Chapter 27

chapter

twenty-seven

True satin Zak and Anna's living room, small and pale in a Lost County Sheriff's Department sweatshirt. The shirt was too big for her, coming almost to her knees and swallowing her arms. Her hair was clean and brushed back into a braid, making her eyes look even bigger in her thin face. She flipped through the TV channels, staring at the screen with astonished eyes. Anna's sweet Golden Retriever, Winston, sat beside her, his head resting on her lap, his eyes closed as she stroked her free hand over his head. Ranger, the Dutch shepherd with intense yellow eyes, lay on the floor nearby, watching over his charge like a mama bear watched her cubs.

"My God," Alexis breathed after peeking into the room. "How old is she? She's so tiny."

Ash pulled the parlor's double glass doors shut and led the way back to the kitchen, where Zak and Anna waited. "Best guess is fourteen. Maybe fifteen. She doesn't know, and there are no records of her birth, so there's really no way to know for sure."

"What's going to happen to her?"

Ash sighed. "Both her parents are dead, so she'll have to go into the system."

"No," Alexis and Ellie said at the same time.

"We're foster parents," Anna said. "We can request to take her so she doesn't end up with strangers."

Ash frowned at his twin sister. "I thought you guys were trying to adopt a baby. Will you be able to do both?"

"It can wait." Anna shrugged, though her feigned nonchalance didn't quite show on her face. The thought of waiting for their much-wanted baby obviously hurt her, but she'd put it aside for True. She was just that kind of person. "True needs a place to live, and we have the room for her. Besides, it might be good for her to meet Bella. They have a lot in common."

"No, don't put your adoption on hold," Alexis said and looked at Shane, who winced before schooling his face back into a blank mask. Ellie could plainly see the internal battle he fought. He had only just learned how to live among people again, and despite his new friends and wife, he was still very much a loner. But he was also a hero at heart, and heroes don't let kids suffer needlessly.

Finally, Shane nodded. "She's family. She's not going into foster care on my watch."

Alexis's face glowed, and she turned back to Ash. "We'll take her home with us," she said.

They were well-meaning, but every instinct Ellie had screamed that it was the wrong move. She laid a hand on her sister's shoulder. "She doesn't know you or Shane. Let me take her." The girl didn't really know Ellie either, but at least she wasn't a complete stranger like Alexis and Shane were.

Alexis's eyes widened. "Really? Are you sure?"

No, she wasn't. But Alexis and Shane were newlyweds trying to navigate a world that hadn't been kind to either of them, and they didn't need the stress of a damaged kid on top of that. Ellie had the space in her house and the time to do whatever was needed to help True heal. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that it was the right call.

"Yes. I'm sure."

Alexis studied her face for a long moment, then gave a slow nod. "If you ever need anything, we're here to help."

"Day or night," Shane added. "You call, and I'll be there."

God, she loved them. She wanted to hug them both, but she settled for just wrapping her arms around her sister. "I know. And I'll definitely take you up on that so often you'll regret offering."

A smile ghosted over Shane's hard mouth. "Never."

"Can we talk to her?" Alexis asked. "I have so many questions."

Ash waved a hand toward the front parlor. "If she's willing."

True looked up, startled, when Ellie, Alexis, and Shane walked into the parlor. She studied them all with eyes far too world-weary for such a young girl, then set the TV remote aside and uncurled from the couch. "You're my aunts, aren't you?"

Alexis nodded and moved slowly into the room, lowering herself to the cushion on the other end of the couch. "We are. I'm Alexis. And this…" She held out a hand to Shane, and he stepped forward, lacing his fingers through hers. "Is my husband, Shane."

True stared at their clasped hands for a beat before lifting her gaze again. "Mom talked about you sometimes."

"Oh? What did she say?"

"That my grandma brainwashed you, and I couldn't trust either of you. She talked about kidnapping you to the compound to help you see the truth."

Alexis blinked in shock. "What truth is that?"

True shook her head hard, and tears brimmed in her eyes. "I don't really know. The truth never stayed true for long with Mom. I… I don't think she was well, like, mentally. Clarity snuck me a psychology textbook once, and I read about something called bipolar disorder. It sounded a lot like Mom. I thought she needed help."

A lump rose into Ellie's throat, choking her. "Is that why you called Cal?"

True looked at her. "Is that your husband?"

"We aren't married. We just said we were to get into the retreat."

"Oh." True frowned. "Then what are you?"

Good question.

One Ellie didn't have an answer for, so she settled for the easiest explanation: "We're friends."

She didn't look convinced by that. Judging by Alexis's knowing smirk and Shane's sudden interest in the ceiling, neither were they.

"Is he okay?" True asked suddenly. "And your other friend?"

"Yes, they're in the hospital, but they'll both be okay. Thanks to you. Cal said you told him not to eat or drink anything offered to him."

True twisted her hands in her lap. "I was so afraid he wouldn't listen."

"You knew they were all going to poison themselves?"

"Yes. As long as I can remember, it's all they ever talked about. Mom and Dad convinced everyone it was the only way to survive The Great Renewal."

Alexis leaned forward. "What was that supposed to be?"

"I don't know exactly. Mom talked about some kind of big, prophesied disaster—it changed often, but most recently, she claimed it would be an earthquake that would swallow the West Coast, and everyone would die during it except for the Embraced. But then it became everyone had to die, but the Embraced would rise again when it was over. It was always something that would happen in the future, but suddenly, a few weeks ago, things changed. I got scared." She met Ellie's gaze. "That's why I called Cal. I found his card stuck between the pages of the textbook, and I researched him when Clarity gave me time on her computer. I saw he was looking for Mom and thought he could help, so I told him Mom was missing."

"Why did everyone at the commune already think Hope was dead?" Ellie asked.

"Mom decided it was better that way because prophets are always more revered after they die, so she had Dad tell everyone she was dead. But she controlled everything from the background. Nothing happened at the commune without her say-so."

"I'm so sorry," Alexis whispered. "I know it couldn't have been easy living with her."

"It wasn't." True hunched in on herself. "But she was my mom. She wasn't all bad."

"Of course not. You're allowed to miss her." Alexis slid closer and covered True's tightly knotted hands with hers. "I miss her, too. She was a great big sister before she left, and I loved her so much."

"We both did," Ellie spoke up. "But I'm also so angry with her for everything she did to Cal. And to you. It's okay to feel conflicted about her right now."

After a long moment, True nodded and blinked back the tears that she never let spill. "So what happens to me now?"

Alexis looked at Ellie, passing her the conversational ball.

Ellie moved to sit on True's other side. "We were just talking about that. You can come live with me if you like."

"Or us," Alexis added. "But no hard feelings if you'd prefer to stay with Ellie. We get it. We just want you to be happy and feel safe."

True looked back and forth from one sister to the other. "I think… I want to go with Ellie."