“We had a new family join us a couple weeks ago,” she adds, lifting a crate of meat and handing it to me. I place it with the others, and she opens the large walk-in fridge. “Rumour has it, your father already claimed one of their daughters.”
“Annastasia?”
“That’s her. What’s she like?”
“I haven’t seen her much. She was only introduced today, and she spent the day with my father.”
“It’s got everyone talking, seeing as it’s not how they normally do things.”
“It’s not like anyone will challenge him.”
“Anyway, the family has the plot by the main fields. Their eldest son is . . .” She smirks and fans her face dramatically. “H.O.T,” she spells out with a giggle. “You never know, maybe your father will marry you off to get rid of you.”
I sigh dreamily. “Imagine.” It would never happen. Daughters born from warriors are made to serve their familiesin any way required. Sons are sent to work in the fields during harvest, and eventually, they’ll marry and have their own families.
“Abel mentioned more children arrived recently.”
She gives another sad smile while hanging the meat onto the hooks. “Yep. It’s heartbreaking when they first come through those doors looking so lost and scared. The youngest looks about three years old.”
“Did you manage to ask any of them about their life?” It was a plan we’d come up with together so we could try and suss out the outside world. Jade shakes her head. “The eldest is around five, Wynter. All they do is cry for their mothers. Plus, the carers are always watching us like hawks.” The carers look after the children when they first arrive. “They’ve already introduced the cattle prod.”
“I’m running out of ideas,” I mutter.
“Are you sure we should even be trying?” When I stare at her, she sighs. “It’s just that you’re already in so much trouble. Everyone in the village knows what you did. Some of them are blaming you for the rain we’ve had over the last week. They think God is punishing you.”
I roll my eyes. “Idiots.”
I turn as the fridge door opens and Jade’s father leans against the door frame. “Well, if it isn’t trouble.” Jade gives him a pleading look, and he shakes his head. “I can’t have you calling in at unsociable hours anymore, Wynter.”
“My father asked me to come to explain we’re feeding an extra guest.”
“Thank him for letting me know. I’ll make sure to add to your weekly delivery.” He opens the door wider. “You should go.”
As I head out, I hear him lecturing Jade, and I pause to listen. “I’ve told you already, you cannot be seen with her anymore.It’s bad for us. The other villagers will tell her father, and he’ll punish us.”
The fact my father is already trying to destroy everyone I love plays heavy on my mind as I leave, closing the door carefully behind me.
Abel rushes to catch me up as I head up the hill back home. “What are you doing out and about? Why aren’t you at the ceremony?”
“I’ve been in exile, in case you haven’t noticed,” I say with a small laugh. “They banned me so I can’t mess up another.”
“Wanna come and see whose turn it is?” he asks.
I frown. “Not really.”
“Please,” he argues. “If it’s Livia, I’ll die on the spot.”
I smirk. “You’re so dramatic.”
I follow him along the path that leads to the main doors of the church. It’s silent inside, and Abel slowly opens the door, giving enough space for us to peer in. I clamp a hand over my mouth, staring wide at the vision of Livia as she rides Wrath. There are no tears or dramatics as she cries in pleasure. Wrath has a hand wrapped around her waist as he grunts with each thrust. “Holy shit,” I whisper.
“My life is over,” Abel mutters.
“Or just beginning,” I soothe. “You could offer her a shoulder to cry on once the baby is born.”
“As soon as the baby arrives, she’ll be married to someone from one of the families. Probably Dudley,” he says with disdain.
I frown. “The cousin of Lucas Perez is not going to marry Livia.”
