Page 58 of Sinful

“No. My faith will protect me.”

I spat on the dried blood on the back of my right hand to wet it again. Then I gathered it onto my fingers and started to draw another protection symbol for good measure.

Sebastian smirked and opened the slot in the wall. “Here,” he said, pulling something out of his pocket. He slid it into the slot and slammed the little door shut again. “Chalk for you.”

I glowered at him. “For what?”

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself anymore,” he said, gesturing to my bloody hands. “Go to that blackboard and write a list on the board.”

“A list?” My upper lip curled. “Of what?”

“All the ingredients you need for your ritual spells. I’ll get them for you, and you can do a ritual to summon the Entity to help you,” he said. “I’m willing to do that for you, just to show you that all your charms and talismans and rituals don’t actually work.”

I sneered at him. “Of coursethatidea won’t work. Such powerful rituals require the entire Covenant community.”

Sebastian shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’ll leave the chalk in case you change your mind. You’re gonna need it later anyway.” He paused and glanced at his watch. “I have to go. I’ll be back for you later.”

With that, he turned and strode away. I pounded on the glass again, suddenly wishing my protection charms hadn’t wardedhim off as intended. “Wait!” I shouted. “Don’t leave me like this! We’re not done talking!”

He ignored me and turned through a doorway on the right. I kept screaming until my throat hurt and my voice was hoarse, but he didn’t return.

I finally gave up on making sound and closed my eyes, willing myself to breathe deeply. As scared as I was, I needed to keep my mind as calm and focused as possible, for my own sake.

I turned around to assess my new surroundings with a more critical eye. There had to be a way out of this place. Even if I couldn’t get through the glass door without one of those keycard things he’d shown me, the other walls could provide some sort of escape. There could be a hole in the stone somewhere, leading to a tunnel. Or perhaps I could even dig out my own tunnel, like the boys in Alderwood did all those years ago.

It would be a painstakingly slow process, and I would obviously have to hide the evidence whenever Sebastian came back, but that should be easy enough. I could simply do it beneath the bed where he couldn’t see properly, unless he came into this cell and got on his hands and knees. And I had a feeling a man like himnevergot on his knees for anyone.

I gritted my teeth and looked down at the tray of food he’d left me earlier, still sitting untouched on the floor. He hadn’t provided a knife or fork, but there was a metal spoon. I could use that to chip away at the stones and dig out the dirt. It would take forever, but at least it gave me something to do. A little distraction from the questions endlessly flooding my mind, along with the awful feelings of guilt and stupidity.

Part of me told me my plan was ridiculous. That I couldn’t dig my way out of here with a spoon. But another bigger part of me told me Ihadto do it. Had to make it happen no matter what.

I didn’t belong to Sebastian Thorne, and I never would.

One way or another, I was getting out of here and going home.

15

Sebastian

I hiked back upto 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.

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