Castiel surveyed the room, fists on his hips again. The pose didn’t look very holy. It looked…like a warrior.
Questions buzzed in the back of my mind. Not now, I told myself. Elder White will be angry with me if I say anything now. He usually gave a good tongue-lashing and speech about women needing to know their place, even pretty ones. Especially lackwitted ones. Though, I’d once asked him, “You’ve pointed out many lackwitted women to me. Can you show me an intelligent one?”
He had blustered, saying if the church didn’t have any, that was well and good. Women didn’t need intelligence to follow Lord Erlik’s commands, and wasn’t that a blessing, because men had so much harder a time to live up to his precepts?
“What an honor,” Castiel said gravely. He cocked his head. “I believe your reverend mentioned something about space for the sun?”
“Yes.” White bobbed his head. “You need it to nourish you. How odd—though who am I to question Lord Erlik’s ways?”
I watched Castiel.
“Well.” White turned stiffly, as if not quite sure how to share space or authority with the mighty winged Herald, who was clearly his superior in every way. “We added this.” He stepped backward and opened the last door. It used to go to the herb garden, though we rarely used it.
But once Eve had sent confirmation through Absalom and myself that she’d found the Herald, the reverend had ordered many of the men to create a sort of glass-paneled enclosure to give the Herald a chance at light.
It didn’t quite make sense to me. We weren’t keeping chickens. We were hosting the servant of a god. But I knew better than to ask questions.
White’s chest puffed up as he led Castiel into the warm glass room.
“Hmm.” Castiel crossed his arms, which made his biceps bulge. Drat these seraphim and their obsession with bare chests. He glanced around at the bare dirt, then up at the ceiling.
I hadn’t seen it completed, so I also let my eyes roam.
Little weeds and leftover bits of herbs poked through the top, loose layer of dirt. Someone had artfully arranged a few rocks and one large boulder.
“It, ah.” White coughed. “It’s new. We created it fresh so we could build a garden to your specifications.”
Castiel looked at him, calm as you please. But I could hear the steel in his voice. “Why is there a roof?”
“Because of rain?”
I bit back a snort, but Castiel must’ve heard something because his eyes shot to me. “Lily?”
I dipped my face, letting my eyelashes fall like a curtain over my eyes. “Nothing, Herald.”
“You are suddenly quiet,” he said, and my heart sank. “What, no opinions and insults like before?”
I shook my head, clasping my hands together in my skirts. My breath turned shallow as I hoped he wouldn’t say anything else.
Elder White took a step toward me, putting a hand on my shoulder.
Through my eyelashes I saw a flash of something across Castiel’s face.
“Was she impertinent, Herald? She usually keeps a still tongue in her mouth, for years ago her father had to discipline the harsh words out of her.”
That was unfortunately true. I had been quite free with my opinions, particularly if I thought something was stupid. But I learned what Lord Erlik required of grown women, and I made certain to be quiet, humble, and obedient as much as I could. My beauty already attracted most men’s eyes; I didn’t want anything else.
That spark returned to Castiel’s eyes as he focused on White’s hand causally resting on my shoulder.
After a heartbeat, Castiel looked back at the ceiling. “It feels rather…enclosed.”
Elder White smiled.
“Is it to keep dangerous creatures out?” Castiel leveled him with a gaze.
“Anglia is a very safe land,” White hurried to assure him.
“Then perhaps it's to keep dangerous things in,” Castiel said softly. His features seemed sharper, and he crossed his arms, looming like a predator.
