Taken Bride (The Secret Bride 3)

“I know the idea is scary—”

“We aren’t like them,” Holly adds quickly. “You know that, Ember. You lived out there and saw it for yourself.”

“Christopher will help us.”

“Even if we left with Christopher,” Holly continues, “where would we go? What would we do? We have no money. We have no family other than Pa, who would beat us to death for leaving our husband and going against our vows to God. Leaving here is walking through the doors of hell.”

I want to argue, but I don’t have valid comebacks to what she’s saying. She’s right. We are different. Holly and Violet are no different from me. They were raised in captivity as I was, and being brought into the modern world is actually like walking into hell. They’re right.

“You know you can’t keep your sister with Scarecrow any longer. One day, he’s going to beat her to death, and even if he doesn’t… do you want your sister abused for the rest of her life? And what about you? I know you’re forced to have sex with Scarecrow. You want to be raped forever?” My words come out harsher than I want, but I need Holly to start to see reason.

“We all have our paths in life.”

“No,” I snap. “That’s what you were brought up to believe. You don’t know any better. I didn’t know any better, and though I didn’t like New York… I liked it a hell of a lot more than I do this place. We all deserve better. We all deserve to truly be happy.”

She smirks and shakes her head. “Happy is a fairy tale.”

“I used to think that too. I still may. But I do know one thing. We can’t be here when Scarecrow comes back. We can’t be his three wives. It’s no way to live.”

She doesn’t say anything but returns to the stew pot and begins stirring.

“Holly… I won’t leave you and Violet.”

“You may have to.”

Christopher

The snow’s coming down hard. So hard that walking in it is becoming more of a challenge as I sink into every step. I was warned to watch for the ledge, and with the falling snow, I can see how easily it could be for me to just walk right off.

Ember wanted to come with me, but I wanted her to stay warm, and I also got the sense that she needed some alone time with the sisters to explain what was going on. Plus, I don’t want her standing in front of me if I do reach the authorities. I don’t want her to actually hear me telling them where to arrest the man she still loves and sees as her father.

The wind is whipping around me, and though we aren’t in blizzard conditions yet, we aren’t far from it. I know we aren’t getting off this mountain anytime soon, but I can at least reach out to the authorities and let them know Richard and Scarecrow are headed toward Wyoming, but more importantly… they will return here for the wives.

The wives.

The very thought of Scarecrow thinking Ember is his wife makes me ill and full of rage. If he even dared tried having sex with her… I would have cut off his other leg.

I still may.

“Please don’t take her away from us,” Violet says, walking up to me on the edge of the cliff as I search for a signal.

I turn to face her, surprised to see her outside without her sister or Ember. Something about her mousy and scared actions tells me this is out of her normal, to be so bold as to approach me.

“We can all leave,” I say again, trying to reassure her that I meant it when I said we would all go together.

She shakes her head. “That’s not what I mean. Even if Holly and I do go with you, I know Ember will be forever gone. With you. I’m asking you not to do that. I don’t want to lose her. Please.”

“You won’t lose her,” I assure. I can see the pain in her eyes as her lip trembles. “I see that Ember cares about you and your sister very much. We won’t abandon you. I want to help you get a better life. A life that you deserve.”

“I don’t understand why you think leaving this mountain is a better life.”

I glance down at the phone and see there is still no signal. I try to not show my frustration in the fact that I have to remain on the mountain another minute and give a fake smile. “It’s better. Trust me.”

I’m not giving her my full focus, and maybe I should, but at this moment in time, I’m standing on a cliff on a mountain in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm that could last God knows how long.