His toes were turned towards us. He was watching us. Why wouldn’t he? It was a strange interaction, one meant to get under Thomas’ skin, for what? To see if he would crack?
Why was Azrael able to affect him that much after only attending for such a short time?
It was curious.
I foresaw a meeting with Pastor Masters in our near future.
“Look up.”I heard the whisper like a bird’s song through the raging sea.“Look up.”An order.
But I couldn’t. Didn’t the sea know? Much worse was out there than him. Much worse. The sea couldn’t destroy land. It would never have the strength.
~ ~ ~
We waited in Pastor Masters office for a while before the door finally opened.
“Thomas, the Leaders have become impatient.”
“I needed to speak with you first,” he replied, standing.
Because he didn’t need to deal with what they did when they became impatient. I could deal with the bruises though. Right now, I was more interested to know why we were here. I assumed it was because of our new member.
I remained where I was, standing in the corner. I wasn’t allowed to sit down, but I didn’t foresee this being a long conversation either.
“About what?”
“Azrael wants to speak with you about becoming a Leader and I don’t think you should allow him that access.”
“Because you’re threatened?”
“Because he seems a little less than reliable.”
The sound of Pastor Masters’ chair met my ears. “Azrael is exactly what we need in this church,” he responded after a pause of two Mississippi’s. “Perhaps it would do the other Leaders well to know that there are willing younger participants out there who are just as dedicated to God as we are.”
“Father—”
“The young ones are more willing to shift their perspectives,” he interrupted. “I’m going to speak with him, hear what he truly has to offer. I make no promises either way, but if he is willing to be more…dedicated then I see no reason why we can’t move him up.”
They were going to make him a permanent member. First a member of the congregation, then a Pillar, and maybe after that a Leader.
Eventually, it would be required of him to get a Favorite, and if he wasn’t sent here by the Elders, which was what I was starting to suspect with how he taunted Thomas, then he wouldn’t have the pull to choose me. Despite the fact that I had felt no hope that I would get a small break from Thomas before we were to be married, I did feel a little like the cage door was being locked shut.
Nobody would ever be powerful enough to request me as their Favorite and win against him. I would only ever be his Favorite, his betrothed, his to share.
Forever.
7
Bonus Chapter
Azrael
November 16th, 2019
It was interesting how easily she had convinced herself that her friend was safe.
I expected her to be smarter than that, although her friend wasn’t an actual threat in any meaning of the word.
I watched them from a small alcove on the second floor as they made their way to the makeshift bar, grabbed several shots, took them all, and made their way to the gutted sanctuary.
