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“You sound like Sully,” I said “And I’m more of a traditionalist I don’t think we have toSometimes, we should just respect history”

“Sully’s right,” Montgoh e have You will soon enough, and I have a feeling you won’t want to keep to tradition like you think”

“Well, it can’t all be bad if y’all found the love of your lives during the Initiation” I shrugged and took another s ofto be far different than yours, however I can’twith one at the end Unlike you guys, I have to think aboutwhen this is all done I can’t run for Mayor like I plan with a soiled reputation And I can’t riskunsavory to the Darlington voters Y’all know I have to care about lineage and name, and… it’s politics”

My buddies all rolled their eyes but in good fun They kne iroomed to follow the same path as my father since birth It ho I was and my entire identity

The Oleander, The Order of the Silver Ghost, and the Initiation were the final step to et all the support and backing that was required to secure the votes to win

“I sure as hell never thought I’d be planning a wedding when I was done with the Trials,” Emmett said “You’ll see just how much you can’t control your destiny once you’re within those walls The Oleander can be a real bitch that way It’s also not a given that you’ll pass just because your father is an Elder There’s going to be a lot of Trials you won’t want to do And even your daddy can’t help you”

I nodded in agreeoing through the Trials was all a technicality and for shoould be a member and, very soon after, becoroomed for this too

There was one big truth to being born and raised in Darlington

Your book of life, and each chapter in it, had been written for you

No rewrites allowed

A month and a half later

“What do you , into Mrs H’s sorrowful face

“She caed o on”

I scrambled out of bed and stared at the empty space beside me Where my Belle was supposed to be