by Amber Argyle
Lilette stood over the plot of freshly turned earth. Her face was dry, for she had no more tears to shed. Not for the man who had known his death was coming and had gone willingly toward it, leaving her alone and bereft in a crowd of pitying gazes and fading whispers.
One by one, the villagers came before her, giving a silent bow and leaving a small gift at her feet before disappearing into the cluster of huts just visible through the jungle.
Pan stood on one side of Lilette, Salfe on the other. He hadn't spoken to her since she'd made him promise to stay silent. It was probably better that way. She didn't want to think about the secret woven like shadows between them.
Bian, the last to go, made his bow, but instead of striding past her like the others, he remained, his gaze asking her to look at him. Angry that he wouldn't simply let her be, she raised her eyes to his. He gave her a pitying smile, and she resisted the urge to say something one simply did not say to the village Lord.
"Li, with no male relative to look after you, you have become my responsibility. I'll see that the best decisions are made."
Lilette tried to make her face humble. It was difficult, for it was not an expression she wore often. "Thank you, but I'll manage on my own."
The corner of Bian's mouth crooked up, as if her defiance amused him.
"I'll look after her, Father," Salfe declared.
Bian raised a brow. "You don't even have your own boat. How can you care for her?"
Lilette didn't miss the way Salfe's fists tightened, the way his nostrils flared. She knew him well enough to know the signs of his anger, and right now he was furious.
"I have my own boat," Lilette said through gritted teeth.
Bian gave her another smile, this one indulgent, and moved past her, his feet shushing through the sand and making nearly the same noise as the surf beyond the village.
Lilette's intuition told her he would try for her now that Fa was no longer in the way. But tradition dictated that a full moon pass before she could marry. By then she'd be long gone.
Salfe stood before her. But instead of leaving his gift at her feet, he pressed it into her hand and hurried after his father. Lilette glanced down at a decorative comb carved in the shape of a phoenix. She'd never owned anything so fine. Her fist tightened around it until she could feel the imprint of its teeth on her palm.
Now it was just Lilette and Pan standing side by side. Every time Lilette closed her eyes, she saw the blood, felt the feeble thump of Fa's heart against her ear. "Your father thinks he owns me."
Pan looked up, tears streaming down her face. "He owns everything."
Lilette sniffed. "He never owned Fa."
Pan glanced back at her father's retreating figure. "No. Never Fa."
Lilette closed her eyes, remembering the last words her adopted father had ever said to her. I learned long ago that you cannot keep those you love. You must set them free. You will learn this also.
Was this what he'd meant? That she had to set him free? Another flash of raw anger rolled over her.
"It's near midday," Pan said. "My mother will have prepared a meal for you. Would you like to eat with us, or shall I bring it to you at your home?"
For the first time, Lilette realized she now lived alone. She would never again wake to Fa's soft steps, his gentle hand on her shoulder. There were a thousand little things she would never experience again.
Her body suddenly felt so heavy. "At my home." She turned and left the grave without saying goodbye.
Knowing she wasn't ready to face their empty hut, Lilette went straight into the jungle, heading for her favorite spot-a pool of clear water fed by a waterfall. When she came out again, her wet hair still clung to her forehead and the sun had set. One of Salfe's little brothers jumped up at the sight of her and took off running.
Ignoring him, she trudged through the sand toward the hut she'd shared with Fa. At the base, she paused and couldn't seem to make herself go inside. She wasn't sure how long she stood, staring up at it, her eyes unfocused, when Bian came. He was flanked by two other village elders. Knowing this wouldn't be good, Lilette crossed her arms and faced them.
Bian tilted his head toward her. "I have called for bids from any prospective husbands. Seven men have offered for you."
Her eyes widened in surprise. She should have at least a month before he began bothering her. "I have no need of a husband. I will continue fishing, as I always have." And when a ship finally came, she'd be on it before they could stop her.
Bian's lips thinned. "Your father was remiss in not finding you a husband before his death. It was something I urged him to do many times."
Lilette turned away. "He was not my father."
Bian made a sound of disapproval. "I think it would have hurt him to hear you speak of him so."
A stab of guilt pulsed through Lilette. "I do not want a husband."
Bian gave her a depreciating smile. "You are a woman. You do not know what you want. And as the village Lord, your care has fallen to me." He gestured to the men beside him. "We have reviewed all offers, and I am pleased to have you as my fourth wife."
Lilette shuddered in revulsion and a laugh burst free. "So you're doing what's best for me? And not what's best for yourself?"
His gaze narrowed. "I am the wealthiest man on the island, and I have offered far more than anyone else. Of course my offer is the best."
She had the disconcerting sense that this was all a nightmare and she would wake and her life would be back to normal. "I will never marry you." She spun on her heel, vaulted up the steps to her hut, and began shoving her meager belongings into a basket. She was taking Fa's boat and leaving. Tonight.
She knew how to work a boat, and she'd seen enough charts that she could probably find another island. Take a ship from there. And if she died of thirst before then, better dead than being married to Bian.
"I thought you might be difficult."
She looked up to see Bian standing on her front porch, staring at her.
"And that is why I brought this." A chain dangled from his fingertips-the only metal she'd ever seen on the island.
She froze. "You wouldn't dare."
He grunted. "The offer has already been accepted. You are my property. I will confine you just as I would an errant child."
She lunged for the door. The two village elders caught her arms in front of her and secured her with ropes while Bian went through her things. He took her knives. Thankfully, he missed the coins she'd hidden at the bottom of a basket of rice.
They released her, and she noticed him staring at her throat in fascination.
She swallowed. "Which one of them told you?"
His gaze lighted on her face. "We will have daughters, and they shall all have your power."
Anger flared through her. Salfe wouldn't have betrayed her. It must have been Quo.
Bian backed away and shut the door in Lilette's face. She tugged on the chain snaking around the bamboo poles. It clinked in resistance.
He peeked in at her. "We will be married in three weeks, after the full moon."
She glared at him and said nothing.
***
