contributors to the church. They're kind of allowed to do whatever they wish," I add in.

She simply rolls her eyes at him before focusing on mine.

"Whatever, but I'm getting you ready."

I narrow my eyes, frowning. "No. I'm not going to that party."

"Actually, you are," she corrects me. "And we are confronting this."

Baret makes a pained face, clearly caught in the middle of this strange predicament. I look out the window, seeing the sun now setting as the sky turns a beautiful shade of pink and purple swirls.

If I'm to be regarded as someone of worth in this church, I need to make my presence known. They need to know that Briony Strait will not cower away, but face adversity head on. Like a leader would.

"You know what? You're right," I say, earning a surprised face from the both of them. "I need to address this, and there's only one way to do that."

They look at each other before their eyes find mine.

"Well, I guess we'll start with getting you into something that demands attention."

I roll my eyes as hers light up, wiggling her eyebrows at my brother, who's watching with apprehension.

***

I swallow down my internal fears as the three of us walk into the Westwood Manor.

The place is what you'd expect of old money. Elevated ceilings, marble floors, paintings that cost more than most ordinary family homes. It's extravagant and only signifies why their family has the control they do over the church. Their contributions keep the place up and running. Of course, they govern decision-making processes.

Money is power, even in religion.

I flatten out the bottom of the black, fitted dress Mia convinced me to wear with my sweaty palms as I flip my straightened-black hair behind my shoulders onto my back. After persuading Mia and Baret I was more than okay to handle this, I went off on my own in search of Saint.

A conversation was needed. An adult conversation to address this situation. I just hoped he would be willing.

Saint has tormented me for years with his gang of buddies that seem to always stick by his side. Growing up in a small, yet prosperous town has everyone knowing you and your entire family's business. While our family was far from the scandalous type, there were always people ready to find secrets to dig up and revive dead rumors for their own vendettas. Saint was your typical grade-school bully. Teasing me for being the overachiever that I was, hating the fact that I schooled him in every class and subject.