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Oliver shook his head. “Tell me the truth, did you pick us? Do you guys go in there and decide whose lives you’d like to make harder, when they were already pretty shitty? Did you and your sister decide you had to destroy our family because you were—what, bored? We know how it goes. You’re going to bless us with visions that mean nothing and show us nothing of import. We’re going to kiss your ass for it. That’s what you think, right?”
He slurred his words, and I looked away, finding their behavior disgusting. I hated when my father became belligerent, and I wasn’t any more impressed with the look on them.
“Easy on her,” Frederick said then laughed. “She’s a gently raised lady. I’m sure she has no idea how to deal with this kind of talk. You’ll offend her.”
Truett finally looked up. “If you want to join us and get drunk, because life fucking sucks, and we are stuck with you now, you can. Otherwise, you can go back to your room and we’ll figure out how we are ever going to deal with you in the morning. Or when you are supposed to actually wake up in two days, because your little visions have been so horrible for you.”
I turned on my heel. I’d never experienced being unwanted, not really. My parents loved me, my sister loved me, and baby Walter thought I was the best thing he’d ever seen. Our community valued my help and they made me feel welcome.
In that moment, I realized I would never stay where I was unwelcome, and they made their feelings abundantly clear on the matter.
They thought there was a possibility I had orchestrated the situation? That Jayne and I would have chosen this mess? She would turn seventeen next week, and she hated their son and his people. No. We certainly hadn’t chosen them. Their whole family—at least, every Warrior I had met so far from their family—was disgusting, and I wasn’t putting up with them.
I knew what was supposed to happen, what always happened. I would be expected to leave with them while the unmatched women started socializing with eligible bachelors. My sister would probably be okay with Pascal and the others, because they seemed nice to me, if a little incompetent. Hannah and Caroline would be preparing to leave with their Warriors, too.
But I wasn’t staying with these guys. If I understood how things worked, they would be given my visions moving forward. I would have the vision, then our connection would transfer the information to them.
Nothing specifically indicated we needed to stay with the Warriors for it to work. I didn’t have to become their unwanted wife. I could be anywhere I wanted, and the visions would reach them.
That was all they needed, and all they would get from me.
I could go home. Right this very second.
I’d never set out to escape anything before, but since I decided to leave, it wasn’t that hard. My horse was still in the stables, and the stable workers were as drunk as my husbands. I saddled her and took care of her quickly, not asking for help or speaking to any of them. Then, with just the cloak I wore to the ceremony and still wearing my stupid, long, greenish dress, I took off from Hawkseye as fast as I possibly could. My horse would be tired eventually, but I wouldn’t stop until I got home.
I didn’t need to stop for my father to socialize, and I didn’t care about the rain. By the time I left Hawkseye, mud covered me. I lowered my head, petted my horse and kept going. They can keep their fucking tempers to themselves. I wasn’t gently raised, but I also wasn’t going to be stomped under the feet of four men who didn’t want me.
They would be so relieved when they roused from their drunken stupors to find me gone.
My mama would be glad to see me, and Papa—well, he loved me. He might need to be persuaded that everything was fine, but then he’d relax.
The night would be long and the next day, too, but I wasn’t going to live my life with them.
Not ever.
Our stable boy stared at me like I had two heads, but he took the reins to my horse and led her to the barn to care for her when I arrived home. I probably wore at least a solid inch of mud all over, and I was drenched, shaking, and half out of my mind. Still, I knew what I was doing. I intended to bathe, and then I would start cleaning the house for Mama. She hated messes even if it turned out she was good at cleaning them. I would make sure she was grateful that I was there.
I quickly set up my bath and cleaned up, then drained the water outside, getting rid of the evidence of my mess. I cleaned my clothes, too, then hung them outside. Afterward, the nanny who sometimes helped with Walter let me play with him.
I wasn’t hungry, which was odd, but I couldn’t imagine eating something right then. Or maybe ever again. Instead, I began to clean the oven. It was dirty and had to be deeply scrubbed.
I was fully immersed in my chore when a gasp caught my attention, so I looked up to see my parents staring at me, still wearing their cloaks. They just got here? I blinked.
It was dark outside. When did that happen?
“Mama?” My voice quavered.
“Sloane.” She dropped to her knees next to me. “What are you doing here? What are you doing?”
She drew me to her as I started to weep. Everything felt wrong. The world was wrong. My husbands were monsters, and there were real, terrible monsters. I had seen them; one even smiled at me. I couldn’t fight the monsters with the men the ritual had saddled me with, since they were drunk and angry. Despite the fact I didn’t do anything to them, they’d been cruel. No.
My father knelt next to us and placed his hand on my back. “Sloane, I can’t imagine any world where they’ll let you stay here. It just isn’t done.”
I wiped at my eyes. “Papa, please, don’t make me go back there. I can’t go back there. They’re…awful.”
He nodded. “Back in the day, about twenty-one years ago, they were nice. The nicest ones, actually, but life has changed them. I can see that. I won’t make you go back, but if they come here for you, I don’t think I’m in any position to stop them from taking you.”
I wiped at my eyes. “Thank you, Papa. They won’t come. Why would they? Besides, Mama, you’ll be so glad I’m here. I’m going to clean everything.”
