“In your perverse ass heads, wouldn’t that be a good thing?”
“That’s why we’re doing it.” She bows her head and swallows nervously. Lets out a silent sigh. “I need you to find Seven and give him this note.” She passes a piece of paper through the iron bars. It’s been foldedabout twenty times so that it’s the size of a quarter. “He’ll know what to do.”
I wag the note in the air. “If you’re so certain Ascension is a bad thing, then why don’t you try to rescue your brother yourself?”
“Because I need to distract my husband long enough to keep my?—”
She jerks her head sideways as sunlight cascades down the stairs at the end of the hall. A man stomps down the stairs in combat boots and makes his way to the sister’s cell. He retrieves a ring of keys from the side of his fatigues. They jangle loudly as he sorts through them.
“Time to go.” He twists a key into the lock and swings the gate open. “Your husband is waiting for his dinner.”
She forces the fakest fucking smile I’ve ever seen. There’s no way the man’s buying this shit. She rises to her feet and follows the man out of the cell. As he’s occupied closing the gate, she looks over her shoulder and mouths to me, “Find Seven.”
And again, I have no clue how she expects me to do that. Besides, all I can think about right now is what a piece of shit this Silas is. That he’d imprison his wife and only let her out to ensure he doesn’t go to bed hungry or god-forbid have to fend for himself. I suppose that’s the least of his moral shortcomings consideringwhat’s coming.
Ascension.
Can’t make heads or tails of it. Can’t decipher if it’s something real or just another boogeyman. There’s a reason I’ve never gotten myself mixed up in this religious shit. It never ends well for anyone involved. Whether I believe it’s real doesn’t change reality. The reality being that everyone on this compound is going to die in three days.
And I gotta say, from the sounds of it, most of these people are taking a direct flight to hell. Heaven ain’t letting these crazies through the gates.
I wait for a few minutes after the door at the top of the stairs closes, taking the sunshine with it, before unfolding the handwritten note and reading it.
Seven,
I’m sorry we were born into this life. I’m sorry I never took you away from this place. I’m sorry I believed in Magnus. I’m sorry I married Silas after he took your rightful spot as the future of this place. I imagine things would be much different if you stood at the helm, but we can’t go back. We can’t change the past.
I need you to know I didn’t give you up. Silas Jr. had mentioned in passing Ihad recently talked to uncle Seven. I tried to obscure the truth but Silas found the burner phone.
My complicity in the evils of this place has tainted me as a sister, as a friend, and as a mother. When Ascension comes, I’ll stand at Silas’ side. You escaped this place once and I have faith you can do it again. An unshakable faith if for no other reason than I need you to take Silas Jr. far away from this place.
My last act in this world will not be one of repentance, as I’ve fooled Silas to believe. It’ll be one of defiance. You can’t save me. I don’t even want to be saved. So, please, I beg of you, as your older sister, do as I say.
No questions.
I’ll love and miss you forever,
Senya
CHAPTER 18
SEVEN
For he whofinds solace in the dark will find immeasurable peace in the light.
I can’t see much, only what’s directly ahead of me which is nothing more than an empty blackness. My arms are restrained on either side of me, stretched out with cold cuffs around the wrists.
In the darkness, I wait.
Wait for the light of day to bring me peace.
Assuming I ever leave this room.
Mason and Thomas found us in the church.
I spent so long running that I think I just got exhausted by the idea of running anymore. It was a bad idea to stay that long in the church when the wreckage wasn’t far away. I should have known they’d find us. Should have convinced Noah to keep going, but I was injured, without sleep, and curled up next to the onlyperson I’ve ever loved. Curled up on that tiny wooden pew with a man who refuses to say those words back.
They woke us up in the middle of a much-needed rest. They injected Noah with something that made him sleep throughout the remainder of the day and through the next night. If I know him at all, he’s awake somewhere, raising absolute hell.
