Page 186 of Phoenix's Fire

"God needs his children to be fruitful!" Mr. White said, slicing through the airwith his hand. "We expect all Righteous to do their duty. Our hope is this change in the rules will make it easier for every man to find an appropriate bride, but if the birth rate does not increase, we will have to take more drastic action. The Lord demands it!" Then he nodded at Tobias. "I'm done now."

So Tobias immediately slid off his seat and dropped to a knee. "Miss Atwood?"

"Tobias!" I hissed, trying to make him get back in his chair.

He plastered a dopey smile onto his face, but those sharp hazel eyes of his locked with mine. "You're so pretty, and so nice to me, and I am hoping you'd do me the honor of considering me, Callah. I'd be the proudest man in all the Righteous if you allowed me to become your husband."

I jiggled my head in something like a nod, hoping he'd take it as a sign to finish and quit making people look at us. Instead, he lifted a brow.

"Is that a yes?"

"I..." My voice cracked. "I should consider it, but I am very flattered, Mr. Warren," I managed to say.

And at the elders' table, Mr. Saunders began to clap. It didn't take long before others joined in as well. I knew my face had to be completely crimson, because my skin was scalding! Worse, I wanted to yell at him, and yet I couldn't. Not with everyone still paying attention.

"Here," Tobias said, giving me another spoonful of his meal once he was back in his seat. "See, I can take care of you."

"Thank you," I mumbled, shoving a bite into my mouth just as another man stood and made his own proposal to another woman.

But Tobias leaned in. "I'm sorry. I don't want them to think you're refusing me and allow others to court you."

I nodded nervously, but couldn't look at him again. "I'm not ready," I breathed.

"It's just for the ceremony," he promised. "To get you out."

"But will that even work?" I hissed. "With so many marriages, we won't be the only ones. What if they give me to Mr. Saunders like they did Ayla? What if - "

He squeezed my hand. "You are my friend, Callah. My only friend. The one person I trust, and I'm not doing this because I want a child to grow up in this Hell the way we did."

I nodded. "And if it doesn't work?"

"Then we will stay friends and not have to hide in empty halls as we plan," he assured me. "Callah, we'll think of something. It's weeks away still." Then he lowered his voice a little more. "And I might not even make it back from the next hunt."

"You will!" I insisted. "Tobias, you have to!"

"And they're training us with new weapons," he warned. "We have failed too many times. They think the Dragons have learned our ways, so they have decided it's time to use the weapons our forefathers left us."

"I don't know anything about that," I admitted.

His eyes jumped between mine, scanning my face. "They're dangerous, Callah. Ayla doesn't know about them either. Nor the Wyvern, I bet. They haven't been used in many generations."

"What are they?" I asked, thinking back to our history lessons about the destruction of the world above.

"Grenades," he whispered. "Mr. Peterson says they will destroy the Dragons. If that happens..."

I pushed my plate away, no longer interested in food even if my body needed it. "The Righteous might win?"

"Yeah," he breathed.

"Then we won't be able to get out."

He nodded. "So marry me, Callah? Or try? Plan to? Because we leave twelve days before the Day of the Seven Trumpets. They want us to have a glorious harvest to celebrate the new nuptials. We'll know our fate before we're wed. We can still plan."

"No," I told him. "You, Tobias, made me a promise. You said you'd help me, so do it! Make sure Ayla survives this, because without her..."

"I know," he said. "Trust me, Callah. I know, and I'm terrified too."

Fifty-Eight

---