Page 47 of Ceremony of Lust

Reflexively, I lick my lips, and his eyes zero in on my mouth. He breathes in sharply, and immediately, I regret such an action. “What’s the alternative?” I ask.

“Divorce. Zev would be well within his right to request a divorce if you’re unable to conceive.”

I grit my teeth and tip my chin up defiantly; his words sound like a threat. I might not know everything about my husband, but I’m fairly confident he would never divorce me. “Zev would never do that.”

He laughs again, a sinister sound that makes me sick to my stomach. “You’re so naïve, Yael. Your husband will do whatever I tell him.”

26

Zev

The house isquiet when I step off the elevator. Normally, Yael is listening to opera, and the soft music floats through the air, welcoming me home with a familiar melody. Today, all I hear is silence.

“Yael, I’m home,” I call out, setting my overnight bag down in the foyer. Maybe she isn’t home and my own paranoia is getting to me.

Then I hear the faintest sniffle, and as I carefully make my way through the space, I catch sight of her on the floor, crying. I rush toward her, sink to my knees, and pull her into my arms.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” I push back and examine her. Other than a red, blotchy face, nothing seems amiss.

“The Chief Elder was here,” she mutters.

Fuck. I sit back on the floor, my backside hitting the cold hardwood floor sharply. “What did Anders want?”

“What everyone wants to know. Why I’m not yet pregnant.”

“Yael, I told you—”

“I know what you told me, but he wants me to go and see Hadassah, and he wasn’t politely suggesting it.”

“Did he threaten you, Yael?” Anger flares inside me, and my hands flex into fists.

“No, not in so many words, but he reminded me once again that I have very few freedoms in Ripley. If I don’t go and see Hadassah—if I don’t get pregnant—then you’re well within your right to request a divorce.”

“That won’t happen.”

Her eyes grow cold, and her mouth hardens into a thin line. “He said you’ll do whatever he tells you. What does that mean, Zev?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle the Chief Elder,” I say dismissively, but from the scowl on Yael’s lips, I already know what’s going to come out of her mouth next.

“Don’t lie to me, Zev. You might not ever love me, but I hope you’ll respect me and never lie to me.”

My hands run through my hair down the back of my head to my neck. “What if the truth is ugly?”

“Uglier than knowing the Chief Elder has seen me naked? Uglier than wondering if that’s what he pictures every time he looks at me?”

My head snaps up. “What did you say? When did Anders see you naked?”

“At the Purification Ritual. I had to sit in front of him and the rest of the Elders completely nude and answer their questions. Hadassah’s assistant poked and prodded every inch of me, making sure I was perfect for you. So, is your truth uglier than that?”

“Yes,” I tell her.

“And does it affect my life?”

“Yes, it does now that we’re married.”

“Then you need to tell me.”

I chuckle at her insistence. “You are my wife, Yael. I don’t have to do anything. You, on the other hand, must obey my every command.”