It had not occurred to Anna until that very moment how much she was truly entrusting Adam with as her husband. According to these people, he would own her mind, body, and soul. He had told her that the politics of husband and wife were vague and differed from couple to couple among the farm. Anna had been appalled by what she learned of Larissa’s marriage, yet Jonas and Abilene seemed so incredibly loving and gentle with one and other. She mentally pinched herself and reminded herself that Adam was as kind and gentle as his father, and he would never abuse Anna’s trust.
She focused back on what Bishop Eleazar was reading from the Bible. Maybe it was time for someone to update the old book. She didn’t think the old, crotchety bishop would agree. As if hearing her thoughts, the bishop paused in his reading and gave her a sharp condemning look. Oh shit…shoot! He probably was.
He turned and gave Adam a withering look as well, then said, “As I was saying, ‘It is a wife’s duty to submit to her husband, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church, his body is itself the savior.’”
Turning back to Anna, Bishop Eleazar asked sternly, “Annalise Erin, do you promise to honor and obey Adam as your husband?”
“I do.”
“Adam, do you promise to selflessly and sacrificially love Anna as your wife?”
“I do.”
Anna looked back at the bishop and waited for him to ask some equivocal promise of Adam that he had demanded of her, but none came. She was to honor her husband and obey him in everything while he was simply asked to make the sacrifice of loving her. What. Ever.
There were a few more prayers and readings, each one a little more medieval sounding than the last, and then the ceremony was over. Anna waited for a ring to be placed on her finger or at least for the bishop to instruct Adam to kiss his bride, but no such thing happened. At some point during the long droning of Bishop El’hardy’har’har the crowd just seemed to accept she and Adam as a married couple. When the lengthy readings and prayers came to an end, the women cried, and the men cheered and Anna was Mrs. Adam Hartzler for the rest of eternity.
After that, things only became weirder. Benches were moved and tables carried in. Anna was told by Adam who had finally kissed her and called her wife that they were to host a game referred to as “Going to the Table.” Apparently it was an Amish tradition involving the younger members of The Order.
The house cleared out as the married women began to serve food. The stench of celery was so potent, Anna was grateful the house was not yet furnished. It would have taken a hundred years to remove the smell from the upholstery. There was chicken stuffed with celery, pork and celery stew, celery with cream appetizers, creamed celery soup! Anna was more than relieved when Adam pulled her out to the barn to explain the rules of the table game to her.
“How can you stand the smell of the celery in there?” she asked as soon as they were somewhat alone.
He sniffed. “I suppose it is a bit strong. You are probably just a bit sensitive to it because of my blood.”
“What?”
“My blood will heighten the senses in a human. I’m surprised your ears are not bothering you as well.”
Now that he mentioned it, everything did seem a bit noisy. “Is this what it will be like when I change?”
“At first, but you will adjust, and then it will not bother you. Are you ready to see the men?”
“Yeah. Tell me how the game works.”
“The younger members are split. The males are sent to the barn and the females to the bedrooms upstairs. It is our job to select men to visit the girls. If they like the girl they visit, they ask her to the table for supper.”
“Wait, is there going to be any funny business going on in our house?”
“Funny business?”
“Yeah, you know…” Anna made a gesture with her hands, poking one finger in and out of a circle made of her other fingers. “Fooling around?”
Adam laughed. “I suppose it depends on the couple.”
“Adam! How old are these kids?”
“Between the ages of sixteen and thirty. I assure you, ainsicht, it is a game played on every Amish farm at every wedding.”
“Aren’t you guys supposed to believe in chastity or something?”
He chuckled. “Is that what you thought I was doing all those times we made love, being chaste?”
“No, but…you were called. You had…needs.”
“Every breathing creature has needs, Anna. The English assume because we are old fashioned that we are Puritans. I assure you, we are not. We work long and hard, but with no televisions and telephones, what else is there to do on a farm? We are quite liberal with matters of the flesh.”
“Matters of the flesh, eh? Yup, sounds like you’re light-years ahead of the world.” She began walking toward the barn.
“Did you just make fun of me?”
“Yup.” She smiled and quickly ducked into the barn and froze. At least seventy beautiful, ageless vampire males stared back at her then broke out in cheers as Adam entered the barn.
* * * *
Eleazar made his excuses to Abilene and Jonas and wished the family luck in the evening to come. He sympathized with the young Adam. He had no doubt the male would have his work cut out for him with his new wife. The woman, although attractive, was not going to be a malleable bride.
He cut through the long line of parked carriages and found his own purposely parked at the far end of the field. He was three hundred and twenty six years old and had no desire to watch another called mate take his wife through the change. He had long ago resigned the weddings of males and females to the other elders on the council. It was only the marriages of the called mates that he officiated anymore, a rarity that only took place every few decades. Sometimes a calling never happened in a lifetime. He was proof of that. Besides, he had the business of the other Hartzler male to tend to.
He told himself that speaking to Cain was his purpose for taking an early leave, but there was a small part of his mind that declared him a liar. It was another Hartzler that had him fleeing. Aside from Ezekiel, he had never had much business with the Hartzler clan, but one celebration on their section of the land and he was ready to arrest them all.
As he drove to the safe house to see how Cain was adjusting, he thought not of the male but of Larissa. Her name was not of the Bible. He had never seen her before, yet she seemed so incredibly familiar to him. It was as if he knew exactly how soft her skin felt and how sweet her hair smelled. It was as if he had heard her voice before, but he could not recall where.
He had been so tired of late, as if he was not getting enough sleep. His bones ached, and he suffered bouts of headaches during the day. His equilibrium seemed off, and his stomach seemed to protest every thing he put into his belly. He was truly aging, if not on the outside, then on the inside. The bride was right. He was turning into a crotchety, old man.
* * * *
Larissa delivered a plate to Silus then headed back to the kitchen with the other married women. She saw Gracie mulling about. “What are you doing in here, Grace?”
“Shh, I don’t want anyone to know I’m here.”
“Well, you’re not doing a very good job at hiding. Come on. Get out of the pantry. You are supposed to be upstairs so you can get asked to join the table.”
“I do not want to play that kintish game.”
“You have to.”
“Why?”
“Because you are an eligible female. Now go before I tell the others you’re in here.”
Gracie left, and Larissa watched to make sure she did not return. After a few minutes of busying herself with spooning soup into bowls, she grabbed a dishtowel and headed out the back door.
There were women everywhere, each responsible for some matter of preparation while the men sat and ate their fill. No one would stop her from heading into her childhood home to change her apron at her brother’s wedding, so as she walked, she pret
ended to swipe her dishtowel over a stain that was not there. The more frustrated she appeared, the less likely anyone was of stopping her.
Her parents’ home was as silent as a graveyard. She moved quickly up the stairs and toward the middle bedroom. Baskets were set along the floor. She sorted through one filled with aprons, but did not find what she was looking for. It wasn’t until the last basket that she found what she needed, a white half dress and a petite sleeveless top in the color of lemons. She folded the items tightly and stuffed them under her apron then went out the back door of the house.
She moved through the shadows and clung close to the trees. She took a less direct route but did not want to chance being spotted. The sound of the festivities at this distance was a mere hum across the field beyond the stone wall. She was almost certain she was alone, but could not be completely sure. So she continued to slip through the shadows as silently as possible.
When she reached the far barn, she took a moment to catch her breath before sliding the great door open. The wooden planks rumbled loudly as they slid across the pulley. She moved a heavy boulder in front of the door to keep it from sliding closed like it always had when she was a girl.
She crept into the dark space and reached for the shiny metal knob. She pulled, but nothing happened. Frowning at the fancy device, she pressed her thumb into the square button below the handle and tugged. The door swung open with more weight than she expected and made a horrible screeching sound as it did.
Larissa ducked behind the door and looked in all directions to see if the loud door attracted any unwanted attention. When she was satisfied that no one had followed her, she awkwardly hoisted herself into the truck.
A shiny set of keys dangled next to the wheel. Larissa turned the keys this way and that, but nothing happened. Larissa frowned at the keys and dipped her head to look closer. Was there something she was missing? Turn the keys and go, right? She tried again only this time she turned them with all her might. They clicked passed the point she had turned them before, and Larissa feared she may have broken the truck, but in the next second, there was another click and the vehicle roared to life.
A chirp of joy squeaked past her lips. She settled into the seat, placed both hands on the wheel and a foot on each pedal. She pressed her left foot down, and the barn filled with a queer shade of red. She was making a light blink in the rear of the vehicle. The other pedal must make it go, she thought.
She pressed her right foot down, and the truck roared but did not move. What was wrong? She thought about being in the buggy. It had been a while since she’d driven a carriage anywhere, as Silus always insisted on driving. She remembered the clutch and looked for a clutch inside the truck. There was nothing coming from the floor, but next to the wheel was a long stick. She toyed with the stick and contemplated moving it. When you moved a clutch you needed to be prepared to go. This wasn’t a clutch, but she was willing to guess it made the vehicle move.
Behind the wheel, was a round dial that had numbers on it. Below the dial was a word she was not familiar with. It said PRND12 and an arrow pointed to the P. “Prind twelve,” Larissa said quietly to herself. Losing interest, she looked back at the stick. It was now or never, she figured. Shutting her eyes and saying a quick prayer, she pulled the stick.
The truck rocked then began to move. Only she was not moving out of the barn but farther into it. She panicked and stepped on the pedals. The truck picked up speed. She slammed her foot on the other pedal. The barn filled with red light, and her body propelled against the wheel. Her heart was pounding so fast.
She wasn’t sure if she screamed or not, but the truck itself was loud. She needed to figure this out quickly before someone found her here. Straightening her shoulders, she pulled the stick until it clicked again. The truck rocked slightly, and she hesitantly moved her foot off the red light pedal.
The truck moved forward, slowly at first, but then began to build speed. She was traveling at what she supposed was a slow trot when there was a screech and she saw the shiny mirror on her left clip the side of the barn. She turned the large wheel but only made things worse. The mirror was knocked clean off the truck. Larissa hoped it was not a tool needed to make the vehicle run.
Once she was out of the barn and into the clearing, the truck continued to pick up more speed. As it rolled, she played with the wheel, trying to feel out the controls. She was distracted with her turning and suddenly looked up to see her parents’ home. She was barreling down a hill toward it.
Panicking, she pressed her right foot into the pedal but rather than brake, the truck sped up. She quickly yanked the wheel and almost fell over in her seat as the truck veered left. She was moving quite fast now but realized she seemed to have more control when she held such a speed. She turned the wheel again and then found the right angle to move straight ahead.
A kintish laugh escaped her as she realized she was actually doing it. She was driving an automobile! There was a bump and then a steady flutter of something whisking by her. The truck bounced, and she began to laugh with unrefined glee as she plowed through the cornfield. Eventually she needed to find a road, why not take a short cut? The clatter and rumple of cornstalks being pummeled under the wheels of the truck continued.
When she spotted the end of the field, she sped up. Deer dashed out of her path and sleeping birds squawked as they took to the night sky. As she ran over the last bit of corn, the truck propelled into the air and slammed down onto the earth so hard she was thrown from her seat.
Larissa scrambled back into her seat and yanked the wheel, finally pulling onto the road. She nearly ran a lone buggy off the road and winced, hoping it was not a friend. Her mind did not think long on the other driver however. She was too elated to think on much else other than her freedom. She was never going back. Free! She was free!
* * * *
Eleazar pulled on his reins violently as a truck came out of nowhere and almost crashed into his horse and buggy. The driver did not even have lights coming from the vehicle. “English drunk!” The horse reared and whickered, not expecting the fright. This was exactly why Eleazar hated leaving the privacy of his own home. The world was nothing more than the Devil’s playground, filled with unwholesome players.
* * * *
Annalise smiled as she watched young couples emerge from the upstairs and move to the table. In all honesty, many were older than her twenty-three years. However, they were single and she was not. Nope, not her, she was Mrs. Adam Hartzler, soon to be a mother.
“Are you happy, ainsicht?” Adam asked from beside her.
“Very.” They had made their toast and pricked their fingers upon their handmade handkerchief only an hour ago. It was at that point that it all finally began to set in. She was married. “And about this?” Adam asked placing a soft hand on her abdomen.
They had yet to discuss the pregnancy. She rested her hand over his and smiled. “I am very happy about this.”
“I thought twenty-three was too young to contemplate children.”
“I was a naive girl when I said that.”
He laughed and kissed her affectionately. With his lips still pressed to hers he whispered, “You said that less than a week ago.”
“Well, things change. Speaking of changing, when will all that happen?”
“Are you anxious?”
“Yes, but I am not scared. I’m really okay with this. I just want to get on with our life together. Be married and happy and not worried about words like feeish anymore.”
“We can go now if you would like.”
“Like, right now? But we have a house full of people.”
“Yes, and it will be dawn by the time they all leave. Amish weddings are long. Vampyre bondings are longer. Besides, some of the guests must stay until it is over.”
“Why?”
“See that man over there?” He pointed to a man with blond hair and a narrow face. “He is our healer. He must stay in case anything goes wrong.”
“I thought you said it was a sure thing with bonded mates.”
“It is. He is more of an insurance than anything else. Do not worry, Anna. Nothing will go wrong.”
She rubbed her palms together. “Okay. Then let’s get to it.”
He laughed. “Your wish is my command.”
Chapter 27
As Annalise entered the room that would, for the rest of eternity, be her bedroom, her body shivered. Her heart was wrapped in anticipation, nerves, lust, and immeasurable love for her husband. The door clicked shut behind Adam, and she turned to face him. His expression was of extreme contentment.
The room was bare. A large four-poster, king-sized bed dominated the empty space. Anna gasped when she saw the quilt placed over the mattress. She recognized it from her dream. The one Adam had said his sister made and hung in his parents’ home. She ran her fingers over the fine patchwork details lovingly and smiled. “Adam, you have a romantic soul.”
“I have something else for you. Here, look over here.” Rather then square, the room had a sort of L shape. A wall divided the space. The missing piece of the square seemed to make up some sort of walk in closet. “There is still some work to be done, but by the end of the week I will have all the plumbing running, and a supplier from town is helping me order the parts I will need.” He held his hand on the latch of the planked door that was cut into the room. “I am making you a washroom with indoor plumbing.”
Called to Order [The Order of Vampyres 1] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 33