Free Broken Skies by Theresa Kay Page A

moving is Flint’s grasp on my arm.
    A large crowd surrounds the stage where the eligible girls wait. That’s where we’re heading right now. I navigate the outskirts of the group fine, jerking my shoulders to the side and stepping carefully to avoiding running into anyone else, but as the crowd gets thicker it becomes harder and harder for me to get a full breath.
    Little gasping inhalations are all I can manage and when the first hand pats me on the arm, my heart stutters. The hand is connected to a woman with a friendly expression, but her smile and her hand drop when she takes in my face. “Are you okay, Dearie?” Her smile returns even though I don’t answer. “I’m sure he has someone great picked out for you. Don’t worry.”
    Flint just leads me farther into the crowd. I absolutely cannot lose it in front of the entire town. They know I’m odd, they do not need to know exactly how odd. I concentrate on breathing in and out, slowly. It helps, but still doesn’t stop the thumping in my chest.
    Dane looks back over his shoulder, a smirk twisting his lips. He’s enjoying this, the bastard. He knew what this would do to me. Anger bubbles up in my stomach and I let it, the heat of it replacing the icy fear. I won’t let him get away with this.
    One last deep breath in through my nose and out slowly through my mouth. I lower my chin and speed up, doing my best to ignore the mass of people surrounding me. I can do this. A few seconds later, I reach the edge of the crowd and half stumble into the small empty area directly in front of the stage. When I raise my face to Dane, who’s now standing above me, he nods at me with a smug expression, like he expected me to fail his test but he’s still happy I didn’t. Whatever.
    Flint assists me up the stairs and I’m grateful for his hold on my arm. My shaky legs barely make it across the stage and I collapse into the last chair in the line of girls. Deep breath. Trust Flint. He’s got to have some way to get me out of this.
    * * * * * * *
    The ceremony itself is uneventful and actually pretty boring. The long line of girls in front of me gradually disappears as Dane calls each one up by name. A man comes up from the other side of the stage, Dane puts their hands together, says a few words, the couple kisses and it’s done. Rather anticlimactic if you ask me. I focus on the monotony of it all while my eyes search the crowd for Flint. Where the hell is he? He disappeared as soon as I was in the chair.
    “My sister was Promised last year.” The high-pitched voice of the girl next to me scrapes on my fragile nerves. “She was nervous like you, but it all worked out for the best. It’ll be okay. I’m sure Mr. Jacobs has selected well for you.”
    I nod my head slowly.
    That’s enough to encourage her and she continues to babble. “I’m really excited to tell you the truth.” She actually bounces in her seat a little. “I’m just hoping that he’s selected someone young enough to give me children. I’ve always wanted a baby.” A dreamy smile pulls her lips up. “A little girl…”
    Dane’s voice pulls her out of her wistfulness and she jumps to her feet. “That’s me,” she says. “Good luck!”
    The hand Dane links with hers is thin-skinned and liver spotted, the man easily thirty years older. Her pained smile stays in place, but her eyes gloss over with the sheen of unshed tears. Poor thing. What did that girl do to deserve that match up? Or maybe, like Emily’s situation, it was punishment for something her parents did. Or would it be some sort of reward for the old guy? There’s just so much I don’t know about this place, so much I never bothered to learn. I almost feel guilty for that.
    My name rings through the air next. This cannot possibly be happening. My eyes go out to the crowd again, begging, pleading for Flint to appear, to jump onto the stage and…do something, anything. I don’t stand and step forward like the others, choosing to