Page 74 of Spark of Madness

Mercy watches me discerningly, her eyes scouring my form from top to bottom, as if she can assess all my intentions—good and bad—with a single glance. Perhaps she can, but she’ll find no bad intentions here.

“Tell me your plan then,” she says carefully. “What do you mean to do to us here?”

“I mean to bind you with rope, to show you how you’ll be bound for use in the trial, and give you a chance to prepare your mind for endurance through limited movement and the inability to escape of your own free will. I mean to help you prepare, as I said.”

“And why is Theo here for this?” she asks me. “You’re our warden.”

“That’s something we need to discuss.”

“So discuss it, then. I assure you that you have our attention.”

“To avoid exhausting my brothers, you’ll be participating in the first trial simultaneously.”

Her nostrils flare with a touch of anger. “We most certainly wouldn’t want to exhaust your brothers while they defile us.”

Something like a whimper escapes from Delle, and the small sound makes something resembling shame tick through my heart for a beat. It passes quickly with the next beat, though, because I know my God—I enforce His Edict, and I will do His will in these trials.

“Collectively, it’s been decided that you’ll be placed in two separate rooms to ensure the validity of your experiences.”

Mercy stares. “You’re going to have to explain that one to me.”

“The trials are an individual endeavor, and this one is meant to try your ability to endure the passionate needs of men with your flesh. On your own, and without support or encouragement. You should consider this to be a good thing, Mercy. You won’t have to witness Delle’s trial.”

“And I won’t be able to support her, now, will I?”

“Tell me when you’ve ever supported another servant on a night beneath the full moon. Service relies on the individual—”

“And the collective,” she interrupts me. “Without my sisters in service, there wouldn’t be enough to fulfill the needs of all the men in Ember Glen.”

“True, but this trial doesn’t require you to serve the needs ofallmen. It requires you to serve the needs ofseven.” Slowly, I step toward her. “In a way, you’ve won your case with my brothers.”

Creases form on her brow in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“They’re angry with you, Mercy. They were already angry with you for your sins and your pattern of rebellious thinking over your years of service. Perhaps it’s my fault for letting you speak your case in Delle’s favor today, but they feel insulted by the speech you gave asking to take on her burden. And the way they speak about taking out their aggressions on you in the trial, the way they speak about giving you what you deserve, means that their time and attention will mostly be focused on you.”

I watch her face fall as I speak, fear creeping through her features, though she tries to force a determined expression to hide it.

“With your trials taking place simultaneously,” I continue, “they’ll give you their worst, and Delle will be an afterthought. The anger you inspired in them today may very well have spared Delle the worst of them in this first trial.”

Even in the dark, I can see her throat bob as she swallows, quickly steeling herself as her shoulders pull back. “Good. Fine. That’s what I wanted.”

“Is it?”

She hardens her expression. “Yes. I wanted to take Delle’s burden, and I’ll take as much of it as they’ll give. Let them be angry with me if it should spare her their depravity.”

I nod, crossing my arms. “Good. Because they’ll give you a mountain of depravity in your seven-hour trial, which will take place a few days before the next full moon.”

“And you think you can prepare us for that?”

I drop my arms to the sides. “I can’t do anything to prepare you to fulfill the lustful desires of my brothers, as sexual acts are forbidden outside of service.” I cast a wayward glance at Theo, a natural movement of my eyes as I feel caught in a lie—no one can know of the things I’ve done with Mercy. “But I can mentally prepare you to endure the entrapment of being bound for hours and hours.” I take a step forward. “Now, will you let me help you?”

Mercy blinks, holding my gaze, and though the light is dim and constantly flickering, I can see the thoughts swirling behind her eyes.

It’s Delle who speaks, looking over at Theo. “Why are you here? What do you have to do with this?”

“The Control have decided that Arlo has his hands full with Mercy. They’re concerned about her continued rebellion and what she might inspire in others during the trials. They don’t want Arlo’s attention divided, and they asked for another volunteer to be your warden,” Theo says. “I volunteered.”

Delle’s eyebrows lift. “You’re my warden now?”

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