The smile Callah gave me was sad. "Always," she promised. "Just swear to me you'll send word back if you're still alive?"

"I'll find a way," I assured her.

"But what?" she asked.

My eyes jumped around my room, looking for some inspiration. "Um..." And they landed on the folded piece of paper which held my mother's drawing. "Something yellow."

"How?" she asked next.

Yeah, and that was the hard part, but I was liking this idea more and more. "The hunters, Callah! They come and go. If I'm alive, I'm sure I'll be able to send them back with something yellow, right? Something to give to you."

"And do you really think they'd do that?"

I felt a smile teasing my lips. "No, but if I'm living on the surface, I wouldn't need a man's permission anymore, right? All I have to do is use them to get it inside."

Which made Callah's eyes light up. "And maybe you can do it before my own wedding? Because I don't want to marry Reynold Saunders. I don't want to be stuck with a man worse than Peter Morgan!"

"Somehow," I promised her, "I will find a way." Then I leaned back and pushed out a dry laugh. "Oh, Callah. If only it was that easy."

"I know," she agreed as our momentary daydream began to crumble around us. "There's no way they'd banish a woman. It happens to men, but rarely. If a woman acts out, there are ways to retrain us - but if you end up in quarantine, I'll find a way to visit."

"They won't let you. They don't want the Devil's influence to spread."

"Or," she said, going on as if I hadn't spoken, "maybe I'll join you there. We can have rooms side by side. If we yell loud enough, we can even talk. I mean, my mother's screams carried through the walls."

"Mine too," I agreed.

"And in quarantine," she pointed out, "they can't prevent us from our thoughts. They won't be able to stop us. We can be wild women down here, Ayla. If nothing else, it will mean our husbands will have to pick up after themselves!"

"Yes," I laughed, "they would if we were locked away."

And yet that was also a foolish fantasy. A big, fat lie. The reality wasn't nearly as easy, because Callah was right. Men were banished, never women. I also knew quarantine wouldn't spare my life. It might ease the burden of caring for a man I abhorred, but isolation and darkness weren't the salvation I truly longed for.

So I relented, "Or I can marry Peter Morgan."

"I'll braid your hair," she assured me. "We'll make you look like the most beautiful bride ever. Just as good as Meri did."

"A meek one," I grumbled. "A quiet one."

"A subservient one," she agreed. "The kind who figures out how to survive."

ElevenAyla

That evening, a fist rapped on our plank-wood door. Callah jumped at the intensity of it, making me look up. With a heavy sigh, I stood and opened it, not shocked at all to see Peter Morgan on the other side. Clearly, someone had given him his "good" news. The man looked me over, smiled kindly, then tilted his head.

"May I come in?"

"Yes, sir." I should've stopped there, but my resentment made my mouth keep going. "It's not like I have a choice." I stepped back and resumed my place on the edge of my bed.

He followed me into the small room and closed the door behind him. Pausing to glance around the small space, the older man smiled kindly at Callah. She simply folded her hands in her lap and dropped her eyes to the mattress. Mr. Morgan cleared his throat as if he disapproved, then turned to face me, all but ignoring her.

"Antonia Myers just told me you'd accepted my proposal."

I shrugged. "The council chose you."

"Not you?"

I shrugged again. It seemed to be the best way to answer this man. "My options all sound about the same: old men I don't know. Does it really matter?"

He chuckled. "I suppose it doesn't. Would you be willing to walk with me so we can at least get acquainted?"

"I'd rather not." I hugged my arms across my stomach, bracing myself. "I was hoping to enjoy a bit of private time before you have the right to claim it all."

His eyebrows shot up. They would've been well into his hairline if he had any left. "Excuse me?"

"I would rather not walk with you today," I said, rephrasing it slightly. "I wanted time to come to terms with my future before I have to figure out how to pacify my husband, Mr. Morgan."

Slowly, he began nodding his head. "I see. So should I assume you're shocked by the council's decision? Were you hoping for another suitor, Miss Ross?"

"I was hoping for no suitor, Mr. Morgan."

The man clenched his jaw so hard a muscle jumped along the side. "Oh? Don't you want children?"

Biting my lips together, I realized I'd never actually considered that. In truth, I'd never been offered the choice. Having children was the sole purpose for all women.

"Mr. Morgan -"

"Peter. We're going to be married, after all," he broke in.

I nodded to show I'd heard him. "The fact of it is that whether or not I want children doesn't matter."

"But it does," he countered. "God has made it clear your purpose is to be fruitful. The compound is at the lowest numbers we've seen in the history of our existence. Every child is important - otherwise the Devil will overtake us."

"And hence whether I want them or not doesn't matter," I countered. "My place is to have them. My desires do not figure into the life you have planned for me."

"No, I suppose they don't," he agreed, glancing back to where Callah was doing her best to ignore us. "Should I assume you feel more at ease with a chaperone in the room, Miss Ross?"

"Yes," I said, refusing to explain again that I didn't really want his presence. "I'm also curious why you wanted to see me. I would think you would have learned at least something about me before you made your proposal?"

"I wanted to give you a chance to get to know me," he explained.

Well, I would gladly take him up on that. And, since he'd offered, he couldn't even be offended at my questions. Pulling in a long, deep breath, I looked up at this man, aware that handsome was not a word I would ever use to describe him.

"Tell me, are you offended if your wife reads?" I dared to ask.

"Depends on what she reads. I would think you're familiar with the Bible by now?"

"Yes, sir. There are other books."