Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 114281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
As though she’s pretending to be a ghost or something.
Meanwhile, Soren’s focus is solely directed on me, and it gives me the creeps.
I don’t know why he’s homed in on me like that, like I’m some kind of danger to this house. Or to him.
I avert my eyes, but it doesn’t make me feel like any less of a target.
When the final girl comes in, everyone looks at her. She has this kind of majestic air to her. With her flowy black hair and innocent-looking eyes, she looks like a queen even though I know she must also be a prisoner like the rest of us.
“Hey …” I say to her.
The girl takes a deep breath, and replies, “Hi.”
Everyone looks at her, waiting for her to say something as if she knows what’s supposed to happen now. I have no clue why we were all brought together like this.
We all get up and flock to the girl near the door. “Hey, my name is April,” I say.
I just want to make friends, if it’s at all possible here, while we’re prisoners.
“Amelia,” she replies.
“I’m Jane,” another one with a long brown ponytail, big brown eyes, and a big smile says.
“Olivia,” another girl says as she tucks her long blond hair behind her ears and blinks her bright blue eyes.
“Nice to meet you all, finally,” Amelia says, sighing.
How did she know we were here too? Did she hear us come in? Or did one of the men in charge tell her?
She looks at the girl still standing by the windows. She has only glanced at us once, then looked away again as though she’s waiting for something … or someone.
“Who’s that?” she asks.
I turn to look at her. “We don’t know. She won’t say her name.”
“Strange, if you ask me,” Jane adds, shrugging.
“Maybe she’s just scared,” I say, looking away. “I know I was when I first ended up in one of their houses.”
“One?” Amelia frowns. “There are more?”
My eyes widen. “You don’t know?”
She quickly glances at Soren, who is still watching our every move.
I don’t want to draw his attention, so I lean in and whisper, “I came from—”
“No whispering.” Soren’s gruff voice overwhelms the entire room, causing everyone to look at him. But he looks at no one except me. I just cannot look away, no matter how hard I try. I swallow hard at the fire blazing behind his eyes. It’s like he’s warning me not to overstep his boundaries … or else.
“We’re allowed to talk,” Amelia interjects, breaking the spell.
“No whispering,” he repeats.
Amelia rolls her eyes and takes us all to the couch, where we sit down, crossing our legs underneath these lavish dresses in defiance of our captors.
“I came from a cult,” I finally blurt out. “One that forced women to marry men whenever they were chosen.”
“Why?” Jane asks.
I lower my gaze to the floor, feeling embarrassed to talk about it. “To please the men who ruled it. They called that place the Holy Ground and the people who live there ‘The Family.’”
“How strange,” Jane adds.
“Tell me about it. I was taken from my regular old life straight into a cult,” I say. “And then to imagine girls were born into it, thinking it was normal.” I shake my head in disbelief while staring at the floor. “You wouldn’t believe what I’ve seen.”
Amelia grabs my hand and squeezes, bringing warmth to my heart. “That must’ve been rough.”
Tears well up in my eyes as I look up, gazing straight into Soren’s eyes. Silence overcomes me, filling the room with nothing but unsaid words. “But I refused to bow to their rules. And then they sent me here to punish me or something.”
Soren never takes his eyes off me, and for some reason, I feel as though he’s blocked out everything I’m saying and only focuses on my lips and the way they move. That, or he’s enjoying the tears staining my eyes. Asshole.
“But anyway, we’re all here now. How did you all get here?” I say, clearing my throat as I turn my head away from Soren.
“Ah … prefer not to tell,” Jane says, looking away with a blush on her face.
“I’m not,” Olivia says, raising a brow. “My father sent me here after I gave away all his money.”
My eyes widen while Jane’s jaw drops, while Amelia is just grinning like it’s funny or something.
“Wow,” Jane says, almost choking on her words. “I did not expect that.”
“I’m proud of it,” Olivia says, leaning back against the couch. “He gave me a choice. Jail, death, or be sent here. So you know what I chose.”
“Chose?” Amelia raises a brow.
“Yeah …” Jane presses her lips tightly. “Same.”
Amelia frowns. “So you all … actually chose to be here?”
Both Jane and Olivia sigh and roll their eyes as if it’s the most normal answer in the world.