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Beth wasn’t sure how to feel or think about that other than relief. She hated the idea of them being opposed on anything. She remembered the Gauntlet Trials. “So…when will the Gauntlet Trials start?”
“The Twelve are meeting now about it. Will likely take them a day to plan it and a couple days to set it up. I’m needed for it so I’m bringing you to the main house.”
Beth nodded, back to squirming inside. What did he want out of that. Did he want her to fail? Could she manage to throw it? Should she? The Fate Dice seemed to think she was to take the test as scheduled. She remembered her own role in all of this. The Belle Eveque. She had grand plans that had nothing to do with war and thank God for that. Anyway, war prevention started with raising kids right in a home full of passion and love—especially between a husband and wife. So really, she was having more than a say in war votes, she was helping ensure there would be less wars.
Her spine straightened with weight of her purpose.
“What is Ma Petite thinking so hard about?”
A sexy heat colored his tone, adding naughty thoughts to the ones in her head. She decided to disclose those rather than the others. “Well, I’ve been thinking about these marriage dice.”
“Have you,” he said, his sexy tone lowering. “Fate…SexDice? Pleasure Dice? Discipline Dice?”
Each one put fire in her blood. “Sounds like a job for the Belle Eveque. Maybe we can make them with little how-to booklets and give them to all the couples?”
He leaned over and kissed her. “I like the way your brain works, Ma Petite.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Alright ladies,” Juliette announced. “Are you ready to be taken to your first test?”
“Ready,” Beth said, along with the rest of the ladies as they got settled in the small motor boat. Juliette was assigned as spotter during the tests. If anything went wrong, she would intervene and call for help if need be. Bishop assured them that they would be given real tests, without foregoing safety.
“What’s happening again?” Tully whispered to Cherie who took hold of her hand.
“We’re starting the tests.”
The…Gauntlet ones?” Tully wondered, looking worried.
Maggie reached across to the girl and squeezed her arm. “You’ll do great!” She nodded at Beth. “We all will.”
Tully eyed Maggie then Beth. “I’m nervous,” she whispered like it was something to be ashamed of.
“We’re all nervous,” Beth hurried. “Aren’t we?”
“Hell, I’m nervous and I ain’t even doing the trials,” Juliette called as she steered the boat. “But Maggie’s right. You’llalldo fine.”
Beth nodded, swallowing the butterflies in her throat. “We need to remember that if we fail, it just means we won’t serve as their right hand in the Twelve’s business. We’ll serve in family business as wives. And mothers eventually,” she said, getting a slow blooming smile from Tully.
“I want to have lots of babies with Lesion.”
Beth grinned at her childlike openness. “Then you have nothing to lose if you pass or fail these trials.”
Her smile dimmed as she locked her gaze on Beth. “I want to do good with everything. For him. He doesn’t mind if I’m not so smart,” she confessed shyly, obviously relieved. “But he’ssosmart,” she whispered with a light in her eyes. “And I want to…maybe surprise him. I’m nowherenearsmart like him but…I know some things really well,” she assured. “I can read the sky and the flowers and birds and other animals. Daddy always said I was a muskrat in another life and Mommaneveragreed. She thought I was an angel.” Her face lit up as she clasped her hands together and took in a breath of the morning bayou air. “I like mommas idea. Sometimes I pretend I have wings and I fly all around the world in my mind.” She opened her eyes and looked at Cherie. “There’s no place I can’t go.”
Cherie nodded and put an arm around her. “Youarean angel. And nothing takes away your light. We all make a great team. Each of us has something special we bring to these beautiful swamps.”
“Here we are ladies,” Juliette announced, pulling up to a pier. “Welcome to Bullet’s little Bungalow.”
“What happens here?” Tully wondered, climbing onto the pier.
“This is where you’ll take your mental test,” Juliette said. “Easy peasy.”
“Easy peasy,” Beth whispered, climbing her way onto the pier. She was glad for the roomy overalls they were given for the physical aspects of the trials. Whatever they would be. Plenty challenging according to Bishop.
They walked along a grassy path through the woods before it cleared to an open area. Beth eyed the large shack building over a small pond. They took another pier leading to the building, looking all around as she went. She’d had very little time to prepare for anything specific which left her mind examining everything they encountered. She knew there would be four tests. Mental, strength, navigational, and a skills test that related to the hatch they were marrying into. That test had her boggled. For Maggie that would be stealth and for Tully that was… she guessed poisons. And Cherie was married to The Seer. What in the world kind of test would she get? Or her for that matter? Bishop was the leader but he was also over making things the Twelve needed. She had next tozeroknowledge about that.
“Welcome ladies!” a deep voice boomed as they filed through the door.
