“Take the chocolate!” one of the Dukes yelled. And then that whole rowdy table was calling out their choices, as if it were a game show.
Feeling severely queasy, I scooted to the end of my chair, entranced. There was hope—she could choose the one without poison. I wanted to look at my friends but couldn’t take my eyes away from the stage. My father angled himself in the chair, scratching the side of his face with two fingers. He shot me a fast, stealthy glance and continued to move those two fingers up and down his face in an unnatural manner. Two. Two. A signal. His eyes darted to me again, and then to the table with the food.
The second dish wasn’t poisoned! My father knew I had an ability that set me apart from other Neph. I was capable of mind influence, but none of the other Dukes knew it. They wouldn’t suspect me. I hoped I was close enough to the stage.
“It is time to choose,” Rahab purred. Dukes were chanting their own choices, and the spirits above us bounced with anticipation, in constant movement. “Which one will you choose, Gerlinda? What will be the last flavor on your lips before you meet our revered leader?”
She broke down now, shaking her head back and forth, crying, “Nein, nein, nein.”
The second one, Gerlinda! I willed to her. Choose the hamburger!
“Choose now, or I will choose for you,” Rahab said as her wails became incoherent. “And you can only imagine what I will pick.”
She managed to lift the fork, shaking violently, and cut into the slice of lemon meringue pie. No! Several Dukes cheered when she chose the one they’d been vying for, and others booed.
“Go ahead then, chérie.” Rahab smiled. “Enjoy it. I know we will.”
Not the pie, Gerlinda! No! The burger has no poison! I leaned so hard against the table that it moved, and I almost fell forward. Gerlinda dropped the fork with a clatter and crammed her fingers into her temples, shutting her eyes.
Good girl! I told her. It’s the second plate. That’s the one.
Panting, she picked up the burger, and Rahab frowned. The pie Dukes hollered angrily at the change, and the burger Dukes raised a triumphant cheer. She held it in front of her face and grimaced as if it were a live rodent. And then, with a deep breath, she stopped crying and steeled herself. She took the bite.
The room went silent. She chewed and chewed, bending over and dropping the rest of the burger on the plate, covering her mouth to keep from spitting it out. She swallowed the bite and placed both hands palms down on the table, gasping to catch her breath. Finally, after what felt like forever, she stood up straight, not looking at any of the Dukes. She lifted her chin and stared straight ahead. She had survived.
When it became apparent she wasn’t going to give them a show, the Dukes went ballistic, standing and shaking their heads, shouting over one another. I slid back into my seat, biting back a smile. We did it!
Rahab raised a hand to silence his fellow Dukes. They settled down and watched as he made a slow circle around Gerlinda, hands clasped behind his back.
“Do you think you are a clever girl? Or merely a lucky one? Hm?” She did not respond, only continued to look dead ahead. Rahab sidled up next to her.
“You were promised one year, yes?” She was silent. “It’s too bad for you that honesty is not our strong point.”
He reached behind his back and pulled out a gun with a silencer, which he placed to her temple. The room went quiet, but the glee from the Dukes and spirits was palpable. Gerlinda closed her eyes, and Rahab’s hand tightened as he tensed to shoot.
“No!”
I was as surprised by my outburst as everyone else in the room. I pressed the fingertips of both hands against my lips. Every head in the room faced our group. My friends stared straight ahead like statues. I dropped my hands, knowing it was too late. I’d condemned myself.
“Which one of you dares to speak out at this sacred summit?” Rahab demanded.
Grabbing the table edge, I stood up, praying my friends would keep silent, unlike I had.
“She’s mine.” My father also stood, wearing a dark expression of stress and annoyance. “She’s still in training. I should have warned her. She’s not used to our ways.”
“That may be so, brother Belial,” Rahab said. “But the girl must be taught a lesson for her interference and insubordination.”
“I agree. And I’ll take care of it. Let’s finish this meeting and get down to our real business out there.” He pointed upward toward the city, then turned and glared at me. “Now sit down, girl, and keep your mouth shut.”
I sat.