“Oh gods. That doesn’t sound good.”
I peel my eyes open and give her an appreciative smile for dropping the other conversation immediately. I have no doubt she has more questions.
“It isn’t and we don’t see a way out of it. Yet, anyhow. In the coming days, Harriseen is going to send out a decree of a mandatory power measuring that all completed Valtrues have to adhere to. It’s called the Power Worthiness Test. Any chosen Attendants to those Valtrue members have to participate as well.”
Her eyes widen.
“Oh shit.”
Both Yemi’s and my heads whip toward Rose’s muttered curse.
“Sorry for my language. That just took me by complete surprise.”
My small, resistant chuckle shifts into a full belly laugh I can’t contain. It’s contagious enough that Yemi quickly falls into a fit as well. Rose bashfully snickers behind her hand.
“Gods, I’m corrupting you and Riven’s corrupting Lambrit. Before I know it, you’re both going to be dropping the F-word and calling people assholes.”
A smirk dusts Rose’s lips.
“You’d be surprised the foul language that goes on in my mind. I just…” She sighs as her sweet smile turns sad and my frown is immediate.
“My sisters and I were expected to carry ourselves in a very proper manner. Curse words got us popped in private. My parents were very strict and prominent members in Abernie society. Everything we did was under scrutiny.”
I swallow the anger that burns in my blood on her behalf.
“I had no clue you had sisters.”
She grunts. “Three. I don’t talk about them. They pretty much let me know how they felt about me when I was chosen on my Veiling Day. We were never supposed to enter. My parents have a strong belief that one day, the gods are going to come to the region and handpick those worthy enough to be here.
“Until that time, they were going to be picking our husbands for us, then our husbands would pick what we do from that point on in our lives. I didn’t want that. I was willing to do anything to get out of it. I never really thought I’d be selected, but I ran out of options other than run away. I knew I didn’t know how to survive on my own. So I gave my blood to the Volreen. My wedding was scheduled for one week after the Veiling Day.”
My fingers press against my lips as I stare at her in utter shock.
“Holy shit.”
I don’t know what else to say.
“Yeah.” She sighs. “My parents and sisters let me know I was disowned from that moment on. Not that it mattered. I knew once I was here, I’d never be returning to them or the random man they were marrying me off to.”
“Well, not to make light of what you went through, but I’m honestly thrilled you entered and were chosen. Remember how scary it was to be announced as Attendants?” Yemi shivers.
“Wait, how did I not know you two were in the same Veiling?”
“I guess it never really came up, but yeah, we were the two out of the five females to be named Attendants. I’m pretty sure we had the other three females scared to death because it was Abernie, then Edistoia back-to-back.”
Their small snickers have me smiling at the two of them.
Their closeness makes more sense now.
Fuck, I’m happy they’ve accepted me in.
“So,” the word huffs out of Yemi. “The Attendant stipulation in this measuring means it’s expected of me to put my blood back in the Volreen, huh?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Amick doesn’t have any grand ideas to get us all out of this?”
“Not yet and I don’t know if he’ll find a way. They explained to me that this is a lawful change that Harriseen has a right to enact. Therefore, to object or not show up…”
