Her blue eyes narrowed and she shook her head. “You have been led astray, Whore. All of you have. And you all lie with the enemy. Each and every one of you lies with one of the devil’s men.” Sarai tightened her grip on the gun and said, “He told me you were corrupted, but hearing of it and seeing it with my own two eyes; they are two entirely different things. But he will see that you are punished. He will see that you all pay for what you have done.”

The man gripping my arm threw me forward and I landed in the back of a van. Lilah and Mae were sitting opposite me. Then we were plunged into darkness, only a small crack of light sneaking through the van’s doors. The engine fired up. My heart beat too fast and I felt I could not breathe as the darkness closed in.

“Lord…” I heard Lilah whisper, her voice trembling in fear, “What is going to happen to us? How did this happen?”

“Sarai,” I whispered back. “She was lying all along. Her appearance at the compound was a set up. For the Prophet. Ky and Styx had proper cause to doubt her intentions after all.”

Silence followed, then Mae said brokenly, “And I convinced Styx to let her stay. Lilah took her in and cared for her.” Mae’s head dropped into her hands and she said, “I always believed Cain was truly, underneath it all, the man I got to know as Rider. That he was just as lost as we three. Brainwashed, raised to believe wrong and hurtful things. But Sarai said we were to be taken to him. I… I…” Mae trailed off. Even in this darkness I could feel the sadness engulfing her body.

Silence reigned as the van began to move, then Lilah said, “Neither of you have seen New Zion. It is nothing like our old commune. And the Elders and Disciples to Prophet Cain… they are worse, if that is possible.” Lilah’s voice cut off, and she sniffed back her emotion. “I fear we will not see Ky or Styx again.”

My heart missed a beat at the pain in her voice, and I added, “Or my Flame.”

Mae and Lilah did not say anything in return, and feeling tears trickle down my cheeks, I confided, “He kissed me. Yesterday, we kissed…” A sob built in my throat but I managed to add, “and he held my hand. He touched me, and I cherished it. He kissed me. Against all odds, we kissed… and it was just as you both described… it was everything, and now I have lost him…”

“Maddie,” Mae whispered.

Then my fear spiked as I thought of what could lie ahead. I felt my body seize as my mind took me back to the memories I had pushed way into the dark recesses of my mind. Back to the commune. Back to when Mae had run away and the people were in panic. Back to the day that all four of the Elders came for me, to rid me of my family’s original sin…

I scurried into the corner when I heard footsteps approaching our quarters. But it was not a single set of footsteps. I could hear many. Many footsteps approaching our door.

“Maddie?” Lilah called from across the room. But I did not look to where she sat. I could not. My eyes were transfixed on the door. Transfixed on the many shadows moving in the hallway.

My arms wrapped around my legs, and I held on tight. For a fleeting moment I had the silly thought that if I made myself small enough, that if I pressed myself against the wall as small as I possibly could, then the Elders might leave me alone.

But as I heard deep voices echoing behind the door, I knew nothing I did could hide me from them. Since Mae had left they looked upon me—her blood sister—with increasing anger and suspicion. I had heard their hushed whispers as they discussed the innate sin found in our family line. And I had heard them decide that it was a problem that needed to be remedied through the sister who remained.

I knew they would be coming for me, to be punished in Mae’s stead.

The doorknob suddenly turned, and hearing my deep shallow breaths roaring in my ears, the door opened to reveal Brother Moses’ broad frame.

His eyes immediately sought me out.

As he found me, curled tightly against the far back wall, he flicked his hand, his silent command for me to stand. Feeling my legs might fail, I used my hands on the wall to help me get to my feet.

Brother Moses turned without a word and walked out of the door. I followed behind, unable to even glance at Lilah as I passed. I feared I could not withstand the fear and sympathy that would be in her pretty blue gaze.

Brother Moses turned to walk down the hallway, to the room we always went to when he took me in a brother-sister exchange. But as I risked a glance to search the rest of the hallway, I wondered where the other Elders had gone?

As we arrived at Moses’ room, my question was answered.

Brothers Jacob, Noah and Gabriel stood in the center of Moses’ room beside the shackle table. The table that I would be taken on every night, whipped and chained, while Moses exorcised my sinful soul. The table he had taken me on as a child.

Each Elder had removed their shirts and pants, and were all watching me, their hands moving back and forth on their erect lengths. And fear, like I had never experienced before, took hold.

My feet, seeming to move of their own accord, stumbled backwards, everything within me telling me to run. But just as I turned in terror of what they wanted to do with me, a hand gripped my arm—Brother Moses. I cried out in pain as he dragged me backwards, slamming the door, trapping me inside.

Spinning me round, Brother Moses jerked me to stand before him, my neck snapping back at the force. Tightening his grip on my arm, he reached up and stroked his callused finger down my face and over my neck. My skin crawled at his familiar rough touch, and I flinched.