"Eleanor, please," I pleaded. "Let me explain."
"It was you. You killed him," she snapped. "Why? What did he ever do to you?"
"Milton, along with your original Daddy and some other Daddies, had planned to kidnap and rape you that night. They were going to kill you when they were done. I caught them discussing it and..."
Her eyes widened. "It was you. You killed my Daddy." She pulled away from me and backed into the wall. "You killed him and then took his place."
I put my hands up in innocence. "Yes, but not on purpose. I didn't want to take his place. I just wanted to save you."
"You're lying." She shook her head. "My Daddy would never."
"He would. Every generation has a Young Lady they choose, and this group had chosen you."
"That makes no sense." Tears poured from her eyes. "Why?"
"I can't answer that," I said truthfully. I had never heard of this ritual until I'd caught them in the act. It was vile, and I'd acted quickly.
"Eleanor!" The warden's voice boomed from a different hall and found us a moment later. He smiled tightly at us. I recognized the look. He wasn't happy. "We'd like to talk to you. About Milton."
"Why?" Her eyes flicked to me. "I told you I don't know anything."
"Yes, you did say that. I'd like to dive a little deeper. Come. You too, Callahan, she needs an escort."
I tried to follow her into the office, but he put his hand on my chest. "You stay here."
I nodded grimly. An hour later, Eleanor was released.
"I'm going to go to bed. It's been a long night," she said blankly. I led her back to our quarters. The moment the door slid shut, she perked her head up. "They think I did it."
"What? Why?" I hurried to her, embracing her tightly. "No. You couldn't have."
She sniffled. "I know. I told them that, but they kept telling me their story, trying to get me to agree to it. They said I went out to find Milton, he attacked me, and then I pushed him. They want me to go to the medic."
"What for?"
"T-they want to check if I'm a virgin."
It was as if they'd doused me with cold water. "Why? Did you tell them we?—"
"No! Of course not. They found my underwear on the tram. And my shoes with my name in them. They think he raped me and that's why I killed him."
"But why does it matter?"
"They want to know if I'm pregnant."
That was it.They wanted Milton's genes to live on, and they wanted Eleanor to be carrying it. They wouldn't find his DNA, if they looked.They'd find mine.
"I don't know what to do," Eleanor confessed. "They'll kill us both."
I squeezed her hand. "We need to leave. Hurry, pack a bag, get your medicine, all of it. I'll do the same."
"Where are we going?" she cried out.
"Where else? We'll have to go above."
Bags slung over our shoulders, we waited. The warden was going to wait until morning. I knew his tactics too well. He was currently in his office or private quarters, planning it all. Ten Daddies, all armed, ready to shoot us the moment they discovered Eleanor wasn't carrying Milton's child.
I doubted she was even carrying mine, but it wouldn't matter. The moment they realized she wasn't producing an heir for the warden or Milton, she was useless. She'd been defiled, and that didn't make for a good Young Lady.
