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“My parents are part of it, Jord.” Cassie’s voice shakes.

“Oh my god,” Jordan whispers.

Asher whirls. “They are?”

“I think… I think they all are.” This is the most vulnerable I’ve ever heard Cassie, and it breaks my heart. “They acted so strange when I told them. Too strange.”

Jordie’s eyebrows furrow in concern as she exchanges a glance with me. Another sacrifice.

“She’s right,” I tell them. “We found this.” I pull the bloodied scroll out of my pocket to show them. “The entire town, for years, has been sacrificing people for their own twisted delusions. This isn’t a fucking joke. It’s real life. And if we don’t get out, we might be next.” Jordie visibly shivers. I leave the scroll on the table and Blake grabs it, reading through it. “Lacey is gone. They cut her up and divided her limbs like a fucking offering to Satan. That’s where the missing people have been going.” I chuck Heath’s gun that’s been sitting in my pocket all night on the table and everyone but Jordie’s eyes widen, while Blake cocks his eyebrow. “Even that won’t be enough to stop them. An entire fucking town. It wasn’t just the clergy back there. It was everyone.”

I’ve never heard silence so loud.

A few seconds go by as my words land heavy in the room.

“Ash, can you help me?” I ask, looking pointedly at my chest. I need help cleaning the wounds. He nods and I shoot Jordie a wink when I notice her furrowed eyebrows, letting her know I’m okay. I don’t want to make her hurt me anymore if she doesn’t want to.

“There’s too many of them to take on,” I murmur, kicking sticks and other debris with my foot as I sit outside with Blake on a pair of camping chairs. “We have to get out of here.”

We decided on taking turns in patrolling, leaving Jordie and Cassie to rest, especially Cassie.

“And what do you suggest we do about the other innocent people, Kain?”

“Innocent?” I huff a laugh. “It seems like we’re the only people in this town who aren’t part of it.

“My parents…” Blake’s voice fades out as he considers the situation. “I don’t know.”

“That’s the problem,” I mutter.

“What the fuck do they want from Jordie?” he asks, lighting a joint, then taking a drag before offering it to me.

I shake my head and he places it back between his lips. “I wish I fucking knew.”

33

Jordan

“I’m so scared, Jordie,” Cassie mumbles quietly as I hold her to me while in the confines of her sleeping bag.

My throat constricts. “Me too.” The admission hurts more than the fear itself. I don’t want to be scared. I thought I could handle this. But it turns out, maybe I am as weak as they think I am, because all I want to do now is run.

Human fucking remains.

Those ropes and circle of stones I found in the forest that night flash in my mind, making me shiver.

“What are we going to do?” she whispers, her body trembling against mine as I rub small circles on her shoulder with my thumb.

Asher’s snoring is the only other sound in the room.

“We’re gonna get out of here.” Even as I say those words, I don’t quite believe them. There’s a sickly feeling in my gut that just won’t relent. “In the morning.”

We’re quiet for a long while before she speaks again. “I really thought he would protect me. He said he would.”

My throat grows tight. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m too soft.” Her body slumps.

I pull her away, struggling to see her in the dim light, but grabbing her face to look at me all the same. “You’re not. You’re the strongest woman I know. Look at you, still here. Carrying a life inside you amongst all of this. What you’re doing is incredible, Cassie. Don’t ever forget that.”