by Zoe Blake
I tried to shake my head, but couldn’t move.
“And I don’t mean in some ‘I’m going to write a girl power blog’ way. I mean, we’re really taking over. With the power we’re getting from each of you, we’ll rule this place. That’s been Mom’s plan all along. You’re just one of the lucky few who gets to put the whole thing in motion. They’ll sing songs about you, Ted! About the sacrifice you gave to make this brave new world possible. We’ll run your companies, take over your estates, and eventually take it all. We’ve been waiting a long time, trying to figure out when we could make our move. But, really, with the way you men—” She tapped her fingers on my shoulder, her grip strong, too strong. “And I don’t mean all men, of course, but with the way men have been fucking up running things, it’s time for some fresh blood.” She glanced at my chest and winced. “Sorry. No pun intended.” Her tinkling laugh echoed in my mind as my eyes closed. “Women are the way to save this whole shebang. Mom, my sisters, and I are just going to light the match to start the blaze. And don’t worry about me getting busted, sweet Ted. You’re going to disappear tonight, and sure, maybe the cops will eventually come looking, but I’ll say you left work early and said you were going to meet someone for a date. No one will be able to link you to me or this place. I haven’t told a soul about you.” She spoke in a familiar voice. In my own voice using my words. “And the waiter at the restaurant?” She giggled. “He’s one of my brothers. You saw him when we walked in Mom’s front door, but you didn’t even recognize him.”
I slouched, my body going numb so that I all I could sense was the horror in my sluggish veins. My ears felt like someone had stuffed cotton balls in them.
“Girls, come!” Vanth’s voice barely made it into my mind. “Bring your cups. It is time to commune with the divine and the infernal.”
“Rest now.” Cate lay me back on the floor. “My cup runneth over.”
I opened my eyes once more. Cate hovered above me, her eyes gone raven black and a wicked grin on her face. Those were the last things I saw.
She pressed my eyes closed. “Shh. I’ll take it from here.”
Epilogue
Cate
“I’m the one running? I thought Morgana was more of the politician sort.” I kicked my stilettos up on my desk, the sun pouring in from the corner windows behind me.
“Daughter, you know very well that Morgana’s temper makes her ill-suited for public life.” Mom sat back on the leather sofa and cast an appreciative look around my office. “I rather like what you’ve done in here.”
“Thanks. Ted’s office was rather boorish, to be honest. It needed a sprucing up.” I’d replaced all of his furniture and décor, opting for sleek glass and chrome instead of the heavy wooden shit that was supposed to denote power but only showed bad taste.
“Well done. And how’s McGovern doing under its new leadership?”
I smiled. “Ever since we’ve taken over, profits are up, costs are down, and employee morale is at an all-time high. Paid family leave went a long way toward keeping the staff happy, not to mention we’ve started paying all of their insurance costs instead of only a quarter. Honestly, I can’t imagine things going any better.”
“Same for all the other girls. They are doing quite well. The blessings were particularly strong this time, just as I predicted. Taking those five was the smartest move we could have made. And you made a particularly good choice with Ted as your target. He had absolutely no idea, did he?”
“None.” I snorted. Ted thought he was ever-so-clever. Not so much, but at least he was an excellent fuck. I doubt any other man could pleasure me the way he and his friend had. Rough, but so, so good. Too bad.
I cleared the naughty thoughts away. “I’m glad my sisters are faring well. Morgana said she’s going to institute mandatory paid vacation at her firm. That should be interesting to watch.”
“Oh, I rather like that. Now, back to this Senate business.” She leaned forward, her shrewd eyes on me. “You have to be the one. You have that wholesome look—from your father, of course.”
I drew a pentagram over my heart. “May the harpies never trouble his soul.”
“Amen.” She sighed. “Anyway, you’ve got the look, the smarts, and you aren’t so quick to anger. You’re also the sharpest, so I think this is meant for you.”
“Why not you?”
She narrowed her eyes. “The wholesome look completely missed me, my darling.”
I laughed. “When you wear all black all the time and have a body like yours, you tend to miss that mark, yeah. You’re more vamp than anything else.”
“Thank you, dear. At my age, it’s so hard to keep attractive.” She peered down at her svelte figure. “Virgin’s blood has been harder to come by lately, but I found enough at an incel rally a few weeks ago that I have at least two baths’ worth.”
“Incel rally?” I cocked my head.
She waved her hand. “It’s these young men who are ‘involuntarily celibate’ or, in common parlance, they can’t get laid and hate women because of it. They get violent sometimes, too, targeting women who’ve turned them down, or just women in general. Rude beasts, the lot of them.”
“And they have rallies for this? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“No.” She smoothed her hands down her trim waist. “Thank heavens I’m not, because I racked up with all the virgins in their ranks. And their ridiculous anger makes the blood even more potent.”
“If you want me in the Senate, then you’ll need to share some of it.” I patted my not-so-trim waist. “I could use a tuneup.”
She shook her head. “You are beautiful. Made in the image of Diana. You’ve no need for lotions and potions like me.”
My cold heart warmed. Mom always knew just what to say. “Thanks.”
“I just speak the truth, little witch.” She rose and headed to the door. “I’ll go ahead and put out a call for a campaign manager, public speaking coach, all that. We’ll have you ready for the primary and general election in a year. You’ll win in a landslide. And then, we’ll be one step closer to the true fonts of power.”
I arched a brow. “Higher than the Senate?”
“With the roll we’re on, you’ll be sitting behind the desk at Pennsylvania Avenue in no time.” She walked out with her usual flare, the door closing on its own behind her.
I turned and stared out my windows at the city. The sun was going down, turning the skyscrapers into mirrors reflecting fiery orange and deep red.
Red, like Ted’s blood. I pulled a small vial from between my breasts. I’d kept a little souvenir from our night together and wore it around my neck, hoarding a piece of his vicious soul.
“Oh, Ted.” I grinned. “If you could only see me now.”
The End
Author’s Note
Thanks for reading this dark collection.
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About Celia Aaron
Celia Aaron is a recovering attorney and USA Today bestselling author who loves romance and erotic fiction. Dark to light, angsty to funny, real to fantasy—if it’s hot and strikes her fancy, she writes it. Thanks for reading.
Check out Celia’s Website
Also by Celia
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Some secrets should stay buried.
Counsellor
The Acquisition always ends in blood.
The Bad Guy
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For more of Celia’s books, check out her website!
Say Yes
By Ashleigh Giannoccaro
They become one flesh before God and his witnesses.
Ezra can’t get into heaven without his wives,
and hell is the one place he never wants to go.
This isn’t a fairytale,
there’s no princess in a white dress.
Only an orphan who unwittingly
said yes to the devil she did
n’t know.
Chapter 1
Ezra
“She’s not from our Church, son.” My father looks up at me now, closing his book. His study smells of smoke and brandy.
“But she is pure, and I think she would easily convert.” I stand in front of him, ready to plead my case.
“Next thing that’s going to come out of your mouth is going to be some crap about love isn’t it, Ezra?” I don’t know what love is, but I feel something I cannot explain building inside me.
“Am I not allowed to love the woman I choose? Is that not permitted now?” I allow myself to get defensive before I remember who I am talking to.
“She’s young?” Of course that matters, an old maid wouldn’t do.
“She’ll be finishing school this year.” I say.
“Have you spoken to the Bishop about this?” He asks me as if I would go to the Bishop without his blessing.
“I wanted to come to you first. I know he has arranged marriages with girls from the convent before. The girls are kept pure and are not worldly.” I need him to support this. I want his blessing.
“It has been done in the past, but it is preferred to choose one from our own community, son.” My father looks at me with concern; he knows I am taking a risk.
“There are exactly five woman I am not related to in our immediate community, and only one is of age. You’ve seen her —” Asriel is a behemoth. She could plough fields with her bare hands. There is no way she is my chosen one.
“If I give my blessing for this, you will make sure she conforms to everything that is expected of a wife. I won’t bring trouble into this family, Ezra.” Trouble, like my first wife he means.
“I will do my best.” I honestly will. I want this more than anything.
“That may not be good enough. She’s a good catholic girl; she has no idea of our ways. What will she do when you take your first wife back?” When he speaks of Naomi, his lips curl into a cruel scowl, a reminder of the past.
“We both know my first is gone, just like Joseph’s. It’s our punishment. We will be kept from heaven because we couldn’t keep them here. I will be punished by God for her sins.” I tried so hard, but she was young and willful; she had known another life, and I couldn’t make her conform. She was a bad apple.
“She may return, son, and when she does you know what you will have to do. Just be sure that this girl will do what is expected of her.” I pray that day doesn’t come, but if it does I will do what is expected of me. I will not be kept from eternal life; she knew the commandments when she ran away. She knew she was condemning me, right along with her. “You haven’t had that grounding the others have; you didn’t care for your chosen one. I doubt whether you’re prepared to be joined to a second. But, you have chosen, and if the bishop approves, I will not stop you.”
I thought it would be harder to convince him. I have brought shame to this house once already. I know that my mothers will understand, but father believes that I will never see heaven’s gates. Not after Naomi ran, she was my promised one. The first of two divine women to enter my life. Without her, heaven will not be open to me, but she got away. Left me for a life of sin and condemned me. I tried so hard with her, watched over her, I behaved so we wouldn’t be punished. I cared, I held her hand the day her mother was hanged from the tree, I held her when she cried. I never touched her, not like the others did with their first. No — I was too good to her and she got away. Bitterness and anger have overtaken the sadness I felt then, now I would gladly do what is expected. To save my own soul.
I am not alone in my shame. Joseph lost his Noelle too; rumor has it, though, that he helped her get away. He doesn’t seem to care that he won’t go to heaven, or that he brought shame on his father — our prophet. I care, I care very deeply about what awaits me if I don’t get into heaven, which is why so much rides on my choice. The first is chosen for us; the second, we choose.
Our first wives are to teach us about being men of God, how to care for another. How to ensure we are prepared to be the men of both the church and our homes. They are there so we don’t fuck it all up when God reveals our second wives to us. Our second wives are for our souls, to bring us happiness and children.
“Pray on it. If you are certain, we will see the Bishop. You will have a chance to convince this girl into converting willingly. But once you choose, if she resists, you know they will take her and you to the compound until she is ready.” I had already thought about all these things. My father always underestimates me. He goes back to reading his book, dismissing me without another word. It has taken me a week to build the courage to have that conversation with him. Ever since I saw her, all it took was a moment and I knew she was the one God had anointed for me. She is an outsider, and I know that alone will make this hard. The compound doesn’t scare me. I have done my time there, and I know that it made me stronger. In the kitchen, my mothers, Miriam and Dinah are clearing the dinner dishes. They are the perfect example of what a man’s two wives should be. Dinah may have carried me inside her, but they both raised me.
“I spoke to Father tonight about a woman.”
“Oh, you’ve chosen,” Miriam says with an excited smile. “Everyone will be so happy; we have waited for you two to get on with it.”
“I have chosen an outsider, Ma.” Her face falls and I can see Dinah’s head shake.
“Why, son? There are so many risks. After Naomi, why would you do this?”
“I believe she is the one God has anointed for me, and I have prayed for a week about it. This is my choice. We will see the Bishop tomorrow, and if I have the church’s blessing, it will be arranged.” Miriam hugs me in a rare display of physical affection.
“Then we will support you.” Dinah says, her back to me, I think she is afraid for my eternal damnation.
“Thank you,” I say, my heart sinking, what if I am wrong? What if this is a temptation sent by the devil to lure me away from my true divine purpose?
Chapter 2
Vashti
It’s almost lights out, but I want to use every last minute. These are my last exams, and I want to do well. Not that there’s the promise of anything after this for me, I will probably join the clergy, become a nun like the ones who have raised me. I am not here as punishment for my wild ways, or for the stellar education. This place is the only home I have ever known; I was left in a basket on the front steps the day I was born.
“Vashti.” I turn to see who is at the door of my shared room. “Mother Superior would like to see you,” Sister Rosa says. My stomach knots and I can feel my palms sweating. I haven’t done anything wrong. I know I haven’t.
“I’m coming,” I say, closing my book, looking at my roommate for reassurance, but her face is pallid and full of fear. The chair scrapes along the floor as I push it back under my small homework desk. Our footsteps echo down the long empty halls where the junior girls are already asleep. I follow Sister Rosa to the door of Mother Superior’s office. She motions to the waiting chair, that us girls call purgatory. “Sit. She will call you in when she’s ready.” Just like that I am left alone to worry about what it is that has me outside this office so late at night. The door is closed, but when she speaks, I can hear her. Some of the conversation is muffled, but other bits come out clearly.
“She will become a burden to you now that she’s finished her exams.” Who is that talking? It’s man’s voice. “We have done this before, Ruth, you know the girl will be taken care of, and I know she is pure and won’t bring shame on the boy’s family.” Who is Ruth? “At least have the conversation with her, let her choose.”
“Gideon, we both know that her choice doesn’t matter. She has been chosen, so either way, the minute I blink she will be taken.” That voice I know, only it’s usually yelling or admonishing me for something trivial. “Is he at least a good man? These arrangements have gone on for years. We help you keep your community from becoming too inbred and we get rid of those we can no longer support, but I
want to know if he is a good man.” Who is she talking about?
“I wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t a good man, Ruth. I’d be making him marry his fourth cousin who could kill him if she rolled over in their marriage bed.” I shouldn’t be listening to this. I’ll get punished, but I was told to wait. Swinging my feet, I lean over and look at my scuffed shoes. The man is right, I will be a burden. I am not ready to become a bride of Christ, but I have nowhere else to go.
“Come in, Vashti.” Her shrill voice comes through the closed door. I straighten my pinafore and check my socks before I turn the brass doorknob. “Good evening, Mother Superior.” I greet her without making eye contact, knowing better after eighteen years under her roof.
“Evening, Vashti,” she says, her voice too nice, too sweet. Everything about this feels very wrong. I thought I was in trouble. “This is Bishop Gideon, from the Church of The Two Divines.” I’ve never heard of such a church, but then again, I have never looked past the gates of this church.
“Nice to meet you, Vashti.” The man in a deep purple robe greets me.
“Nice to meet you too.” I give a small curtsey, to save myself getting lashed later.
“Sit, Bishop Gideon and I would like to discuss something with you.” I sit down on the empty chair, careful to be a lady. My hands in my lap palms down.
