“If you turn state’s evidence, prison could be avoided.”

“You don’t know that.”

“It’s a possibility.”

He and Joshua headed for the door, where the third man was waiting. “I’m not willing to take that risk.”

“So why’d you save him?” she asked.

The door clanged shut with a finality that made Rachel want to cry. Dominic obviously didn’t plan on answering, but Joshua did. “There’s good in bad people, just as there’s bad in good people,” he said.

She shook her head. “There’s no good in Ethan.”

“There is when you compare him to Bart.”

“Brother Joshua?” Sarah had been standing at the bars of her cell, watching, waiting, ever since they’d arrived. “Will you let me out? Please?”

Ignoring her, he started to leave.

“Brother Joshua!” she yelled more loudly.

“Don’t call me ‘Brother,’” he said over his shoulder. But then he grabbed Dominic’s arm, and the three men conferred, heads bent and voices low. A second later, Joshua walked back but he stopped at Rachel’s cell, not Sarah’s.

“What is it?” she asked, surprised.

“This won’t be a good day for you. Do you want something—for the pain?”

Her breath seemed to be stuck in her throat. “What’s going to happen to me?”

“The worst nightmare of your life.”

Icy tentacles of fear curled through Rachel’s veins. But if Ethan had plans for her, they’d be taking her out of her cell. That meant she had to keep her wits about her, had to work out how to escape.

“Do you want it or not?” he asked when she didn’t respond.

Her life depended on her ability to get away. So did Nate’s. “No.”

Whatever Ethan had in store for her didn’t take place right away. In an attempt to learn more about the Covenanters and to direct her mind from the fear, the worry, the darkness and her hunger, Rachel spent hours talking to Sarah. She also tried to get Martha to respond—without any success—and did all she could to keep Nate warm.

“Do they ever feed you down here?” she asked as her stomach growled.

“They fed me once.”

“What did you get?”

“Meat loaf. I’m guessing it’s what they served in the dining hall. I’ve had it plenty of times before.”

That was hopeful, at least. “What will they do to me?” she asked.

Sarah didn’t respond. Until now, Rachel had purposely not requested the details of the “nightmare” Joshua had mentioned. She was afraid that knowing would wipe out the small amount of courage she’d been able to reserve. But as the hours and minutes dragged on, and Nate and Martha continued to sleep, her fear of this unknown fate grew steadily worse. It hadn’t taken long for her “better not to know” approach to reach a point of diminishing returns.

“Sarah?” she prompted.

“You’re the Vessel,” she said simply.

Sarah clearly didn’t want to discuss this, but now that Rachel had asked, she couldn’t let it go. “What does that mean, Sarah? Torture? Rape? Murder?” She hoped it wouldn’t be that bad. The Vessel was supposed to bear Ethan’s next child. She’d have to be alive and in reasonably good health to do that.

“You’ve been named bride to the whole church.”

Rachel checked Nate’s pulse, which she did every few minutes. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“You’ll be put on an altar.”

Her breath caught, even though she’d expected something like this. “Here in the pit?”

“No, in the courtyard.”

“Why the courtyard?”

“It’s the only area large enough.”

“For what?”

“To hold the whole assembly. Besides, this place is secret to everyone except a select few of those who have taken the highest vows.”

Rachel’s nails cut into her palms. “The entire church is going to watch Ethan rape me?”

“They’re going to form a line.”

Gang rape. As she’d thought. “And what’s the purpose of that—from a religious standpoint?”

“As every man spills his seed inside you, the marriage is consummated and you’ll be made holy like Ethan, bride to the whole church.”

“But I’m not even a believer.”

“I know. That means it’ll be a mockery,” she said.

Struggling to compose herself, Rachel tried to imagine how she might handle what was to happen. “There are women who’d be willing to do this?”

“For a female Covenanter, this is the greatest honor Ethan could bestow.”

“And he’s chosen me.”

“I’m sure he’s realized his mistake.”

“Which means…”

“You might not survive the experience.”

“Why doesn’t he just kill me now? Choose a different Vessel?”

“Because he didn’t choose you. God did.”

“God did,” she repeated.

“He claims it was divine inspiration. Now he has to deliver what he promised or he’ll look like a fool. And the prophet can never be wrong, can never be pegged as a fool.”

“I see. And Nate? What will they do to him?”

There was a long silence. “I have no idea.”

Rachel sat without speaking. Then she said, “You know Ethan is g*y, right?”

“What?” Sarah cried.

At Sarah’s apparent shock, Rachel mustered a bitter smile. “He and Bart are lovers.” She wasn’t sure why she divulged this information—probably because it was her only form of revenge.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Sarah said in a bewildered voice. “He teaches that—that the devil delights in homosexual practices.”

“It would take a devil to know.”

32

Nate had never felt so weak or so uncomfortable. “What…happened?” His voice sounded raspy from disuse; he had to clear his throat to be heard. “Was I hit by a train?”

“Nate? Thank God!”

He’d already known he wasn’t alone. He had his head in a woman’s lap, could feel a cool hand on his face as he came around.

It required a massive effort just to lift his eyelids. But even after he did, he wasn’t sure they were open. He couldn’t see a thing. “Am I blind?” he asked.




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