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In Acadia, the workers hosted a festival every April. It was a celebration of winter ending and that the spring crops were bursting with life again. No one worked that day, and everyone chipped in to cook for the different booths and to set up the games. Generally, we just celebrated the blessings the gods had bestowed upon us and the peace and success of our community.
I'd always enjoyed it in the past. It was a chance for a day of leisure and for my friends and I to compete at the different booths.
But the morning of the festival I rolled out of bed at dawn, feeling antsy with pent-up frustration even though sleep was still clinging to me. I walked to the door of our cabin and stepped outside, my head turning automatically toward the main lodge. Eden's window was dark. She was still sleeping. I pictured her lying in her bed, her eyes closed, and that golden hair spilling over her pillow as her breasts rose and fell. I scrubbed a hand down my face and closed the door, none too quietly, and began my walk to the river.
"Wait up, Calder," I heard Maya call behind me.
I stopped and turned around, bending to pick her up when I reached her.
"No, don't carry me. I wanna walk," she said in her slightly slurred speech, coughing a small cough.
"Maya . . ."
"It's morning. You don't need to be in a hurry yet," she teased, smiling.
I smiled back. "No, I guess I don't. Come on." And I took her hand in mine.
After we'd visited the outhouse, we made our way to the river. I took my shirt off and waded in slowly, getting used to the cold water. Maya stayed closer to the shore as she splashed water over her face and hair, coughing more in the cool air.
I swore under my breath. Her cough had gotten better for a while, but now it was back. And it didn't sound good.
As I watched her, I suddenly felt filled with anger that my sister had to splash cold water on her head in the chilly morning, as the people at the main lodge woke up to a warm shower and indoor plumbing.
I had been taught my entire life that our sacrifice was pleasing to the gods, and it made us holier to live with the amenities they alone provided. But suddenly, standing there, it enraged me that Maya should have to sacrifice and the council members' kids didn't.
I reined in my emotion and dove into the water, coming up a short distance away and shaking the water out of my hair. I heard Maya laugh behind me. "You're like a fish," she called.
I laughed and dove back under the water, coming up just the same. Maya laughed again and clapped her hands. She mimicked casting a fishing reel and I pretended to be caught, floundering in the water and attempting to make an escape. Maya laughed louder and began to "reel" me in. I pretended to fight and strain as Maya reeled me toward shore, where I finally flipped and flopped on the ground, creating a dramatic fish death. Maya kept giggling and finally, I opened one eye and grinned back.
I stood up and splashed some water in the places I'd gotten sand on me and then Maya handed me a piece of fabric, and I used it to blot the water off my chest and run it over my hair.
"Do you like it here, Maya?" I asked.
She looked up at me. "Yes. It's my home," she said. "I like it anywhere you and Mom and Dad are."
I nodded, watching the water pool in the rocks at my feet. "You know if I ever left here, that I'd come back for you, right?"
Maya squinted at me. "Why would you ever leave here? If you did, you couldn't come to Elysium with us. You'd be lost in the great flood with the rest of the sinners. Please don't ever leave here, Calder."
I flinched. "Okay, Maya. Anyway, today's not the day to talk about this. Today," I scooped her up and she shrieked and then laughed, "is the spring festival and I'm going to win you whatever you want."
"I want a flower wreath for my hair."
"Then that's what you'll have." I laughed and carried her back to our cabin.
My mom and dad were awake, so we all started the day. Mom made breakfast as Dad loaded the small wagon outside our door with the baked goods my mom had been preparing all week.
For the festival, those baking were given a bag of sugar to use as an ingredient and Xander and I usually went from booth to booth, shoveling in treats, making ourselves sick by the end of the day. For some reason, the thought of sugar didn't fill me with my usual enthusiasm.
I stood in the doorway again, needing the air as all four of us clambered around the small space. It had always seemed crowded in our cabin, but now it felt tiny, claustrophobic, and I could hardly breathe. If I wasn't sleeping or working, these days I spent most of my time on the small porch.
"Make yourself useful, and help your dad," my mom bossed.
I took a deep breath and went and grabbed a couple wrapped plates of desserts off the table.
By noon, the setup was done and I walked through the rows of booths slowly, checking out the various items: cakes, cookies, cupcakes, hair wreathes, bouquets of wildflowers, soaps that smelled like different herbs, scented candles made from beeswax, jars of clover honey. Although the workers had made or collected the items, everything that was out was a gift from Hector, and we were encouraged to take what we needed. Everyone seemed happy, full of excitement today, but the whole festival suddenly seemed to me like a small morsel Hector threw to us workers to keep us happy, when he lived like this every day of the year, taking his fill of whatever treats and luxuries he ever desired.
I'd take Eden away from here, yes, because there was no other option, but would I miss any of it? It was all I'd ever known. And it would break my mom and dad's hearts. And Maya . . . I'd come back for her. I'd have to. Once I got Eden and me settled, I'd come back for her.
I massaged the back of my neck. It seemed like so much uncertainty. And Xander was right—I was wholly unprepared for the world outside. I didn't fear it so much as Hector had taught us to. I wasn't even sure exactly why . . . maybe it was the people Xander had met at the ranger station . . . maybe those happy looking movie stars in the magazines we had swiped and hid under the floorboards of Xander's cabin. None of them looked evil or cruel. I hoped I was right to be optimistic about the way other people lived and acted outside Acadia, because I knew one thing for sure. There'd be no coming back here once we left.
I was interrupted in my thoughts by the sound of voices rising and some calling out and I looked behind me to see the small, horse-drawn wagon, draped in bright fabrics, that Hector used to ride through the festival as people waved and clapped for him. Eden was sitting beside him, solemn in the white lace dress she always wore to Temple and special events. Hector leaned over and whispered something in her ear and a look of discomfort passed over her features before she smiled demurely and nodded at him. Anger and jealousy spiked through me as I leaned against a tree at the edge of the clearing where all the booths were set up. He had no right to her. If I could, I would have scooped her off that stupid, pompous wagon right then and there and walked off with her. But to where? And with what? So that she would be hungry by dinnertime and I'd have nothing to feed her? She couldn't know all my doubts. She was counting on me and I wouldn't fail her. But inside, I was nervous, confused, filled with questions I had no way to answer. I felt angry and frustrated.
I walked back around the small grove of trees and weaved through the booths until I was next to the wagon, about a hundred feet to the side of it. I walked along at the same pace, ducking behind booths here and there. Finally, Eden turned her head and caught sight of me. I grinned at her and her eyes widened as she coughed into her hand, hiding her own smile.
I ducked behind another booth and when I stepped out, Eden was looking around for me and spotting me, started to "cough" into her hand again. I walked along with her like that for a few minutes, loving that I was making her smile.
When the wagon made it to the first of the game booths, Hector stepped down and then offered his hand to Eden who took it and stepped down as well. I moved closer, blending in with the rest of the people now crowding around the booth.
The g
ame booth was a series of three platforms, one close, one farther, and the third one all the way at the back wall. There were three, heavy beanbags on each platform and the object was to throw a larger beanbag with enough force and just the right placement to knock all three off.
Hector leaned in to Eden again, pointing up at the variety of flower head wreaths. I moved closer and Eden caught my movement and looked over at me and then immediately down, obviously forgetting Hector had just asked her a question.
Hector looked at Eden and then up at me, and his eyes took me in coldly. "Which one would you like, love?" Hector asked loudly. Eden startled and looked up at the booth, hesitating and then pointing to a wreath of pink and yellow wildflowers, long pink ribbons hanging from the back of it.
"Then that's the one that will be yours," he said.
He took the beanbag from the little girl working there and threw it at the first platform, easily knocking all three smaller bags off. The crowd cheered like he had just knocked a ten-ton boulder over with his bare hands. He turned toward Eden and took her hand and kissed it, brushing his lips across her knuckle. My gut clenched and I felt a clawing need to rip her away from him.
He turned back around and Eden looked toward me, biting her lip and then giving me a very small smile.
He threw the beanbag at the second platform and cleared those, too, the crowd going wild.
Suddenly, Xander was beside me. He leaned in. "Relax. It's all a show. She wants to be next to you as much as you want to be next to her."
I breathed out and relaxed my hands, which had balled into fists.
Hector took the beanbag in his hand again and hesitated as he aimed for the farthest platform. He made his throw and two of the three smaller beanbags slid easily off, but the third remained. Hector smiled, letting out an exaggerated breath, and raising both hands in an "oh well" gesture.
"I'll win one for the princess," I blurted out, loudly.
I felt all eyes turn toward me, but my focus remained on Hector.
"You idiot," I heard Xander mutter, but my pride ruled the day and I stepped forward.
"Here, Calder," the little girl at the booth said, grinning at me and showing a big gap where both her front teeth were missing. I took the beanbag from her and watched as she set up the three platforms again.
"All set," she said. I threw the first one and cleared the platform easily. The crowd clapped, although not as exuberantly as they had for Hector. I threw the second one and cleared that one easily as well, and the crowd cheered a little bit louder.
I moved over to the third one and glanced back at Eden. Hector had moved behind her and had both hands on her shoulders and was squeezing her lightly. My blood heated and my jaw ticked. Eden widened her eyes and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but didn't.
I turned back around and aimed at the third platform, all the anger in my body seeming to collect in my hand as I threw that beanbag as hard as I could. Silence surrounded me as the bag made contact with the three smaller bags and they all flew off in different directions, the larger beanbag plowing through them and hitting the back wall. There was a second of silence before a loud groan came from the wood of the booth wall and it wobbled as my eyes widened, right before it crashed backward, landing on the ground with a loud thud.
I stood frozen for several seconds, and then the little girl in front of me whose mouth was hanging open, moved slowly to the wreath Eden had requested and silently took it down and held it out to me.
I took it from her and turned around. Eden was standing there with her hand over her mouth and her eyes shining with laughter and delight. And Hector stood behind her, his face a red mask of anger.
I handed the wreath to Eden slowly, and she took it from my hand, her skin brushing mine as her eyes widened and she blinked up at me. I tore my eyes away from her and looked up at Hector. "Father," I said, bowing my head and turning away. I moved past the booth, where two men were already putting the back wall up, and through the crowd. Xander jogged to my side and walked with me silently until we got to my cabin where I put my hands on my lower hips and paced in front of it.
"You impulsive fool," Xander said, glaring at me. "Calling attention to yourself and Eden when we're planning to leave? Are you stupid? Now you probably just made it that much harder. Did you see the look on his face? You threatened him."
"He had his hands on her," I gritted out.
Xander moved closer, his face right in front of mine. "Yeah, he did. He plans to marry her. He plans to have his hands all over her . . . forever. And you have to stop acting like a prideful idiot and ruining any chance we might have to get out of here with any ease."
I let out my breath and scrubbed my hand down my face. "You're right. I know you're right. I'm a fool." I sat down on my front step, bowed my head, and laced my fingers behind my neck. A couple seconds later I felt Xander sit down next to me.
We were both quiet for a few minutes before Xander spoke again. "I talked to Kristi. She says we need money, enough to last us three months or so, just long enough to get a job. She estimated three thousand."
I raised my head and looked at him incredulously. "Three thousand dollars?" I laughed. "Where are we supposed to get three thousand dollars?"
Xander shrugged. "I suppose that might be where Eden comes in. Surely the council members keep some money on them. She could start taking just a little, so they don't notice when she does it."
"Stealing again."
Xander let out an annoyed breath. "Do you have a better idea?"
I shook my head and squinted up at the sky. "No."
Xander was quiet for a minute. "Does Eden know how to count money?"
"I barely know how to count money. I mean, I know in theory, but obviously not in practice."
Xander nodded. "I don't know if we can risk bringing anyone else in Acadia into this."
"No, we can't." I thought for a minute. "What about the Castle family? Think there'd be any way of contacting them?"
"Ah geez, I don't know," Xander said, running his hand through his hair.
Bob, Tina, and Melissa Castle were a family that had come to live with us several years ago and then one day, in the middle of the night, they'd taken their things and left, right after Bob Castle had been punished by Hector for insolence. I never knew what the "insolence" was exactly, but Hector talked about those who weren't righteous would never feel comfortable in Acadia, and would be lured back out into the sinful society, as had happened with the Castle family. But I wondered if the Castle family would have another story to tell. Who knew if we could even trust them? My brain was all scrambled most of the time these days. The only people I knew for sure I could trust with my very life were Eden and Xander.
"They might not help anyway," I said. "I never knew them very well."
Xander sighed. "Let's see what Eden says about the money situation up at the main lodge. One step at a time, okay?"
"Yeah. Okay."
"And no more stupid testosterone-fueled stunts with Hector. In fact, you might be wise to apologize to him."
I grimaced. "I'm not sorry."
"Fine. But at least pretend you are."
I tensed my jaw and pictured him bringing Eden's knuckle up to his lips again. But Xander was right. If I wanted to get her away from him, I needed to play this smarter.
As it turned out, I didn't have to go to Hector on my own to offer an apology. The next morning, he summoned me to the main lodge.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Eden
The morning after the festival, Hailey woke me early and told me Hector wanted to see me after breakfast. I sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, feeling a nervous flutter in my belly. "Did he say why?" I asked sleepily.
Hailey shook her head, opened my closet, and pulled out my clothes. She laid my skirt at the end of my bed and then sat down. I propped my pillows behind me so I was sitting up, too.
Hailey studied me for a few seconds and then looked down at h
er hands. "Your wedding is drawing near, Eden." She paused and I furrowed my brow. "Hector would like me to educate you on the details of your wifely duties. He instructed me to do it as soon as possible."
I froze, her meaning immediately clear and a feeling of dread raced down my spine. I took a deep breath. I would never be Hector's bride. Calder was going to take me away from here before that could happen.
But I could use the lesson, couldn't I? I wanted to know all the ways to please a man. I wanted to know all the ways to please Calder, without him having to show me himself.
"Please do," I said softly.
Hailey glanced at me and her cheeks turned pink. Before she looked away, I thought I saw distress flash in her eyes.
"A woman doesn't enjoy these things, Eden, but a mistress or a wife performs them anyway. Do you understand?"
I shook my head. "No," I whispered. "Doesn't Hector bring you pleasure?" I felt my own face fill with heat and knew my cheeks were flushed, too.
Hailey looked back at me and pursed her lips. She took one of my hands in hers and said, "It is not always unpleasant, and you shouldn't fear it. But only a loose, impure woman takes pleasure for herself. You should focus on your husband only."
I furrowed my brow. Was I loose and impure? I must be, for I had surely enjoyed pleasures of the flesh with Calder. In fact, enjoy might be an understatement.
Hailey took a deep breath. "Things happen to a man when he is aroused. You'll know he wants you in bed when he . . . hardens."
I glanced down. I already knew that. And the thought of it alone, of Calder . . . hardened, sent a bolt of electricity between my legs. I swallowed.
"He will then want you to touch him, with your hand, and with your mouth." The last word came out as a squeak and my eyes widened. "My mouth?" I whispered, incredulous. Calder had used his mouth on me, but I was expected to use my mouth on him, too? "What do I do with it?" I asked.