Page 2 of Sacrifice

Our names are irrelevant. All you need to know is that we are a group of people from Pinecrest Falls who have had enough of your cult and the corruption you spread in our corner of the world.

You have seventy-two hours to comply with our demands. Failure to do so will result in severe consequences.

We demand the names of your leaders, along with photographs for identification purposes. These will be handed over to the authorities.

We demand a comprehensive list of all assets owned by the Covenant. We are aware of the wealth you are concealing from your followers.

We demand your complete banking details, including account numbers, passcodes, and financial statements, along with tax records for the past ten years. Your tax evasion and illicit wealth accumulation will be exposed.

We demand answers, with irrefutable proof, regarding the missing persons cases involving thefollowing children: Emily Harper (1984), Jacob Wang (1995), Sophia Bennett (1996), Noah Mitchell (1998), Olivia Carter (2004) and Ethan Brooks (2011). These children disappeared within a thirty-mile radius of Alderwood, and we know you must be responsible for their abduction.

We demand answers, with conclusive evidence, regarding the murder of Miranda Thorne in 2004. It is common knowledge that your cult was involved in her death, and you will be held accountable.

Failure to meet these demands within the given timeframe will result in Rosamund’s death. Tick tock, Mr. Trudeau.

I blinked rapidly, mind whirling. Sebastian must have finally moved forward with the plan he’d told me about a while ago—to convince my father that an outsider gang had taken me. He didn’t really intend to kill me… did he?

No, of course not.

Sebastian wouldn’t do that. Not after all the passionate moments we’d shared and the tender care he’d treated me with. These messages were simply part of his plan to scare my father into giving him information; that was all.

“I don’t understand what any of this means, Papa,” I said, shaking my head.

“You weren’t with the Entity, Rose.” My father stooped to meet me at my eye level. “You were with this group of outsiders, whoever they are. For the life of me, I cannot understand why you won’t admit it.”

“Papa, no! I have no idea what those messages mean!”

“Youmustknow. You were with these men for weeks. At least I can only assume they are men.” His eyes narrowed. “Are they?”

I gritted my teeth. “I don’t know. I have no idea who sent those messages to you,” I said, boldly lifting my chin. “Also, if Iwas ever with them, then why am I here right now? Judging by the content of those messages, wouldn’t they want to keep me until they received the information they asked for?”

“Well, clearly, something went wrong, and you were able to escape. And that’s precisely what we don’t understand—why you’re lying to us about what happened. If you had simply told us the truth when you returned, we could have avoided all this drama.”

“I’m not lying!”

My father rose to his full height again, twin flames of fury burning in his eyes. “Whoever took you clearly did something to your mind, Rose. Something to twist it and turn you against us, forcing you to lie to us. I don’t understand how or why, but Iwillfind out.”

“It’s not true, Papa. I wasn’t with outsiders. I was taken by the Entity. I swear to you!”

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