swallowed, lifting his eyes to the closed roof. “Everyone starts out at the bottom. There are no exceptions, because exceptions would break all the rules.”
“But what about the men? The new male exiles? They just get to do what they want?”
“No. They have to earn the right to be a member of the village. We keep them bound, and they work in the gardens during the day, or help with maintenance, and sleep staked to the ground at night until they learn the rules, until they accept them.” Lucian spoke gravely. “There is no gray area outside the walls. You are either with us, a functioning and contributing member of this place Mathias built, or you die. We won’t risk a threat, especially not now. Not when we’ve built so much, not when there are children at risk. All of us have survived too much to let one person bring it all down.”
The words hung heavy in the air, and Emmie looked over at the picture of her and Gabrielle. So happy, so blissfully unaware of the world outside the city, so ignorant to the dangers within the walls as well. “You think I’m going to bring it down,” she spoke softly, and he turned towards her.
“I’m sort of hoping you have other plans.”
“My plans ended the moment I landed on the ground outside the walls.”
He shook his head slowly. “You really didn’t think we’d find you?”
Emmie let out a soft laugh, realizing now how foolish she had been. “I had hoped I’d be able to avoid the exiles.”
“Didn’t quite work out that way, did it?” Lucian’s voice went flat as he cut himself off, and he stood before she could respond. “Your clothes are still at Mathias’, I’ll go get them.” He didn’t give her a chance to speak as he stood stiffly, pulled the door open, and left.
For a moment, she was shocked by his quick exit, but then Emmie scooted back on the palette of his bed, reaching for a blanket that was bunched against the wall. It was rough, but warm, and she draped it over her legs as she picked up the photograph again. “Well, he knows everything, Gabrielle…” Emmie whispered and sniffled. “But I think I’m in more trouble out here than I would have been staying with you, and at least I’d know you were safe. That no matter what happened to me, you and Sarah were okay. I’m sorry , I’m so very sorry...” The last words made her voice break, and she was busy drowning in her own misery when Lucian shoved the door open again.
“Here, I’ve got —” He paused, and she quickly wiped at her eyes and nose, trying to hide her crying. “Shit.” Lucian moved towards her and set her clothes on the end of the bed before taking a slow breath.
Emmie sniffled. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, all the newbies break down at some point.”
“I’m not breaking down,” Emmie grumbled defensively.
“Okay, well, here are your clothes, and you’re welcome to stay in here as long as you need to finish not breaking down.” Lucian’s cocky voice was back, and she grabbed her shoe from the pile and threw it at him. He caught it in one hand with infuriating ease and held it at his side. “Is this a tantrum?”
“Fuck off.” Emmie rolled her eyes and dug her panties from the pile of clothes. Standing, she turned around to pull them on, well aware of his gaze on her backside. It wasn’t until she was drawing her panties up that she remembered the welts he’d given her from the switch. The fabric grazed them, and she hissed between her teeth as Lucian groaned behind her. When she turned, he slowly brought his hands in front of his crotch, her shoe dangling from one of his fingers.
“Really?” she asked, exasperated.
“What can I say? It’s a spectacular view.” Lucian grinned, and it was the kind of wild grin that made his youth apparent. Twenty-three . She’d done the math in her head after his story, and although he was normally commanding, and serious, and sort of an asshole – when he grinned like that, he looked exactly
“But what about the men? The new male exiles? They just get to do what they want?”
“No. They have to earn the right to be a member of the village. We keep them bound, and they work in the gardens during the day, or help with maintenance, and sleep staked to the ground at night until they learn the rules, until they accept them.” Lucian spoke gravely. “There is no gray area outside the walls. You are either with us, a functioning and contributing member of this place Mathias built, or you die. We won’t risk a threat, especially not now. Not when we’ve built so much, not when there are children at risk. All of us have survived too much to let one person bring it all down.”
The words hung heavy in the air, and Emmie looked over at the picture of her and Gabrielle. So happy, so blissfully unaware of the world outside the city, so ignorant to the dangers within the walls as well. “You think I’m going to bring it down,” she spoke softly, and he turned towards her.
“I’m sort of hoping you have other plans.”
“My plans ended the moment I landed on the ground outside the walls.”
He shook his head slowly. “You really didn’t think we’d find you?”
Emmie let out a soft laugh, realizing now how foolish she had been. “I had hoped I’d be able to avoid the exiles.”
“Didn’t quite work out that way, did it?” Lucian’s voice went flat as he cut himself off, and he stood before she could respond. “Your clothes are still at Mathias’, I’ll go get them.” He didn’t give her a chance to speak as he stood stiffly, pulled the door open, and left.
For a moment, she was shocked by his quick exit, but then Emmie scooted back on the palette of his bed, reaching for a blanket that was bunched against the wall. It was rough, but warm, and she draped it over her legs as she picked up the photograph again. “Well, he knows everything, Gabrielle…” Emmie whispered and sniffled. “But I think I’m in more trouble out here than I would have been staying with you, and at least I’d know you were safe. That no matter what happened to me, you and Sarah were okay. I’m sorry , I’m so very sorry...” The last words made her voice break, and she was busy drowning in her own misery when Lucian shoved the door open again.
“Here, I’ve got —” He paused, and she quickly wiped at her eyes and nose, trying to hide her crying. “Shit.” Lucian moved towards her and set her clothes on the end of the bed before taking a slow breath.
Emmie sniffled. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, all the newbies break down at some point.”
“I’m not breaking down,” Emmie grumbled defensively.
“Okay, well, here are your clothes, and you’re welcome to stay in here as long as you need to finish not breaking down.” Lucian’s cocky voice was back, and she grabbed her shoe from the pile and threw it at him. He caught it in one hand with infuriating ease and held it at his side. “Is this a tantrum?”
“Fuck off.” Emmie rolled her eyes and dug her panties from the pile of clothes. Standing, she turned around to pull them on, well aware of his gaze on her backside. It wasn’t until she was drawing her panties up that she remembered the welts he’d given her from the switch. The fabric grazed them, and she hissed between her teeth as Lucian groaned behind her. When she turned, he slowly brought his hands in front of his crotch, her shoe dangling from one of his fingers.
“Really?” she asked, exasperated.
“What can I say? It’s a spectacular view.” Lucian grinned, and it was the kind of wild grin that made his youth apparent. Twenty-three . She’d done the math in her head after his story, and although he was normally commanding, and serious, and sort of an asshole – when he grinned like that, he looked exactly
Similar Books
