Lilah swallowed and asked, “Who is we, Sarai?”
Sarai’s face scrunched in pain and another sob escaped her throat. “My friends. But… but they got caught at the gate. They did not tell the guards I was there, in hiding. They helped me to get free. I have been travelling for hours. Someone helped bring me here. A stranger, someone that saw me lost on a road somewhere…” Sarai broke down again.
Lilah got to her feet, and looked at Mae. “Mae?”
But before Mae could speak, Ky said, “Are y’all believing this shit?”
Lilah’s wide eyes went to her husband. “Ky! Please.” Sarai, at Ky’s harsh tone, curled into herself further, her scratched and swollen ankles appearing under her dress.
“What? A bitch from the cult turns up in the middle of the fucking night and no one is thinking this could be a fucking set up? The cult that definitely wants us all fucking dead.” He turned to Styx. “Tell me I’m not alone in this, brother?”
Styx signed something and Mae shook her head. “She is terrified, baby. I get what you are saying. I understand that you are wary, but look at her. Anyone can see she is petrified.”
I followed Mae’s finger to Sarai who was huddled on the ground. Her pretty face was pale and her body shook with fear. Mae’s breathing hitched, and looking to Styx, she said, “That was me. I was this girl. I was this girl running to escape that hell.” Mae stepped to Styx and ran her finger down his face. “The girl you saved.” Mae shook her head and dropped her eyes. “We cannot leave her. She needs our help. I cannot send her away.”
Styx tipped his head back, then staring at his wife, signed something back.
Mae straightened her shoulders, and said, “We need to get her cleaned up. She needs food and a doctor. I think she has been raped.”
“For fuck’s sake!” I heard Ky snap, but I could not take my eyes off the young girl. She was bruised, beaten and broken… I knew exactly how she felt.
Styx signed something to Tank and he pulled out his cell. “Where do I get the doc to go?”
Lilah lifted her hand. “Our cabin. She can stay with us.”
“What?” Ky bit out, anger in his voice.
Lilah faced Ky. “Maddie lives with Mae. There is no room. We have plenty, and…” Lilah’s words trailed off and she took a deep breath. “Ky you do not understand. You do not understand what life is like in that commune as a young girl. How brave she is to leave that life, and at her age. She—” Lilah’s words stopped as Ky pulled her to his chest.
“Fuck, Li. Fine. She comes with us. Just don’t fucking do it to yourself. Don’t fucking go back to those thoughts.”
“Thank you,” Lilah whispered, gripping tightly onto Ky’s cut.
Lilah broke from Ky, and she and Mae approached Sarai, helping her to her feet. I did not move. And when she cried out from the pain between her legs, I thought my legs would give way.
They had hurt her.
Hurt her as they did us.
Mae and Lilah walked Sarai back to Ky’s truck. I followed behind, Flame by my side. Flame and Styx jumped into the bed of the truck, and in minutes we were pulling into Lilah’s cabin.
Mae and Lilah took Sarai straight inside, Styx and Ky following close behind. I exited the truck, and Flame was immediately behind me. Turning to face him, I said, “I had better go inside with my sisters.”
Flame did not say anything in response.
But just as I moved to walk inside, I stopped, and facing him, said, “I… I enjoyed talking with you tonight.” Flame’s nostrils flared. Fighting back nerves, I said, “Perhaps… If you would like to… we could talk more tomorrow?”
Flame’s hand tightened on the blade in his hand, and he said, “Yeah.”
My cheeks heated with excitement. Dropping my eyes, I said, “Then good night, Flame. I shall see you tomorrow.”
I walked into the cabin, helping Mae and Lilah support the young beaten girl. But it was no surprise, that when I looked out of the window, Flame was standing below.
Chapter Five
Prophet Cain
New Zion Commune
“Cain, why are you out here?”
I turned round at the sound of my brother Judah’s voice. He was walking toward me, his long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, and a frown firmly on his face; the face of my identical twin.
I looked back across the gardens of our mansion, watching our people tending to the vast lawns. Judah’s consort, Phebe, was working in the herb garden. I had been out here for a couple of hours now and she had occupied most of my focus, as she silently overturned soil and planted seeds. During the last few weeks her bright personality had dimmed. She was still at Judah’s side, and still in his bed, but something in her demeanor had changed.
Judah’s hand suddenly landed on my shoulder. He kept it there as he sat beside me on the steps leading down to the garden path.
His face instantly turned to mine. “Brother? Are you okay?”
I tapped my hand on his knee. “I’m well. I needed some space. The daily sermons, the meetings with the Klan, and the Hangmen issues, are tiring.”
Judah nodded his head in understanding. He removed his arm from around my shoulder and rested it on his lap. “Now you mention it, you do seem to have become increasingly distant.”
I ran a hand down my face, my stomach rolling with the fear that I was letting Judah down. Letting our people down. “I know. There’s just so much to do. Our people are many; having their faith and expectations of our salvation solely in my hands is a great burden.”