Page 101 of The Chosen
“And me,” Tabitha said, stepping forward.
“He saved me,” said another woman.
“God led me here,” exclaimed yet another woman.
All I could do was stare in complete and utter disbelief. This couldn’t be real. This wasn’t happening. This had to all be some horrific dream. Didn’t these women realize what was going on? They’d been abducted by Josiah. Beaten into submission. Brainwashed into believing whatever lies he fed them at the expense of their own humanity.
I recalled what Sarah told me through the wall last night. To hold on to my humanity because once I lost it, I’d become one of them. One of his sheep. Blindly obedient.
Just like so many of these women.
“The outside world feeds on women,” Josiah said gently. “It dirties you. Uses you. Discards you.” He rested a hand on his chest. “But here, with me, under my protection, you are safe.”
I nearly barked out a laugh at the ridiculousness of his assertion, but he truly believed it. And that made him absolutely petrifying. That he honestly believed he was protecting us. Many of these women did, too.
“But alas, I’m just a vessel for the Almighty. It’s up to Him to decide whether this man, this heathen, deserves mercy.”
Then Josiah grabbed the hood and ripped it off.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ariana
The instant Josiah ripped the hood off the figure, it felt like all the air had been forced out of my lungs, my knees weak, bile rising in my throat.
Because the man bound and gagged, forced to kneel on the altar that seemed more like a place for torture and sacrifice, was Henry.
My Henry.
Bruised.
Bloody.
Barely conscious.
But alive.
He lifted his head, and even in a room full of people, his eyes found mine.
I forced every muscle in my body to remain still. Forced myself not to run toward him. Not to break down and sob. Not to give Josiah the satisfaction of seeing how much power he held over me.
But Henry knew me well. So he gave me as encouraging of a look as possible before breaking his gaze from mine, his attention shifting farther down the line of women.
Toward Sarah.
The instant he noticed her, he exhaled a small breath, partly out of relief. Partly out of fear.
“Shall we begin?” Josiah’s voice cut through, and I lifted my eyes as he moved toward a table at the front of the altar.
When I saw three revolvers resting on top, my stomach churned.
Josiah picked one up, the black metal gleaming under the light.
“This table holds three guns just like this one,” he explained calmly. “But only one of them contains a single bullet. The rest of the chambers are empty.”
Nausea rolled through me, and I fought to remain upright. It was already difficult, considering I hadn’t eaten in over twenty-four hours. But standing here and listening to Josiah speak, knowing what he was about to say was nearly impossible.
“Each of you will choose one of these guns,” he continued. “Then you will stand before this sinner and pull the trigger. If God wishes to spare him, the chambers will remain empty. And if not…” A slow smile crept onto his lips. “Well, that means God has decided.”
