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Then he turned and swept back into the building, leaving them no choice but to follow him.
NINETEEN
MIA
Mia had been to Europe once on a whirlwind tour that went through five countries in ten days. Most of it had been honestly kind of miserable—she’d been traveling with Michael, after all, and nothing had ever been good enough to suit her ex. Mia had spent the whole trip listening to him complain about everything that was wrong. But a few parts of the vacation stuck in her memory—visiting Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was one of them.
Looking up at the soaring ceiling overhead, she was reminded of that famous structure. Beams of sunlight filtered down from the stained-glass windows in the marble walls high overhead and made patterns on the stone floor below. There was a holy hush in the air, as though years of sacraments had been performed here.
Or that was clearly the feeling the Inner Sanctum was going for. But everything looked just a little toonew—a little too bright and shiny. The PPP hadn’t been around that long, Mia thought. So the Inner Sanctum—while undeniably impressive—wasn’t quite the super religious sanctuary that someone clearly wanted it to appear.
I think maybe the Prophet was trying a little too hard when he had this built,she mused to herself.
“Come with me,” Brother Jonash said, his voice echoing against the stone walls.
As he led them through the cathedral-like building, Mia wondered why he was dressed like a Medieval monk. The long gray robe and cowl were a bit much in her opinion—she couldn’t even see his face looking out from inside there—just the pale blue tip of his long, skinny nose poking out.
They went through the impressive main part of the structure and then Brother Jonash took a left and they found themselves in front of a set of heavy wooden double doors.
Brother Jonash stopped and turned to them.
“Within this Room of Judgment and Review is the Council of Elders,” he said, speaking to both of them for once, not just Sev. “You may not know their names or see their faces, for that is forbidden. All you need to know is that they have been specially selected by the Prophet himself to judge the wayward members of the PPP.”
This all seemed really unfair to Mia. Plus, it reminded her uncomfortably of her past in the sect—a time she would much rather forget. She wanted to demand why they couldn’t know the identities of their judges. But when she opened her mouth to ask, Sev gave her such a stern look that she shut it again, remembering once more that she wasn’t allowed to talk without her “husband’s” permission.
The unfairness of the situation filled her with resentment but she also remembered Sev saying he would spank her if he had to. God—would he reallydothat? She remembered the flash in his golden eyes and decided she’d better be careful or she would find out.
Mia squeezed her thighs together tightly. Why did she feel so hot and achy between her legs? And why did her breasts feel so full and her nipples so tight and sensitive? Just the thought of her partner putting her over his knee and lifting her skirt to spank her, as though she was a naughty child—
“It has been decided by the Council of Elders that your Induction Ceremony will come first,beforeyour review,” Brother Jonash said, interrupting her forbidden thoughts.
“What? But I thought you said it was the other way around,” Sev protested.
“The Elders have decided otherwise,” Brother Jonash said severely. “Let me caution you to mind what you say. When you step into the room of Judgment and Review, your every word will be carefully considered and if you are found wanting there will be…consequences.”
He had turned his attention on Mia now and though she couldn’t see his face because of the ridiculous cowl, she had an idea he was glaring at her disapprovingly. She stared back, blandly, until he finally turned around and knocked three times on the wooden door.
“You hear that?” Sev muttered to her under his breath, giving her a fierce glare. “Letmedo the talking, Mia! Not a word unless you want to end up over my knee—understand?”
Mia glared right back at him. She wanted to say something sharp and cutting but just then the double wooden doors swung open, revealing a strange sight.
TWENTY
MIA
What the double doors revealed when they swung open looked for all the world like a small theater. Mia had never been allowed to participate in school plays—according to her old sect, it was considered immodest for a female to “flaunt herself” on stage. But she had gone to several productions that her friends had been in, and that was what this room reminded her of—a high school auditorium where plays might be put on.
There were several rows of wooden theater-type seats which appeared to have blue cushions on them. These sloped down until they reached a wooden stage raised several feet above the audience.
Speaking of the audience, they were all robed and hooded figures, like Brother Jonash. Mia counted about twelve of them as Brother Jonash ushered them down the aisle. Heads turned to watch their progress, but because of the deep cowls, the faces of all the Elders were in shadows—impossible to see.
The scene was deeply creepy—at least to Mia. All the hooded figures without faces waiting to judge them… Again she was reminded of her time in the sect. Especially those times when…but she pushed the thought aside.
No sense bringing up the past. Just get through this—that’s all we have to do,she told herself.Don’t think about the “Judgment” part—think about after when we can get out of here.
When they got to the stage, Brother Jonash motioned for them to climb the steps.
“What—you want us up there?” Sev didn’t look too happy at the prospect. Her partner wouldn’t have made much of a thespian, Mia thought—he was too straightforward. Come to think of it, she’d never yearned for the spotlight either—which was exactly what they were going to get since a bright light was directed at the center of the small, wooden stage.
