Pastor Carter underestimated this man. He’d rue the day he did.
Because Bastian Scott would burn this unbearable world to the ground and stand in the ashes.
Bastian’s gaze cut through me. “You didn’t?” I knew he had to ask again. He had to be sure. A betrayal of that magnitude would never be forgiven. He had come to trust me. But this place had made a mockery of faith.
The silence inside The Sun Sanctuary was louder than his voice. I hated it. I found no solace in the heavy presence of the other disciples. I resented their mute acceptance. How they could think David’s death was mandated by God.
I hated everything they were.
Except for the children. Little Rosie, sweet Darlene, smart Dakota.
My stomach lurched at what they had just witnessed. Their innocence was murdered on the wood floor beneath their feet.
I couldn’t save them. No matter how much I wanted to.
There was no going back. I couldn’t return to the fold now. I would never be able to look into the eyes of my family and see anything but David’s senseless death.
“No, Bastian. I didn’t know. But I know now.” I took his hand. I squeezed it tight. I dug my fingers into his skin until he saw my truth. He’d bleed with it.
“I know now,” I repeated.
His face softened slightly but his grief was too much. His tears fell. One at a time. But he continued to stand. Holding himself up. Holding us both up.
There were cracks. But he wasn’t broken.
I know now…
“He’s gone, Sara. David…he…” He let out a sob, his fist covering his mouth. “That man made him. This was all orchestrated. All of you are expected to…”
His eyes went crazed. “Don’t they get what he’s asking them to do?” He shook me. Hard. “Don’t you see, Sara? Don’t you fucking see it?”
“Yes. I see it, Baz. I see everything!” I shouted in his face. Trying to snap him out of it. I looked through the window into The Sun Sanctuary. The disciples were making their way to the door. Soon they’d find us here. We didn’t have much time.
Bastian was unclean. He had no place at The Retreat. And I wouldn’t have one either.
Not anymore.
“We have to go,” he said, his entire body shuddered and then stilled. “I have to tell my parents. We have to notify the police. We have to dosomething…”
And still the silence continued. It was malicious. Oozing with ill portent.
Then I made a decision. It was the only one I could make. It lacked in confidence but was comprised of the deepest type of emotion.
And maybe that was the only faith I needed.
Faith in him.
Faith in us.
Faith in a world beyond the gate.
It washed away everything else.
“Let’s go.” I wouldn’t smile. Neither of us could bear the façade of joy.
Instead we would face sorrow together.
Bastian dried his tears and took a shaky breath. “You’ll come with me?” he asked, sounding so much younger, so vulnerable.
