Reap (The Harvest Saga Book 1) (10 page)

I was jerked forward and landed with my body against his. His lips slammed into mine, bruising, punishing. He wrenched me further into him, his fingers laced their way into my hair. He yanked hard.  My mouth burst open in a silent scream and he used it to his advantage. Zander pushed me hard against one of the mirrors that line the walls, and thrust his tongue into my mouth. I tried to get me knee up enough to damage him, but he sensed or felt what I was trying to do and bit down on my bottom lip, hard.

I screamed and jerked back hitting my head on the mirror. A fissure began to creep down the mirror from the circular indention left by my head. It stopped at the mirror’s edge. The coppery, salty taste of blood filled my mouth. “You bit me. You jerk!”

My fingers came away, stained crimson. He grabbed my upper arms and slammed me against the mirror again. “You bitch. Who do you think you’re talking to? Huh?” Slam. The back of my head throbbed. I screamed with rage and pushed him away.

“Get off me, Zander.” My hands and body shook violently. I was scared, angry and hurt. And, alone in a dilapidated fun house with a psycho. I was a caged animal, backed into a corner.

He looked at me for a moment, jaw clenching, fists tightening, and then his demeanor completely changed. He laughed and smirked at me, throwing up his hands in defeat. “Fine. I can get laid by anyone in this village tonight. I don’t need you until after the wedding. Maybe not even then.”

“If you think I’d marry a maggot like you, something is seriously wrong with you.”

“Maggot? I think we both know who the maggot is in this relationship.” He motioned back and forth between the two of us, turned, and stalked out the door.

I sank to the floor, trying to make sense of what just happened. The back of my head throbbed. One thing was for certain, Zander was seriously disturbed.

Beams of light stretched out long, crossing the room, only impeded by the debris in the floor.  Zander had forgotten the flashlight. Thank goodness. The beam bounced off a mirror and into the room, illuminating the creepiness of this playhouse, of this park that had filled my childhood with nightmares and fantasies of monsters and all things creepy.

My lip finally stopped bleeding, but I wasn’t sure if I had blood on me now or not. The distortion of the mirror showed a bit just beneath the corner of my lower lip. Licking my fingertips, I swiped it away and tried to straighten my hair and clothing. Poufy and a bit swollen, my bottom lip was split on the right side, but thank goodness wasn’t too bad. Forcing some deep breaths to calm down my beating heart, I grabbed the flashlight and headed back toward the bonfire. I just wanted to grab Laney and go home.

Yellow-orange haze up ahead beckoned me on. Someone grabbed hold of my elbow, and a hand covered my mouth, stifling the scream I had been about to release. “Shh.” My heart was trying to thump its way out of my chest. “It’s me. Calm down. I saw Zander take you this way and was looking for you.” I would recognize that voice anywhere.

Crew’s breathing nearly matched my own. “If I let go, will you please calm down and refrain from screaming?”

I nodded, my breaths evening out. His hand uncurled, releasing my mouth and then my arm. “You scared me!” I accused in a whisper yell.

“Are you okay? I saw you guys take off and then Zander came back looking pretty angry and was slamming back the liquor. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

I snorted. “As alright as I ever am with him. I don’t see why you care anyway. I’m just a servant, right?”

He stared at me for a long moment. Most of his face, and I’m now sure most of mine was bathed in shadow. Probably a good thing given the current state of my lip. He grabbed hold of my hand, leading me back toward the bonfire. After a few paces, he slowed and looked down at our joined hands. Mine trembled horribly and he’d noticed. His dark brows drew together. “That’s not just from me sneaking up on you, is it?”

I licked the split in my lip and shook my head. A curse tore from his lips and he dropped my hand and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Crew. I appreciate your concern. Thank you for coming to get me. I just wish you’d showed up a few minutes earlier, although, I’m not sure what good it would have done. It’s not like you’re going to go against Zander Preston. He’s your friend. Not only that, but his family is very powerful in Orchard.”

He grabbed my hand again, rubbing slow circles on the back of it with his soft thumbs. His skin, though sunburned was still so pale in the light of the three-quarter full moon drifted down upon us. It was almost otherworldly. A pained expression crosses his ethereal face and he looked over at me. “I was going to take you back, but...” He blew out a harsh breath. “Come and talk with me?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

He led me away from the fire, back past the not-so-fun house and all of the rotting games, toward the lake. We walked out onto a solitary small wooden dock and sat just a few feet down from the algae-swirled swan sentinel. “It’s kind of creepy here.”

I grinned. It was. But, it was fun, too. “I need to apologize to you, Abigail.”

“For what?”

“For two things, really. The first apology is for how I behaved the other day on the trail with Zander. By allowing him to put you down, I contributed to your embarrassment and shame. For that I apologize.”

I nodded. “Forgiven.”

“Just like that?” His honey eyes almost glowed amber in the blackness that surrounded us.

“Yep.”

Silence fell over of us. Even the crickets hushed their song. “Besides,” I continued. “You didn’t say those things.”

“I didn’t refute them.”

“True. Why did you go along with it?”

Crew took a deep breath. “You know we are guests at his house, my father, mother, and I?”

“Yeah. So, you didn’t want to rock the boat with your roomy?”

He laughed, deep and rich.

“No. I wanted to know what his problem is with you. One minute he acts as though you walk on water. The next as if you are nothing. I just wanted to see what his deal was. I needed him to trust me.”

“You’re playing him?”

He grinned wide, revealing sparkling white teeth. “You could say that.”

My brows lifted. Impressive. “Well, have you learned anything on your reconnaissance mission?”

His smirk dropped into a frown. “Yes.” He cleared his throat. “I think that Zander Preston has a superiority complex. It’s a shield. His father berates him endlessly.”

“I had no idea. They try to project the image of the perfect family. Although,” I folded my legs underneath me, “I can definitely see where Councilman Preston can be intimidating.”

“He can be.”

“So, I understand why he treats me poorly, but why does he keep saying things about marrying me. Is it all some sort of joke? Is he just trying to point out that I’m beneath him?”

He snorted and then nudged my shoulder with his. “He definitely wants you beneath him.”

“Ha. Ha.”

“No. In all honesty. He does want to marry you. In fact, his father and mother are making arrangements for the same. There is an enormous, atrocious dress in the guest bedroom for you. I’m sure it cost a small fortune to have had made, but the Preston’s are all about appearances.”

“Can they really do this? Force me into this?”

He released a long breath. “I’d like to tell you no, but with your aunt gone, I’m not sure. The Council holds such power in this village. It is possible, it seems.”

“In this village? Doesn’t the Council in Cotton hold as much influence over its residents?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “Of course. I just mean...yes. They do. But, Preston has more influence than others. His reach even extends to the some of the lower leadership in Olympus.”

“Olympus?” What? The Preston’s are friendly with the Greaters in Olympus?

He nodded, looking out over the water. “From what I’ve gathered, yes,” his words barely a whisper.

“How do I get out of this mess?”

He grabbed my hand in his. “Don’t worry. We’ll come up with something.”

“We will?”

He nodded and moved closer, ticking his head for me to follow suit. I inched closer. His warm breath brushed softly over my ear as he moved my hair back from my face. “Don’t worry about Zander. And don’t worry about my allegiances from now on either. I will support you in all things from this point forward.”

“Thanks. You know, Cotton is really different. You speak so formally, so proper.”

A breath escaped me just before his mouth crashed onto mine. His lips were full and soft. They moved over mine softly, slowly. Soon it wasn’t enough. My hands wound into his dark, soft hair. He smelled like some sort of exotic spice.

His hands found my waist and reeled me in.  I was basically sitting in his lap, my legs stretching off to his side. The kiss grew more urgent, hungry. When his fingertips grazed the skin just below the hem of my shirt, I gasped. It felt as if fire had been rubbed along my skin. A blaze left in the wake of his touch. My surprise allowed him to sweep his tongue along my broken bottom lip and into my mouth. We kissed like this for what seemed like hours. When people started filtering home from the fire, crossing our path, we parted, both out of breath and panting for the sacred oxygen our lungs required.

He pulled me to my feet and brushed another soft, chaste kiss over my lips, holding me tight to him, the slight stubble from his chin raking across my forehead. I could hear the thundering of his heart, which I was sure matched the beating of my own.

“Hey, you said you owed me two apologies. What was the second apology for?”

“For scaring you at the lake. I didn’t mean to frighten you or cause you discomfort.”

“It was a little uncomfortable. But, you were right. I had no claim on the lake. Everyone has to get clean.” I cringed a bit before I said, “Besides, I think I’m the one who owes you the apology for that night. Sorry for taking your clothes.”

He laughed. “The brisk air definitely made me do a little soul-searching. It’s fun here in Orchard.”

I gasped. “What? You think it’s fun here? You must have a really distorted image of what fun is, Crew.”

He smiled lightly. “Yes. Perhaps, I do.”

We walked hand in hand back toward the pathway and it wasn’t long before Laney comes stumbling along with a group of people. One of those people was Zander Preston. He glared at the pair of us, at our hands that were still intertwined and molded together. Seething doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Laney was drunk. Obviously drunk. She stumbled crookedly over to me and hooked her arm around mine, needing the support. I glanced back and smiled at Crew before guiding Laney in the direction of our cabin. He smiled back, until Zander walked over and shouldered into him from behind. “Time to go home, buddy,” he spat. I could see the anger ripple through Crew as he stalked off, trailing a few steps behind one very fuming Zander Preston.

Sunday morning, I rolled out
of bed before dawn. Laney’s soft snoring echoed from Lulu’s room. My heart clenched. I missed her. On a normal day, she would already be up and buzzing about the kitchen, vying for some early morning coffee. The smell of the rich ground beans would fill the house as it brewed. She would greet me with a smile, a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

I wanted her back, needed her. I’d been so selfish. If I would have just agreed to accept Zander when he offered, or again when his father pressed Lulu for my hand, she would be here with me. Instead, she was in Olympus–indefinitely–and I was alone. Something I couldn’t bear to be.

Marrying Zander would secure a prosperous future for us here in the village. His family was prestigious. No doubt, he was being groomed for the council, to follow in the footsteps of his father. I would be given everything I need, everything I could ever want. He would be able to provide a nice home and all of the necessities it requires. Maybe even some luxuries that others cannot even imagine, perks from being on the council.

I could learn to be a help to him instead of a hindrance. I could be a good wife. I had always been a hard worker. Cooking, cleaning, and basic chores came easy to me. I’d helped Lulu run the house since I was a child. She would give me chores appropriate to my age and maturity. Over time, they increased and I learned different things about properly running a household.

The only thing lacking in the relationship with Zander was any sort of love or affection. I definitely didn’t love him, didn’t even like him. Not at all. The thought of being with him physically, as man and wife, made me sick.

My fingers drifted over the now scabbed over slice dissecting my bottom lip on the right side. A sore reminder of how messed up our relationship would be, if this marriage was allowed to take place. I could put up with a great many things, but being belittled or beaten by someone who was supposed to love me, or at the very least respect and provide for me, was where I drew the line. I had to get Lulu back, though. I didn’t know what was happening to her while so far away. A shiver crawled up my spine.

I returned to my room and tugged on a pair of jeans, long sleeved emerald green t-shirt and my trusty tennis-shoes. I needed fresh air and there was much to be done today. Lulu and I usually worked all day to get the household chores done. Now that she was gone, the work was mine alone. I grabbed our large wooden bucket and headed to the creek. Smoke rose lazily from Kyan’s chimney. His mother, no doubt, was cooking breakfast and heating water. I would be doing the same shortly.

The creek water was cool and clear. I could see the mud and algae settled upon the bottom of the bed and the smooth, flattened rocks that sat beneath the surface. The water clouded for a moment, disturbed by my bucket’s intrusion, before settling back into a comfortable position. Would I be the same way? I was disturbed right now. My life is in a state of upheaval with Lulu being sent away and the Preston’s forcing me into marriage with their son. Abusive jerk that he is. Would I ever be able to settle and be comfortable again?

Laney stirred just as I finished building and lighting the logs and kindling in the fireplace, and hung the bucket of water on the hanger, flames licking its sides hungrily. She stumbled into the room, hair matted on one side and sticking straight up on the other, yawning and stretching her back. “My head is going to explode.” She plopped down hard on a nearby chair, and rubbed circles into her temples.

“I’ll make some coffee. You’re gonna need it.”

She just nodded, groaned and kept rubbing her temples.

“Apple wine is the devil.” I just laughed. “Shh. Not too loud.” She groaned and covered her head with the pillow.

Poor Laney. It was going to be a long Sunday for her. She still had to go home and would certainly have chores there waiting for her. A few cups of strong brew and she gathered her things and left for home, waving back at me as she crested the small hill along the pathway.

I waved back and went back to washing the clothes on the porch, sudsy water sloshing onto the wooden planks every so often. Rainbow swirled bubbles landed happily for a moment, before that happiness burst into nothingness. I thought, hard. I need Lulu. I’ll do anything to get her back. Anything. Even marry Zander Preston. The image of Crew’s moonlit face flashed through my mind.

∞

Usually Kyan visited on Sunday
, but he didn’t yesterday. I hadn’t seen him since Saturday night. Not since he had returned to the bonfire with Paige in tow. Perhaps he loved her, or would grow to in time. There was definitely something going on between them Saturday night. The tension was palpable, thick as bonfire smoke hanging in the cool valley air.

The days were growing darker. Night clung to the sky when I arrived at the orchard on Monday morning. It was hanging on tighter each morning, as the sun relinquished control to the moon.

I stepped through the white wooden gate and walked down the aisles of carefully planted trees until I came to the area that I stopped working Saturday morning. I wasn’t sure how far the team got after I had to leave, but I could find them from here. It was eerily quiet. Laney usually beat me here. So did Kyan. But, I saw no one. I stepped into the next row and scared some crows into the air. They cawed in protest and flapped into the steely blue sky that was only now beginning to lighten, ever so slightly, slowly.

No one. I stepped into the next row, and the one beyond that, until finally, I saw Kyan arranging wooden crates. Pickers used the flexible bushel baskets. They were lightweight and easier to haul up into the trees when needed, but to ship the fruit to the cities without bruising it and ultimately damaging it.

The apples would be neatly packed into crates and loaded onto the trains. During harvest, the train left daily or every other day with our shipment. I assumed it also collected the goods and produce from other villages before traveling to the ultimate destination of Olympus or whatever Greater City requires our goods.

Those unable to labor in the orchards, the elderly or injured, were charged with packing. They packed the crates carefully. Our village had a job for everyone. It was Lulu’s job to assign the tasks in the village, to ensure everything ran properly.

The entire village worked at harvest time. It was how we were able to produce such a crop of apples. Rows of trees stretched as far as the eye could see from any position in the village. Move to the outer edge of your vision and stand there. The fields stretched further. An endless ocean of fields, rows and succulent fruit.

In the off-season, there were greenhouses to tend. Winter vegetables for village consumption, soil to fertilize for the next planting season, seeds to sort, food to preserve and store, we were nothing if not hard workers. Those who weren’t able to walk to the orchards, tended local gardens for village consumption.

We were forbidden to eat the fruit we grew in the Greater orchards, though we were allowed to have our own fruit trees on our properties. That’s why Megan had broken the rule and would have been punished by Norris. That’s why I made her run away.

In Orchard, there was always something for someone to do. Often, there was too much for even all of us working together, to accomplish. There were always pathways to clear, repairs to be made on dwellings and community buildings, animals to feed and care for. No idle hands here.

Cold and eerily quiet, the morning stretched out across the heavens. For a moment it felt like I was the only person on earth. That moment, however, was fleeting. Soon, people began drifting in, ready to start their day. We’d made significant progress with all of the help and for the first time, I could actually imagine us meeting the harvest deadline of a Friday finish.

Kyan walked toward me with Laney at his side. A few girls from Wheat tagged along behind them. That was one thing I had taken notice of since the bonfire, since working in the orchards again, even if only for a short time each day. Most of the help, with the exception of Crew and a few others were female. Could the males not be spared?

Kyan’s hair was shorter, golden brown shone in the early morning sun that peeked over the hills to the east. His brown eyes locked on mine. Laney made eye contact with me and then jerked her eyes toward Kyan. I knew this silent warning. Kyan was in a bad mood. I nodded very slightly.

She passed me and traveled about 20 trees down the row and readied her ladder. The other three girls fanned out around her readying bushel baskets and rolling up their sleeves. One pulled her long golden hair back, securing it with a long ribbon.

Kyan stepped up to me, his face like steel. “Abigail.”

What?
I ticked my head back. “Abigail?”

“That is your name,” he scoffed.

“You never use my formal name.” I narrowed my eyes.
What was his problem?

His jaw clenched. “Things change.”

“What changed, Ky? Paige finally lay down the law about our friendship?” Goading him was wrong, but I couldn’t stand it when Kyan acted this way. It was rare, but bothersome.

“This has nothing to do with Paige and you know it.” I crossed my arms. “Actually, I have no idea what your problem is. So, either enlighten me or back off.”

“I saw you with him.” A chill ran up my spine. He saw Zander.

“Zander?” He looked taken aback. His eyes harden along with his jaw.

“No. Crew.”
Oh. Oh, no.
He saw me with Crew. He must have seen us kissing. Crap.

“I’m not apologizing. I wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss me and so we did. It’s not like you and Paige didn’t have some special alone time.”

“I don’t like him. Something’s off. I don’t know what it is, but you should stay away from him. And, you certainly shouldn’t be kissing him. He’s leaving soon. You’ll get hurt.”

A bitter laugh left my throat. “I know he’s leaving. I know I shouldn’t have kissed him, but it happened. I can’t take it back. Not that I regret it. It was amazing. But, it’s not going to matter after the festival.”

“He’s got to leave sometime. I’m sure there’s plenty of work waiting for him and the others back in Cotton.

“It’s not that. Zander is pretty much forcing me to marry him. I want Lulu back, so...”

“You cannot be serious.” He nudged my chin up so that my eyes followed. “You can’t be serious. You can’t marry him. He’s such a bastard. He’ll make you miserable. And not just for a little while; he will make you miserable for the rest of your life.”

I nodded. He had spoken the truth. But I had to do something. From the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Crew was standing a few trees away, Paige by his side. If looks could kill, her caramel eyes would have burned a hole through my heart and I’d be lying in a heap on the ground.

“Isn’t this cozy?” she screeched. “Kyan, I need a word with you.” Her hands were folded over her chest and her plump lips were pinched tightly together. “Now!”

He rolled his eyes and escorted her away to a private spot. Not that their conversation was kept private. Her whiny screeches could be heard by anyone within a two mile radius. I looked at Crew and then decided it best to leave it alone. We kissed. I liked it. He liked it. But, it had to end here. So, I turned away and joined the girls in the trees. I could feel his eyes burning into my back as I began to work.

Two hours flew by, and in that time the earth around us warmed. The dew evaporated away, the leaves and grass once again became crunchy underfoot. Lifting my final bushel onto my shoulder, I walked to the ladies waiting at the orchard’s exit.

Kyan’s mother and Miss Evelyn, our village healer, sat together happily chatting while keeping a watchful eye on the laughing children who ran around gathering the rotten apples from beneath the trees. They raced one another, taking the brown, soft apples to a large barrel, dumping two or three in at a time, screaming and giggling in triumph. Girls with golden curls and dark haired boys made work play, and I prayed they enjoy it while it lasted.

∞

The Preston’s house was empty
. I called out for Mrs. Preston and then Mister but was greeted with silence. No list awaited me on the counter, or on the long wooden table. The pounding of hooves echoed outside. Stepping onto the porch, I was met with the man who still haunted my nights.