15. Sebastian

15

Sebastian

I hiked back up to Alderwood just after nine, grimacing against the drizzling rain and biting winds. It was a shitty fucking day, but my plan was unfolding perfectly, which more than made up for the long journey in the freezing mountain mist.

As expected, the Alderwood watchmen stopped me at the front gate. “Sorry, Mr. Thorne,” one of them said. “Governor Trudeau will want to speak with you before you come in.”

I feigned confusion. “Why? He knows I’m coming. I sent him a message earlier to let him know I was on my way back up.”

The other watchman pulled the hood of his coat up, bracing himself against the whistling wind. “He told us to stop you when you arrived,” he said. “That’s all I know.”

“All right.” I casually shrugged one shoulder. “Guess I’ll wait, then.”

The first watchman left his post, presumably hurrying to fetch Augustus. They arrived together five minutes later, flanked by two elders. I recognized one of them as Jean-Pierre Leclerc. The asshole that had grabbed my mother and dragged her out of the house on Augustus’s command twenty years ago.

My chest tightened at the sight of him. I’d seen him in the days I’d spent here, but never up this close.

“Mr. Thorne,” he said, stepping ahead of the others. “Do you know anything about Rosamund’s disappearance?”

“Excuse me?” I raised a brow. “Her what?”

I had to play innocent for now, because I needed to remain on good terms with the Covenant so I could search their lands for the so-called forbidden cave once Rose gave me the correct location. Of course, she wasn’t even close to that point of submission yet, but she would be. Soon . The mere thought of it made my cock twitch.

Augustus waved Jean-Pierre back. His face was pale and his eyes were ringed with dark circles. “Rosamund has gone missing,” he said stiffly. “You two have spent quite a lot of time together lately. She’s always had her curiosities about the outside world, and you’re an outsider, so I hardly think it’s a coincidence that the timing of your appearance has matched almost perfectly with her disappearance. Now tell me the truth. Did you take her out? If so, where is she?”

I affected a shocked expression and lifted my palm. “Wait, what? Rose is missing ?”

“Answer the question, Mr. Thorne,” Jean-Pierre said, nostrils flaring.

I cut my eyes at him. “I had nothing to do with this. Ask the watchmen. I left yesterday morning. Alone. ”

The watchman next to Augustus nodded. “That’s true. He was alone.”

“You’re sure?” Augustus looked up at the other watchman, who was still on top of the wall. “You witnessed it as well?”

“Yes, sir. I can assure you he was alone. Also, my daughter helped Rosamund serve food at the Rite of Communion feast yesterday, and that was hours after Mr. Thorne departed,” he said. “She specifically mentioned it because of her excitement to be spending time with the last Tetrad virgin.”

“See?” I tipped my head. “There’s no way we could’ve left together. Also, sorry to be so blunt, but do you really think I’d ever be that stupid? You’ve so generously let me in here to finish my mother’s research notes, even though you prefer outsiders to stay away, so why the hell would I go and break the rules by messing with your daughter and taking her out of Alderwood? That’s a one-way ticket right out of here. Forever.”

“That’s true,” he muttered, stroking his beard.

“Listen, Augustus.” I squared my jaw and looked him right in the eye. “Rose has been a good friend to me in my time here. She’s educated me on many things, helped me with my notes, and introduced me to a lot of people. I appreciate that, and I would never do anything to hurt her or jeopardize her status in the community. I know how important she is. And the only reason I’ve spent a little more time with her than any of the others is because I was under the impression that you wanted me to. You mentioned on my first day here that Rose could benefit from more conversations with people, because she’s so shy and tends to keep to herself.”

He exhaled deeply, shoulders sagging. “You’re right, Sebastian,” he said, rubbing one side of his face. “It wouldn’t make any sense for you to take her out. I’m just worried about my daughter, and I jumped to an erroneous conclusion as a result. I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “No, don’t apologize. I understand your worries. Believe me, I know exactly what it’s like to have a loved one go missing.”

“Yes. Of course you do,” he murmured, averting his eyes. Fucking coward.

“It’s terrifying, and it makes your mind go to all sorts of crazy places, so I really don’t blame you at all for thinking of me,” I went on. “But what exactly happened? When did Rose go missing?”

“I awoke just after midnight with an awful headache. I thought I might have caught some sort of influenza, and I worried Rose might be feeling the same sickness, so I went to check on her. She wasn’t in her bedroom, and she hasn’t returned or been seen by anyone since then.”

“Shit,” I muttered, shaking my head. “That’s not good. Especially if she’s sick.”

“Yes.” He swallowed audibly. “I’ve looked everywhere I can possibly think of. She’s just… gone.”

“What about those hot springs you have on the edge of town? She told me that she goes there when she can’t sleep. So maybe that’s where she went last night.”

Jean-Pierre piped up again. “We’ve checked there already. She’s nowhere in the town or the surrounding areas. The only explanation is that she’s wandered off into the deeper woods. Either that, or she’s left Alderwood altogether.”

“Well, the latter isn’t possible, is it?” I jerked a thumb toward one of the watchmen. “They’d see her if she walked through the gates, and she can’t climb an electric fence, so she must be on Covenant land.”

“Yes, but where ?” Augustus rubbed the side of his head with the heel of his hand. “She often goes for long walks in the woods, but she’s never stayed out for this long. Never missed a day of teaching, either. We have a few search parties out, but they’ve failed to turn up anything so far.”

I stepped forward. “Look, I was planning on interviewing some more villagers and working on my mother’s notes today, but obviously, this is not a good time. So why don’t I help you look for her instead? Seeing as I’m already here.”

His eyes shot up to meet mine. “You’d be willing to do that?”

“Of course. You’ve been nothing but hospitable since I arrived here. Let me repay that kindness, Augustus. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“That’s very generous of you,” he replied. “Especially since… well, as you said, you don’t exactly have the nicest memories regarding missing loved ones in this part of the world.”

“It’s no problem. I can’t stay past five, because I have more business to attend to down in Pinecrest Falls, but I can help you search from now until then.”

“Thank you, Sebastian.” Augustus swallowed hard again. “I know she’s probably just lost her way somewhere, but there’s wild animals out there. Traps, too. I can’t help but think—”

I lifted my hand again. “Hey, now. Don’t think like that. It’s like you said. She’s probably just gotten lost somewhere. Or maybe she’s sheltering herself from this awful weather. The rain has been on and off all morning.”

“I know that’s the most logical explanation, but Rosamund has been exploring the woods since she was a child. She knows them like the back of her hand, so it doesn’t make much sense that she’d get lost. And rain has never bothered her.”

“I think she’s hurt,” Jean-Pierre interjected. “She’s tripped somewhere and can’t walk, and she needs to be carried back. But the important thing is that she’s still alive. It’s just a matter of finding her as soon as we can.”

I looked at him and nodded. “Yeah, I think that makes the most sense out of anything,” I said. “How about I look up and down the riverbanks? She mentioned to me that it’s nice to walk along there, but it’s probably very easy to slip because of the mud.”

“Good idea. The river runs for miles and miles, so we haven’t checked all the way along there yet.” Jean-Pierre was still staring at me like he didn’t quite trust me but also didn’t want to piss off Augustus by saying it out loud. “I’ll join you to ensure you don’t wander off into any of the trapping areas.”

“Thanks, Mr. Leclerc.”

We spent the next several hours wandering along by the river, carefully checking both sides. Of course, we came up with nothing. Jean-Pierre still regarded me with suspicion from time to time, but after several hours had passed, he seemed to soften slightly toward me.

“You really care about Rosamund, don’t you?” he asked as we trudged back up to the town.

“Of course. Like I said earlier, she’s been very helpful to me. She’s a really nice girl.”

“Hmph.” He grunted and rubbed his jaw. “I worry that all of this is a bad sign.”

“What?”

He cast his eyes toward the gray clouds above us. “Rosamund vanishing like this, so close to her ritual. The skies darken and open at the same time. It’s a bad omen.”

“The weather is always shitty this time of year.”

He let out a short, sardonic bark of laughter. “Your mother was very pragmatic too. You sound just like her.”

“What else do you remember about her?” I asked, resisting the urge to lunge at him and snap his fucking neck.

“Smart. Very smart.” He scratched the back of his neck, like he’d somehow sensed my fingers itching to grab it. “Perhaps too smart, in the end.”

I stiffened. “What does that mean?”

He was silent for a moment, as if he’d realized he’d said too much. “I just mean… she was always asking questions. Looking into everything she could. We didn’t mind it so much, because she was so friendly and non-judgmental. But there are all sorts of dark, evil people in the outside world. People who might not take too kindly to the sort of inquisition she put up.”

“I see.”

He glanced over at me again. “I was surprised when Augustus first told me he was letting her son in to finish her research so he could try to find out what happened to her. I didn’t trust you. Not a lick,” he said. “But he’s really taken to you, and now I can see why. You actually care about us. I can’t imagine any other outsider spending eight hours wandering around in this… what did you call it? Shitty weather?”

“Yup.”

“I can’t imagine another outsider doing that for us, even if they knew the life of a valued daughter was at stake. They hate us out there.”

“I know. I used to hate you too.”

“That’s another thing.” He cast another side-eyed look at me. “You’re honest about that. I think that’s why you earned Augustus’s trust so fast. You didn’t come in here immediately acting like you adored us and wanted to be fast friends.”

Yeah, it’s called manipulation, you dumb motherfucker. “No point in being anything other than honest,” I replied. “Don’t you agree?”

He grunted. “Uh-huh.”

“You were there the night my mother went missing. Can you tell me your version of what happened?”

“It’s like I told the police all those years ago,” he said, abruptly looking away again. “We went to see her because we wanted to share an important ritual with her. For her research. It was happening that night, you see. We thought she’d like to witness it and write about it in her book.”

“And then?”

“She didn’t seem interested. Of course, we had no idea you were there with her. We assumed you were back in New York City with your father,” Jean-Pierre went on. “There was an argument at first, which is what you witnessed. I can only imagine how confusing that must have been for such a young boy. But we convinced her to come with us in the end. I believe you missed that part, as you were hiding and couldn’t see or hear everything that occurred.”

I nodded slowly. “So she went willingly.”

“Yes.” He still wouldn’t meet my eyes. “She was willing.”

So much for fucking honesty. These slimy motherfuckers simply weren’t capable of it. All Jean-Pierre’s talk of not trusting me was simply projection, because he assumed everyone else was just as much of an untrustworthy liar as him.

Then again, in all fairness, he wasn’t wrong to distrust me. Not when I had his closest friend’s daughter locked up in an underground cell.

We made it back to the town square, where Augustus had spent the day organizing and convening with the search parties. “Any luck?” I called out.

He shook his head, lips pressed in a grim line. “Not a trace of her has turned up,” he said, glancing up at the sky. “Night will fall soon, so we will have to suspend the search until tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry. I really thought she would’ve made it home by now.”

“I hoped for the same. I can only imagine how frightened she must feel out there,” he said hoarsely.

I put a hand on his shoulder. “I have to head off soon, but I can come back and help you look again for a couple of hours tomorrow.”

He dipped his chin in a curt nod. “I appreciate that, Sebastian.”

“I won’t be able to spend a lot of time here over the next couple of weeks, because I have so much work to do on the outside. But I can still assist you,” I went on. “I have some connections back in the city who could arrange an aerial search with a helicopter. You have twenty thousand acres of wilderness out here, so there’s no way you can realistically search it all on foot.”

“That is an incredible offer.” A ghost of a smile appeared on Augustus’s face. “I would be eternally grateful for it.”

“I’ll make the call as soon as I get to the bottom of the mountain, and I’ll send you a message to let you know when it’s sorted.” I patted his shoulder. “I just hope it won’t be necessary in the end. Maybe she’ll be back by the morning.”

“I am praying for that with every second that passes.”

“We all are, Augustus,” Jean-Pierre cut in. “I’ll walk Sebastian back to the gate now.”

He clapped a hand on my back and escorted me through town. Just before we reached the gate, he stopped me, eyes flickering nervously as he scratched his nose. “Listen, Sebastian. I realize I have no right to ask this of you, of all people, but I was hoping you would do me the favor anyway.”

“What favor?”

He coughed and cleared his throat. “Please don’t tell Augustus what we discussed earlier.”

“About my mother?” I shook my head, forehead creasing. “He knows I’m trying to find out what happened to her.”

“I’m aware of that. But the thing is… he puts up a strong front, because that’s his job as governor. But I know he doesn’t like anyone talking about Miranda. More specifically, about the night she died. He was close with her, and everything that happened back then… it damn near broke him.”

“I see.”

“Our entire community suffered after her death, because of the turmoil and hatred from the outsiders, and we also felt a collective responsibility for what happened to her.” Jean-Pierre paused and gave me a hard look. “Augustus felt that guilt the most. If she hadn’t been with us that night, her attacker might not have found her. Wherever she ended up after she was with us, that is. So, in a way, it’s partially our fault. And I know it kills Augustus to think about that, let alone hear it from others.”

Jesus fucking Christ.

Guilt was practically oozing from the man’s pores. All these years of covering up the Covenant’s culpability had clearly affected him, and he could barely stop himself from confessing. Hell, he practically had confessed, in a sense, with all that shit about ‘collective responsibility’ and ‘her death was partially our fault’.

I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Mr. Leclerc. I understand, and I won’t breathe a word to Augustus.”

“Thank you. I’m just sorry there isn’t more I can tell you about that night.”

Oh, you’ve told me enough, man. Like the fact that Augustus had made it abundantly clear to the villagers that they couldn’t discuss the night of my mother’s disappearance with me, and the fact that even a six-feet-five, two-hundred-plus pound man like Jean-Pierre was so afraid of crossing him.

Even though I was already certain these freaks killed my mother, I’d never been more certain than I was in this exact moment.

“It’s fine. You had nothing to do with her murder, so of course there’s nothing more you can tell me,” I said, forcing a reassuring half-smile. “I just hope when I finish her notes, they’ll finally reveal the outsider who decided they had a reason to abduct and kill her.”

“And frame us in the process.”

“Yes. That too.” I tipped my head toward the gate. “I better go. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

He bade me goodbye, and I trekked down the mountain. By the time I reached my car, night had fallen, and the air was frigid. Rose would be fine despite her lack of clothing; nice and toasty in her underground cell.

I wondered what she was up to right now. Crying her eyes out, probably. Or marking the glass with more of those ridiculous protection symbols.

My cock twitched with pleasure as I recalled the look of confusion and fear on her pretty face when I revealed my true nature to her. She didn’t want to believe it. Almost couldn’t believe it. Even now, part of her probably still didn’t fully believe it, but she would soon enough. The second I had my belt wrapped around her neck and my cock down her throat, she’d finally comprehend it.

I returned to the house, grabbed a bag, and made my way down to the bunker. When I made it to Rose’s cage, my brows shot up, and an impressed grin spread across my face. She’d used the chalk I gave her to draw an enormous circle around herself. It was filled with elaborate runes, and she’d even sprinkled salt all around it, taken from the small packet I left on her food tray.

“Wow,” I said in a pleasant tone, stepping right up to the glass. She was standing proudly in the center of the circle, chin lifted high. The blanket was still wrapped around her to hide her nudity. “Very innovative, Rose. Also completely ineffective.”

I pressed my keycard on the lock, and a green light flashed before the latch released with a soft hiss. I pushed the door open, stalked inside, and stepped right over the edge of the chalk and salt circle.

Rose’s eyes widened with shock, prideful gleam instantly vanishing, and she skittered backward. She dropped the blanket in the process and tripped on one edge, almost falling until I roughly grabbed her arm to steady her. I used my free hand to seize her jaw, forcing her to look into my eyes.

“You see? Your god isn’t here. Only me,” I growled. “I’m your god now, Rose. You’re mine .”