The Devil's Daughter (Hidden Sins #1)(59)

“Yeah.” Jon wasn’t really looking at her, either. “This year Martha chose Beth to play the role of Persephone.”

She searched for the right response and came up short. “That’s . . .”

“A great honor.” Beth’s smile never wavered. If anything, it brightened. “It’s not without its challenges, but the reward is more than worth it. I’ve worked very, very hard this year to prove to Martha that I’m worthy of stepping into, well, into your role.” She fidgeted. “I know it’s customary to pick a girl right on the cusp of womanhood, but we don’t have many that age in Elysia these days. There are younger children, of course, but that would hardly be appropriate.”

Younger children going through that torture . . . She shuddered. If she concentrated, she could still feel the loose dirt beneath her fingernails as she clawed, desperate for air. She hadn’t gone into the grave willingly, but most of the girls did. Elysia had never had a plethora of underage kids, but there were always at least a few.

But Beth is my age. Or was that significant, too? “I . . .” Damn it, Eden, you can do better than this. “Congratulations.” The word came out choked and unconvincing, but neither Beth nor Jon seemed to notice.

“Thank you.” Beth hesitated. “Though, since you’re back, it should be you playing Persephone again. Martha always intended for that role to be yours and yours alone.”

Eden’s breath stalled in her lungs, and a buzzing sounded in her ears, drowning out Jon’s response to Beth. Her body broke out in a cold sweat, and she had to clamp her mouth shut to avoid screaming that she’d be put back into the ground over her dead body. Someone would probably like nothing more. She swallowed once, then again, trying to work away the dryness in her throat. “I’m not back.”

Beth’s face fell. “Right. You said that. It’s just that our generation is finally reaching a point where we have a little power. Think of what we could do if you took the role Martha has set aside for you—and I was your right-hand woman.” She cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing.

“It’s okay.” It wasn’t, but the fault didn’t lie with the couple in front of her. It fell firmly into the lap of the woman who birthed Eden. She accepted the sandwich Beth had put together for her, though the last thing she wanted was to eat anything. “Hey, since I have you two here, I have a question.”

“Sure. What’s up?” Jon slipped an arm around his wife’s waist and pressed a kiss to her temple.

She briefly considered not asking them any leading questions, but she wasn’t going to get any new information by playing nice. “Do you guys know anyone who would have left a garland of daisies in my car?”

Jon shook his head. “Wrong time of year for those.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Beth nibbled her lip. “Those are Persephone’s flowers—or at least one of them.”

She knew that, too.

Beth looked at Jon and frowned. “Maybe someone thought the same thing I did—that you’d be playing Persephone in the ritual? The avatar wears the garland during it.”

Shit. She’d forgotten about that. Eden fought down a shiver. She’d thought every second of her time in Elysia was imprinted on the darkest recesses of her brain. She hadn’t anticipated that she’d forget anything, let alone so much. She didn’t like the idea that someone—possibly the killer—wanted to bury her alive. This time the shiver couldn’t be repressed. To cover up the involuntary reaction, she changed tactics. “Did you guys ever see Neveah Smith or Elouise Perkins out here?”

Beth smiled. “Elouise spent some time in Elysia. It was a blessing that Lee was in the right place at the right time to be able to rescue her.”

That wasn’t how it had happened at all, especially since the girl had gone back to her home many times before she finally left town, but Eden wasn’t about to argue. “He seems to really care about her.”

Jon shrugged. “Lee’s a good man.”

“Oh, honey.” Beth laughed. “Men.” She looked at Eden. “He has no idea. Lee asked Martha to release him from the inner circle so he could pursue a relationship with Elouise. She really made an impression on him, and from what I witnessed, it was mutual.”

Jon turned a disbelieving look on his wife. “He’d give up his position for a girl who was leaving with no intention of coming back?”

Beth shrugged. “Love does funny things. Look what it did for us.”

Eden didn’t comment on the fact that from Beth’s own account, it had been Martha who paired the two of them up—love had no place. Obviously they’d found it along the way, and that was better than most people managed. Better than Eden had managed. She took a bite of her sandwich because it would have been rude not to, and stood. “Thank you so much for catching up. I’ve got to go see if I can get in with Martha.”

Jon nodded. “Good luck.”

It wasn’t until she’d left the house behind that she turned her thoughts to what the couple had revealed. It might not seem that daunting on the surface—she’d known Lee had strong feelings for Elouise—but having strong feelings and actively trying to leave Elysia and Martha were two different things. And if Elouise had similar feelings and encouraged him to come with her?