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“That is for the bedroom,” I whisper, not believing we’re talking about this in public. “When you’re married.”
Bastian’s lips move close to my ear again, and I struggle against him. “Baby, you haven’t seen anything.” He lets go of me, and I move to my spot on the log, trying to calculate my next move.
“Take me back to Gray.” I lift my chin, trying to procure an inkling of authority.
Bastian leans against a tree and crosses his arms. He pulls something from a bag attached to his hip and sticks it in his mouth. It’s a cylinder of paper. He strikes a match against the tree bark and a flame appears, which he brings to the paper. Smoke rises from the end of the cylinder and again from his mouth when he opens it. “Gray will not take you back to the city. One, you know too much, and two, they’ll never accept you.” Smoke exits his nostrils after he sticks the paper into his mouth. “You can either learn to fight with us or try your chances with the Supes. We all know how that worked out for the boy.”
As much as I want to tell him to take his training and shove it, he’s right. This is my life now. A world where sin reigns. Disorder and lawlessness are preferable to civil obedience. If I am to survive in this place, I need to learn to defend myself.
I turn my attention to Susan, who stands with her hands on her hips, taking in the entire exchange between Bastian and me. “Will you teach me to take Rafe down with a leg sweep?”
She smirks, whipping around with her long braid down her back. Her black fighting gear shows off her trim hourglass figure, making me envious. “If I teach you my tricks, you’d better take that oversized oaf down.”
By this time, Mav is on his feet and holding his head, with Laurel by his side. Rafe’s nowhere to be found, which doesn’t bother me at all.
Susan leads me to the far corner of the Grove. Without warning, she sweeps her leg out and knocks me to my bottom. “Stay away from my boyfriend.”
I shake my head and crawl on my hands and knees to stand again. “I’m not…”
Her leg knocks me back on my bottom. Is she going to let me stand?
Without getting up, I shield my eyes from the rising sun. “You know my story. I live with Bastian. It’s not like I can stay away from him. Gray’s making him train me. If it was up to me, I’d live on the opposite side of the wilderness from him. He’s a bit difficult to get along with, don’t you think?”
She jumps on top of me, slamming my head into the ground. My head spins. I thought they wanted me to learn how to fight.
Her face is inches from mine. “Rafe is yours, Mav is Laurel’s, and Bastian’s mine. You better start learning how things work around here.”
“Don’t I have a choice in the matter?” I stay still, not wanting the larger woman to think I’m on the attack. In Avren, we had no choice on who the Council chose as our life partner. From what I’d observed, I thought things were different in the wilderness.
With her hands balled up in the front of my shirt, she seethes, “I see the way you look at him.”
“I didn’t mean to look at him in any particular way.” Bile rises in my throat, and I swallow, unsure if I should make the next statement. “I can’t stand him, really. He’s a pompous ass who thinks he’s better than everyone else.”
A sharp sting spreads across my cheek as her fist connects with my face. Another pummel hits my nose, and a warm rush of blood runs over my lips, the tangy, metallic taste entering my mouth. It wakes me up.
With all my strength, I push Susan and twist my hips, determined to throw her from me. Her fists continue to beat at me. I hear shouting in the distance as I yank her braid, drawing a scream from my opponent.
After a few more fear-filled moments, her weight is off me, and a groan escapes my lips. In Avren, I was on the road to become a designer, crafting dresses for balls, weddings, and other important life events. Here, I’m worthless, a weakling in a world full of titans.
“Mari, are you ok?” A hand touches my shoulder, and I look up at Bastian through my blurry vision.
All I want to do is sleep. This is all a nightmare, and when I wake, the comforts of my bedroom in Avren will surround me. Closing my eyes, I block out the noise and focus on what my life could have been.
The life three lousy weeks stole from me.
CHAPTER SIX
Six handsome suitors vie for my hand in marriage in front of the Council. One is Flynn, dressed in a fine suit I made him in my shop—the one I would have opened if I’d stayed. He looks dashing with his golden hair shining in the lights of the Council room, a warm smile across his lips as I enter wearing a yellow gown. Surely the members of the Council will see we are the best match.
Out of curiosity, my attention drifts from my crush to the other five men, each seeming qualified in his own way. When I reach the last of the suitors, my jaw drops. “There’s been a mistake.”
“We don’t make mistakes in the choosing of the suitors, Maribel.” Lady Raven glares at me from her perch high above us. “The Council chooses each suitor based on DNA testing, personality surveys, and observation. These six are the best matches for you.” She folds her hands on her podium. “We will now decide which of the six is your perfect match.”
I can’t look at him. My cheeks flame in embarrassment. How can the Council let an Undesirable stand beside five worthy Citizens? I crack my knuckles and look up at Flynn, the one person keeping me sane in this situation.
Lady Raven brings down her gavel as the Council reconvenes. “We made our decision. Your perfect match is Bastian Hale.”
My heart pounds rapidly as I sit up in my bed and take in my surroundings. It’s dark except for an oil lamp burning on top of the bookshelf casting shadows around the tiny room. My head is pounding, and I touch a bandage crossing my forehead. A dark-haired man sleeps in the other bed beside me, a pair of glasses on the floor by the mattress.
