Page 7 of Obsession

Xander and I turn toward Margarete’s panicked voice.

Xander takes two steps, bringing him right in front of me. The man’s aura is larger than life, making it hard to think or breathe around him. He clears his throat. “I think you should reassure her.”

Rotting bile inches its way up my esophagus as I look at Margarete. She’s huddled by a tree, rocking back and forth as she stares at me with large, haunted eyes. I did this to her. I took her from the only home she’s ever known and forced her into an uncertain future. I’ve seen the outside world. My father took me for runs, allowing me the freedom to explore, but Margarete wasn’t afforded the same privilege.

I know the stories they hammer into our heads are lies. Fabrications spun to keep our dysfunctional way of life prevalent. If the women had the same opportunities as the men, none would stay. They’d understand that their world was a gilded cage spun from lies. Yet even knowing this, my chest hurts at the thought that perhaps I’ve sprung this on Margarete too soon. Maybe she isn’t ready for enlightenment.

Did I make a mistake?

No. They would’ve killed her. Not necessarily a physical death, but a spiritual decay is far worse. The Covenant would’ve broken her spirit, the core of who she was, and turned her into a robotic shell. She would end up like the other women—a mindless servant.

No matter what happens, having a choice in a world compromised by sin is far better than a life in paradise cluttered with subjugation.

I approach Margarete gently, worried that I'll spook her if I make a sudden move or if my voice is too harsh. “Maggie, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

“What if it’s not, Hans? What if everything out here is far worse than what we’ve left behind?”

My heart shatters at the frightened stutter in her voice. “Did you want to marry him?”

“No,” Maggie says, shaking her head. “But that was my purpose. Who am I to say no to the grand plan?”

I crouch beside her, clasping her hand. “I don’t believe there’s a grand plan. God wouldn’t have made me love you the way I do only to rip you away from me. There is no holier union than theyearning of my heart for yours. If you want to live without me, I’ll take you back to The Covenant, but I won’t sit by and watch you marry that man. I can’t.”

Tears spring from Margarete’s eyes, making me want to kick my ass for placing them there. I never want to be the reason she’s miserable, but I also don’t want her living a lie. “What if we’re punished? You’re my brother, Hans. The two of us together is sinful.”

I shake my head, adamant about getting my point across. “You’ve never been my sister.”

I’ve never regarded Maggie as a sibling, not even when we were young. The moment I saw her face at our parents' wedding, I knew she was mine, but the emotions she evoked were far removed from brotherly love. Our love started innocently, morphing into a necessity and blossoming into a bond that heaven and earth couldn’t shatter.

“I don’t want to marry any of them. I know what happens to us. But I’m scared, Hans. What if they’re right? What if what’s out here is far worse than where we were?”

“You think a merciful, loving God would want us to suffer the way the church tells us to?”

I watch her, waiting for an answer. I’m willing to wait an eternity for her to realize that love can’t be a sin, not when it’s forged from pure devotion and sacrifice.

Maggie squeezes my hand. “Nothing has brought me the joy you have, but temptation also brings pleasure.”

I cup her cheek. “Temptation is fleeting. I’ve loved you since the first day I saw you. Sixteen years surpasses the fleeting moments of pleasure driven by temptation, don’t you think?”

Margarete nods toward Xander. “What are we going to do about him?”

“Have faith.”

CHAPTER 5

Margarete

Have faith.

Johannes’ words linger in my mind as I approach the large man wearing a disturbing mask. The plastic is all black with a blue X over the eye holes and a creepy Cheshire cat grin where his mouth should be. He leans against a tree like he has no care in the world.

The urge to run consumes me. Not because he’s menacing but because he appears so nonchalant while my whole world is in complete disarray.

“Hello, Maggie.”

His voice is deep. If God or the Devil were to speak, I imagine they would have a voice like his.

“Margarete. My name is Margarete. Only people I know call me Maggie.”

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