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“Thank you,” I said, only a little late to realize she called it lovely.
She seemed to like me, since we began working together. I didn’t complain, after all. I just did whatever she said. I wore what she said and moved when she said move, and I didn’t really have a fashion sense. Besides, most of the clothes would likely be given away when I got home, if I got to go home. If I got sent away with Warriors, they would make me wear their colors, like the woman I’d watched.
Noise seemed to fill the long room: girls giggling and talking and being made glamorous all around us for their ritual. I glanced around, wondering for about the millionth time what that would entail.
“We’ll leave it. I’m going to braid it for today. At the ritual, you’ll wear it down. Everyone will notice it. I love the idea.” She smiled at me, happy with her plan.
Smythe had told me she had prepared girls for the last three rituals. “Have any of the people you’ve helped ended up being matched with a Warrior group?”
“No.” She shook her head. “No one has been, not in three rituals. I’m not sure why. It was never very many at each one, but lately it’s been none.”
Is that true? “Why would that be?”
“I mean, I don’t know. No one knows. It’s…”
We both stopped talking as a male voice boomed from the hallway. I sat in the chair closest to the door, and my head snapped around in shock.
“I’m not doing it, Truett.” I turned my head to see one of the Warriors my father had known on the trail—Oliver?— shouting at another Warrior. “I’m never putting myself or any of us through that hell again. I don’t want another wife. One was more than enough. We’re clearly not cut out for it. Why would he do this?”
Truett held out his hands in front of him. “I don’t know. He insists it’s essential. Maybe he knows something we don’t. Or maybe he’s lost it? Whichever, I don’t give a shit. I don’t want it, either. You think that was any more fun for me than it was for you? Or for her? I think it was mostly hellish for her, from the way she used to carry on. There haven’t been matches since the last time we did it. I doubt there will be tomorrow. It’s just a ritual. We’ll sit through it, we’ll visit with the boy and his group, and we’ll get on with it.”
“If we end up having to escort around another spoiled woman who can sort of see maybe some danger is coming somewhere while she tells us what a waste of space we are, I’m going to lose it.” Oliver stormed past Truett. Charlie and Frederick followed. I didn’t notice them before. Truett took a moment before he chased after them.
I swallowed. Well…that was intense.
“I remember her, their wife. It was my first year.” I looked up at Smythe as she seemed to stare past me in the mirror. “She was the only one that year, and they were the best and most exciting Warrior team formed that year. Young. Handsome. So many tried earlier that year to become Warrior teams, but only they made it. They were gorgeous together as a group, and she looked so perfect with them. But…”
Her voice trailed off. I leaned forward, fascinated, even though I’d never cared so very much about people I really didn’t know before.
“She was cold, though. I think she had to leave a love back home. It was all very heartbreaking.” She squeezed my shoulders. “You didn’t, right? Leave a love?”
“No.” We weren’t supposed to become involved in relationships before the testing. Probably for that very reason. “Sounds heartbreaking.”
“Well…” Smythe shook her head then shrugged. “She died. I don’t know how, and neither does anyone else. It’s very secretive. And I guess, based on that conversation, they’re not anxious to repeat the process. I’m shocked Judge is making them. He usually doesn’t make his best, most established Warriors do anything they don’t want to do.” Her smile brightened. “Now, let’s take a look at your face. Oh, I would kill for your cheekbones.”
They cut Jayne’s hair. Wells obviously didn’t share Smythe’s reservations about short hair.
She looked older and beautiful, but some of her innocence seemed to have vanished with her hair. They painted my lips darker than hers, but they dressed us both in long, flowy gowns. Mine was flowery while hers was striped.
“Well, I think we’ll do.” I grinned at her. “We don’t look so out of place anymore, at least. I don’t want to look like this all the time, though. Not at all, but for tonight, it’s kind of fun, like wearing a costume.”
Jayne shook her head, her expression stark. “No. I hate it. Neither of us is supposed to look like this. We’re playing pretend in someone else’s life, and it’s not a person either of us should be.” She lifted her chin. “But I have no choice, so let’s get this horror show over with.”
Well…that was a big change. “Jayne-y, it’s going to be okay.” We’d switched opinions for the night somehow. Did something about her outfit set her off? “Do you want to put on our other clothes? I don’t care. Let’s do that, if the dress makes you uncomfortable.”
“No.” She steeled her back. “Everyone will stare at us. I would rather they stare because they’re envious of our shoes or whatever. Better than them thinking we’re those strange country girls who couldn’t even wear their dresses. Ignore me, Sloane. This is just a lot.”
It really is.
For the moment, at least it seemed Jayne bore the brunt of the stress for our situation. Thank goodness I had Smythe today. Wells really did a number on Jayne.
They converted the outside courtyard into an evening party location. Hannah appeared next to me as if she waited for my arrival.
Her smile was broad. “Look what they did to the two of you! I hate this, too, but, yeah, we have to go through this whole show. Oh, I know you have power, too. A lot of girls here will, even those who don’t know it yet. I saw it last week. Did you?”
I swallowed, my answering grin fading. “No. I didn’t.”
“Well, it’s going to be a bit of a shock tomorrow. I didn’t see who I pair with, sadly, but it’s happening. That much I know. And you’ll learn to love my quick wit and honesty, by the way. I’ve seen that, too. It’s good to meet you, Sloane. I should have said that earlier. I know it might seem like I’m rich and have it easy like these other girls, but I’ve never fit in their world. I think I might have preferred to have had one sister who adored me if it meant everyone else would just leave me alone.”
