The pain on her face. Her cheeks are coated with tears.
Her dress is soaking wet and tinted with a pinkish hue.
Samuel is completely naked as he leans over her. Her legs spread wide as he moved on top of her, a sinister look on his face.
NO!
My feet start toward her before I can comprehend what I’m truly witnessing.
Hands grab at my arms, pulling me back down the aisle of seats.
I grunt againsttheir grip.
“Sir.” I look up to see one of the men in the community looking at me concerned. “Mr. Harris. You cannot interrupt. The Vessel must cleanse her if she is to be wed.”
“He is...” I grunt against his hold again, but he puts more weight on me. “It is the way of the Divine, Mr. Harris. You need to adapt toourways.”
I don’t look at him, slapping and sobs reverberating off the walls, each of which shattering my soul.
Samuel lets out a grunt, and I know I’m too late.
Pain bolts through me as if I was just stabbed, but the pain is not for me.
It is for her.
I couldn’t save her.
42
Eden
My body is limp, jolting with every one of Samuel’s thrusts. A pulse throbs inside of me, and Samuel makes a noise that will haunt me forever. A warmth enters my core.
I gag, unable to hold it back.
He rips out of me with a loud breath. The burning ignites through me again as he pulls out.
I welcome that pain because it means he is out. He is gone. When I try to turn to cover myself up, he grabs at my knees and pushes them to my chest. I could sense his eyes on me, observing the evidence of what he just did to me.
He pushes against my legs with his body weight, and I feel the warmth start to leak out.
My whole world starts to crumble.
“The seed of the Divine has cleansed her from within,” he announces, his eyes still locked on my core.
“Praise the Divine,” the men echo, their voices lower than before.
He lets go of my legs, and I drop them, turning to cover myself. My whole body shudders.
I don’t know when they allowed Abigail in, but there she is, offering me her hand to help me off the marble. I take it, not trusting my legs as I stand and put my weight on them.
I don’t know what to do, but I know I need to get out of here. I need to get away fromhim.
Just as I step away, Samuel grabs my face with one hand, his grip rough, and I wince at the pain. “You are my mine now, Eden. The wedding is the only thing left. It will bond us for eternity in the eyes of the Divine.”
His hand is still holding me in a painful grip, but his mouth touches me softly.
Not allowing him, I press my lips shut. He pulls my face in his hand again, and my eyes avoid his, looking just over his shoulder. I don’t want to give the satisfaction of looking at me, to see the pain covering my whole being. He doesn’t deserve to have my eyes on him.
