Page 104 of Sinful

“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… itisher!”

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, Iwouldprotect 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 shehasbeen different lately. Sneaky and strange.”

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

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