Page 61 of Twisted Truths
Nash’s next words sober me up.
“Two months later, Tom was seen climbing into the Circle truck. Three days after that, he was found wandering the back roads of Barrenridge, barefoot and wearing nothing but a pair of linen pants. He was delirious, muttering things like ‘I’m no longer burning from the inside’ and ‘he walks between the flames’. His temples were covered in deep scratches, and there was blood underneath his fingernails, like he’d been trying to tear into his own skin. He kept saying the shadows could no longer take him, the light had set him free.”
Gabriel drops his head into his hands.
“When I went to visit him in the hospital, Tom didn’t even recognise me. He just stared at the ceiling, whispering like he was in prayer. Our mate, Gav, told the police he saw Tomgetting into the Circle truck, but there were no other witnesses.”
Nash falls silent, his eyes distant, as if he’s reliving the events from the past.
Sensing he needs time to process what he’s just revealed, Gabriel speaks.
“Tom told me what was happening at home. He found it easier to confide in a stranger who didn’t know his dad, said he didn’t think anyone would believe him because his dad was so influential in Barrenridge. I offered him a place to hide out whenever he needed, and he started hanging out with me and Aziah. It wasn’t long before my parents cottoned on that something was happening. They took advantage.”
Gabriel’s jaw ticks. “I was so fucking blind to everything back then. Tom had only been coming around for a couple of weeks before Mum started dropping hints. At first it was little things like how at peace he seemed at the Circle, how the pain he carried wasn’t his fault, and how it could be purified.”
I gasp, suddenly wondering what exactlypurificationmeans. Anyone who joins the Circle has to prove they are committed to their beliefs—with the exception of Zara, because she was pregnant—but purification was for those who strayed from the path, most were hardly seen afterwards.
He shakes his head, his eyes dark with guilt. “Mum said the Circle would take care of him, that once he accepted his path, he wouldn’t have to carry the burden alone anymore. Tom resisted … hard. He said he couldn’t leave his sister with that monster. But Mum told him what he wanted to hear, that once he joined, they’d get Jess and his mother out. They’d welcome them all with open arms. She knew how to play to his weaknesses.”
“You let them brainwash him, and when it didn’t work, you left him to die,” Nash accuses.
“My parents told us they found Tom smoking weed on the grounds and banished him,” Gabriel says in a low, pained voice. “My brothers and I were forbidden from leaving the grounds for almost two years. We couldn’t interact with the local teenagers for fear of being corrupted.”
Nash’s body remains stiff, and he doesn’t say anything.
“They indoctrinated all of their beliefs into our everyday lives. We didn’t know any better.” Gabriel shakes his head. “I didn’t know what happened until I started helping at the markets a few years later, when I overheard some locals talking about how sad it was the Keeland boy had a mental breakdown. I still didn’t think it had anything to do with my parents.”
“This isn’t on either of you,” I tell them, anger burning deep inside. “This is on Guardian Solomon and Seraphina. They’re the ones in the wrong here.”
I’m beginning to realise that while Guardian Solomon is the face of the Circle, the one we all listen to, Seraphina’s the one pulling all the strings. It’s clear the queen is the most important player on the board, and she will do whatever it takes to protect the kingdom.
Chapter Twenty-Two
NASH
I’m physically and mentally drained, the emotional rollercoaster of today finally taking its toll. My body needs time to rest, time to deal, and time to heal. So much has happened today, and while I came here to be alone, I can’t bring myself to ask them to leave.
If Ignatius and Seraphina had my family killed, I won’t be responsible for Hadley meeting the same fate. I don’t give a fuck about Gabriel. I’m still not sure I fully trust him, but he seems intent on keeping Hadley safe for now, and that’s enough for me to give him a chance.
“So, I guess we’re housemates, for now,” I say awkwardly, running a hand over my tired face.
“We don’t mean to impose,” Hadley says softly.
The sound of her voice causes my stomach to flip. I’m desperate to sink onto my knees in front of her and just hold her, breathe in her comforting scent of lavender and mint. I still can’t explain how her simple presence elicits a sense of calm over me.
“It’s fine,” I assure her, keeping my eyes trainedon a small stain in the carpet where Zara spilled some of her make-up back in high school. “But, uh, we only have one guest room…” and no one is sleeping in the bedrooms of my deceased family members.
I don’t need to say the words out loud. They understand.
My chest tightens as I wonder whether Gabriel will insist on sharing a room with Hadley. Not that I have any intentions of doing the same. My head is too fucked up to be thinking about anything other than collapsing in my childhood bed and wishing today was all a fucking nightmare.
Hadley shoots Gabriel a look as if she’s seeking his permission for something, which has me questioning what the fuck is going on between them. She said something about my sister being hischosenor something like that, so now she’s out of the picture … Is Hadley his replacement? She didn’t hesitate when she kissed me back at the church earlier, but what do I know about how the cult works? Maybe their kink is having multiple partners. I’d rather walk away than share her with Gabriel, even if it would leave me emptier and more alone than I already feel.
“I’ll sleep on the couch,” Gabriel offers, interrupting my intrusive thoughts.
“Sure. I’ll get some blankets.”
I leave the room, my mind a chaotic mess as I head down the hallway to the linen cupboard. Retrieving a pillow and some blankets, I return to the sitting room. Neither of them has moved, but upon my return, Gabriel rises and takes the sheets from me.
