The memory from the not so distant past hit me harder than ever before. I still remembered his voice, the way his breath caught. I felt slightly light headed as I looked away.
“Do you want to go?” I asked.
“What’s all this?” Victor muttered behind me as we entered the decorated dining area.
The atmosphere in the compound had changed. The soft, tender sound of multiple flutes tinkled in the air. It seemed that they were celebrating some kind of special day.
Unlike our past visits, every wall was adorned with garlands of fresh white flowers, the familiar jars illuminated the room in blue clusters of gentle light. I scrutinized a line that formed in the corner where one of the sisters offered sparkly plum wine.We got plates filled with fresh vegetables and baked chicken wings simmered in a sticky sweet sauce.
I watched the other sisters sitting with us. At almost every table were couples that were not ashamed to show their affection toward each other. They held hands, embraced each other, or kissed.
If I were a different person, I could see myself enjoying this rare moment of peace, but I had not been raised to do any of that. Besides, no matter how idyllic the evening felt, I was the one who would be going back to the wastelands tomorrow, or the next day. I picked up a piece of chicken and took a huge bite of the amazingly flavorful and tender meat.
“This is so good! I’m going to die.” I inhaled the scent of spices.
Victor watched me for a long moment. He sat with his back straight, and he no longer seemed like he was particularly hungry. He was not going to be easy to deal with. I hated how he closed up when we argued. I would much prefer him to be snappy and sarcastic than give me this new, moody version of himself.
“You need to eat, or you’ll get sick. I’m not carrying you on my back anymore,” I said.
Victor’s eyes lingered on my face as I licked the aromatic sauce off my fingers. He was about to answer, but Mahin stepped to the center of the room. By the way her head was turned toward us, I realized that she was about to make a speech.
“Now what?” Victor muttered under his breath.
“Sisters, and brothers. The Goddess spoke to me today.”
People around us cheered.
I glanced at the others. It seemed like it was a regular occurrence in the compound.
“Visions like mine are not simply a whim of the tired mind. The Goddess, herself, sent us a message,” Mahin continued.
“The fuck?” Victor whispered.
“Love is what will keep us together. Love will give us strength, and love will lead us to a better future. But our enemy doesn’t know what that is. That’s why they are going to lose.” The crowd murmured in agreement. Mahin continued, “Our sister from the East found the den where our wives and daughters are held against their will.”
I chewed on my lip. The way she put it, the way she talked about it, that was not what I saw at all. That girl walked back to the building on her own.
Victor watched my face. I hated how well he knew me.
“The Goddess told me that one of our sisters will help us bring them back home.” Mahin turned toward me.
My thoughts were about to explode in my head. I hated being praised. But, there was also something else. Something that I could not yet put into words.
People clapped and shouted. I bit down hard. One of the younger women stepped toward me and placed a flower wreath on my head. I could still feel Victor’s gaze on me.
That was it!
I had reached my breaking point. All I wanted was to disappear into thin air. Despite whatever Mahin was planning, these people really believed that I could solve their decadeslong dispute and put an end to the conflict between the two settlements.
I was not sure that I could trust the priestess. This mission was pure desperation on my part. On top of that, I was going to do something that could get me killed.
“Let us praise the Goddess! Tonight we can show her that even in the darkness, there is a place for love and light.” Mahin raised her hands in the air.
Just then, Amira moved closer to her wife and leaned in for a kiss. All around us, people followed her lead.
I glanced at Victor who stared at the couples around us with his eyebrows furrowed. The blood drained from my face, but yet, I felt like every inch of my skin turned beet red.
I could have just stayed seated, and probably could have waited for the storm to blow over, but instead, I got to my feet.
