Away From the Dark (The Light #2)(51)

“Hello, Brother Elijah,” I said.

He nodded. “Brother Jacob. Brother Micah.”

Although Sara followed closely behind, with her eyes down, Elijah didn’t acknowledge her. He wasn’t expected to, nor was I expected to introduce her. When she glanced up and saw Brother Elijah, her lip disappeared between her teeth and she reached for my hand. Damn, I wanted to know what she was thinking. Instead I searched her expression as I helped her into the backseat. She was true to our plan, and other than the fact that the pink had left her cheeks, her expression revealed nothing.

Though Brother Elijah often accompanied Father Gabriel, thankfully, Father Gabriel wasn’t in the SUV. I sat next to Sara in the backseat and tried to silently reassure her as I squeezed her hand. With Micah in the front seat, we rode in silence as Elijah turned the SUV around, headed into the trees, and drove toward the gate. After he entered an access code, the solid, wide gate moved, allowing us to leave the mansion’s compound. It wasn’t until we entered Highland Heights that Elijah spoke.

“Brother Jacob, as an Assemblyman, you’ll sit with the Assemblymen, and Sister Sara, you’re expected to sit with the Assembly wives.”

Her hand flinched within mine, but her head never moved. “Of course,” I replied. “I’ll show Sara where that is. When we were here before, I wasn’t on the Assembly.”

Shit! Now it was me who was rambling.

Elijah’s head turned slightly toward the rearview mirror. I nodded, doing my best to keep my tone and facial expression neutral. Fuck, it wasn’t going to be Sara who messed this up, it was going to be me, if I didn’t calm down.

“My wife,” Elijah went on, “is Sister Teresa. I told her to tell the other Assembly wives to expect a guest. They’ll be ready.”

I hoped that was a good thing, because given the way Sara was clinging to my hand, I didn’t want to be separated from her, not even in a church filled with followers, and I was certain that she felt the same. So much for keeping promises. Not only couldn’t I be with her but also neither could Micah. The two of them knew each other only from services, but each had heard the other’s name often.

Micah was also married. His wife and their young son were back at the Northern Light. He and I both knew this entire situation of taking Sara to the Eastern Light was highly unusual. When we were getting the Cessna ready for the trip, he had reached for my arm and whispered, “I don’t understand this. I piloted Father Gabriel for years before you came. I’ve never transported a woman back to the Eastern Light.”

I nodded, my concern obviously visible.

“Brother, I’ll do all I can to help,” he reassured me.

“We just have to bring her back.”

Micah nodded. “I hear you. I mean, we don’t choose them, but once they’re ours . . .” His words trailed away. Micah was a good man, a good pilot, and a good husband. There weren’t a lot of men who treated women the way Abraham did, at least not at the Northern Light. I mostly credited Luke with that. He worked hard, monitoring and doing what he could to keep the wives safe. If someone else had his job, the outcome could have been much different. I didn’t know how it was at other campuses.

We pulled up to the back of the large white building housing The Light, located on the corner of Second and Glendale Avenues. When I turned, Sara’s eyes were closed. She was concealing her fear visually, but damn, from her pulse and grip I felt it. Hell, I even smelled it, if that was possible. It emanated from her, creating a cloud.

The Northern Light had grown to nearly five hundred followers, and yet the Eastern Light had stayed relatively stable, its population hovering around one hundred. With that number, its temple was much smaller than ours, composing only a small part of the total building. Taking Sara’s hand, I led her through the doors. Each step was smaller than the one before, the old tile floor became figurative quicksand, sucking my shoes into the muck, slowing our steps as dread glued our hands together. Even the thought of letting go of her seemed impossible.

Perhaps I was paranoid, but as the followers made their way to their seats I sensed a different atmosphere from the one at the Northern Light. Everyone here seemed more tired and reserved. It made sense. The only male followers who remained at the Eastern Light were the ones who worked on either recruitment or logistics. Most of the female followers worked in the building across the street. While they had a small Preserve the Light operation, mostly they made illegal substances. It was Father Gabriel’s backup plan, his way to deflect law enforcement from the bigger illegal operations, if operations behind The Light were ever questioned. These followers were more aware of the dangerous side of The Light because they lived it.

Using the seating at the Northern Light as my guide, I took Sara to where I assumed the Assembly wives sat. I must have been right, because a woman stood.

Bowing her head, she said, “I’m Sister Teresa, my husband said to expect a new sister.”

New? What? Not new, just visiting.

“Sister Teresa,” I said, “this is my wife, Sister Sara. We’re visiting from another campus. I’ll return for her after service.”

She looked to the empty seat beside her and then reached for Sara’s hand. “Welcome, Sister.”

I made my way to the front, where Elijah too had an empty seat beside him.

“Brother,” Elijah said, “before service begins, I believe you’re wanted for a few minutes in the offices, on the second floor. Do you remember where you’re going?”