“I thought James told you everything,” Ever said with a sneer.

Too late, I remembered what James had said about her. How Ever had no family and had willingly come to Judaculla with Cole. “Do the girls who are brought here remember their families?” I asked, trying to drive the conversation away from Ever’s sad past.

“I guess he forgot to tell you that one as well,” Ever said.

I hated that we were keeping score in a contest to decide which one of us held James’s confidence.

“No. They don’t remember. When a mate is brought into Judaculla, she forgets her past as soon as she crosses the boundary,” Ever said. “That way, she’ll never want to leave. But since you have your memories, it should make it easier for you to transition back to Woodvine.”

“What makes you think I’m going back?” I asked.

“Because if you truly love James, you’ll let him go.”

Her words bounced around in my head like a foreign language. If I could understand her feelings for Cole, why couldn’t she understand mine for James? I could no more let him go than I could stop breathing. I sat there, lost in my thoughts. At some point, Ever left the room. She returned, carrying a tray with the small teapot and two cups.

I regarded her skeptically.

“It’s not poisoned, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ever said, pouring tea into each cup. She picked hers up and sat back in her chair. “Everyone here is expected to have their own blend. It’s a huge insult if you refuse a cup.”

After Ever took a couple of sips, I decided to take a chance. Lifting my cup to my nose, I sniffed. Cinnamon tea. I sipped from the steaming cup, grateful for the warmth that traveled through my body.

“I know you think I’m evil, but you’re wrong,” Ever said. “James was Cole’s best friend. And because I love Cole, I automatically love James. I just want what’s best for him.”

“How do you know I’m not what’s best for him?” I asked.

“I don’t. I don’t know you at all. But I do know that if you had come back with James, you would have been what was best for him. Not because of any feelings you may have for him. But because you wouldn’t have had a choice to be otherwise. You would have been what’s best for James regardless of what you wanted.”

“I don’t follow,” I said.

“The charm of being the subservient wife. You would have been the perfect match for him. Just like all those other half-wits at The House.”

I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but I wasn’t about to interrupt her, not when information was flowing freely.