by Erin Trejo
“What else?”
“Ebony. She refuses to leave.”
“She doesn’t have a choice. Just take her,” I tell him.
“She has threatened to kill herself if I push the issue. Maybe if you talk to her, she would see,” he says. I nod my head and hold Rose tighter against my body.
“And once we’re out?” I ask, unsure of the answers he has for me. Since I’ve been held prisoner, Rory has been sent out to handle business. Little did my father know that when he sent Rory out to find new initiates, he was also setting our plans into action.
“Everything is in place. The slaves will be handed over to the custody of social workers and placed in safe houses from there. I know that wasn’t what we talked about, but that’s the best I can do on short notice. The state is aware of what’s happening, and their plan is to come in and raid once we have everyone out. You and Rose will have an apartment readily available. I have a contact to meet you and get you there safely. Someone will contact you there. I have cell phones and security set up as well. You’ll be safe until this is done.”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry about me. I have this under control. I know it was supposed to be the two of us, Kellin, but she needs you more than I do. Don’t leave her.” His words hit home. I wouldn’t leave her if I had to. She isn’t one that gets left behind and since the feelings I started having for her, she has become my top priority.
“I’ll talk to Ebony.”
Rory nods his head and turns to leave the bathroom but before he goes, he stops and turns to face me once more. “This is happening Kellin. You’re going to be free. You’re going to be able to live your life without him.”
I know his words are meant to help me but deep down I don’t know what living outside of these walls is like. I don’t know what to expect and I don’t know if I can handle it. But I nod my head and give Rory that sense of peace that he needs in order to carry out what must be done. When the door closes, Rose shifts so that her head can rest on my shoulder. The cuts burn from the warm water, but they also remind me that I’m alive.
“Are we really getting out of here?” she asks, her voice holding such little hope.
“If it’s the last thing I do, yes. This isn’t a life you deserve, but I don’t know what’s going to happen once we’re out of here. I don’t know that I can stick around,” I admit. Rose tenses and her arms slip around my waist holding me tightly.
“You can’t leave me, Kellin. I can’t and won’t be able to do this without you. When everything happened, you were the only thing that made me want to get through it. Don’t take that away from me,” she begs.
I don’t know if it’s truth or if it’s because I’m the one she clings to that she says these things. In an ideal mind, they would be truth. She would need me the way I need her. But we aren’t ideal. We never were. And as the tears slowly slip from her eyes and down my chest, I say the words that I may regret later.
“I’m not leaving you.”
Eighteen
Rose
The last couple of days have been spent talking to Ebony and avoiding the coven. Kellin has kept me tucked under his arm and never lets me out of his sight. I thought it would bother me, but I find comfort in him being near. My mind is a mess of emotions and feelings that I can’t even begin to decipher. It’s like a train wreck in my head and I can’t do anything but watch it.
Ebony finally agreed to go with the slaves to the safe place Rory has set up. As I sit on the bed with my head in my hands, I wonder if I will be able to survive out there.
“What are you thinking?” Kellin asks, as he towel dries his hair. He stands in nothing but a pair of jeans that hang off his hips. I wonder sometimes if we had met under different circumstance, if we would have been attracted to each other, felt the same pull. He’s gorgeous even in that devilish way.
“I just wonder how different the world out there is now. Will it be easy for us to fit in?”
“For you I assume it will be easier. I’ve never lived out there, I don’t know what to expect.”
“It’s beautiful, Kellin. Green grass, blue skies. The ocean is out there. Waves the color of your eyes,” I smile as the words leave my lips. I once saw those eyes as cold and icy, but the more I look into them now, I see the sky, the ocean, the man himself. They’re beautiful.
“I’m none of those things, Rose. You have to know that.”
“I’m not asking you to change who you are, Kellin. That’s not the person I love.” Again, the words slip free before I can stop them, but I do love him. I know I do.
“I don’t want to be this, the product of this coven and my father. Don’t you get that? I’ve lived as this my whole life and I don’t know what to do about that. It’s me, it’s a part of me,” he growls before tugging at his hair.
I understand his frustration to a point. I haven’t been on the outside of this place in nearly six months but there has to be a way for us to make it. I won’t accept any less. I stand from the bed and walk toward him, unable to care about my naked body at the moment. I press myself against him and hug him tightly. Kellin drops the towel and hugs me back just as tight. Here in his arms is where I belong. I don’t think I can function without this man.
“We’re going to be okay, right?” His words rip my chest open.
“We’re going to be okay.” Just as the words leave my mouth, the door flies open and in stalk the elders and the men in black robes. I’m wrenched out of Kellin’s arms and my naked body is lifted without much effort. I don’t fight them. There’s no point and neither does Kellin.
We’re taken through the long hallways and down the stairs before heading into the temple. I can see everyone is already gathered as I’m laid on the altar like so many times before. Inhaling deeply through my nose, I try to calm the beating of my heart. We weren’t drugged this time, which leaves me confused. One of the men kicks the back of Kellin’s legs causing him to fall forward onto his knees at the end of the altar. From my position, I can just see his face. His arms are thrust behind his back, tied with rope. His head is down, but out of the corner of my eye I see Rory. His gaze finds mine and a snarl curls his lips, but he gives me a quick nod. I don’t know if he’s reassuring me that we’re going to be okay or if he wants me to remain calm during all of this, but I shift my gaze back to Kellin’s.
As silent tears stream down my cheeks, I keep my gaze latched onto him. His head is still lowered, his father coming to stand in front of him.
“We have traitors amongst our coven! Satan is not very happy with us at this moment. He feels betrayed by those who claim to love him. Those who have come to worship at his altar. Those who have drank from his chalice of eternal life! We must make things right with him if we are to live in peace. Satan doesn’t like when we’re all in turmoil. He wishes to bring us all that we want and keep us healthy and in our prime, and yet these two have angered him so. They have lied to him, taken from his graciousness, and then spit in his face. We cannot allow that in our coven. We must be faithful to him and only him!”
The chants begin as my heart beats a little faster. I watch as Don raises the sword, pointing it east, west, south, and north. I drown out the words that leave his mouth as I keep my gaze on Kellin. When the chanting calms and the sword is brought down, resting on Kellin’s neck, the tears explode out of me.
This is it.
This is the end.
“What do you have to say for yourself, traitor!” Don roars. Kellin raises his head, defiance in his big blue eyes, and smirks at the devil himself.
“What do I have to say? I have to say that I will not miss you when you’re burning for eternity.” Kellin spits at his father’s feet.
Just as he raises the sword, ready to end Kellin’s life, a shot rings through the room. People scream and chaos ensues. Everything happens so quickly I barely have time to blink. The ropes are cut free from my arms and legs and I’m jerked from the altar. I’m ready to scream and figh
t when I see it’s Kellin dragging me toward an exit. One glance over my shoulder and I see Rory keeping the men at bay with a gun as well as some of the other men that are at his side. They had more men willing to help them than I realized. Rory’s lips are moving, anger painting his face, but I can’t hear what he’s saying. Then I’m dragged through the door that leads outside. While everyone else is running and being ordered around toward the north entrance, Kellin is taking us toward the south. Fear and excitement race through my veins and even though I heard what Rory had said in the bathroom that day, I’m still leery of this.
“Run, Rose!” I do as Kellin says, my bare feet hitting the pavement as we rush toward the exit. We finally make it down the driveway when the world around me is rocked. I stop and slowly turn to get a better view. Flames dance into the sky, black smoke circling like the devil himself. Another explosion, then another, and another. They sound like bombs being set off in every direction and yet I can’t pull my gaze away from the sight before me. The entire compound is burning, screams echoing through the air.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.
“It’s the end.”
“Of what?” I ask when I truly have no idea what he means.
“Everything we knew,” he says softly, wrapping me in his arms. My legs become weak, shaking. My still naked body shudders when Kellin pulls back and lifts me in his arms. He turns around and starts walking again until we get to the gate. Right there where Rory said it would be is a black car with a woman standing next to it. This must be our contact. Our eyes meet, a sadness and something that resembles understanding flashes before her eyes. How could she understand? Is she like us?
“I assume you’re Rose and Kellin?” The woman steps toward us with her hand extended but Kellin steps back out of reach. She nods and slowly lowers her hand to her side and nods toward the car. “My name is Lacrista Hanson. I’m going to be your therapist and I’ll be taking you to your new place.”
I look at her, take her in. She’s beautiful. Long blonde hair that is pulled into a high ponytail and glittering green eyes. I can feel Kellin tense with me still in his arms. I wiggle out of his hold, and when he places me on my feet, her eyes never wander. With that I take a step toward her, extending my own hand. She takes it and gives me a small smile.
“It’s nice to meet you, Rose. Rory spoke highly of you,” she says sweetly. I don’t know what to say to that. I don’t know how to respond, so I don’t. I just give her a nod as Kellin walks up next to me. He pulls me away from her and into his side. I can understand his fear, yet Lacrista seems like she’s pure light. I don’t sense anything bad about her. So when she opens the back door, I gladly walk over and climb inside, Kellin not far behind me.
Once we’re settled and she’s in the car, she hands a blanket over the seat to me.
“It’s not clothing but judging by the look of your bodies you don’t want anything on you anyway. This is just if you want to cover up,” she says as I take it. I glance up at Kellin, his jaw locked tightly. He’s still unsure and I get that. When I nudge his side, he looks down at me, grabs the blanket, and pulls it over the two of us. He pulls me into his side, resting my head on his shoulder as the woman begins to drive.
It’s strange seeing the road and the trees again. It’s strange seeing so many people going about their normal day. oblivious to the fact that we were trapped out there. A whole different world that people possibly knew about or suspected, yet no one ever tried to find out. Maybe they were just too smart to get involved or maybe they didn’t trust what would happen if they did. Either way we were there, and no one came.
I snuggle into Kellin and wince as the cuts and bruises rub against the soft fabric of the blanket. Kellin can always tell when I’m not comfortable. In seconds, he lifts me in his arms, sits me on his lap, and cradles me like a baby. I gaze up at him and into those blue eyes that once haunted but now soothe me. Neither of us speak, we just stare into the other’s eyes knowing what we both feel without having to use words. Kellin and I have connected on a level that no other human could possibly understand. No words would be enough to express the way we feel or the way we need each other. Nothing could be written that could come close to the way things are between us. Two broken souls connecting on a deeper, mysterious level have forged together and are now bonded, whether we like it or not. We are bonded in fire and blood. And as I stare into the depth of his soul, I know he can feel it too.
If the woman in front notices us, she doesn’t make a move to say anything. I know I shouldn’t be in his lap in the car, but after what I lived through, why should I care? It’s the safety of his arms that keeps me grounded right now, and if I didn’t have that, I’m not sure what dark place my mind would go.
Nineteen
Kellin
“Do you want to talk about it?” Lacrista asks once more. I tug at my hair and ignore her, rolling my head around my shoulders.
“Do I look like I want to talk about it?” I hiss in her direction. We’ve only been here a few days and she hasn’t left. Wherever here is. We don’t know much of anything and she doesn’t offer us up that information either. We know nothing more than this is a safe place or so she claims. She said it’s for our own safety, but I feel like she’s holding us hostage. We can’t leave, we can’t go outside. It’s just like being back home. Home. What a fucked up word. Was it really ever a home? Now it’s just a fucking place that is a pile of ash. I don’t know how I feel about that either.
“Do you think Rose is adjusting alright?” she asks trying to change the subject off me. Maybe it’s best that way.
“She’s not adjusting. She’s fucked up. Her mind is broken, just like mine is.” Lacrista watches me but doesn’t say anything further. Leaving the coven was the easy part, at least that’s what she said. She’s said a lot of things over the last few days that I haven’t listened to. Not that I could really take in much of what she said. I can’t seem to process my thoughts, feelings, or new reality right now. Everything is a mess. My mind is cluttered, and I don’t know what to do with myself. In the coven, I had purpose. I had stability, even if it was to train slaves, I had a schedule. And now that’s gone. I’ve sat in this apartment for days doing nothing. Not a damn thing, and it’s making me insane. Not as if I wasn’t already there.
“What do you mean, your mind is broken?” she asks as I reach for the cigarettes on the table and light one up. I sit back in the chair and watch her, watching me.
“Have you ever been inside a cult, Lacrista?”
She shakes her head. “No but I’ve researched, and I’ve dealt with others leaving them.”
I tilt my head to the side and study her. From her pretty blonde hair to green eyes that are too big for her face. She’s the portrait of beauty, if that’s what you’re looking for.
“Why are you looking at her like that?” I look away and up at Rose when I hear her speak. I smirk, shake my head and take another drag from my cigarette. Rose’s face morphs into something I’ve never seen on her. She’s mad. No, she’s pissed, and that anger is directed at me. In seconds, she’s screaming and rushing through the room. When she slams into me, the cigarette falls from my fingers and her body is pinning me to the chair.
“You want her? You fucking want her? I will bring every fucking evil I can muster at you, Kellin!”
Her threats aren’t idle, not judging by the look in her eyes. Her fist collides with my face, her hands trying to wrap around my throat, and that’s when I smell it. Lacrista races around as I shove Rose off me and stand. Seeing the cigarette burning the carpet, I stomp it out as Lacrista watches. My eyes move to meet Rose’s, but her anger is overriding everything else. She isn’t really here outside of her anger. She’s not my Rose. That’s when I lose it. I stalk across the room and grab her around the throat, slamming her roughly against the wall.
“Kellin, stop!” Lacrista screams. Fuck her. This is between me and Rose.
“You stupid girl. Are you trying to get u
s all killed after we just got out?” I hiss in her face. Lacrista is tugging at my arm and Rose notices. Her devilish gaze turns to her and I know this isn’t going to end well. I reach up with my free hand making sure Rose’s body is pinned to the wall with my body before grabbing her chin and forcing her to look back at me. Lacrista must take the hint and backs off.
“What are you doing, my little devil?” Her eyes are on fire and I fucking like it.
“Don’t you call me that. I never wanted that!”
“But look at you. How fucking angry you are and ready to summon that one thing you hate the most. Did you know that when you bargain with him, he takes another piece of you? Did you know that nothing from him is free?” I ask her, tilting my head to the side as I lean in closer. “He will take everything you are, Rose,” I whisper. She still struggles against my grasp, not caring what I’m saying to her because this isn’t her. It’s him. It’s Satan tugging at her mind because I can feel him doing the same to me.
“Fight him, Rose!” I growl and press my body into hers harder. She screams, she roars, and then tears are rolling down her cheeks.
“I didn’t ask for any of this!” she sobs as I lean down and press my lips to hers. She lets me kiss her, taking whatever pain she has to give. It isn’t as if I don’t have my own, but I’ve lived with it my whole life. What’s more to the burden I already shoulder if I can take it for her? Rose hasn’t suffered under this weight all her life and she doesn’t deserve to either. “I didn’t want this, Kellin.”
“I know you didn’t baby. I know,” I tell her in a soft voice, trying to remain as calm as I possibly can, but in the moment, I feel like I’m ready to explode. My heart is beating too quickly in my chest, the air in the room is so thick I can barely breathe but I can’t let her get lost in her mind. I can’t let him win.
