Start the song. It's Buried in Water by Dead Man's Bones.

Tyler's head ached when he woke up. He could smell blood and mildew, and he felt nauseous. He could feel something wet trickling down his forehead. He tried to reach up and feel what it is, but his hands were bound behind him.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he looked around at his surroundings. He was in a dark basement. Bones littered the floor, some looking far too similar to his own to be animal bones. Strange symbols were drawn on the walls.

Mathias was sitting on a chair in the corner, sharpening a piece of wood into a stake with a knife like Josh's. Tears burnt at Tyler's eyes. He was going to die. The amulet hadn't helped. They were going to kill him.

He winced from the pain in his head when he heard footsteps thunder down the stairs. The pain was so intense that his vision was going fuzzy around the edges. Loud voices filled his consciousness, but he couldn't focus on any of them. His head hurt so bad.

"You don't touch things that belong to my son! Do you understand me?" One of the voices demanded.

"He isn't branded. How was I supposed to know?" Mathias asked defensively.

"The crest! Joshua gave him the crest!" The other man yelled.

Joshua. Josh was here. Tyler was inside of the community. Josh could help him. Everything would be okay.

"Joshua, untie him. Take him upstairs and fix what Mathias broke. I'll deal with this," the unfamiliar voice said, a bit softer than before. "Don't worry, son. He'll be okay."

Suddenly hands were on Tyler. Ashley's face swam into focus. "Breathe, okay?" She whispered to him. "You're safe."

He could feel someone untying his wrists from the chair, but he couldn't sit up. His head was aching, and he felt dizzy. One of his wrists slipped free, causing him to fall forward. Ashley caught him, resting his head against her shoulder while his other hand was freed.

He heard Ashley's voice say, "You're going to have to carry him. He's lost a lot of blood."

Hands lifted Tyler off of the chair. Suddenly he was pressed against someone's chest and being carried out of the basement. He couldn't move to protest. Besides, he couldn't handle being down there any longer.

"It's okay, Tyler. You're safe." This time it was Josh's voice. It sounded much closer than Ashley's. Tyler realized Josh was the one carrying him.

"What happened?" Tyler mumbled out.

Josh set him down on something soft before he was out of his restricted line of vision again. "Mathias collected you, but my dad is pissed because he thinks you belong to me like Ashley does. That's dangerous for Mathias. The prophet wants his head, and he'll probably get it."

Then Tyler could see Josh again. He was threading a needle. Tyler must have been more hurt than he remembered. Embarrassment filled him when tears flooded his eyes once again, but Josh didn't comment on them. He looked like he was barely holding back tears of his own.

"Ashley, bring me that blood," Josh said as he started stitching Tyler's head up. The pain filling the rest of Tyler's body numbed the sting of the needle.

"Blood?" Tyler asked nervously.

"Don't worry. It's from a goat. I don't really.... Shit. Blood, Ashley?" Josh asked anxiously, his voice cracking slightly.

Josh tied off the stitches before taking the blood from his wife. Tyler watched with wide, fearful eyes, as Josh dipped two fingers into it before drawing something on Tyler's forehead.

"What is that?" Tyler asked, sounded just as terrified as he felt.

"I promised I'd protect you, remember?" Josh said quietly.

"Yeah but-"

"The only way I can do that right now is to claim you, and I'm so sorry for that. I'll keep you safe. If we don't do this, they'll kill you." Josh was shaking as he drew on Tyler's forehead.

"Claim me? Does that mean-"

Josh pulled up Tyler's sleeve before his own, and Tyler understood. This was it. His only chance at survival was marrying into a cult. He looked sadly up at Josh despite his blurred vision.

"I'm sorry, Josh."

"I'm sorry too," Josh replied as he pulled his knife out of his pocket. "This might hurt."

Tyler nodded, but remained silent as Josh carved his initials into his arm. He couldn't feel the pain. His eyelids were getting heavy.

"Josh, he's going to pass out," Ashley said suddenly.

Tyler felt Josh redirect him so he could lay on his shoulder. Josh smelt like patchouli and incense. It wasn't an unpleasant thing to smell before losing consciousness.

-----

Josh sobbed as Tyler went limp against him. "Ashley-"

"It's okay. Give me your arm," she told him softly, thinly veiling her own panic.

This was the most terrified Josh had ever been. He handed Ashley the knife before holding out his arm. She carved Tyler's initials just above her own. Josh winced at the sting of the knife, but that was the least of his worries. Tyler had a head injury, and he'd lost a lot of blood.

"We have to get this blood off of him," Josh whispered.

Ashley nodded. "Come on then. It's okay. Just breathe. We can do this."

Josh could barely breathe as he picked Tyler's limp body up off of the bed. His feet dragged against the wooden floor as Josh attempted to carry him to the bathroom. They passed his sister in the hall. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"What the-"

"I'm going to cut your fucking tongue out," Josh snapped at her. "I should have your fingers removed too."

Ash looked surprised by her brother's words. "I didn't-"

"If he dies, I'm killing you too," Josh told her. He meant it too. She couldn't take lives like this.

"You did this?" A voice asked.

Their father stood at the end of the hall, looking furious. Ash looked completely confused and terrified.

"Dad, I didn't-"

"Answer me. Are you responsible for Mathias nearly killing something that belongs to your brother?" Their father shouted.

Josh dragged Tyler into the bathroom, stripping him of his clothes as Ashley filled the tub with water. He heard a loud smack followed by his sister sobbing in the hallway.

"Answer me! Did you or did you not send Mathias after your brother's fiancé?" Their father yelled.

"I didn't know," Ash sobbed out. "I didn't know he wanted two. He was an outsider, and he was there, and I was trying to-"

There was another slap as Josh lifted Tyler's limp body into the tub. He sobbed as Tyler's eyelids fluttered. "Come on, Tyler. Don't you die on me. Don't fucking die."

Tyler remained unresponsive as Josh washed the blood off of his body. Ashley washed it out of his hair, careful not to touch the fresh stitches. They left the blood marking on his forehead. It was a warning. Anyone who touched Tyler would be killed. He belonged to someone now. He was Josh's property, as much as he hated thinking about him like that.

"Joshua, I'm sorry," Ash sobbed out. "I didn't know. I didn't."

"Don't talk to me," Josh growled. "Maybe I should crack your skull like Mathias did to him. I'm supposed to. You damaged my property. I get to choose your punishment."

His little sister sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Get. Out."

Ash sobbed as she left the room, slamming the door behind herself.

Josh looked back down at Tyler, who was blinking in confusion. "Where am I?"

"You're in the community. You're at my house," Josh explained.

"I know, but, why am I naked?" Tyler asked, looking at Josh in confusion. His pupils were dilated so much that there was no brown left. He had really hurt his head.

"You're covered in blood. We have to get it all off," Josh explained.

Tyler blinked. "Oh."

Josh stood up and helped Ashley rinse Tyler's hair without getting anything in his stitches. The door opened and his littlest sister came in. In her arms were folded white clothes. She held them out to him.

"Dad said he'd need these. He can't wear black yet," the nine year old said quietly.

Josh nodded. "Thank you, Abigail."

Abigail nodded, looking around Josh at Tyler. "Did you brand him yet?"

"No, just the scarification," Josh replied.

Abigail nodded. "Do you want me to go get the iron from Pete?"

Josh looked down at Tyler's arm. His bright red initials looked barbaric against his tan skin. They might as well get this all over with today. "Yeah. Thanks, Abigail."

"You're welcome, Bubba." The child turned and left the room, leaving them alone again.

Tyler looked down at Josh's carving. He looked so tired. "Does this mean I'm married to both of you or just Josh?"

"I don't know," Josh replied. "Don't worry about that right now. Let's get you out of this bathroom and into bed. You need to sleep."

Ashley grabbed a towel off of the shelf and handed it to Josh. Josh carefully lifted Tyler, allowing Ashley to scoot past him and unplug the drain. As uncomfortable as this must all be for Tyler, he remained silent as Josh dried him off and helped him into the clothes Abigail had brought. Fortunately, the sleeves were short enough that his marks of matrimony wouldn't be irritated.

"Josh?" Tyler asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared," Tyler's voice broke slightly.

Josh sighed as he picked Tyler up again. "Don't be. No one can hurt you without my permission now. You're safe here."

Tyler nodded, his wounded head falling forward onto Josh's shoulder. His breathing was uneven and Josh knew he was trying not to cry. He shut the bedroom door once all three of them were in. Tyler didn't cry until Josh set him down in the bed, pulling the black sheets up over his white clothing.

This was all so surreal. Josh had two spouses now, both dressed in a shameful white. Now he had to figure out how to get both of them out of here. That was a lot of responsibility to carry.

As if by instinct, Josh and Ashley both climbed into bed on either side of Tyler. Josh pulled Tyler against his chest, watching as Ashley rubbed his back softly. Tyler sobbed against Josh, his whole body shaking. There was only so much they could do to comfort him. They couldn't lie and tell him everything would be fine. He was in a cult now. Nothing would ever be fine again.

"I'll protect you," Josh promised him. "I'll protect both of you."

"How?" Tyler sobbed out.

"By making sure no one touches you before you go back home," Josh promised him.

Tyler nodded, clutching onto Josh's shirt as he sobbed. "I trust you."

The three words were more than Josh could even ask for. He was relieved to hear them. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll wake you up when Pete gets here."

Tyler nodded, hiding his face against Josh's shirt. It took about a half hour of whispered reassurances and Ashley rubbing his back, but Tyler finally cried himself to sleep. Josh wrapped his arms around Tyler and Ashley, meeting her eyes.

"He'll be okay," she promised him.

Josh nodded, kissing her forehead. "Yeah. You both will."

He lifted the amulet hanging around Tyler's neck and looked at it. Normally, he'd take something like this back, but not this time. No one was ever going to hurt Tyler like this again. Not even him. He protected Ashley because it was his job to do so. Right now, though, he needed Tyler to be safe. He wouldn't hurt him, and neither would anyone else. He'd kill anyone who touched him.