Page 62 of Sunshine & Ink

Instead of cowering, I struck back, hitting her in the wrist, making her yelp in pain. With one hand I gripped her arm, with the other I slapped her as hard as I could across the face.

Elizabeth’s pretty perfect face and lips widened into a big o and she looked shocked as she darted a hand to the angry white mark on her cheek.

Then she sunk like a soufflé to the ground, crying in loud, gulping sobs.

I felt the hard, tight grip of the Elder on my arm.

“Let her go,” Raker shot out across the crowd, and we both froze.

I felt the sharp pinprick of a knife at the back of my throat.

“You will marry Elizabeth,” the Elder said. His hands were strong, gripping me with a fanatical strength. “You will stop this foolishness and be folded again in the embrace of the Elders.”

What was Raker going to do?

I saw the rest of the Saints begin to pour down the highway, but they were too far away, too far to help Raker if he had a hope of getting to me. And what would happen if he tried to fight his way through?

I was just a statusless whore. This Elder could kill me and not expect any reprisals for it.

Raker was smart, had always been smart. He would know it was pointless to try to get to me.

For a moment our eyes met.

Then he turned away, and my stupid betraying heart gave a horrible, gutdeep pang inside me.

No

And Raker took two steps on those long legs to the marble fountain, the luxury water tinkling gently, and he took the heavy basin in his hands and shoved.

The Elder made a deep grunt of pain.

Water splashed across the green lawn and there was a collective intake of breath in the crowd.

“Blasphemy!” the Elder cried.

He relaxed his grip enough for me to take my courage in both hands and wrench out of his grasp.

The Righteous were rushing to the fountains, desperate to save any last drop of water. The cost and waste was stunning, almost incalculable.

Elizabeth’s unhinged shrieking was ear-splitting, and the Elder seemed to suddenly remember his responsibility as he lunged toward me again.

“You caused this, evil one. You are going to pay the price!”

“Fuck you,” I said, ripping one of the floral decorations from the archway, desperate for anything to use as a weapon.

Shit, there was nothing here!

But just as I had knocked out weakly with the ragged edge of the wreath, I heard a sharp pop, and the Elder let out a choking gurgle, clutching at his arm as water and blood streamed down his hands.

Raker had thrown a small, wicked knife, so hard that it had popped his ceremonial water skin and plunged deep into his shoulder.

“Marry us,” Raker said, striding over and seizing my hand.

“No!” I protested, but Raker had the Elder gripped with the other hand.

“I—cannot,” the Elder gasped, his hands clawing desperately at the knife. “Not—a whore.”

Raker dragged the knife down the man’s side, splitting his flesh open.

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