Enslaved (Brides of the Kindred Book 14) (47 page)

Chapter
Thirty-five

“So…you’ve
been watching me for weeks?” Trin looked at them uncertainly. The three of them
were seated on a hard, uncomfortable cot with a single thin, scratchy gray
blanket. Charlie had grumbled more about the sadistic practices of the temple
when she saw the sleeping accommodations but Trin was so tired she had to sit
down or fall down. So now she was sitting in the middle of the cot with Charlie
and Becca on either side of her.

“In
a manner of speaking—I and my guy, Stavros, have been getting visions of you
and Thrace—little
flashes of what’s going on with you. Oh, and Stav had to watch Two also.”
Charlie made a face. “Not great. But that’s why I practically feel like I know
you already.”

“And
it’s also why we came to get you,” Becca said. “The Goddess told Charlie and
Stavros it was time to stop watching and start acting.”

Trin
frowned. “What Goddess? Not the Goddess of Judgment?”

“No,
of course not. In fact…” Charlie hesitated.

“In
fact what?” Trin demanded.

“Well…I
don’t know how to say this but when the Goddess—the Kindred Goddess, I mean—the
Mother of All Life—spoke to me, she said your goddess isn’t really…well, she’s
not
real.”

“She
is
real,” Trin said, frowning. “I was
raised in her shadow, trained to fear her from my infancy. She
has
to be real or…”

“Or
you’re doing all this for nothing?” Becca asked gently, indicating Trin’s
scratched body and shorn head.

Trin
looked away. “Even if she wasn’t real, I’ve still broken the laws of my
people—still shamed my mother. I…I deserve all that has happened to me and
more.”

“My
mother cries over me every night,” Becca said softly. “I was all set to be a
nun—that’s like a priestess, you know. I thought I had the calling. But then, I
met Truth and Far.”

“Who
are they?” Trin asked uncertainly.

“My
bonded mates—soon to be my husbands, though you can bet my mom and dad won’t be
at the wedding. They’re certain I’m going straight to Hell in a hand basket and
you know why?”

“Because
she’s mated to two guys at the same time,” Charlie said.

Trin
sucked in a breath.

“Two?
At once?”

“That’s
the Twin Kindred for you,” Becca said. “They have to share a woman—it’s
physically impossible for them to be with only one at once. And believe me, my
guys tried. It took a lot to bring the three of us together.”

“See
two guys and one girl—that’s not commonly done in Earth culture. Well, outside
of porn, that is,” Charlie said. “Most people call it offensive or wrong.”

“I
call it love,” Becca said
softly. “A love deeper and truer than anything I’ve ever felt. But it took me a
while to come to that conclusion. I couldn’t get over what I’d been
taught—couldn’t give in to the love I felt for my guys until it was almost too
late. I nearly lost them because I felt so guilty I couldn’t bring myself to be
with them.”

“But
what if the guilt you feel is deserved?” Trin asked. “What if your actions have
made you a shame and disappointment to those you hold close?” She couldn’t help
remembering the disgust in her mother’s eyes.

“You
can’t live your life for anyone else but you,” Becca said. “I learned that the
hard way. Do I regret hurting my mom?” Her eyes grew bright with unshed tears
and she blinked rapidly. “Of
course
I
do. But I can’t give up the men I love—the men I’m bonded too—just to please
her.” She sniffed. “I hope someday she’ll accept my decision but if she
doesn’t, well, there’s not much I can do about it. I just have to let it go.”

“You
have to let it go, too, Trin,” Charlie told her earnestly. “It’s not a bad
thing that you fell for Thrace
and he fell for you. The Goddess put you together—you’re each other’s
destiny.”

“He’s
a male.” Trin looked down at her hands. “I allowed myself to fall in love with
a male and to…to breed with him. It is the most wrong and unnatural thing
anyone can do and I did it.”

“Did
you ever think that maybe it’s
not
unnatural
for you?” Becca asked. She looked at Charlie. “She’s half Earth-girl, right?
Even though she’s been raised here?”

“That’s
right.” Charlie nodded.

“Yes,
the seed that created me came from your planet,” Trin said, frowning. “My mother
chose it because she wanted an exotic baby—one who would look different and
stand out from the rest. She always expected me to live up to…” She swallowed
hard. “To a very high standard. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“It
has to do with the fact that you’re
half
Earth.
And on our planet, a girl and a guy together is the norm,” Becca said. “Of
course we also have girls who go with girls and guys who go with guys but the
majority of people pair off with the opposite sex.”

“Becca’s
right,” Charlie said, sitting up straighter. “Maybe you couldn’t help being
attracted to a guy because of your genetic make-up!” She took Trin’s hand and
looked at her earnestly. “Wanting to be with Thrace isn’t bad, honey. It’s in
your blood—your
DNA.”

Trin
didn’t know what to say. She had never considered that her genes might have
played a roll in her love for the big Havoc. Maybe Charlie and Becca were
right. Maybe she couldn’t
help
falling
in love with Thrace.
Maybe—

A likely excuse,
sneered
the judgmental little voice in her head which sounded a lot like the high
priestess Betina’s.
As if any excuse is
good enough for the sins you committed!

“I…”
Trin shook her head. “I don’t know if I believe that my blood has anything to
do with it.”

“But
it
must.
Look, we need to take you
with us,” Becca urged gently. “Thrace
is waiting on the ship with my guys and Charlie’s mate, Stavros. He still loves
you—loves you more than ever. Please come.”

“We’ll
take you back with us and you can live on the Mother Ship,” Charlie added eagerly.
“We’ve got a whole group of friends you’ll love and they’ll welcome you, Trin!
And
nobody
will look down on you for
loving a male because it’s the norm for us—not the exception. You’ll finally
fit in.”

Trin
drew a deep breath and for a moment, she actually allowed herself to consider
their proposal. Living in a place where males and females were equal, where she
and Thrace
could be together without shame or any kind of recrimination…it sounded almost
too good to be true.

But
as much as she wished for that beautiful dream, she knew she couldn’t have it.
She didn’t deserve it.

“I’m
sorry but… I can’t go with you.” She shook her head regretfully. “I have to
stay here and pay for my sins.”

“What—the
sin of making love with the man you care about? The man you’re
bonded
to?” Charlie demanded.

“Look
at yourself,” Becca added. “Look what these people did to you! They stripped
you naked and scratched you all up and cut your hair…Honey, they
killed your horses.”

“I
know.” Trin felt a lump rising in her throat at the memory of Swift and Silk
lying dead at her feet. “I know but…but I deserved it.”

“You
did not!” Becca said indignantly. “Nobody deserves to be treated the way these
people are treating you! This is
abuse
,
pure and simple.”

Charlie
leaned closer, her eyes intense.

“Come
on, Trin—forget about yourself and think about Thrace. He’s half crazy with worry
for you! In fact, Truth and Far had to practically hold him back from storming
in here and throwing you over his shoulder like a caveman.”

Trin
frowned. “What is a ‘caveman?’”

Charlie
shook her head. “Never mind, you wouldn’t get it. The point is, what about Thrace?
Don’t you love him?”

“Of
course I love him!” Trin spoke softly though she felt like she was shouting the
words. They seemed to burn her as they left her mouth. “Of
course
I love him,” she repeated. “I have allowed myself to love a
male. To enjoy the feeling of him touching and taking me. That is the
reason
I cannot come with you. Because I
still love him—it proves…proves the sin is still within me.”

“Oh,
Trin…” Charlie shook her head sorrowfully.

“These
awful priestesses here have
really
done a number on your head!” Becca exclaimed. “And that’s coming from a girl
who almost got married to the church instead of letting myself love a man…or
men
, in my case.”

“I
only know what I have been taught since I was an infant,” Trin whispered. “And
I
cannot
bring myself to ignore it.
Once I thought I could but then…” She flashed on her mother’s face again—on the
rigid disappointment and disgust she’d seen in those dark eyes that were so
like her own. “Then I realized it’s impossible.”

“Trin…”
Charlie ran a hand through her blonde hair and sighed. Then she shook her head.
“All right. If that’s how you want it.”

“What?”
Becca looked at her friend in amazement. “You’re not just going to let her stay
here, are you? Look at her! Look what they’ve already done to her hair….her
skin! If we let her stay any longer…”

“As
hard as it is, it’s got to be Trin’s decision,” Charlie said firmly. “The
Goddess said she would have to make a choice—maybe this is it.”

“She’s
not in any shape to be making choices right now,” Becca argued. “She’s
brainwashed
. She’s got the worse case of
Stockholm syndrome I’ve ever seen!”

“I
don’t know what kind of disease that is but I am completely sane,” Trin said
softly, addressing Becca. “And I choose to stay here of my own free will. To
complete the ritual. Anyway, I…” She swallowed hard. “I do not think it will be
much longer. Tomorrow…tomorrow I have to make a sacrifice to the Goddess. Maybe
then I will finally be completely cleansed.”

“What
kind of sacrifice are we talking about?” Charlie asked, frowning.

“I
must give something I don’t wish to lose.” Trin looked down at her hands. “A
finger…or an ear. Or sometimes the high priestess says the Defiled One chooses
to lose an eye.”

“Wait
a minute…” Becca put a hand on her arm, being careful not to touch any of the
raw welts. “Are you actually telling us that tomorrow you’re going to be
maimed?
And you’re
okay
with that?”

Slowly,
Trin nodded. “It is…what I deserve.”

“For
falling in love and getting a little nookie? Honey, no!” Becca shook her head.
“Think about what you’re saying!”

“I
have to side with Becca on this one,” Charlie said. “I had no idea they were
planning on
maiming
you.” She shook
her head. “That’s going too far—way too far.”

Becca
snorted. “Too far? By any sane standards these people left ‘too far’ back in
the dust a mile back! We need to get her out of here—
now.”

Charlie
frowned. “Maybe you’re right. This really is way beyond the pale. I just—”

“You
will not be taking The Defiled One anywhere!”

The
ringing voice of Betina made them all jump. Trin turned, her heart heavy, to
see the high priestess standing there flanked by two lesser priestesses, both
armed with hand-held destroyers. Behind them was the priestess with pale purple
hair.

“I
knew they didn’t belong here, your holiness,” she was saying to the high priestess.
“I don’t believe they’re priestesses at all.”

“You
did well to come and tell me, Lali.” Betina spoke without taking her eyes off
Trin and her companions. “Who are you?” she demanded of Charlie and Becca.

“We’ve
been sent by the Goddess of the Kindred—the Mother of All Life—to help and
protect Trin,” Becca said, apparently deciding that honestly was the best
policy.

“Yes—she’s
been punished enough,” Charlie put in. “So we’re going to need to take her back
with us now.”

“I
think not. The
Kindred
goddess, you
say?” Betina frowned. “I have heard of her. A misguided deity whose supporters
advocate the forbidden practice of females and males mating and living
together.”

“It
may seem forbidden to you but it’s normal to us,” Becca pointed out. “Can’t you
try
and see anyone else’s point of
view?”

“I
see only right and wrong and what you are espousing is totally and
unequivocally
wrong,”
Betina spat.
“Not only that, it is blasphemous
and
disgusting!”

“Well,
so much for talking it out,” Charlie muttered.

“There
is nothing to talk about,” the high priestess said firmly. She pointed at Trin.
“The Defiled One must be taken to a cell for security until the Ceremony of Sacrifice
tomorrow. As for you…” She narrowed her eyes at Becca and Charlie. “You shall both
be imprisoned in the dungeons beneath the temple while I decide what to do with
you.”