“And it made us let them change the color of our eyes,”Terilynsays in a low voice.
“So the whole lot of you went out and let yourself be defiled?”SisterAgatha’sexpression is growing more horrified by the moment.
“It’s not our fault—blame that witch!”Mirabellasnaps.“Sheput this curse on us—and forced us to get pregnant too!”
“MercifulGoddess!”SisterAgathashakes her head.“Ican’t believe it!Areallof you defiled?”
“I’m not,”Isay, in a small voice.
“What?”Mirabellaturns on me, her green eyes narrowed in disbelief.“Youliar—Isaw you atTheAnvil.You’reas defiled as the rest of us!”
“No,I’mnot.”Istand up from my cot, putting the pillow aside to show myself.
“Elowen is just so fat you can’t tell that she’s pregnant,”Loreleisneers.
Which is a lie.Yes,I’mcurvy but you could certainly tell ifIhad a belly like the rest of them, which makes them all look nine months gone.
“My eyes are still blue,”Isay, instead.I’mdone with their insults—they can call me “fat cow” all they want—they’re the ones with strangers’ babies kicking in their bellies.
SisterAgathacomes across to me and takes me by the chin in her pincer-grip.Itry not to wince as she leans in to study my eyes.Herbreath smells musty and faintly fishy.
At last she lets me go and steps back.
“Well, at least one of you had the sense to keep her legs closed!”she declares.Thenshe glares at the rest of the girls.“Therest of you must all leave the temple at once.TheGoddesswon’t have wanton girls under her roof.”
I feel a twinge of guilt mixed with shame.Iwas wanton enough withTheron—he was just good enough to help me break the curse without changing the color of my eyes.
The other girls are whining and complaining, andMelanieis protesting that it isn’t fair.
“I saw her atTheAnvil—she was with the smith!”she shouts, pointing at me.“There’sno way she’s still pure!Shegot fucked the same way we all did—Iknow it!”
“Mirabella, language!”SisterAgathaexclaims, looking scandalized.Sheshakes her head.“Idon’t know howIever thought you were a good, decent girl when clearly you’re just a slut.”
“It was the witch’s fault!”Mirabellaprotests angrily.“Takeit up with her—withGrizalyn!Shedid this to us!Shecursed us!”
“It wasn’t the witch who spread your legs for whoever it was you were with,”SisterAgathasays grimly.“Nowall of you—out!BeforetheGoddessstrikes you down for brining your wanton ways into her house!”
She forces the girls to pack their things and then pushes them out the door.
“But where will we go?”Hortenceasks, tears in her eyes.“Myfamily won’t want me like this!”Andshe nods down at her protruding belly.
“There’s a halfway house for unwed mothers in the next town over,”Shantillasays, speaking up unexpectedly.“Wecould go there.”
“We’d better hurry!”Loreleiexclaims, clutching her belly.“Ifeel ready to burst!”
“I don’t care where you go, as long as you never darken this doorway again!”SisterAgathadeclares.“I’mashamed of you, girls—all of you!”
She forces them to leave, tears in their newly green eyes as they walk out the back door of the dorm.Clearlyshe doesn’t want any outsiders to see them—it would doubtless damage the reputation of the temple.
At last, when they’re all gone, she turns back to me.
“Well?Howis it you were able to resist the curse when none of the others could?”she demands.
“I…Idon’t know.”Ican feel my cheeks getting red asIremember thatIdidn’t really evade the magic—it’s just thatTheronhad mercy on me.
SisterAgathanarrows her eyes.
“I knowGrizalyn—she was once aPriestesshere.She’svery powerful—so powerful that she was theHolyAdvisorto the royal family for a while.Howdid you evade her magic?”
