Page 65 of Sacrifice

She was crouched behind it, face flooded with tears as she held onto her father, who was slumped beside her.

“What happened?” I asked, eyes widening.

“I think the bullet ricocheted off the altar,” she choked out, pressing one hand to his robe. “It hit him in the stomach.”

“Just a flesh wound,” Augustus muttered, wincing as Rose pressed even harder.

“Let me look.” I knelt and ripped the robe open, revealing a gushing wound on his abdomen. I immediately motioned for Rose to press down on it again to stem the flow of blood. “Augustus… this is more than a flesh wound. We need to get you to a hospital.Now.”

“No.” He weakly shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere. Alderwood is where I belong.”

“Papa, please!” Rose cried out. “It’s an emergency! Our healers can’t help with this!”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Augustus smiled. “I’m fine, darling. Really.”

“That’s the shock setting in,” I said. “We need to get you down to Pinecrest Falls right now.”

“Papa, come on!” Rose added. “We have to go now!”

“Settle down. Both of you,” Augustus whispered, still smiling. “It was never going to hurt me.”

“What do you mean?”

“After everything that’s happened lately, I knew how tonight would have to go. This is the end, and we prepared for it,” he replied, voice fading to a low murmur. “We… the elders… it was time. The final sacrifice.”

His earlier words flashed in my mind, along with an image of the silver chalices he and the elders had held when they stood by the bonfire.

‘I have determined that this sacrifice must be far greater than we initially planned. Only then will you—our beloved people—have a chance of emerging from the Darkness unscathed.’

I looked over at the clearing, where villagers were still screaming, running around, or cowering in terror. By the bonfire, the elders were lying on the ground, stiff and silent. One of the healers was crouched by the closest one, eyes wild with panic as he shook the man’s still body.

“Oh, shit,” I muttered. I turned back to face Augustus. “What did you take?”

“A concoction of roots and leaves from the woods. One that ends suffering and eases pain.” He smiled again. “Even if that bullet didn’t get me, it was the end of the road for me anyway. It is time for the people of Alderwood to start anew.”

Rose’s breath hitched, her eyes wide with disbelief. “No… Papa, please don’t do this!” she said, cradling his face in her trembling hands. “We can still help you. Please, just hold on. I… I can find an antidote.”

Augustus shook his head weakly, his gaze softening as he looked up at her. “Rosamund, my darling… it’s okay. You need to let go.” His voice was barely a whisper now, each word a struggle. “We always suspected this day would come. I’ve made my peace.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clung to him, her shoulders shaking with sobs. “But I’m not ready to say goodbye.”

“We already said goodbye two days ago. Remember, darling?”

“But it wasn’t… it wasn’t like this! I thought you’d still be alive up here!”

His smile wavered, his strength fading. “You’re stronger than you think. You’ll be fine. You have to be.”

I stood frozen, watching the life slowly drain from him, unable to do anything but bear witness. Rose’s sobs filled the air, raw and broken, as she held him tighter, like she hoped she could somehow keep him alive by sheer force of will.

Augustus’s eyes fluttered closed, his final breath escaping in a soft sigh. “I love you, Rosamund…”

The words barely made it past his lips before his body went still.

“Papa?” Rose’s voice cracked. She shook him gently, desperate. “Papa, no! Please!” But there was no response.

She collapsed onto his chest, her grief spilling out in deep, heart-wrenching sobs that echoed through the clearing. “No! No, no, no…”

I knelt beside her, feeling helpless, my own throat tight with sorrow. Then I wrapped her in my arms, offering what little comfort I could. The weight of this loss was heavy—too heavy for words.

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