My eyes once again turn to the Gilded Lands I can see on the horizon, the huge houses and palace mocking me as I stop and stare. Do women have rights there? More than us? I know they don’t work but are expected to keep house, or that’s what I heard from Kai, but she could be full of shit. And the king… Well, everyone knows he keeps concubines. He comes every year and selects the prettiest young women from our people and takes them away, never to be seen again. Kai and I make sure to act dumb and be covered in mud every year, even our teeth, so he won’t pick us.
We all know serving and dying in the Shadow Lands is better than being at the king’s whims.
A noise has my head jerking the other way, and my breath stills in my lungs as I peer into the darkness that’s so close, I can almost feel the wildness rolling from it. Standing between us and the Dead Lands, between us and the monsters that live beyond, is magic—pure magic. It’s the last of its kind, and the only magic left in the entire land. The barbed vines sometimes slither and move, interlocking and tightening the wall that stretches far into the sky. No one knows what is beyond, as no one has lived to tell the tale, but we all hear the monsters.
And we all know the hunt.
“Cora!” a familiar laughing voice calls.
Shaking my head of the disturbing, gloomy thoughts, I turn back to see my sister racing toward me across the bridge. No doubt, she spent the night in one of the abandoned farmhouses with her boyfriend. He’s a good man, even if I don’t believe there are many. He is kind to her, feeds her, and doesn’t seem to have the same proclivity for hurting women as the rest of his gender. He still believes we have our own places and women shouldn’t be allowed to do certain things, but I guess as far as prospects go in the Shadow Lands, he’s a catch. He’s also handsome and successful as a trainee professor at the school, so he will look after her and make sure she never starves—if he can get the blessing from my father.
For now, they sneak around, and I’ve never seen my sister so happy.
She skids to a stop before me, her face flushed and eyes glowing with joy. Her lips are curled in a permanent smile that warms my heart, and her hair is slightly mussed.
Although she’s older than me, she’s shorter by at least five inches. Where my hair takes after our mother’s, hers takes after our father’s. Her thick brown hair falls in waves to her hips. She’s curvier than me, with large breasts that always attract men and wide hips my father has called “child birthing hips.” It’s no wonder why every man here vies for her attention and why she thrives on it. Mischief glints in her eyes as she turns and walks by my side. I shorten my stride so she can keep up without panting.
“Have a good night?” I grin, nudging her shoulder.
She giggles and looks around before lowering her voice. “Yes, he’s going to ask Father for my hand.”
“That’s great news!” I exclaim, taking her hand and squeezing. “Truly, sister.”
“Yeah?” she asks nervously. “I know your feelings about marriage.” She drops her voice to badly imitate me. “About tying yourself to one person for the rest of your life with no goals or aspirations—”
“Shh.” I grin, rolling my eyes, because I did say that. “I know what I said, but I’m truly happy for you. You’ve always wanted to be married and have kids, and he’s a good man.”
“He is,” she replies dreamily, making me fake gag, and she giggles.
“Make it quick though. Father is getting suspicious, and I’m running out of lies.” I turn and walk backwards as she stops at the cannery, where she works. “Oh, and here.” I toss her the package of food, and she cups her mouth.
She hoots. “You are incredible, Cora Black!”
“And make sure you never forget!” I yell back equally as loud, ignoring the disgruntled looks and whispers from the men walking past.
Laughing, I hurry across the dirt paths and into the fields, knowing I’m probably late for work, as always. The warmth and joy I feel over my sister’s happiness keeps me upbeat though, even as the sun beats down on me while I gather crops. I don’t stop until lunch, when I break to have some water and stale bread that’s passed out by the watchers who maintain the field. I sit alone in silence as I nibble on it. My eyes drift to the Dead Lands beyond before the whistle blows and I’m back to work.
* * *
By the timethe sun sets, my back is aching something fierce and sweat beads on my brow. They pushed us hard today since the gift to the king is due—an offering from the Shadow Lands in which he takes nearly all our crops and has his pick of our girls. I’m used to hard work, and the muscles on my body are proof of it, but exhaustion weighs heavily on my shoulders as I drag my feet home. I want to collapse in bed, but I’ll have to wash in the cold bucket outside and make the evening meal for Father first, which makes me groan out loud.
I’m so tired, I barely notice the wide-eyed looks or whispers until I reach our shack, and then I turn, my brow furrowed, to see nearly everyone watching me.
This is very unusual, and a bad feeling pangs within my heart, nearly making my empty stomach cramp and roll. Without waiting for someone to tell me what’s going on, I push into the shack, my heart racing and mouth dry.
My first sign that something is terribly wrong is that my sister is sitting at the table. She is never allowed to sit there. The second is that she is sobbing, even as she tries to keep silent. Mother is staring into space, completely checked out.
And Father? Father looks almost gleeful.
“What’s wrong?” I croak out.
“I-I have been chosen for the hunt,” Kai sobs. “I am to be the sacrifice.”
My whole world crumbles as I meet Kai’s grief-stricken, tearful eyes in which she silently begs me to save her from the Dead Lands and the monsters waiting to consume her.
Hopelessness pours from her as our hearts break in sync.
ChapterTwo
