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Captives

The Safe Lands

ZONDERVAN

Excerpt

June 2088

Father invaded Mason's bedroom like a hornet. He yanked the psychology textbook from Mason's hands and tossed it on the floor. "You hear me calling for Omar, boy? Stop wasting time, and go find your brother. And don't take all day doing it."

"Yes, sir." Avoiding eye contact, Mason jumped off his bed and darted into the dark hallway, heading for the front of the house. He had indeed heard his father bellowing Omar's name. But since it was Omar's name and not his own, Mason had made the logical assumption that the solicitation was not for him. But such logic had never been Father's companion.

Father's footsteps clomped behind him, and Mason walked faster, not wanting to become the focus of Father's anger. Three more steps to the door ...

"Now that Levi's getting married, it's your turn."

That announcement stopped Mason completely. He turned around in the living room, glanced at his mother, who stood at the kitchen table, drying jars for canning, then looked at his father. "Me marry? Now? I'm only seventeen."

"Why wait?"

"Because there's no one I feel particularly drawn to in Glenrock or Jack's Peak."

"No matter," Father said. "I've made arrangements with Mia's mother."

Mason felt as if his father had slammed him into a brick wall. He glanced at his mother, but she turned her head back to the jars before he could make eye contact. "Father, there's no sense in my marrying Mia. I'd be more compatible with any other girl, in fact. We should exhaust all options before making such a rash pairing."

"Everyone else is too young."

"I can wait."

"Mia needs a husband. Her mother needs a son." Father shrugged. "No reason to wait."

"But she and I would be terrible together. We're not even friends."

"Focus on her pretty face." Father slapped Mason on the back and stepped toward the front door. "Now stop arguing, and go find your brother. I may have managed to marry him off as well, but it's no good if I can't find him. And I don't want to keep Elsu waiting. Need to leave now if I want to get to Jack's Peak in time."

Mason stared at the open door, listening to Father's footsteps pound across the porch, down the steps, and crunch across the rocky path that led to the village square. His cheeks burned with fury over the nonsense of Mia becoming his wife. "I don't want to marry Mia. I won't."

"Mason," his mother said, "you're smart enough to find a way to make this work."

"But she despises me. And from what I gather from the books Levi brought me, and from my observations here in Glenrock, marriage is difficult enough when the pair have strong affections for one another. I don't want a future of misery for myself or for Mia."

"It's been two years since Mia's mother lost her husband. This marriage will mend the hole in their family. They'll have a man in their home again."

He stared at her. "But Mother, I will never love Mia." He couldn't even force himself to like her.

"Since when has love ever been important to your father? He values strength. Show your strength by making this work." Mother went back to drying the jars. "You'd best go find your brother before your father catches you dawdling."

Mason pushed out the front door into the afternoon heat and crossed the porch in three steps. He jumped off the side and kept moving, the wild grass and flowers tickling his bare feet. Grazer's claws scraped over the plank porch as the dog chased after him and was soon bounding alongside.

Mason leaned over to scratch behind Grazer's ears. "Where's Omar, huh, boy? Go fetch Omar."

The dog panted and squinted his eyes, in no apparent hurry to lend assistance. Mason swallowed the tightness in his throat.

Mia? Really?

* * *

Glenrock consisted of a dozen log homes scattered in a forest of pine around the village square's clearing. Their house faced the entrance road that ended at a roundabout in front of the square and meeting hall. On the distant road, Father was a mere puff of dust as he headed up the mountain trail to meet Elsu.

Mason strode toward the hall, his gaze sweeping over the village, searching for the Old Colorado State Patrol hat his little brother, Omar, always wore. The sun lit the square and illuminated billions of dust motes. This was the time of day when everyone tried to remain indoors to keep cool, and Mason saw no one else besides his older brother Levi and Levi's friend Jordan.

Both were sitting on their ATVs, which were parked in front of an elevated plank stage. Levi and Jemma's engagement celebration would happen tonight on this stage, and members of the village would sit on the long, split log benches that surrounded the area and cheer the future union. All hail perfect Levi and his perfect fiancée, the future elders of Glenrock.

Mason had no desire for perfection. But ... Mia?

He walked toward the stone fire pit at the center of the square and soon was close enough that he could hear Levi and Jordan mumbling. Mason wasn't surprised they didn't acknowledge him. Typical behavior for the heir to the patriarchy of Glenrock and his loyal adherent.

With a long breath, Mason entered the meeting hall, which was easily ten degrees cooler than outside. Jemma, Jordan's sister and Levi's intended, was decorating tables with wildflowers. Some of the younger boys were playing a scavenged Old video game on the television in the far corner. No sign of Omar.

"Hi, Mason." Jemma looked up from the flowers and smiled. "How are you today?"

"Fine. Looking for Omar." Unlike most when Jemma asked, "How are you?" she truly wanted to know. But if Mason had answered truthfully, Jemma would insist on more information. And Mason had no time for Jemma's compassion today. "Have you seen him?"

"Not since the harvest field this morning," she said. "I hope you find him. Levi says your father might have made him a match."

"Yes, well, my father and Levi's enthusiasm in this matter only enforces my skepticism."

"Mason." After staring at the centerpiece for a moment, Jemma pulled a mule's ear from her hand and threaded the flower into the arrangement. "You should be happy for Omar. Getting married would be wonderful for him."

"I'm not unhappy. I simply see no point in celebrating that which has not yet taken place."

Jemma practically sang her reply. " 'You can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.' "

Mason frowned, pondering her words. "That's not yours, is it?"

"Anne of Green Gables, one of my favorite Old books. And Anne is right. So go find Omar so you can celebrate."

Mason left without offering a reply and made his way back across the square to the stage. He suspected his brother would have many baffling encounters with his new bride. How women could find joy in the marriage of complete strangers, Mason would never understand.

The ATVs now sat empty. Levi and Jordan stood on opposite sides of the stage, throwing a little ball to one another so fast it passed through the air as a blur of red.

"Find Omar yet?" Levi asked, walking toward Mason and pitching the ball at Jordan.

Mason stopped in front of Levi. "I thought I'd check the square again, but the only ones out here are you two not helping me."

Jordan flung the ball, and it bounced off the side of Levi's head.

"Ow, you maggot!" Levi chased after the ball and tossed it back at Jordan, who was laughing so hard he barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground.

"Forget Omar. Let's take Mason i
(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Captives by Jill Williamson. Copyright © 2012 by Jill Williamson. Excerpted by permission of ZONDERVAN.
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