Page 7 of Sacrifice

Hiking up a steep mountain five days after a catastrophic injury was never a good idea, and it was also something my surgeon had vehemently warned against during yesterday’s post-op consultation, but it had to be done. I had to get Rose the fuck out of that place before it was too late.

As usual, the bottom compartment of my bag was loaded up with weapons. I didn’t necessarily want to use them on the Covenant, because there were so many innocents among them, but if it came down to it, I was willing to get violent. To save Rose, I would maim or even kill.

I would doanything.

Right now, I had no idea what to expect upon my arrival, but I was preparing for the worst. I could only assume that Rose must’ve told the rest of the Covenant she was with me over these last few weeks, which meant I wouldn’t get past the front gatewithout a fight. But I wouldn’t know for sure until I arrived and got a sense of the general attitude toward my presence.

When I finally reached the top of the mountain, I clenched my jaw and strode up to the gate. The closest watchman peered down at me like he’d seen a ghost. “Sebastian? Is that you?”

“Yup. How are you, Albert?”

He didn’t reply. Instead, he hurried down from his post atop the fence and opened the slot in the gate. “I thought you were in the outsider hospital,” he said, wide eyes peering at me. “You were so badly hurt.”

So far, so good. He didn’t seem to hate my guts. However, I knew I couldn’t put my guard down just yet. It was possible that the lower-level employees in the village didn’t know anything about my involvement in Rose’s disappearance while the elders knew everything. After all, my luck in Alderwood had to run out sooner or later.

“The doctors released me a couple of hours ago and cleared me for all activity,” I said smoothly, flashing Albert an easygoing smile. “I’m fine.”

“That’s wonderful news! Praise be.”

I gestured to the pack hanging from my right shoulder. “Can you let me in?”

Albert briefly glanced behind him before looking back through the slot. “I’m not sure. The governor wasn’t expecting you back anytime soon, because he thought you’d be hospitalized for weeks. Also, things have been quite…” He paused and coughed to clear his throat. “Things have been strange in the village recently, so to be frank, I’m not sure I like your chances of getting in this morning.”

“Strange how?”

He lifted a hand. “Just wait here. I’ll go and check for you.”

I waited a full twenty minutes outside the gate. Just when I was thinking about blowing the fucking lock off with one ofthe pistols, Albert returned. “You’re in luck!” he said. “Governor Trudeau was glad to hear of your rapid recovery. He’s asked me to escort you to his house immediately.”

Shit.That could be good or bad, depending on how it was interpreted.

He unlocked the gate and swung it open to let me in.

“You wouldn’t know about this because you’ve been away for so long, but Rosamund Trudeau has returned to us,” he said as he led me down the main street. “Big news, eh?”

I feigned shock. “Really? She’s back?”

“Yes. I was up on the watch the night she returned, so I witnessed it myself. She just appeared right out of the darkness dressed in white, like an angel.” A broad grin stretched over Albert’s rugged face, and he slapped me on the back. “It’s exactly what the seer predicted in her dream. The Entity took Rosamund and returned her.”

“That’s incredible.”

“Yes. The whole thing was a test. Not just for her, but for all of us, really. A test of our faith.”

My mind whirled. Clearly, Rose hadn’t said one word about my involvement in her lengthy disappearance from Alderwood. That meant I was safe here. For now, anyway.

“Everyone must be thrilled,” I said, keeping my expression and tone pleasant.

Albert nodded. “It was truly magical, hearing her tell the story of what happened when she was taken. She actually saw the Devil himself,” he said. “I know most of you outsiders don’t believe in things like that. But I know she spoke the truth.”

My lips curved into a faint smile. I was almost certainly the Devil in Rose’s story.

“I believe it,” I said. “Rose isn’t a liar.”

“No, she’s not.” Albert smiled again. “I wish I could relive last night. That’s when she told us the story. It was incredible. Her return is the biggest miracle we’ve witnessed in years.”

Despite Albert’s happiness at Rose’s return, I couldn’t help but notice a strange undercurrent of tension in the town as we headed down the street. There was an obvious air of excitement amongst the people we passed, a buzz of anticipation, but it seemed to be mingled with a sense of foreboding. Conversations seemed hushed and faces that usually greeted me with warmth now carried a shadow of worry.

It was like everyone was bracing themselves for something significant yet dreadful. At first, I thought it might be the upcoming Tetrad, but I wasn’t sure that was entirely accurate, because I figured they’d all be overjoyed to have their celestial virgin back for that. Notscared.

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