Page 17 of Sacrifice

I tipped my chin upward, gazing at the night sky. “I think I’ll always believe in some sort of higher power,” I said softly. “But not this one. Not anymore.”

“That’s why you have to leave, baby girl.”

“Yes.” I turned back to look at him. “But not yet.”

“What do you mean?” he said, brows shooting up. “I need to get you the hell out of here as soon as—”

I cut him off. “I want to help you first.”

Confusion flickered in his eyes. “Helpme?”

“With your search for justice. The reason you came here in the first place.”

“Ah.” Understanding dawned on his handsome face. “You’ll tell me what happened to my mother?”

“I can’t tell you.” I lifted my chin and looked him right in the eye. “I know you’ve never believed me when I’ve said this in the past, but I honestly don’t know what happened to Miranda that night. But Idoknow it must’ve happened because of the Covenant.”

He leaned closer. “Tell me more.”

I looked up at the night sky again. “I was so young when it happened. I was sick, too. It made my memories foggy, so I can only remember brief flashes of that night. Nothing clear or helpful,” I said. “Sometimes, when I concentrate extremely hard, I can see something, but then it’s gone, and I can’t seem to get it back.”

“I understand.”

“I’ve tried to ask my father about it before,” I went on. “He got very angry at me and refused to answer my questions. Then he eventually banned me from speaking about it ever again. No one else in Alderwood talks about it either. At least not around me.”

His lips tightened. “Because you’re Augustus Trudeau’s daughter.”

“Exactly. They wouldn’t dare to discuss it in front of me, in case it got back to him. So, I really cannot tell you anything about that night that you don’t already know,” I said, hands knitting on my lap. “But I think I can still help you.”

“How?”

“The forbidden cave. You said you want to go there because your mother was researching it just before she died. I can take you.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened slightly. “Aren’t you afraid of it?”

I hesitated, contemplating his question. “I think part of me will always be afraid of that place, because of everything I was raised to believe about it,” I finally said. “But at the same time, after everything that’s happened and everything I’ve come to realize… I think it’s probably just a cave. A cave with a big secret that the elders don’t want me or anyone else to know.”

“You’ll really take me there?”

“Yes. No tricks or traps this time.” I looked toward the reveling villagers again, watching as they drunkenly swayed and twirled to the music. “Once everyone has gone to bed tonight, we’ll sneak out just like we used to. Only we won’t be going to the hot springs this time.”

Sebastian leaned closer to me, fingertips fluttering against mine. I wanted so badly for him to reach all the way over and squeeze my hand in his, but we couldn’t risk being seen touching each other. “Rose… are you absolutely sure you want to do this?” he asked in a low voice, eyes filled with concern.

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. We’re going to the forbidden cave.”

6

Sebastian

The night air was crisp,filled with the scent of damp earth and pine. Each step I took felt heavier than the last, and strange shivers kept running down my spine. Not from the cold, but from the anticipation. Somewhere in this vast, dark expanse of wilderness lay the cave I’d been searching for, its hidden secrets beckoning me closer with each step.

The moonlight barely pierced the dense canopy of trees above our heads as Rose and I trudged through the wilderness, and the towering tree branches seemed to close in over our heads, giving me the eerie impression we were getting caught in a trap.

It wouldn’t be the first time I got stuck in a trap while searching for the forbidden cave, but I trusted Rose now. I knew she wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.

I glanced over at her. Her tense expression held a mix of grit and determination, mirroring my own resolve. A hint of anxiety flickered there too.

“Hey,” I said softly, grabbing her hand. “Are you okay?”

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