Page 10 of Beneath Hoof and Hollow
Fists bang on doors and voices shout orders as the rest of the town is awoken. I notice more pins glinting off of tunics and trousers that I assume belong to additional members of the Lamb’s Golden Light. They gather everyone, ushering them to the woods. I didn’t even have time to properly dress. But I’m not the only one in my night attire.
“Who is it? Who will die in the woods tonight? Leed—who?” My whisper is frantic. What if it’s someone else close to me? I think of Estie and Fran. My gaze whips from side to side, seeking out my friends. I spot Estie first; her fair hair makes her standout in the crowd. Her eyes meet mine. I see every ounce of my own terror and anxiety reflected in her sapphire gaze. A teensy bit of relief eases the trembling of my limbs.
When I finally spot Fran, all of that relief vanishes.
Fran stands atop a barrel, a hanging rope tied around her neck. And she’s not alone. Edith, Catherine, Gail, Mary, Anna. They’re lined up, barrels rocking with the harsh trembling of their bodies. Six girls.Six.
They’re in better shape than Alesia was. Bloody noses and black eyes, but no broken jaws that I can see. Someone moves behind each, roughly sheering the hair from their heads.
All of them sob, except for Fran. Her gaze is distant, the light already gone from her eyes. She doesn’t even react as Reverend Statton mounts the platform.
“Evil has spread through this town like a plague. A sickness.A wickedness.” Spittle flies from his mouth. For the briefest moment I think the tip of a forked tongue flicks forward. “These women were caught colluding in the night. Practicing witchcraft.”
They cry out, defending themselves. Their voices trample one another and no distinct words can be heard. The message is clear nonetheless.We’re innocent.
“Members of the Lamb’s Golden Light found them practicing their dark magic and dragged them here to face justice.”
The crowd cheers. I peer around in disbelief. Are they not horrified by the scene unfolding before us? What has gotten into people?
Several fights break out. I recognize many of thewomen’sloved ones. One by one, brothers, fathers, friends, and husbands are all arrested by men wearing the unique golden pins. Leed said Reverend Statton selected a handful, but I see more than a few sporting the mark of the Lamb’s GoldenLight. The crowd has thinned significantly by the time all those protesting the hangings have been hauled away.
“We wasted not a moment bringing them here. UnderItrimort’s watchful eyes, they will pay for their sins.”
A collective cheer booms from all around me. Fists pump the air. Torches wave. “Hang them!” “Kill the witches!” Has everyone lost their mind? Those sobbing women aren’t witches. This has spiraled out of control so fast, my head is spinning.
This time, I don’t watch the girls as they die. My gaze is fixed on Reverend Statton. Brown eyes shift. As he watches the hangings, a luminous yellow overtakes his irises and whites. It’s so inhuman, so unnatural, that it makes me physically recoil. Leed’s hand around my upper arm is all that keeps me from sprinting away. Those around me whoop as the final barrel is kicked free.
When Reverend Statton looks back to the crowd, his eyes are again brown.
I don’t need to look to know that the women are all dead. I can see their bare feet swinging in my peripherals.
This is too much.
I’m drowning in the sea of cheers and praises. Suffocating in the intoxicating cloud of enjoyment spilling from so many. They’re inebriated with the darkness. High off the thrill of false consequences and their penalties. I can’t breathe.
Wrenching free from Leed’s hold, I break away from the crowd. I run, wishing I’d been able to don my boots before being roughly ushered to the woods. I run until the creaking of the ropes and the chanting crowd disappear behind me. I run until the torchlights vanish and I’m plunged into darkness.
My footing fails when I cross a fallen tree, shrouded by the night. I tumble head over foot, landing on my back with the breath knocked out of me.
“Emeline!” Leed’s voice follows me through the forest.
I rise, fighting through my tight lungs, sucking in a single breath before Leed catches me by the arm and hauls me backward. My scream is one of anger and anguish.
He shakes my shoulders. “Calm yourself. What will others think of this reaction? You will be seen in sympathy with the witches.”
“They aren’t witches!”
Leed is forceful as he slams my back against a nearby tree.
“Quiet that wicked tongue. Those aren’t your words, Emeline.”
“It’snot right. My friends…” The words blubber out of me between sobs. I fight against him. He pins his body weight against mine.
“Calm, Emeline. Shhh. Calm yourself.”
Something hard presses against my stomach. Realization has me screeching out a sound of absolute disgust. I shove Leed away. “Why are you hard?”
Leed’s hand is quick to cover the front of his trousers. “There is such excitement tonight. It cannot be helped.”
