Chapter Sixteen
Skiden:
Our procession marches through town to get to the church I helped Lucy clean every night. It looks different in the light of day, but of course, everything on this strange planet does.
I’ll never get used to a blue sky.
My teeth are clenched so tightly, I can feel a tic in my jaw. We set up in the reserved park area where River once waited—where she met her maman, Isabel, for the first time. Where she told her adoptive father to go to hell because she would stay mated to my brother. My eyes fall to the wooden block where she was once whipped, unconsciously seeking blood.
Lucy’s blood.
Of course, there’s none there, but I have to look away when my body begins to posture at the thought, like a teen without control of his hormones.
When we’d landed, Mikhail cloaked me long enough to hurry to the front door of Lucy’s house. She was nowhere inside. There were no signs of a struggle. Just… nothing. She’s vanished.
The townspeople are out and about with curiosity today, much more comfortable with us now that they attended the last function we had with River.
In fact, a few of the braver folk seek her out, eyes scanning over her as if looking for signs of violence. But as usual, River is smiling and happy, Tiran by her side.
The prophet approaches, ignoring River who’d once scorned him, and gets to Mikhail. He’s smiling and happy—probably because he knows he’s about to get payment for the ceremony we’ll hold on his property. With a nod, Mikhail hands him an envelope.
But River calls out loudly. “Make sure you share that payment with the people in the commune. After all, the property here belongs to everyone, not just the church.”
The prophet loses his smile. “The church is everyone,” he sneers. “We are a community.”
But the damage is done. A small seed planted in the minds of the masses. Why should payment go into his pockets?
As if trying to be the better person, the prophet says, “We’re having a ceremony also.” He waves his hand about, as if he’s implying the people milling about, eager to watch ours are really only present because they’re waiting for their own function to begin.
“Have you set up?” Mikhail asks. “If you would like, you’re welcome to use our area. We can stick around and remove it once you’re done.”
He indicates the flowers, the arched monstrosity with more flowers and greenery entwined, and the wooden platform where the parties will decide whether or not they wish to make a match. River said it’s a mimic of a human marriage.
Considering most of the females are sold, I can’t imagine anyone ever saying no. And since the next female—Samantha—is a surprise, I know she won’t say no.
For a moment, the prophet looks worried, but then his greedy little eyes take in the overabundance of arrangements—which we’ll give to the people afterward to brighten their day in such a gray society. An almost gleeful expression flits across his withered face.
Somehow, the drone buzzing around never catches his eye. His ceremony will be televised also. The world will know what they’re up to here within the walls of the commune.
“Since you’re already set up, we’d love to share the abundance,” he says. “We are all of one God, after all.”
Mikhail smiles benignly. “We will begin on the hour. It won’t take more than a half hour. Long enough for people to congratulate the couple, or for the couple to speak in private about whether or not they wish to not go forward with the match.”
“I’ll go get ready,” the prophet says.
Get ready for what?
There’s no one I can ask, or discuss ideas with. We’ve been warned to not even whisper among ourselves because of the drones. But if it isn’t Lucy that he drags out, I’ll slip away and search every inch of this place.
Down from the beyond the church grounds, a procession of robed figures come. They park themselves politely on the outskirts of the park, waiting for our match to complete before they take the stage.
I have to fight with myself not to search through their figures to see if I see her.
“It’s okay,” Tiran murmurs. “Keep silent. It’ll work out.”
Lilaina and Mikhail take their positions at the center stage, and the murmurings grow quiet.
“Thank you all for attending,” Mikhail begins. “As you all know, the Match Program had been suspended until a new agreement could be reached with your leader, but there was one slot left under the old contract. Your First Lady, Lilaina Montgomery, is present to support the current match, which had been finalized by your late leader. We have re-negotiated the terms with the First Lady. Maiden no longer means a pure or virginal female, but is taken to mean a currently unattached female. The age parameters have been changed to accept all out of the previous range who volunteer their own names. That is the biggest change going forward. No longer is there a required draft, but will now be conducted as a voluntary sign-up. As always, the bride is given the choice whether or not to accept, and is given a six-month trial period on their planet. At the end of the term, she is brought back to Earth to make her choice freely, without any influence from her mate. Now, without any further preamble, I’d like to thank Prophet Josiah for allowing us use of his property. It was near the next name who’d been drawn and a convenient—not to mention truly beautiful—spot. Thank you.” He bows a bit, giving attention to the prophet, who preens for the cameras.
“Now, may I announce—from the Bronian clan of the planet Pimeon—Mejak, a revered hunter from the first level.”
There’s light applause as Mejak takes a bow. Next to him, Kalrian smiles broadly as if he was the one named.
“And our Earth maiden—”
It’s completely silent in the park.
“Samantha Merende, only daughter of Patricia Milinazzo Merende and Douglas Merende.”
“What?”
My head whips around to see a male get elbowed by River’s adoptive patron, Donald. He’s standing with the robed figures staring at Samantha, who’s brought out and escorted to the stage by River. His daughter.
It’s obvious who the male is, even though Tiran whispers next to me. “That’s him. The presidential candidate Isabel and River took down. Him being here tells us Lucy’s part of their plan.”
River leaves Samantha on stage, and makes her way down to Tiran.
I’m so focused on trying to see the woman hidden in their crowd of people that I’m barely aware of Mikhail’s speech.
“Mejak, do you accept this woman to be your mate?”
“I shall.”
“Samantha, do you understand the Match Program rules?”
“I do.”
“Do you accept a mating with Mejak of the Bronian clan? You will return in six months to make your final decision and if you should decide to stay with your mate on his planet, you are allowed to negotiate to bring two relatives there with you if you desire.”
“I accept.”
I can hear the breath hissed out by Duke, and I can hear River’s follow-up snicker. I think the male just realized who was responsible for the connection between Isabel and Lucy.
“Thank you for trying the Match Program, and thank you all for witnessing the event. To all the good people living here, please help yourselves to any of the decorations afterward. But first, I’d like to present the stage to Prophet Josiah of the Mortalites community for his own ceremony, so allow me and Lilaina to take a backseat for now.”
Our people make our way off the stage. Once it’s clear, the robed figures make two lines heading that way. For the first time, I’m able to see why they have a procession. There’s a masked maiden escorted between two males, her face obscured from view with a covering and a hat.
My Lucy.
Two males drag her on stage. They’re related in a strange way. Duke Milinazzo is River’s birth patron, and Donald Templeton is her adoptive patron.
After them, three females take the stage and stand behind the males. They look like they’ve been in a fight, one with her eye blackened, one with her lips swollen and cut, and the other with scratches down the sides of her face near her ears.
Duke holds Lucy’s arm while Donald moves to the front to speak.
“My brothers and sisters of the Lord,” he begins. “I am Lord Donald Templeton of the House of Diamond. Many of you remember my own daughter was once promised to our great and holy prophet—”
“He has risen!” someone in the crowd shouts in a sing-song chant.
“Amen,” a feminine voice answers.
Donald Templeton clasps his palms together near his chest briefly, wrists to outstretched fingertips, and bows his head.
But then he lifts it.
“And she shamed my house by refusing!” His words ring out as he shouts, and somewhere in the distance, a female wails as she tosses herself to the ground.
Oddly, everyone allows her to carry on.
“Today, however, I make it up to Prophet Josiah. I present to you, Duke Milinazzo, publicly announced as River’s biological father.”
The second male takes a bow, his hand still gripping Lucy’s arm. Lucy stands stock still, but of course, she knows we’re all around her. She heard Samantha get matched. I’m sure her fears have vanished as she realizes this is the plan. This is what we all planned for, despite the small, surprising twist that she was the one they were after, not Isabel.
Several people in the crowd clap. One woman throws herself to her knees, arms open as she chants, “Blessed be the Lord! He makes it right.”
“Thank you,” Donald says. “The Lord sayeth, a male is blessed when I taketh his wife to my side. And as payment for such a gift, it is declared that man may have access to his wife’s sister, for no longer is she a sister by marriage but shall replace his wife in her duties. Blessed is the woman, for He shall gift her with precious sons.”
“So sayeth the Lord,” people in the crowd chant.
Duke inclines his head, then speaks to the crowd, ever the politician. “I wish I had known I had spawned such a beautiful daughter.” He winks at River. “But it didn’t come to my attention until recently. You see, her mother was a bit of a jezebel. I was ever so lucky to get away from her. And though it’s not my place to make amends for what that woman did next—tainting the presence of your church with her loose morals—I choose to take the honorable path and make things right. So, Brother Templeton, I offer my second daughter to you.” In a grand gesture, he sweeps his hands toward her. “Lucy.”
Duke turns to Lucy and takes the hat off her head. He hands it to Donald, but one of the females steps up and takes it instead. Then he lifts the cloth covering Lucy’s head and the female takes that also, draping it over her arm ceremoniously before she steps back in line with the other two.
A strip of silver sticks over her mouth so she can’t speak.
Duke Milinazzo looks at River. “I give you River’s sister.”
There are mumblings in the crowd and several people warily look our way, aware that we took River from all this.
Lucy looks beautiful, even with her face red and splotchy, a scratch on her cheek. Her glorious hair scraped up on top of her head in the severe style of the other three.
River steps up, pretending confusion. “This is my sister?”
Duke smirks. “She is. And given to Donald, just like you were. Correcting a wrong because you shouldn’t have been allowed to leave your lot in life.”
The prophet hobbles up on stage, wrinkles surrounding his mouth as he grins like a mummified ghoul. “Thank you for the precious gift. While she wasn’t raised a Maiden of the Chosen, she shares the bloodline and will still do nicely. I accept. Everyone”—he raises a spindly arm into the air— “meet my bride.”
“One moment, please.” Lilaina steps up onto the stage, a drone following behind her.
The human males notice it and wisely stay silent.
The prophet’s arm drops.
“Why is her mouth taped?”
Without answering, Duke reaches over and rips the tape off, leaving a pink mark welting across her skin.
“Ahh,” Lucy gasps. “I’m taped because I’m not willing to marry him. I was kidnapped by him.” She points her finger at Duke.
“But he says he’s your father,” Lilaina says.
Lucy shrugs. “He would know best. But he didn’t raise me and I don’t consent to being given to a stranger.”
Lilaina smiles at her. “I need your full name, please.”
Lucy pales and her eyes cut to me. I give her a nod.
“I’m Lucifer’s Daughter.”
A few of the females in the crowd shriek, and someone murmurs. “That’s her? The one in the papers?”
Donald Templeton has a bead of moisture that runs down the side of his face. His mouth opens and closes like a fish.
Lilaina taps her foot. “Let me get this straight. Your sister, River, who is now a citizen of the Bronian clan on the planet Pimeon, was given the mark of the devil on her cheek by her adoptive father. And you are the devil’s daughter?”
There are more dramatic gasps in the crowd and Duke splutters. “How dare you? She wasn’t born with that name, she was given that name by my sister when she was dropped off at the home.” He turns to point accusingly at Samantha. “Her mother.”
“But didn’t you just announce you were her father? You signed the name change, didn’t you?”
He’s caught. He willingly changed the name and pronounced himself this devil in front of these people who have issue with that. And he just announced that Samantha and Lucy are related, though he has no idea why that’s important. He’s simply panicked with the way the crowd is looking at him.
The drone is flying near the prophet, who tries to swat it away like an insect. “We had no idea what her name was. We reject the gift.”
“No matter,” Duke hisses at Lucy. “We know where you live. That bitch, Isabel’s, house. She’s River’s mother and you have her employed here, cleaning the church! Let everyone out there know”—he speaks directly at the drone— “that she lives just outside the commune with Isabel Milles.”
He grins evilly, thinking he just ruined Isabel’s name and reputation along with Lucy.
“Steve Milles’ daughter? The same male who shunned his teenage daughter for getting pregnant? By you? The organizer of your political party that was running against me?” Lilaina asks, and one word ruins his partner’s career along with them.
Duke’s grin falters when he realizes it.
“Well, thank you for that info,” Lilaina says. “Secret service?”
Several of her uniformed female officers step up.
“Please escort Duke Milinazzo, Prophet Josiah—though he’s holding onto payment given to him by the Britonians, so allow him to give that to the good people here in the commune—and Donald Templeton to jail. You see, gentlemen, you’re not allowed to kidnap women. Not on the outside, and not here inside the commune. Lucy is a woman in her mid-twenties and by the marks on her face, she’s been beaten. In fact, it looks like all your wives have been beaten,” Lilaina says mildly. “Ladies, would anyone like to press charges?”
The three females standing behind Lucy look at each other as if they’re tempted. But then the one in the middle shakes her head.
“Well, by the tape we all saw across Lucy’s mouth, she was kept from speaking. In fact, her hands are still bound behind her back. Someone untie her, please.”
Mikhail moves up to the stage, gently removing Lucy from Duke’s grasp and unbinding her wrists.
“You’ll still suffer,” Duke hisses as Mikhail brings her down the steps to me.
I wrap her in my arms but over her head, I stare at him. My throat swells, my poison glands threatening to spit darts. Something in my face scares him because he looks away quickly.
“Oh, wait,” Samantha calls out, and then Mejak and Kalrian escort her back on stage. “You mentioned I was allowed to bring a relative or two? I’d like to bring my cousin, Lucifer’s Daughter, with me to Pimeon. Though, we’d rather call her Lucy.”
I pull the pins from Lucy’s hair and it bounces down to her shoulders in the usual, sexy waves.
“Lucy, would you like to leave for the planet Pimeon?” Lilaina asks.
“Lucy-my-love,” I correct.
Lucy looks up, into my eyes. “I do.”
The crowd is silent when I lean down to kiss her. Afterward, I look up to catch Duke’s eye. “Thanks for acknowledging her relationship to your family. I appreciate your niece for taking care of her—though I’m appalled that your sister sent an innocent child to a group home and changed her name—but I’ll make sure your daughter is taken care of on our planet.”
The incredulous look on his face at the way he was outmaneuvered is enough to settle my glands.