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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

WYNTER

I take a seat next to Anna, still staring at my hands. I’m shaking uncontrollably, and Anna smiles, gently taking my hands and using a cloth to wipe them. “It’s the adrenaline,” she explains.

“Am I a monster?” I whisper.

She shakes her head, glancing back when Cornelius is dragged from the pew begging for his life. “No, you’re a survivor of something terrible,” she says. “We all are.”

“But I didn’t feel sad,” I admit. “I felt good when I stuck that glass into him.”

She nods. “It’s called empowerment. You’re finally taking back what you should have had all along.”

The warriors begin to beat both Adrian and Cornelius, all their frustrations flowing freely. “I don’t know what to do next,” I mutter.

She tucks my hair behind my ear and sits straighter. “You gave us the strength to make a stand,” she says. “So, now, we stick together and leave this place behind.”

“I don’t know what’s beyond those gates.”

“It’s not as bad as what’s behind them.”

I stay seated, staring at my father hanging limply, as the others begin to carry the bodies down into the crypt.

Alex knows a room beyond it where the forefathers hid other bodies.

Wrath joins me, and we sit in silence for a few moments, the gravity of the situation settling in.

“Are you sad because you loved Silas?” he eventually asks.

I turn to him. “No. Of course not.”

“Because I’d understand?—”

I cup his face. “I don’t love Silas and I’m not sad he’s dead. I’m sad it came to this, that we’ve been forced to do this, to have blood on our hands.”

“It was the final time,” he says, taking my hand in his.

“We have to tell the villagers,” I say, and I feel him stiffen. “There are too many bad men here, hiding behind this fake place created by those monsters. The women here should have the choice of freedom.”

“They might not be grateful, Wynter,” says Abe, rejoining us. Wrath shifts closer to me and almost smiles. “They’ll be scared.”

“Aren’t we all?” I ask. “I know I’m terrified.”

“Are you going to tell them what happened?” he asks.

I shake my head, pushing to stand. “No. We all need to shower and freshen up. When the village wakes, we will meet them at the town hall and say that the forefathers have left us.”

Zeus is cutting the ropes from my father, and he falls into a bloodied heap on the floor, groaning. “Should I finish him?” he asks, looking to me for guidance.

I shake my head. “No. Let him die slowly amongst the rotting bodies he sent down there.”

Martha begins to squirt bleach onto the floor as he’s taken away, and Jaycee appears with a bucket of water and a brush. Between them, they wash away the blood.

I take a breath. “Let’s go back to our rooms and clean up,” I say. “We will meet in the village hall at sunrise.”

“Should I spread the word in the village?” asks Martha, and I nod.

Wrath takes my hand before I can walk away. “Where are you going?”

“To see my mother,” I say, standing on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“I’ll come,” he offers. “The guard may be awake now.”

We step into the house and we’re met with hushed whispers and the sound of panic. I head for the kitchen, and Summer spots me first. She gasps, taking in my bloodied hands, and runs to me, wrapping me in her arms. “Oh my god, Wynter. Someone took Father,” she cries.

I nod, unwrapping her arms. She glances down at my hands again, this time arching a brow. “What did you do?” she whispers warily. Then she sees Wrath and backs away with a horrified expression.

Annastasia begins to cry, and Mother stands. “Where is he?” she demands.

“He’s not coming back,” I say firmly.

Mother remains quiet as she assesses my face, but Annastasia wails like a heart-broken lover, and I wonder if he treated her better, like Silas did me. Summer is quiet, her eyes still fixed on Wrath. “All of you sit down,” I say firmly, and they do. “This is Ares,” I add. “He doesn’t talk much.”

I move to the sink and wash my hands, smiling as the water turns red with blood. “You might be able to wash it away, but it’s still going to haunt you at night,” snaps Annastasia.

“Oh, shut up,” Mother sneers. “I am so sick of your whining.”

“You can’t speak to me like that,” yells Annastasia.

“All of you shut up,” I yell, and they immediately fall silent.

I smile again. “I can see why he was so addicted to the power,” I muse.

“We’ve been trapped in this circus for far too long and it ends today.

There will be a meeting for the villagers in the town hall at sunrise.

They will learn that the forefathers have left us, and that from now on, there will be no more stupid ceremonies or warrior fights.

The young boys will be released, and we’ll be contacting the appropriate authorities outside of this village. ”

Mother sits up straighter, her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“The boys were stolen, Mother,” I tell her. “Taken from families and forced here so they could be made to fight and become warriors.”

“No, that’s not true,” she mutters, frowning.

“I was one of them,” says Wrath, and I squeeze his hand to encourage him. “I was with my mother, and while she was in the store, I was taken and brought here.”

They all stare in shock. “I need the code for the safe,” I add. “The keys to the gates are in there, and from today, they will never be closed again.”

“They keep us safe,” Mother snaps.

“From who?” I cry. “Everything they told us was a lie, Mother. There is a real world out there, a normal one. You can leave here today and never have to fear him again.”

She stares at me open-mouthed. “Where will I go?”

I shrug. “I don’t have all the answers, but maybe someone out there will.”

I go to Summer. “You can keep your baby,” I say with a smile, and she returns it. “And you can meet the warriors. They’re not bad men.”

She recoils slightly. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that,” she admits, and I nod.

“Okay. But they’re leaving with me too. They’re my responsibility.”

Wrath steps forward. “No one will hurt you,” he reassures her. “I promise.”

I use my old bathroom to clean up, and Wrath does the same. When I return to dress, he’s lying on my old bed, staring up at the ceiling. “You know the other warriors will be with us for some time,” I say, sitting beside him.

He brings his eyes to me. “I want you to myself,” he admits, “but I understand you feel responsible for them.”

“For all of you. Anyone who leaves here today will be with us.”

“What happens to the ones who don’t want to?”

I sigh. “I guess they can stay and live off the land as they were. But once outside authorities know about this place and the horrors, surely, they’ll close it down.”

He shrugs. “I’ve been thinking about my mother a lot.” I lie beside him, and he wraps his arm around me. “Wondering if she’s still alive, if she still thinks about me.”

“She’ll be the first person we track down.”

He sighs heavily. “I don’t even remember her name.”

He sounds so lost, and my heart aches for him. I can’t imagine what it felt like as a child to be dragged here. And she must have been out of her mind with worry. “I won’t give up until we’ve found her.”

“Are you ready to face the village?” he asks.

The truth is, I’m so nervous, I feel nauseous. “I owe it to them to explain everything before we leave.”

“What about the families of the forefathers?”

“Without them leading, they’re nothing. I’m not afraid of them.”

He sits up. “I’ll be by your side.”

“Always,” I reply, smiling.

The villagers gather, everyone speculating and voicing their confusion. When the families show, they’re more than surprised to see me at the lectern. The warriors are all behind me with their hands behind their backs. No one suspects they’re free as I didn’t want to scare anyone.

Martha instructs the families to join the villagers, much to their disgust. I tap the microphone, wincing when it makes a squealing sound that pierces my ear drums. “Good morning,” I say clearly, and everyone starts to quiet down.

“For anyone who doesn’t remember me, I’m Wynter Sanchez, and I want to explain a few changes to this place.

” I take a calming breath. The pressure of having everyone stare at me is too much, but I can’t crumble now.

“Behind me are the four warriors,” I continue.

“Ares, though you know him as Wrath, Abraham is Michael, and Maximus and Zeus, who no longer recall their real names.” The crowd becomes unsettled, whispering to each other.

“They were taken when they were just boys, ripped away from their own families on the outside and forced to come here to serve the forefathers.” More unsettled chatter continues.

“Today, they are free to leave.” There’s an audible silence, followed by some outbursts of shouting about them being monsters.

I hold a hand up, waiting for them to settle down.

“They’re not monsters. They’re not warriors.

They were trained to fight, force-fed medication to make them bigger and stronger.

We were lied to,” I add. “We’ve all been lied to, especially the women.

” I scan the crowd until I find Summer, and when my racing heart calms a little, I ask, “How many of you were on the outside?” Lots of people raise their hands.

“How many of you are women who were being hurt outside this village by the man who convinced you to come here?” No one raises their hand, and I smile.

“You’re safe. I promise they won’t hurt you from this day forward.

” After a few seconds, hands begin to raise.

“Those men brought you here to keep you tied to them forever. They were promised a life with you where divorce wasn’t possible.

They took away your freedom, your money, your families, so they could keep you to themselves and make you fully dependent on them. ”

A man approaches the front, and Wrath steps forward, stopping him in his tracks. The crowd becomes hysterical. “Calm down,” I yell. “He won’t hurt you. He isn’t a monster.”

“Where are the forefathers?” someone yells from the crowd.

“They aren’t coming back,” I reply. “They’ve been found out and they’ve ran.”

“They wouldn’t leave,” another yells.

“The gates are open,” I inform them. “Only they have the keys.”

I hear sirens in the background and my heart rate spikes. Martha told me she’d make the call from my father’s office and explain things.

“I need you all to be calm,” I say. “The authorities are coming, and anyone who doesn’t want to stay here should speak to them and get help.

I have been assured they’ll help anyone who needs it, but you have to step forward.

They will keep you safe.” I scan the crowd, picking out the men in particular.

“And for those who have held their wives here, shame on you. You no longer hold the power.”

Wrath

The noise of the sirens is too much, especially with the blue lights flashing.

I glance at the other three warriors, who are all squeezing their eyes shut.

Wynter notices too. “Can they turn the lights and noise off?” she asks the woman who introduced herself as Officer Jayne Smith.

She talks into the radio attached to her vest, and one by one, they begin to turn off.

There are so many, it’s almost a comfort.

The fact they listened to Martha and actually came is another hurdle crossed.

A man wraps a foil blanket around my shoulders, and I flinch, hating the feeling of being touched by someone I don’t know. He apologises immediately, and I give a stiff nod. “Have you got a name?” he asks.

Wynter turns from her conversation with Jayne. “It’s Ares,” she says. “He doesn’t like to talk.”

“And the others?” he asks.

“They can talk, but I don’t know if they want to.”

Abe clears his throat. “Michael,” he mutters.

“Zeus,” says Zeus.

“Max,” adds Max.

“We’re going to move you all to a nearby temporary hospital to be checked over by medics,” he says, and I immediately look to Wynter, who gives me a reassuring smile. “It’s just on the field next door,” he adds. “We’ve set it up especially for you guys.”

Summer joins us, led by another woman in uniform. I turn to the warriors. “She’s nervous around us, so be nice.”

“Suddenly you’re the boss?” mutters Zeus.

“We’re all in the same boat here,” I reply, “and these women are afraid of us after what we did. Do you blame them?”

He shakes his head, offering a small smile Summer’s way. She doesn’t return it, instead taking Wynter’s offered hand.

We’re led to the next field, where doctors and nurses are rushing around assessing some of the villagers.

I glance over to where a small child is crying and notice the long line of warriors-to-be, all sitting on the ground huddled together.

A sense of pride fills me. Wynter has saved them from suffering years of torment.

A nurse approaches me cautiously. “I’m Helen,” she introduces, smiling. She makes eye contact with the three other warriors. “If you all come with me, we can get started.”

Wynter kisses my cheek. “Go. I’ll come and find you.”

“The ambulance is this way,” adds Helen, leading us towards a vehicle. “Don’t worry, we’re not taking you anywhere, we just need to run some tests.”

“What kind of tests?” asks Abe.

“Your friend, Martha, told us you might have been given a cocktail of medication, but she wasn’t sure what. We need to determine that so we can find a way to wean you off it. If that’s needed, of course.”

“Steroids,” I mutter, and she turns to me. “I saw a label once.”

“Viagra,” adds Zeus. “They were the blue pills.”

She nods. “Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad, but we’ll still need to run tests. Some medication has to be withdrawn slowly so you’re not hit with bad side effects. Can we take some blood from each of you?”

I nod, stepping into the back of the ambulance. What’s one more day of being prodded and poked?