Georgia. Was it Adam who did the same to her? I can see her instead of Sarah, my beautiful sister limp in Adam’s strong arms, her blood a river.
Something drapes over my shoulders, and I’m scooped off the floor. Evan holds me to his chest, his jacket wrapped around me.
“Let me go.” I’m paralyzed. So much inside me died right along with Sarah.
“I think you’re safer here.” He tightens his grip.
I turn back to Adam, to the innocent blood that saturates his clothes, his skin, his soul. A tremor shakes me, my teeth chattering. “H-he killed her.”
The Prophet approaches, a rapturous look on his bloody face. “The faithful will be rewarded. All of you.” He waves to the orgy going on behind me. “The Lord shines on us as his chosen, and each of us will reap the benefits.” He turns his gaze to me. “And what do we have here?”
Grace scampers to Evan’s side. “I told him to stop taking liberties with Delilah, but he—”
The Prophet waves a dismissive hand. “It’s all right, as long as she’s still intact?” He raises his eyebrows in question.
Grace nods.
“Very good.” He ignores me and addresses Evan. “Of course, you can’t take her with you. She belongs to me.”
“I understand.” Evan doesn’t loosen his grip. “But I’d like to discuss her future with you as soon as possible.”
The Prophet smiles, his evil horrible to behold. “We’ll turn to business after the solstice is over. Until then, enjoy the finest the Chapel has to offer. But it’s past my pure Maidens’ bedtimes.” He turns and waves one of the Protectors over. “Bring them.”
The Protector hurries toward one of the far tents as my gaze strays back to Adam. He hasn’t moved. My heart breaks and vibrates with fury all at once, and I can’t decide if I want to kill him or heal him.
“I suppose this is goodnight then.” Evan sighs and sets me on my feet.
My knees wobble, and black spots float across my vision, but I stay upright. I can’t look at him. How can any human see something so horrible and not react? I’m surrounded by devils, and Evan is no different.
I shrug off his jacket.
“Keep it.” He snugs it back around me. The scent of his cologne makes my stomach twist in an even tighter knot.
“I’m not yours.” I finally look him in the eye.
He smiles ruefully, his blue eyes glinting. “Not yet.”
“Girls!” Grace’s shout shakes me out of the nightmare, but somehow also reinforces it. “Back to the bus.”
I wobble on my heels but fall in line, shoving off Evan’s jacket the moment I’m out of his grasp. Eve weeps in front of me, her bare shoulders shaking as we’re led from the pavilion. Two Protectors grab Adam and yank him away from Sarah. Her lifeless body falls to the cold ground, and several of the Maidens scream.
A line of women—ones I’ve never seen before—and children walk in a line toward Sarah’s body, the Prophet leading them. The women are in long dresses, their hair in tight buns. The children wear white jumpers, the same ones I’ve seen every Sunday. They all kneel, and the Prophet uses Sarah’s blood to draw a cross on each of their foreheads.
They disappear from view as I’m herded down the empty road toward the white bus, the frigid air chilling my bare skin. Adam is gone, dragged away. Will I ever see him again? The question lingers, and I can’t grasp the threads of our connection—not when I can see him holding Georgia the same way, her blood on his hands.
Back on the bus, we retrieve our robes. I wrap mine around me, not caring about the lamb’s blood marring the fabric. I’m in a numb daze, too many feelings at war inside me, and a glaze of disbelief coating the top. Other than some sniffles, the ride is silent and somber, not even Grace uttering a word. I cry silently, the tears never-ending, the pain so dire that my eyes can’t contain the grief.
We file into the Cloister and return to our rooms. I stare at Sarah’s closed door across the hall. She’ll never come back. The thought is as obvious as it is agonizing.
The pipes creak as the Maidens shower to wash off the blood. As if what happened tonight is something that could ever flow away down the drain. I’m still rooted in the hallway, staring at Sarah’s door when Chastity hurries over to me. Another Spinner is in the hall, but she looks away as Chastity shuffles me into my room and closes the door.
“Were you there?” I let her strip the dirty robe off me.
“I’d already left. But I heard.” She kneels and unstraps my heels, sliding them off one at a time, then guides me toward the bathroom and turns on the shower. “Get in.”