Page 29 of Spark of Madness

“It’s your reckoning day,” someone else calls, but I don’t see who as Arlo drags me past them, marching me through the forest.

“Bring the sinner to her judgment,” another says, their voices following close, taunting me as they take me away for God knows what.

The taunting continues through the forest, twigs breaking beneath my feet, the crunching echoes bouncing off the trees all around me. The men’s voices seem to drift into a swirling chorus that loops around tree trunks, swirls through the empty spaces between them, and bathes me in taunting noise.

As we break through the trees, the noise crescendos with the sound of voices ahead in the village square.

Adrenaline pulses through my veins as I stumble behind Arlo’s quickening pace. My eyes take notice of who the rising voices belong to. The entire population of Ember Glen is standing in wait in the village square, just in front of the steps leading up to the Homestead.

Waiting.

Waiting for me.

chapter ten

Mercy

FEARGRIPS ME,bringing my feet to an abrupt stop. Arlo jerks, but I plant my boots on the gravel, anger contorting my expression. His grip slips from my hand to my wrist. I try to pull my arm away, bringing my free hand to push down against his grip.

“Let go of me!” I shout, and my cry is met with the sudden deafening silence of the world around me.

Arlo stares at me, his anger bringing a sneer that pulls his lips across his cheeks. In a surprise move, he releases me and takes a step back. I turn to run, but I crash straight into Theo’s broad chest.

I look up at him. “Theo…”

His expression is somber, sad, regretful—and that scares me more than anything. “I’m sorry, Mercy.”

I take a step back as the Control circles me, making it clear there is no escaping my fate.

“You sinned when you were meant to serve,” Theo says, as if the logic is sound and should be enough to make me accept this. “But it was the culmination of your dissenting thoughts, and it can no longer be ignored.” He lowers his voice. “I warned you...”

He did warn me.

He told me I was being watched before he ran after Delle that night.

Heat envelops me, like a fire burning at my back as Arlo steps in close behind me. My pounding heart skips a beat. His fingers are too light, too gentle as they capture strands of my white-blonde hair and lift them back over my shoulder. His breath breezes across my ear as he leans in.

“Come with me, sinner. Walk with dignity to your reckoning, and I’ll stand beside you.”

I turn my head sharply, meeting his eyes as he slowly circles to stand at my side.

“I’ll stand beside you.”

I don’t know what to make of such a contradictory statement.

I’ll cast judgmentupon you while standing at your side?

Righteous indignation catches fire in my chest as he once again holds out his gloved palm for me to take. I feel the snarl tug a sour grin from my lips.

Everything in Ember Glen is a contradiction—our faith, our beliefs, our values…Everything is just one sickening contradiction after the next.

So let them call me the sinner.

Bring forth my judgment and reckoning.

I won’t pretend I believe their lies any longer. I won’t go with willing acceptance to my death like my mother did.

I swing my arm to smack Arlo’s hand away. “I don’t need anyone to stand beside me, least of all men like you.” For good measure, I spit on the ground beside his feet, out of my mind with fury.

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