I glanced back his way, giving him a sharp smile. “As am I, and you’ll find that despite how short my time has been compared to someone ofyourstanding, I hold something you never will.”
He had puffed his chest out, his wife gripping onto their children with white knuckles. “And what is that?”
“Intelligence.” I straightened. “Read the books, Mr. Langston, you’ll find that the laws you claim to follow are nowhere in any book this church, the Founder, or the Elders ever wrote.”
With that, I turned on my heel and rejoined Scarlett who was still waiting patiently for me just inside the doorway, several Pillars staring and whispering while the regular congregation mingled and laughed.
Ignorant.
“Come,” I told her, and we started for the sanctuary. Sometimes, I would purposefully speak a little too loud about questionable things just to see if even one person turned their head, questioned what I meant, but there was nothing. In four years, not one person of the regular congregation asked a single question.
I suppose it was for the best. Who would want to take the risk of defamation for what’s right? The soulless were screaming so loud, they were drowning out the world in their meaningless, hateful speech, and those who actually had something to offer the world were too scared by sinister words to speak up for themselves.
But my sinner? I would train her thoroughly. I would teach her that she didn’t have to be loud to be heard. That more often than not, the louder the voice, the more nonsense they spewed. That there was power in silence.
It would be an easy lesson for her, I was sure.
“Good morning, Mr. Thorin,” Red greeted before we could make it in the sanctuary doors.
I paused, finding her blue-green eyes, wondering why she was stopping me. “Some might say it’s a testing one,” I countered in quiet warning.
Her eyes didn’t flinch. “I had heard you were one for skipping services, I suspected that was the case when you didn’t arrive earlier.”
I felt my smile grow. Scarlett had needed a littlebreakbefore we left the house. She may be angry that we were to marry, but that didn’t ease her urges. Part of me was starting to think that it wasn’t the fact that she was marryingmethat had her in a sour mood, but the fact that she was marrying anyone at all.
Being betrothed at 9 years of age? Being told her only purpose in life was to marry, bear Thomas’ children, and allow the Leaders to fuck her for the rest of her days? I couldn’t imagine the hatred I would feel at such an institution if that were my life I was signing away.
“Thank you for your concern, Ms. Sorrehl, but I am a private person and don’t have any obligation in telling you where I am and why.”
She angled her chin, her eyes sparking. She looked over at Scarlett, dragging her eyes up and down, taking her in in her entirety before she turned back to me. “I started coming here because I was sick of the other churches shifting their beliefs to reflect the beliefs of the world. I assumed this church would be better about that, yet here we are. Why is she on your arm this morning and not the arm of the Pastor’s son?”
My smile tightened. The little minx was challenging me in a place she had no right to. I appreciated her games outside of these walls, but this was a delicate balance of give and take, and she was taking far too much. Perhaps another plague in her precious bottle would remind her where she stood in my life.
Before I could respond, however, Garrett appeared at my side. “Good morning, Ms. Sorrehl, Mr. Thorin,” he nodded in mydirection. “It’s an announcement we’ll be making this morning, Poppy, tragic circumstances, I assure you, but Azrael here is doing a great service providing for the church. Azrael,” he gestured towards the sanctuary. “May I have a word with you.”
It was easy to explain away. The normal people of the church, those not involved in the depravities, knew that she was close to Thomas. That they were friends, but of course, they didn’t know that the two were betrothed. She was only 19. It would look suspicious to announce their betrothal after watching them spend so much time together over the years.
The announcement of our betrothal would be normal. It was easy to tell the normal members that we had simply spent some time outside of the church andfell in love. There would be no worry of questions.
I gave Red a small, threatening nod, wondering how I could manage to step away long enough to poison the water bottle she had sitting in her car. She had thwarted me in the past, but it’s been so long since we’ve had a good cat and mouse game. She might have lowered her guard after the last two years.
I followed Garrett into the sanctuary, the little sinner still right beside me, only moving a step behind me when one of the other members of the church didn’t move first.
“Don’t worry, doll, they’ll be bowing down at your feet soon enough.”They would have no choice without the use of their legs.
He led me right up to the front of the stage steps and finally turned to me, his eyes flicking to Scarlett and back.
“Don’t worry, your son trained her well,” I hummed, holding my cane in my left hand so she could stand on my right side unencumbered.
“That’s not my worry,” he stated coldly. “You’ve had me move up the date, brought her here like a show-pony, breaking lawafter law, for what? What is your game, Azrael? To embarrass the church? We have excommunicated for less.”
My smile only tightened. “I’ve read the Good Book, Garrett, I’ve read the book of rules you’ve given to her, and every other book I could get my hands on. There is no rule or law stating thatmybetrothed has to stand a foot behind me. There is no law or rule stating that I must click my tongue like a trainer to get her to come, and there is no law or rule stating that she must wear the ugliest of clothes. She is covered from head to toe. She isn’t speaking, looking, or breathing anywhere I don’t tell her too, and she walks and stops when I say. I’m following every rule that the Founder has written. Unless, that is, you believe your stances are above his?”
His eyes widened ever so slightly, true fear in his eyes before he hardened his gaze. “How dare you say such things. If I had another transporter, I would—”
“Excommunicate me?” I offered only to shrug. “I suppose it’s a good thing for me that you don’t then. Don’t worry, we’ll be married next week, and then all of these little problems you have will disappear. She’ll be mine to use, abuse, and amuse for as long as I want, and she’ll no longer be under the rule of‘For the Pure of the Church’.” Although the book was a fun idea. Maybe I should commandeer the wild rose to write one for me.
He shook his head, clearly at a loss on how to handle me.
