Page 109 of Stay With Me
My blood boils when I hear about how she was treated.
“We’ll be touching down in about thirty minutes and on our way to help. Jess, can you think of anywhere they would go? Was anything mentioned when they thought you weren’t listening?”
She furrows her brow as she thinks. “No. All that was said was that I would bring forgiveness to The Family if I brought the chosen female back to Father Matthew for them to havethe marriage ceremony they were supposed to have. I’m sorry. That’s all I know,” she says as she bursts into tears.
I pull her to me. “That was enough. You did so good. We have a lot of information to go off. We’ll find her.”
She nods into my shirt and holds me close.
“I have someone bringing the map I was working on this week. It shows a pattern of where they were sleeping. I’ll have to ask the neighboring towns if they’ve had anything similar. We’ll be here waiting for you with search teams ready to go.”
“We’re calling in some local agents to assist as well. They’ll beat us there. We will get her back.”
“Thank you,” I say as my voice cracks, hoping we get to her before it’s too late.
FIFTY
Luna
Iheargravelcrunchingunder the tires as we slow down. I don’t think we’ve been in the van long, but I’m not positive. Once the car comes to a stop, someone grabs my arm, and I whimper at how hard they’re holding me.
“She is supposed to be unharmed. Don’t hurt her, or Father will be upset,” an unknown person says.
“Yes, sir,” the person beside me says, gripping my arm tighter before letting go.
I try to scoot aside to get a little farther away.
“Don’t even try it,” the person says in a harsh whisper as they grab my arm again.
Next to me, the door clicks open, and I’m guided out of the van. I lose my footing as I step down, and I’m dragged forward, tripping up the stairs and into wherever they’re taking me.
The cover over my head is ripped away, and I squint as my eyes adjust to the light. I blink slowly as everything comes into focus again, and faces I hoped to never see again surround me in a room that doesn’t look familiar.
I scan the room and see everyone but three people—my mother, Aspen, and Father.
They talked about Father. Why isn’t he here?
Just as soon as the thought comes, Matthew steps into the room, and my spine goes rigid. At only a few inches taller than me, he looks almost skeletal, wearing tattered clothes that hang off his frame. He looks far older than his twenty-three years. His hair falls slightly into his sunken, cold eyes as he locks onto me.
“Hello, my love. It has been far too long. Yeah?” he says as he stalks closer to me.
I open my mouth to say something, but before I can, he starts talking again.
“Any answer other than yes is influenced by the outside world.” His face reddens as he yells, his hands thrown out to the side. “They have ruined your brain with their way of thinking. Your choices have hurt The Family deeply. Look around at the people you have let down with your selfishness.”
I flinch as his voice booms in the empty room. I fight every instinct to break eye contact as I say. “My life isn’t with The Family anymore. Please, just let me go.”
His face twists in anger. “The prophecy was written before we were born. We will be the leaders of The Family and bring in the new life before the world falls around us!”
I curl into myself since I can’t move with my arms being held.
Grabbing my face, he leans closer, his hot breath on my face as he whispers, “You aremydestiny, and you have run long enough and had your fun. We will do our duty tonight, and you will cooperate. Do you understand? If you don’t, someone close to you will be punished.” He pulls away. “Take her to the room and have the women help her change. It’s almost time.” He turns and walks away.
My mind races.Someone who is close to me will be punished?
Did they get Jess?
Is Aspen here?
