Chapter 17

chapter

seventeen

If Hopeful had lockedhis daughter away somewhere, then it couldn't have been her he'd seen hiding in the woods during the bonfire. He'd been so sure it was the girl from the video, but now he wasn't certain of anything.

Cal left Vigil's place with his head spinning and hurried back to his cabin. The twang of unease he'd felt earlier at leaving Ellie alone prickled at him again, and he picked up his pace. He shouldn't have left her.

His heart hammered in his chest as he approached the cabin, the sense of foreboding seeping into his veins like poison. The door hung slightly ajar, and a cold dread seized him. He burst in, ready for a fight, but instead was greeted by a sight he hadn't expected: Ellie standing calmly in the middle of the room, Hopeful, lounging comfortably on the worn-out couch.

At first, he felt relief, grateful that she was unharmed. But then…

What the fuck?

Why was Hopeful here, smiling that weird, enigmatic smile?

"Ah. Cal. There you are," Hopeful said cheerfully. "I was just wondering if I should send out a search team."

Ellie rushed to his side and gripped his arm, her nails biting into his skin in warning. "I told him about the fight we had. He decided to keep me company until you returned."

Her gaze held his, and the fear he saw in it broke his heart. He promised himself he'd never leave her alone again and covered her hand with his. "I'm so sorry for everything." He hoped she knew he meant that and wasn't just putting on a show for Hopeful. "I shouldn't have lost my temper and left you here by yourself."

"Oh, it's all right," Ellie said a little too brightly. "We all say things we don't mean when we're upset."

Hopeful studied the two of them like they were fascinating specimens under a microscope. His thin lips curled into an even wider smile, his amusement palpable as he lounged on the couch like he owned the place.

"That's true," he said, his voice deceptively casual, his eyes glinting. "Emotions can cloud our judgments and actions. It's important always to keep a clear mind and open heart." He held Cal's gaze for a moment before pushing up from the couch. "I'm glad to see you two have mended your bond. A house divided cannot stand, especially not in these troubled times."

Was that a threat?

Cal's skin prickled, and he tightened his grip on Ellie, pulling her protectively to his side. "Thank you for your concern, but we're okay now."

Hopeful dipped his head slightly in acknowledgment and glided toward the door. He paused next to Ellie and gave her an almost fond smile. "Ellie, next time your husband gets the urge to storm off, remind him that this mountain is a dangerous place." He reached out to gently touch her shoulder, and she flinched. "You don't want anything happening to him out there."

With that, Hopeful swept from the room, his departure leaving a vacuum that seemed to suck the very air from the room. It was a moment before Cal remembered how to fill his lungs, his heart pounding a rapid tattoo against his ribs as he looked down at Ellie.

"Oh, God," she breathed. "Was that a threat? Did he just threaten you?"

"It's fine. He's just playing with us. Are you okay?" he murmured, brushing a stray curl from her face. His hand lingered on her cheek—he couldn't seem to drop it. "He didn't hurt you?"

"I'm okay." The slight tremble in her voice and the way she leaned into his touch betrayed her lie. "He just sat there and talked about love and the universe and something about renewal… I don't even know. I tuned him out. He likes to hear himself talk."

"I'm so sorry I left." He couldn't help himself—he pulled her in for a hug. She was trembling, and a simmering rage replaced his relief. It was not just about the vague threats Hopeful had thrown around. It was the way he had dared to touch Ellie, to invade her personal space, that incensed him.

He fought to keep his anger in check. Now was not the time or place to lose his cool.

After a moment, Ellie stepped back and wrapped her arms around herself. "Where did you go?"

He looked at the closed door and didn't fully trust that Hopeful wasn't still standing on the other side, waiting to eavesdrop. He took Ellie by the hand and led her into the small bathroom. It was tight enough that they almost had to stand nose-to-nose. He turned on the shower and hoped the water would provide enough white noise to cover their words.

She stared up at him with a bewildered expression, her eyes looking impossibly huge behind her glasses. His heart clenched. She was so goddamn beautiful.

"I went to see Vigil," he said, gently lifting her glasses from her face as they began to steam up. She blinked up at him, her eyes a little unfocused but still rife with worry. "Why?"

"I don't know. I needed air, and that's where I ended up. I guess I wanted answers."

"Did you get any?"

"Some, but they only led to more questions." The shower steam enveloped them, offering a thin veil of privacy as he quickly rehashed his conversation with Vigil, Sincere, and Clarity, except he left out the part about Hope's supposed death. He had too many doubts about the story and didn't want to hurt her until he knew for sure.

When he told her about the girl, she exhaled in a rush. "Hope's daughter… my niece… her name is True?"

"Yes. And according to Sincere, she's also Hopeful's daughter."

"My sister had a child with that... that man?" Disgust dripped from every word.

"It appears so."

"Does Sincere or Vigil know where they are? Hope and True? They have to be here somewhere, right?"

He winced internally. He should tell her about her sister, but when he opened his mouth, the words wouldn't form.

"I don't know," he said instead. "I don't believe Vigil was being completely honest with me, and I need more information before I can make any assumptions."

Ellie sensed his hesitation, her eyes widening in alarm. "Cal... what aren't you telling me?"

He took a deep breath and tore his gaze away from her, staring at the tiny droplets of water that danced on the shower wall before evaporating into steam. The silence was deafening.

"Oh." She tried to back away from him, but there wasn't any space for it. "Oh, God. It's about Hope, isn't it? She's dead."

"Ellie." Her caught her before she could fully retreat, his arms wrapping around her trembling figure.

"I don't know," he repeated, burying his face in her curls. "The story Vigil and Sincere told is... conflicting. I can't say for certain what happened."

Her breath hitched. "But you believe she's dead. That's why you didn't want to tell me."

"I don't know what to believe. There are a lot of inconsistencies, and I don't trust what I've been told. Not yet." He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted until her gaze met his again. The steam had caused her springy curls to go limp, and her eyes and nose were red from her tears, but she was still the most breathtaking woman he'd ever known.

Unable to resist, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I don't have the answers right now, but I promise you, I'm going to do everything in my power to find out the truth. And if Hope is alive, I will bring her home to you."

She relaxed against him and wrapped her arms around his waist. There was so much trust in the gesture that his heart damn near cracked open. Ellie was too sweet for this world. She wasn't made for lies and manipulations. She belonged off this mountain. She belonged with her dog and her friends, and it took every fiber of control in his body not to scoop her up and run away from this place with her.

A chime sounded in the distance. Even in their short time here, he'd started to recognize the different chimes the commune lived their lives by. That one was the dinner bell.

Ellie groaned and drew away from him. He missed the contact instantly but covered his disappointment by shutting off the shower.

"Yay," she said without any enthusiasm whatsoever. "More oatmeal."

"What, you don't think they're going to offer us a big, juicy steak?"

"Sorry, but I can almost guarantee its more oatmeal or something like it. Cult leaders often withhold protein from their followers because it makes people more susceptible to other brainwashing techniques."

Despite everything, he grinned at her. He loved the way that brain of hers worked. "Leave it to you to turn a dinner conversation into an impromptu lesson on mind manipulation."

She rolled her eyes, but there was a small grin playing at the corner of her lips. "That's me, always learning. You should try it sometime."

"Sassy, Summers. Keep that up, and I may have to show you what happens when you mouth off to a lawyer."

"Oh, really?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "You going to hold me in contempt?"

Damn. When she said it like that, it sounded so dirty.

Never mind that lawyers weren't the ones that held people in contempt. He still appreciated her attempt at nerdy flirting.

"I guess you'll have to keep mouthing off so you can find out." His gaze dropped to her lips for a fraction of a second before he forced himself to pull away. Now was not the time or the place.

Dinner was exactly what Ellie had predicted—a bland, oatmeal-like substance mixed with some kind of fruit. Everyone ate in silence, an eerie quietness that made his skin crawl.

Then, mid-meal, Merit murmured something in Hopeful's ear. He abruptly stood up and announced it was time for "reflection." Everyone was to return to their cabins for the night and meditate until morning. The commune members didn't find this the least bit strange and stood as one, leaving their meals half-finished.

But it was odd.

Hopeful stalked toward his cabin with Merit, Vigil, and Serenity on his heels.

Cal escorted Ellie back to their cabin, his hand protectively on her lower back. They didn't speak as they walked, and the silence felt heavy, charged with apprehension.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Ellie spun toward him. "Did you see Hopeful's face? Whatever happened, he was pissed."

He removed his robe and hung it on a hook by the door, then sat down on the bed to remove his boots. "Yeah, I noticed." He'd also noticed the way Merit glanced their way as if they were the threat.

"I wonder what spooked him." Ellie walked over to the window and peered out into the gathering darkness. "Do you think we've been discovered?"

He paused from unlacing his boots and considered it. If their cover was blown, they had to leave tonight. No fucking way they were sticking around if Ellie was in imminent danger…

But he didn't think so. His gut said that Hopeful's ire wasn't pointed their way.

Not yet, anyway.

Yes, there was danger, but he suspected that it was internal, something within the commune itself. Maybe Vigil, Sincere, and Clarity weren't the only ones uncomfortable with the way things were going around here.

Finally, he shook his head. "The way everyone reacted... it seemed routine for them. Nobody was startled except for us."

"And Nico and Tyler."

"Yeah, exactly. The outsiders. Everyone else acted like it was perfectly normal for Hopeful to cut dinner short, so maybe for them, it is."

She rubbed her arms as if to fend off a chill. "We need to find True and get out of here."

"We can't do it tonight. Not with Hopeful and the Blue Robes on high alert." He patted the bed beside him. "Come, sit."

Reluctantly, she moved away from the window and joined him on the bed. He could see fear in her eyes, bright and haunting. It woke something deep inside him, a protective instinct that roared to life. He wanted to reach out, pull her into his arms, and anchor her to him as if he could shield her from the world outside.

Instead, he settled for a reassuring squeeze of her hand. "The best thing we can do tonight is get some rest." His sleeplessness last night was catching up to him and he felt sluggish, unbalanced. "I have a feeling we're going to need it."

She nodded. "You're right."

He cracked a smile. "Wow. You actually admitted I'm right about something? Are you feeling okay? Is this a sign of the apocalypse?"

She rolled her eyes but exhaled a soft laugh as she crawled into bed, which he counted as a win.

They lay in silence together for several minutes.

"Cal, can you just…?" She trailed off, but she didn't need to finish.

"Come here." He opened his arms and waited until she nuzzled closer before wrapping them both in the blanket. Having her in his arms felt right—it always had—and he didn't understand how she couldn't feel it, too.

As she nestled into him, he breathed in her familiar scent, the faintly floral aroma of her shampoo calming his frazzled nerves. He stroked her back in long, soothing motions, whispering comforting words into her hair.

"I hate this place," she murmured sleepily against his chest.

"Me, too."

She mumbled something incoherent in response, her breathing gradually slowing as she drifted off to sleep against him.

He wanted to follow her, and his eyes drifted closed before he forced them open again. He had one more thing to do first.

He climbed out of bed and stepped outside to meet Pierce…

But Pierce never showed.