She was dressed in all black, unlike the dress from the other day, this outfit was designed for movement and mobility. It was hard to call it a gown. The top half was an elegant, flowing blouse adorned with a corseted vest, buttons in the front, ribbons in the back, and a hidden breast pocket. The sleeves were ruffled near the wrists, flowing down and covering the tips of her fingers.

On the bottom, Lenore had a pair of tight fitting pants—she couldn't decipher what material they were made from, but it reminded her of velvet. Honestly, whoever created this outfit made their inspirations obvious. The half cape that hung off of one shoulder and the knee high, laced up boots. She looked like a modern day knight, the only thing she was missing was a sword and helmet.

Scratch that, there was a small cap atop her head, a black veil made of lace covering most of her face. It was annoying to have her vision obstructed, even the slightest amount, but it was to their advantage that all newly appointed Apostles were made to keep this level of anonymity and seclusion until the Saint inducted them under the power of Arkaydian.

They said it was for purification, but it was only for ceremonial purposes. As if any of those damned Apostles were pure. The thought was enough to almost cause her to break the silence in the parlor where everyone gathered.  

Her gaze strayed to her Uncle. He stood on the far side of the room, in a suit that appeared freshly pressed and tailor to fit him. The moment she entered the room, following behind Camila, he appeared before her like a creature from her nightmares.

Lenore expected an attack, but he handed over the token that the Seventh brought the day before. She had forgotten about it—he must have picked it up sometime after her attempt on his life. It was surprising that he even considered returning it. The weight of it in the back pocket of her pants only served as a constant irritation.

Why did he return it? Her eyes narrowed. It was more than suspicious, it was inconceivable—especially, after the value the Seventh placed on it. She wanted to draw the truth from him; peel back his skull and find a way to read his mind. If only Kaiser wasn't protecting the bastard.

She took a deep breath, turning away. It would be fine. Once they finished things tonight, he would be dead and she would know the truth of everything. 

Emilio fiddled with the jacket he was wearing, it looked a bit too tight around his chest. The white, blank expression on the mask resting askew on his head stared back at Lenore as he lowered his chin to chest; struggling more with the outfit. In that moment, she found understanding at the indiscriminate, numb face. It was how a god might look down upon its creation. It saw everything but felt nothing; did the foot care about the ant?

She approached him with steady steps, swallowing the darkness. Lenore reached out and touched the back of his hand. He jerked to attention, surprising that he didn't sense her. Perhaps his nerves were as frayed as her own. She lifted the veil with her other hand and gave him an apologetic smile.

"You look like you could use some help."

His expression softened at the sight of her. "You don't have too. It's just a bit small."

Lenore let out a small laugh, before reaching out to him again, pushing his hands away from the jacket. Thankfully, this wasn't her first rodeo with knight attire. In fact, as a child they were all forced to take some classes with the family—it's how they scouted those with talents. So, she knew a little bit about the design.

"There should be an adjustable strap," she said as she undid the zipper and slipped her hands inside. Her face pressed against his chest and Emilio lifted his arms above his head. It was clear that he was uncomfortable with the contact, though she wasn't sure why.

"Sorry. It should be around here—" Her fingers knocked against the small buckle on the strap. "Found it!"

Lenore gave the buckle a tug and the strap loosened. She pulled it a bit more to be sure, before stepping back. "There you are."

Emilio relaxed his arms and zipped the jacket closed. He tested the movement for a moment before glancing down at her, a bit of color in his cheeks.

"Thanks."

"What are friends for?" she said without thought. Only the moment the words settled over her; Lenore was embarrassed. It wasn't something she was conscious of, not something she intended to say.

He also seemed taken by surprise at the comment. Such an innocuous word; friends. But it meant a lot to Lenore. She never had something like a friend before. And to use that word the first time, out loud, with a fiend—well, that was beyond ridiculous, it was absurd.

Then something unexpected happened, Emilio smiled at her. He smiled and her chest filled with warmth and her body trembled with excitement. He hadn't rejected her statement or laughed at the thought. It was true then, they were friends.

"What are you two doing?" Camila asked, glancing between the two of them as she approached. "Looks like Boss might have some competition after all."

Emilio coughed at her comment.

Lenore lifted a brow. "What?"

"Ignore her. She likes to imagine impossible things to amuse herself," Patrick mumbled as he joined them. 

"I don't want to hear that from a forever bachelor."

"That's by choice."

"Yes, you open your mouth and people choose to have nothing to do with you." Camila gave him a toothy grin, eyes sparkling with mischief. She didn't love teasing anyone as much as Patrick.

His face burned bright red. "You—"

"Enough of that." Kaiser's smooth voice demanded their attention. Everyone turned toward the door. Even dressed like the others in the faceless knight attire he stood out. It wasn't fair. And honestly, a bit distracting. "It's time to head out. All preperations are in place and everyone has gathered." 

Lenore's thoughts scattered at that. "Everyone?"

He nodded, sparing her only a small glance. "Indeed."

This must have something to do with why he and the others kept disappearing throughout the week. Another secret he kept from her. There was a painful twist in her chest, but she erected the wall before it could travel through the bond.

Still, even with the barrier, he took another glance in her direction; a sorrowful light dancing in eyes for a moment. But as though it was a trick of the light, it disappeared.

"You heard the man. Let's get this show on the road," Lenore said, pulling back her shoulders and raising her chin. She twisted, snapping her fingers at her Uncle. "You, walk in front of me."

He snorted at her comment but said nothing. Only smiled to himself as he passed by her and walked out of the room. There was no way she was going to trust that bastard. She followed after him, pausing for a moment to cast a glance at Kaiser. Even with the veil he met her gaze with ease, giving her a small acknowledging nod before looking away.

It grated on her nerves but she was determined not to let it get to her. She could be satisfied with the fact she was alive, made some unexpected friends, and got her revenge. Wanting or expecting anything more would be pointless and greedy; Wouldn't it?  

# # #

Outside there were six large, black moving vans and a SUV limo. Around them were humans dressed in black and white. They weren't people that she recognized but the moment that the others exited the manor they approached with smiles and hugs. It seemed they favored Emilio amongst the others, though that favoritism was only noticeable to Lenore because it was something she grew up witnessing.

It didn't take long for her to put everything together. These were the humans—or well, more of the humans, since she had met two before, that were working alongside the fiends. The ones that Kaiser was protective over.

Lenore turned to see her Uncle, standing not far from her, watching the group with a calculating gaze. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. This was something that he shouldn't be seeing; people he shouldn't be mixing with. It was dangerous for them to be around such a person.

She took a step towards him but stopped when nearby van door slid open and she saw what was inside. Her entire body turned cold at the sight. A fiend, thrashing around inside of a cage. It was as ugly and terrifying as the ones she interacted with before.

There were six vans and Lenore was certain there were similar beasts caged and carried within them. This had Kaiser written all over it. The special treat he prepared for the rest of the family. She shuddered at the thought; at her own horrid experiences with those monsters. If the Apostles were taken care of as Kaiser intended, it would be nothing more than a feeding frenzy for these beasts.

There was a catering service name and number decal on each van. She only wondered if it was something that Kaiser created specifically for this event or if it was something they had stolen. Honestly, either one was a probable option. It was brilliant on his part, no minor detail was overlooked. This was a revenge he was working on much longer than Lenore. 

A heavy presence hovered and Lenore didn't need to look to know who it was. "You're quite the villain, aren't you?"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kaiser remarked.

"How do you intend to get past the security with those things?"

"We lined the inside of the vans with Wisteria."

"Of course you did. There isn't anything you haven't planned for." Why did her stomach hurt? She wasn't going to feel sorry for her actions now. No matter how devious that made her.

He let out a humorless chuckle. "That's not true."

"Isn't it? Everything has gone exactly the way you intended from the beginning." Lenore turned to him then, happy for the veil and the darkness.

He shook his head, closing the distance between them. He reached out, fingertips brushing the edge of the veil before he lifted it.

She had the urge to slap his hand away but she clenched her fingers into a tight fist at her side. Instead, she met his searching gaze with a heavy scowl. Though, Lenore wasn't certain if she was more angry with him or herself, at the moment.

"What?"

"Think whatever you want. But you weren't something I could have ever planned for."

Surprise took her, and her anger blew away on the gentle evening breeze. What did he expect her to say? Was he screwing with her one last time for fun? The gentle expression on his face seemed genuine.

She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by one of his people. "Kaiser, we should head out soon if you want to keep the schedule."

He dropped her veil and stepped away. "Right, you know the plan. No matter what happens from this point on to me or anyone else—keep to what I said." 

"Of course."

Lenore watched the man walk back to the small crowd that gathered round the open van. "What plan did you give them?"

"It's not important. You just worry about yourself and what you need to accomplish." His tone left no room for argument. It was cold and direct.

She pressed her lips together, holding back the retort that burned the back of her throat. This was how he wanted things to be—whatever moment they shared was broken. They were allies today because of their shared enemy, but when the sun rose tomorrow—there was no knowing what they would be. Lenore inclined her head and dismissed herself, not looking back.

But without a doubt, they weren't and never could be friends.