Page 1 of Whispers of Fire

Prologue

"To cleanse our sins…" says the Shepherd.

"…We must obey," they answer, united as one.

All but me, so I sign it, showing my good faith in following the same rituals as the other members of the Faithful Lambs.

“Today, the Divine reached me and told me that one of our members must be offered in marriage.” Goosebumps appear all over my forearms. My heart quickens, and a shadow of panic builds in me.

“Rose, my little lamb, rise and come to your Shepherd,” he says, raising his arm towards me in his long white gown. The church is packed; everyone’s staring at me, envious or waiting for me to fall.

I should be happy, it’s supposed to be the greatest honor of my life.

But something is off.

Something I’ve been asking myself for a while now.

I reach the wooden stage and keep my head down, avoiding our leader's gaze.

“In my generosity, Rose, I make you worthy of love and forgiveness. I will choose your husband soon, and you shall be married and birth the children of our community, for it is your duty to multiply and spread the word of the Ascension.”

I nod, holding my hands behind my back, my eyes locked on the floor.

What would happen if I raised my head a little, just enough to look him in the eye? Would it be so wrong to entertain this idea?

“Now, child, go back to your family.” I turn and step down the stairs, walking as calmly as I can to our bench.

“Let’s sing to the Divine, thank him for his love and his acceptance,” I hear the Shepherd say, but I’m mentally elsewhere.

Running, in my head, towards a big wave that will swallow me whole and crush my bones until I’m no longer a part of this world. My hands start to sign the songs when I close my eyes for a brief instant.

There must be more to life than this.

And if there is, I must find it.

Chapter 1

Vox

2 months later,

"Done," I grunt, dropping the last box on the kitchen floor. I crack open a cold one from the cooler Shadow brought, and the boys follow suit, eager to quench their thirst after hauling my stuff.

"Thanks, fellas. Would've been a real pain without ya," I say to all of them.

"Not a bad pad you got here," Steele remarks, eyeing the spacious layout.

"Yeah, got it for a steal. Garage's big enough for all the bikes," I say with a smirk. The roar of an engine outside grabs our attention, and Shadow's old lady, Erin, steps out of the car carrying a tray of meat. She's brought enough grub for the whole crew. Half the guys head out to the garden to fire up the grill while she sets the meat in the kitchen, rummaging for cooking tools. I locate the right box and hand her what she needs.

"Always so damn organized, Vox, even on moving day," she chuckles. She's sharp, keeps Shadow on his toes. I like her; she's a solid chick. Good to have someone like her around, especially when things get dark.

My OCD tendencies have become a running joke in the club. It’s something I didn’t have growing up, but as life got tougher and my world fell apart, I began developing specific rituals to calm my nerves. Labeling every item in my home, checking windows and doors obsessively—yeah, I've got my quirks. As much as I've tried to shake 'em, I've learned to live with 'em.

I shrug in response. There’s nothing to discuss about my compulsive behaviors; it’s just the way I am.

She sighs, washing her hands.

"Met the neighbors yet?”

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