Page 6 of Remorseless Sinner

“I did notdoanything,” I insisted.

“Gracie,” my stepfather said sharply. “Confess your sins and you may be saved from Abandonment by the holy community.”

“I won’t! I won’t!” I cried, feeling on the edge of hysteria, desperate for them to believe me, to believe that I had not done this on purpose. “I did nothing! It was all him! He came up to me! I never wanted this!”

I was almost weeping with mingled fury and frustration, and I felt a push on my back, my blurred eyes making it impossible to tell who had pushed me: my father or mother.

I went to rise to my feet, and the Eyes were on me, the huge orbs blinking metallic lids as they pressed down on my back, keeping me from rising.

Pastor Mickelson threw his head back to the ceiling, flecks of spittle coating his lips.

“One last chance before Grace O’Brien is thrown out into the woods and Abandoned to the punishment of Nimhe. Is there anyone,anyonewho desires to take on the burden of this sinful woman?”

His voice boomed, the sound reverberating off the ancient wooden pews.

Who would want a whore? No man did.

And when no one spoke up, I would be cast out into the forest, to the dangerous creatures that lived there.

The memory intruded on me again.

That memory

The one I tried my best to repress.

His eyes on me as they dragged him out into the forest, that shock of dark hair over his forehead, his pitch-black eyes burning into mine until I couldn’t see him anymore.

“Is there any man generous and righteous enough?” Pastor Mickelson boomed out one last time as the probe on my shoulder began to dig in deeper, penetrate my skin until I cried out in pain. “To take on the task of guiding this woman’s whorish footsteps into the Light of the Eye?”

Oh Eye forgive me for doubting, but what had I done to deserve this?

Was this my long-awaited punishment?

The quiethissss of the Congregation made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

Many times I had heard the Condemnation of the Congregation, but never did I dream that I would be the one at the center, that I would be the one condemned.

I had devoted my life to serving the Eye and the Holy Serpent.

This was it for me, I’d be thrown out, pierced by thousands of horrible metallic fingers. . .

“I will,” I heard a deep voice say from the entrance to the church.

Oh

Oh no

It couldn’t possibly be. . .

He wouldn’t dare

The Congregation seemed to still, punishment hovering on their tongues.

A man walked into the Light of the Eye, into the ring of the hissing sibilant sounds.

He was absolutely massive, so tall he stood head and shoulders above all the other men.

Short dark brown hair. Neatly trimmed dark beard that covered a strong, stern face with unsmiling lips and an uncompromising jaw that could crack walnuts.

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