“What about those of us who want to be a wife? Who’d give anything to have a child? There are no exceptions for women who are eligible for the Hunt by no fault of our own.” Though my voice breaks, I force myself to hold his gaze. He needs to hear this, needs to believe that it’s not as simple as we’re all taught.
His fists unfurl, spurring me to continue.
“I’d give anything to have all of those things. I want someone to wake up beside me every night. Someone who’ll appreciate my secret sourdough recipe and boast about my shoulder massages to his friends. He’ll swear he has the best wife out of all of ’em.”
My lips curl as I welcome the familiar daydream of a husband wrapping me in his arms as soon as he comes home. He’d pull me away from the sink and lift me onto the bed. I’d scold him for messing up the pile of laundry I just folded, and he’d promise to help refold after we’re finished. That’s the future I once envisioned for myself. Being needed. Treasured. A woman of infinite value to a man who’ll keep his vow of “till death do us part.”
I’d thought I had it, once. I should’ve known dreams weren’t meant to last.
A warm palm braces my shoulder, squeezing once before dropping it. “Maybe someday you’ll get that.”
But he won’t be the one to give it to me.
I shake my head at the unspoken implication.
“I won’t if my name gets called tomorrow. No matter how many times I’ve tried, what I have to offer has never been enough.” Before he can interrupt, I plead, “Please. I’m begging you. I can be
whatever you want me to be, do whatever you want me to do. I’ll bethe perfectspouse. You’ll see.”
His knuckles turn white. “I won’t betray my wife to help you avoid your duty.”
A hot tear streaks down my nose. I turn my head away and offer a curt nod as a final goodbye, knowing it’s the last we’ll see of each other. There’s nothing else I can say to this man that would break through decades of purist brainwashing. As quickly as my laden legs will carry me, I trudge down the worn stone stairs.
No footsteps follow.
No objections to my exit.
Not that I expected either.
With a sigh, I take the remaining steps two at a time while avoiding the foundational cracks from the ever-shifting fault lines that Chancellor Bren has sworn to fix since he was first elected three terms ago. I wipe the tear from my face, and glide down the last few steps.
An arched doorway etched withR1marks the first residential level. I slink beneath it, in tow with a line of tiny brown beetles that greet me with their musty spritz. The breathy moans that drift beneath more than one poorly sealed threshold remind me that the reeking insects aren’t the worst of my neighbors. At least the six-legged creatures don’t advertise their romantic activities well into the late morning hours, making it a near daily gamble on whose orgasms will haunt my dreams.
Yet another punishment of failing to find a husband: being sentenced to live among the other “low contributors” in compact cabins that are within spitting distance of one another. Could be worse, I guess. At least the housing is free, albeit positioned in an echo chamber with a proximity to the surface that’s a bit too close for comfort. If Caligo is ever breached, we’ll be the first to go.
I quicken to a jog and cover the side of my face as I pass by aparticularly vocal bunch that makes a habit of leaving their door wide open.
Most of the sconces on this level have been dimmed as folks settle in for the day, ready to sleep off the sun’s waking hours, yet the one beside a dented steel door painted with three constellations remains fully lit.
Of course they’re waiting up for me.
I brace myself, then shove my key into the knob. Before I finish twisting it to the right, the door swings open, revealing two identical pairs of disapproving green eyes.
“Where in the burning pits of the sun have you been, Orelle?”
CHAPTER TWO
Before I can geta word out, Taurance yanks me into her chest. “Wethought you’d left!”
“Without us,” Gem adds with a grunt.
“Never.” I wrap my limp arms around Taurance to pat her back before she gently shoves me away. “I wouldn’t go back on our promise. If we leave, we leave together.”
Taurance’s lips thin as she turns to stand side by side with her sister. Rarely are the twins’ similarities on display. Taurance’s waist-length locks, husky voice, and less-is-more approach to clothing stand in contrast with her soft-spoken twin, who keeps her raven hair close-cropped and her body hidden beneath several layers. But seeing them stand before me now—their arms folded and jade irises hooded in scrutiny—the resemblance is unmistakable.
Together, they block off the narrow path between our off-kilter dining table and the partition curtains concealing our washroom. Taurance tugs on a chair, gesturing for me to sit. I’m eager to comply, if only to have the chance to lean back and rub at my closed lids.
“What took you so long?” Taurance presseswhile Gem disappears behind the curtains. “You’ve never gotten back past curfew.”
