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I tried to keep up with the abrupt change in subject. “Of course.”
A smiled crawled up his face, and he suddenly boomed out. “Fear thou not! For I am with thee. Be not dismayed, I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Will help thee.” His voice rose with the incantation, growing stronger, louder. “I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. With the God of truth, we have nothing to fear.”
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming, “If you’re accepted into the Magnolia, all that fear will go away. Because truth will inhibit your body. Will swallow you whole like Jonah and the whale. You will have nothing to worry about. For the rest of your life. Would you like that?”
Friggety-fuck, what the hell was all this? I needed to get out of here as fast as possible. “Yes, sir. I would like that.”
“Good.” He nodded, his eyes still gleaming in the candlelight, then he gestured his head towards my plate. “Eat.”
Clenching the napkin in my lap, I mirrored Olivia, who was lifting Emerson’s silver cloche, then gasped in shock, my hand frozen on the handle of mine.
At her glance in my direction, I quickly clamped my lips shut, grit my teeth and removed my own.
Fire roasted vegetables, a small bread roll, and...and…in the center, a black bird, was spread out across the plate.
It had been cut open and splayed out. The feathers were still intact, somehow pinned to the bone china. It's dark eyes stared at me accusingly.
All appetite fled me, and I had to swallow down the bile lurching up my throat.
The soft squishy sound coming from Emerson's direction broke me from my frozen stare. "It's raven," he nodded towards the plate, a fork and knife in hand. I watched in morbid fascination as his lips folded over the white meat, chewing quietly.
"Eat," Olivia urged, "I think you'll find it to your liking." There was a sneer to her tone, as if she was sure I was used to eating ramen noodles all day. Well, joke’s on her—Rook had given me the good stuff.
A knot was stuck in my throat but, at the stern look from Olivia, I skipped the bird and slid my fork into a potato. It jammed in my throat going down. I coughed, gulping down some mineral water. It only made the burn worse.
"Try the raven," Emerson prodded after I’d choked down a few vegetables, his gaze watching me closely. "It's an exquisite delicacy."
I avoided touching the silky, shimmering-black feathers, keeping my eyes away from its face. The meat easily slid from its carcass and I had to grit my teeth to keep from vomiting.
It melted in my mouth, spices sparking on my tongue, and Emerson beamed. “Very good, Summer.”
I forced a smile to my face, though my throat had swollen around it.
“Intelligent creatures, ravens,” he said, “incredible cognitive abilities. They use tools to solve complex problems,” he made a scraping gesture with his fork, mimicking the motion. “When they’re done with their tool—a stick, perhaps, or a pebble, they squirrel it away, in case they need it for future use. How incredible!” He shook his head in astonishment as he continued to eat. “They even respond to the emotional state of other ravens, did you know that?”
I shook my head, the blood pooling from my face to my stomach, where it sat like a lump.
“Oh you should hear them during the culling. How they screech and squawk!” He flapped a hand in the air, chuckling. “But don’t worry, they’re used to it. From birth they keep them in the same kitchen where they kill them, so they know their fate.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “They live in these little wire cages. And they only feed them greasy lard and eggs so their flesh will be juicy and fat.” I clenched my jaw, fighting back bile as he raised a piece, pure white and glistening with juice. "Irresistible, don't you think?”
“Delicious,” I grit out.
He suddenly stilled, his eyes meeting mine, “Are you a raven, Summer?”
I practically choked on a seasoned carrot, “I’m sorry?”
“They like to collect shiny objects—do you?”
“No. I don’t think so, anyway.”
“But you don’t know?”
“No, I don’t.” I’d rather have soft, squishy ones, like my sister, I wanted to say, but didn’t dare.
“You said you don’t collect shiny objects, but you’ve asked for money. Seems a bit greedy, don’t you think?”
Ohmygod, how was this happening?
I swallowed my food, steeling my spine, my eyes meeting his. Fuck this shit.
