27. Rose

27

Rose

Sebastian returned to my cell around an hour later, holding a square, almost-flat cardboard box, a bottle of orange liquid, and a large black bag.

“Sorry I took so long,” he said. “After I made those calls, I decided to go and get us a pizza. I figured you might be sick of sandwiches.”

He handed the box to me, and I opened it to see a round flatbread topped with vegetables, meat, cheese, and herbs. The crust was crispy, and the cheese was melted and bubbly, making my stomach growl from the delicious scent wafting up my nostrils.

“Wow. A real pizza,” I murmured. “Thank you.”

Sebastian unscrewed the lid from the bottle with a faint popping sound. “You’ve heard of it before?” he asked, brows lifting.

“Yes. My father loved it when he was in college. He told me all about it, and I’ve tried to make my own version over the years with flatbreads, cheese, and sliced vegetables. But it’s never looked like this.”

“I’m sure it was still great.” Sebastian grinned. “It’s not hard for me to believe that pizza is so universally liked that it even made it all the way to Alderwood.”

I smiled back at him and picked up a slice. I loved it when we were like this—just chatting and eating together, as if we were simply old friends or lovers. As if we weren’t prisoner and captor.

“This is orange soda,” he said, motioning to the bottle. “I loved it with pizza when I was a kid. Figured you might want to try it.”

“Thank you.” I dipped my head in the direction of the bag. “What’s in there?”

“That’s what I was going to tell you next.” He sat next to me and grabbed a slice of pizza. “My father called me while I was out. Apparently, the surgeon who operated on me wants to see me for a follow-up, but she’s too busy to fly out here again, so my father has organized a ride for us on his friend’s plane. Tonight.”

“Outsiders have their own planes ?” I asked, eyes widening. I’d seen the enormous flying vehicles passing over Alderwood before, but I always assumed they were rare due to their size and the immense power they must need to operate.

“Some of them. It’s not common.” Sebastian took a bite and chewed. “Anyway,” he went on after swallowing. “We’ll fly down to the city tonight, and I’ll see the surgeon in the morning. After that, there’s a work-related thing I need to check out while I’m at the hospital. When that’s done, I’ll hitch another plane-ride back up here. Should be there and back in twenty-four hours at the most.”

“So you’ll be back tomorrow night?”

“Yes. I won’t be long at all.” He jerked a thumb toward the bag, amusement glimmering in his eyes. “But I packed at least four days’ worth of food in there for you. You know… just in case I happen to fall in any more animal traps.”

I swallowed hard, lowering my gaze to the floor. My face suddenly felt like it was on fire.

“Rose, come on. That was a joke.” Sebastian gestured to the bag again. “There’s also fresh clothes in the front pocket.”

“Thank you,” I murmured.

“Oh, and one more thing.” He reached into his jacket pocket. “I want you to have this.”

He pulled out a charm made from bird bones, feathers, and twigs strung together with hair and twine. My brows shot up. “Where did you get this?” I asked, eyes snapping back to Sebastian’s face.

“Someone from the Covenant left it at the hospital for me. It’s a good luck charm, right?”

I nodded. “One of the most powerful.”

“Well… I want you to have it.” Sebastian pressed the charm into my free hand. “I figure it means more to you than it does to me.”

“Are you sure you want to give up its protection?” I asked, eyes falling to his left shoulder.

“I think it’s done its job for me already,” he replied, eyes twinkling. “Honestly, I feel pretty damn good for a guy who had a spike through him just a few days ago.”

“Oh. Well… thank you,” I said softly, holding the charm to my heart. “It’s very kind of you.”

Sebastian rose to his feet. “I should go. I have to meet my father at the airfield in half an hour.”

“Okay.” I looked up at him, eyes tracing every line of his handsome face. It was hard to believe this was the last time I’d ever see him. The last time I’d ever be able to touch him.

Part of me wanted to stay, just so I could see him every day for the rest of my life, but the rational side of me knew that wasn’t possible. Not as long as I was his captive. Besides, the Entity had made one thing abundantly clear with the sign he sent to me earlier: I must return to Alderwood for the Tetrad ritual. There were no two ways about it.

I rose to my feet, stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on Sebastian’s chin. He grinned and lifted one hand to cup my jaw. “That’s not a proper goodbye kiss,” he said, eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and affection. “This is.”

His gaze shot from my eyes to my lips, and he captured my mouth with his. I almost gasped from the instant jolt of pleasure I felt when his tongue slipped past my lips. I opened my mouth for him, heart practically exploding in my chest as he deepened the kiss.

I knew kissing him was a bad idea—it would only make it that much harder for me to leave—but I let my heart take over and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. His mouth was demanding, hot and relentless, and I couldn’t get enough. He was addictive; everything I wanted despite the pain and suffering he’d wrought upon my life. Delicious poison that I couldn’t resist drinking.

He finally tore his mouth away, chest heaving as he stared down at me. “I’ll miss you,” he said in a low voice. It was almost as if he knew what was coming.

“I-I’ll miss you too,” I said breathlessly. “But I’ll see you again soon.”

“Yeah, you will.” He smiled and leaned down to plant another kiss on the top of my head. “Bye, Rosebud.”

“Goodbye, Sebastian,” I murmured as he pulled away again and turned around. “I—”

He turned to look back at me. “Yeah?”

“Nothing.” I forced a smile. “Have a safe journey.”

“Thanks, baby girl.”

With that, he was gone.

For a while, I stared at the empty space that had held him only moments ago, as if I were in a trance. Then I finally got dressed, ate some more food, and had a large gulp of orange soda followed by a cup of water from the tap.

After that, I retrieved the keycard from beneath the mattress and took one last, lingering look around the cell. It was strange how quickly the mind could adjust to things. I didn’t think of this place as my home, but it had still been a home to me for the last two weeks, albeit in a twisted way. It felt strange to know I’d never see it again after tonight.

Clutching the good luck charm tightly in one hand, I pressed the keycard to the lock and swung open the door. It was cold and gusting outside, so before I left the property, I made my way up to the house to check if Sebastian had left the back door unlocked again.

He had.

I headed inside and hurried upstairs to grab the beautiful black coat he’d given to me when I first arrived in this place. I would need it to stay warm, and I knew exactly where it was after my frantic search for him the other day.

As I pulled it out of the closet, my eyes fell on a familiar dress, shawl, woolen socks, and boots tucked into the corner. It was everything I’d worn when I left Alderwood all those weeks ago, minus the dirt and mud that had appeared on them after the long hike down the mountain. Sebastian must have laundered them for some reason. I couldn’t think of what that reason might be, though.

I gnawed on the inside of my cheek, considering my next move. The fresh clothes Sebastian had given me tonight were very soft and comfortable. Good for a long walk. But the Covenant might find it strange if I returned wearing outsider clothing, so it was probably best that I wear my old dress and shawl. Besides, the boots were sturdy and worn-in, which would be good for the journey. As for the cold weather… I could still take the coat with me and discard it in the woods just before I reached the front gate.

Mind made up, I slipped out of my new clothes and into the old ones. Then I laced the boots, headed back downstairs, and slipped outside, tightly wrapping the coat around myself.

I hurried down the winding driveway, gritting my teeth against the howling wind. When I reached the main road, I looked up at the sky, chewing on my bottom lip as I assessed the position of the moon and stars. Once I knew where I needed to go, I turned left on the road and started walking.

Headlights cut through the darkness a few minutes later. I stepped onto the edge of the road and kept walking, hoping the car would pass by me with no incident, but instead it pulled up to idle beside me.

“Hey,” someone called out. “What are you doing out here?”

I turned to glance at the vehicle. A herby, pungent odor was spilling from the open windows; one that made my nose wrinkle. A teenage girl and boy sat in the back, while in the front, a boy of a similar age sat behind the wheel. Next to him was another teenage girl.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” the driver repeated. “It’s fucking freezing.”

“I’m all right,” I murmured. “But thank you for your concern.”

“You know there’s no buses or Ubers out here, right?” the girl in the front said, leaning over to peer out at me.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“Are you drunk or something?” the driver asked. “Boyfriend kick you out?”

“No. I’m just going home.”

The girl’s forehead puckered in a concerned expression. “Where’s home?”

“Alderwood.”

The driver’s brows shot up. “Oh, shit, you’re one of those cultists?”

“No wonder she’s never heard of Uber,” the boy in the back said, lighting a cigarette.

“We are not cultists,” I said calmly. “But yes, I am a member of the Covenant.”

The girl in the front glared at the driver. “Don’t be so rude,” she muttered. She leaned over again. “I know where the path to Alderwood starts. Do you want a ride there?”

“Thank for you the kind offer, but I’m all right.”

“It’s like, fifteen miles down the road. You’ll be walking for hours. And then you also have to hike up there, right?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“You shouldn’t be doing that so late at night. It’s dangerous,” she said. She turned her head over her shoulder. “Scoot over, Zane. Make space for her.”

I shook my head. “Really, I’m all right.”

“Don’t be stupid, girl. Hop in.” The girl smiled. “We’re heading down that way anyway, so you might as well take advantage.”

I bit my bottom lip and hesitated. The girl was right—the path to Alderwood would take two or three hours to reach on foot, and then it would take another hour of hiking up the mountain to reach the front gate. For all those hours, I would be completely alone, at the mercy of nature and its freezing winds.

Then again, last time I trusted an outsider enough to get in a car, I wound up trapped in an underground cell.

“She doesn’t trust us,” the boy in the back muttered before taking a drag of his cigarette. “Probably thinks we’re gonna kill her.”

The girl in the front addressed me again. “I promise we’re not serial killers. I know that totally sounds like something a serial killer would say, but honestly, we’re not. We’re just heading to Gavin’s uncle’s farm to check out his new crop.”

“He farms at night?”

The boy in the back started laughing, and the girl beside him broke into uncontrollable giggles as well. “She really has no idea,” the boy spluttered.

The girl in the front shushed them, waving a hand. “Long story,” she said to me. “Don’t listen to these idiots. They’re stoned as fuck. But seriously, you should get in. I don’t feel good about leaving a girl alone on the road at night. Bad shit could happen.”

I clutched the good luck charm again, still hesitating. Then I nodded. “All right. Thank you.”

The charm would protect me, just as it had protected Sebastian during his recovery in the hospital. Besides, these teenagers seemed all right. A little rough around the edges, perhaps, but ultimately harmless.

I opened the door and climbed into the back, almost retching from the pungent aroma of the herbal cigarette the boy was smoking next to me. The car started again, pulling out onto the road, and the nice girl in the front turned to look at me.

“What are you doing out here, anyway?” she asked. “I thought you people weren’t allowed to leave Alderwood.”

“We are sometimes,” I said. “But I must return home now.”

The boy next to me raised a brow. “I heard you guys drink people’s blood, or some shit like that. Is it true?”

The girl on his other side giggled and elbowed him. “They aren’t vampires!”

I bit my bottom lip, hesitating. It was true, but as soon as the boy said those words, I recalled the horror flashing in Sebastian’s eyes all those weeks ago after I informed him that he’d imbibed my blood in the sweet berry wine that was always handed out during ritual celebrations. He’d tried to mask his disgust out of politeness, but I saw it anyway, and I didn’t like the way it made me feel.

“No.” I shook my head. “We don’t do that.”

“You know, people talk mad shit about you, but I actually think it’s kinda cool how you guys live,” the boy said. “Like, off the land and shit. It’s so anti-capitalist. I mean, do you even know what capitalism is?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Mad respect.” He bumped his free hand against my shoulder. “You guys are, like, the ultimate bush commies.”

“Oh my god, Zane, shut up,” the girl in the front said. She glanced at me again. “Sorry. I swear, he’s not always like this.”

“It’s all right,” I said.

“What’s your name, anyway?”

“Rosamund. Or Rose for short.”

“Oh my god, no way!” The girl’s eyes widened. “I’m Rosie! But my real name is Rose.”

“Wow,” I replied, smiling faintly. “Rosie is a nice nickname.”

“Crazy coincidence, huh? We’re both Roses!”

Now I knew that I was right to get in this car. The Entity didn’t allow for coincidences, so this friendly girl sharing my name—well, almost sharing it, anyway—had to be yet another sign that I was on the right path. He was guiding me back to him and protecting me every step of the way.

And yet… my heart was still aching at the thought of never seeing Sebastian again.

The girl in the back started prattling on about another girl she knew, and I sat back and listened, watching the blur of trees outside as we sped down the road. A few minutes later, Rosie nudged her boyfriend, and he slowly braked. “I think it’s just over there,” she said, pointing to the other side of the road.

I peered out the window, frowning as I looked up at the sky. Then I nodded. “Yes, you’re right.”

“Holy shit,” Zane said. “That’s so fucking cool, man. Like, you can just look at the stars and know where you are.”

Rosie’s brows knitted with concern as she looked back at me. “Are you sure you’ll be okay to hike up to the village in the dark?”

“Yes. I’m used to walking around the woods,” I replied. “Thank you so much for driving me here.”

“No worries.” She smiled. “Good luck out there.”

I opened the door, but before I exited the car, I held the good luck charm out to her. “I have no money, so I cannot pay you for your favor. I would like you to have this instead.”

She waved a hand. “Oh, no, it’s okay! We weren’t expecting money from you.”

“Please, take it. You have been so kind to me. It’s a good luck charm, and it will keep you safe.”

Her brows rose. “Are you sure you want to give it away?”

I nodded. “I’ve heard these roads can be dangerous, especially at night, so you need it more than I do now. Besides, I can make another one when I return to my village.”

“Okay.” She smiled. “Thanks, Rose.”

I finally left the car and waved as the teenagers sped off. Then I turned onto the path and began the long hike up the mountain, hoping it wasn’t a mistake to give away the good luck charm. It was very unlikely that I would be attacked by a wild animal in these woods, but stranger things had happened.

Using the moonlight slicing through the trees to guide my way, I finally made it to Alderwood. The front gate loomed ahead, tall and intimidating, with flaming torches atop the watch posts. It felt strange to be on the wrong side of it.

I quickly threw the coat into the woods. Then I took a deep breath, murmured a prayer, and approached the gate.

One of the watchmen peered down at me. “Who are… oh, my Lord! Albert, it’s Rosamund!”

“Rosamund Trudeau?” The other watchman sprang up, eyes wide as he stared down at me. “My god… it is her!”

The first watchman raced down to unlock the gate and let me in. “Where have you been, Rose? Are you all right?” he said, staring at me as if he’d seen a ghost.

I knew I could tell the truth—that I was with Sebastian all these weeks—but something was holding me back. I wanted to protect him from the Covenant’s wrath. No, I would protect him. I wasn’t going to say anything against him, no matter who asked or how hard they tried to get the truth out of me.

“I was with the Entity,” I said calmly. I didn’t volunteer any information beyond that.

“This is a miracle!” The watchman kept staring at me, eyes wide and disbelieving. “Albert, quickly! Send word to the governor and the elders!”

The other watchman raced away. The first one took my arm and steered me toward a bench outside a house not far from the gate. “I will fetch some water for you,” he said. “For now, you should stay here and rest your legs. You look very tired.”

Word of my return spread like wildfire. Before the watchman returned with the promised water, a crowd had already gathered around me, some staring at me with wonderment while others looked on with confusion.

Alice Leclerc appeared with a hunk of bread a moment later, and she handed it to me before taking a quick step backward, as if she was worried that being close to me might cause her to combust. “Your father is on his way,” she murmured. “He has been with the elders in the cave, doing a midnight ritual.”

“Thank you, Alice,” I replied, smiling at her. She didn’t return the gesture. Instead, she averted her eyes, turned away, and slipped into the growing crowd.

I thought the villagers would greet my return with joy, but I spotted many distrustful expressions on nearby faces. Overhearing several whispered conversations only confirmed their suspicions to me.

“My husband said she claims she was with the Entity, but I don’t know if that’s true. Something seems wrong.”

“She’s been different ever since that outsider arrived. Maybe he took her?”

“No, it couldn’t be him. He’s too nice, and he’s always left and returned completely alone. My husband is one of the watchmen, so he knows for certain.”

“Maybe she left willingly. Remember those tunnels the boys dug back in schooltime?”

“I finally told the elders about them yesterday. I’m not sure if they took me seriously, but if they did, they must have found them by now.”

“That means they know that Rose may have left of her own accord, doesn’t it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would she ever do that?”

“I don’t know, but she has been different lately. Sneaky and strange.”

Those last words came from Ana?s, who was huddled in a group of women on the right side of the crowd, all of them casting darkly suspicious looks my way.

I could feel my pulse quickening, a steady drumbeat of anxiety building in my chest. The old stories of Matthieu Brouxard were suddenly flooding my mind. His family had been forced to flee their village in Europe when rumors of witchcraft and devil worship spread like wildfire. Villagers with torches had surrounded their home, their faces twisted with rage and fear, and Brouxard’s family had barely escaped with their lives. It was a tale that had always haunted me; a grim reminder of how quickly people could turn against their own.

Now, I felt like I was living that old tale myself, hunted by my own people.

I glanced nervously down the main street, hoping for a sign of my father and the other elders. They had to return soon, and with them they would bring reason and calm, dispelling the suspicion that had taken root in the village. I clung to that hope like a lifeline.

Finally, I saw them coming, their ritual cloaks flowing around them as they walked slowly up the torch-lined street. Relief washed over me at the sight of my father. I expected him to smile, to be happy to see me, but as he drew closer, his expression was not what I’d anticipated. There was relief in his eyes, but there was something else too; something that twisted my stomach into knots.

Distrust.

It was subtle, a mere shadow in his gaze, but it was still there. My heart sank, and the stories of Brouxard’s family flashed through my mind again, more vivid than ever. The whole world seemed to be closing in around me, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was on the brink of something terrible.

I shouldn’t have given the charm away to those friendly teenagers, but I did, and now my luck had finally run out. The Entity had abandoned me.

The Entity isn’t real, Rose. It’s just a trick to control you. Sebastian’s words flashed in my mind, but I pushed them aside, unwilling to hear them right now. I needed the Entity to return to my side more than anything at a time like this.

Please, please, please…

“Papa,” I said, rising to my feet as my father stopped in his tracks.

“Rosamund,” he said softly. “It’s true. You have returned to us.”

I nodded and forced a smile. “Yes. I was with—”

“The Entity. Or so you claim.”

“I…” I faltered, heart racing even faster. “What do you mean, Papa?”

Two of the elders flanking him stepped forward, arms outstretched. “You must come with us, Rosamund,” one of them said. “You need to confess.”

“What? No!” I cried out, backing away. Confessions were only for accused criminals. The very thought sent me into a panic, mind spiraling and stomach churning. “Papa, what is this?”

“You know what this is. We need to be sure your word is true,” he said stonily, averting his eyes.

Desperation and terror gripped me with icy fingers as I begged for mercy, my voice cracking. “Please, Papa, don’t do this! You have to believe me! I was with the Entity!” I said, words tumbling out in a rush.

His face remained stern, and he lifted a hand to gesture to the elders. The two with outstretched arms grabbed me, pinning my arms to my side, and another produced a brown cloth from his robe.

Before I could scream, the cloth was pressed over my mouth. A sickly-sweet scent filled my nostrils, and I struggled against the strong arms holding me to no avail.

Darkness crept in at the edges of my vision, and the village and torches around me blurred as my knees buckled. The last thing I heard was the muffled sound of voices, distant and fading as I sank into the black void, and the last thing I thought of was a singular name.

Sebastian.

To be continued….

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