“Why?”
“It wasn’t just Boaz who would do you harm. Both sides of your family would love to get their hands on you.”
I silently agreed, remembering the encounter with my Grandfather months ago. “So is that where we are going now? To hide me?”
“Yes.”
After a moment of silence, I turned abruptly to Charlie. “What did Sable do when she saw Erik die?”
“She laughed. He died right next to her, and she laughed.”
He pressed on the brake, slowing the car when the dirt road became more difficult to navigate. There were times when I thought the car wouldn’t fit between two trees but somehow it managed to squeeze through. Finally, the forest opened to a wide clearing and in the middle was a small log cabin.
“Here we are,” Charlie said, taking the keys out of the ignition. “It’s not much but we did make some improvements.” He opened his door and headed toward the cottage.
I stepped out of the car. “What is this place?”
“This is your new home,” he answered without turning around.
“My new home?”
Charlie opened the door of the cottage and then looked back at me. “Where else would you go?”
“I was going to Chicago,” I said, but suddenly realized how bad of an idea that was now. I couldn’t use Liane’s money or support, not after what she did to me.
“It’s much safer if you stay here, at least for a while.”
I nodded and followed Charlie inside the darkened home. Lights flipped on, pushing the darkness to the corners of the room.
The cabin was surprisingly modern with gray walls and black and white furniture. Teal-colored pillows and a matching ocean painting hanging on the wall balanced out the room. In a way, the painting reminded me of Eden, and I wondered if Charlie somehow knew about my private sanctuary.
From the hallway, Charlie called, “You’ll have everything you need here. A woman named Nora will drop off groceries and whatever else you want every Saturday. Just make a list.” He returned to the living room. “The rest of the home is in order. Bedroom and bath are at the end of the hall. There’s even a small library.”
“Why are you doing all this?” I asked.
Charlie opened a refrigerator in the kitchen and removed cheese and turkey. “Sandwich?”
I lowered myself into a chair at the counter. “Please.”
“So why am I helping you, you ask?” he said as he removed a knife from a drawer. He proceeded to cut the turkey into thin slices before saying, “I sense a lot of anger and fear in you. It’s created a darkness that’s nearly overtaken your mind and heart, but there’s this light…” He closed his eyes and tilted his head as if tuning in to a distant sound. “It’s fighting against the darkness.” He opened his eyes. “It’s bright, but it needs time to grow.”
I didn’t realize my mouth was open until I closed it.
He continued. “I want to give you the safety and the time you need to become the person you were meant to be. That’s why I want to help you. The Deific, however, they see you as viable force for good and want you on our side.”
“I don’t want to be on anyone’s side,” I said.
Charlie placed the turkey and a slice of cheese in between two slices of bread and handed it to me. “And that’s all right. For now. But the time will come for you to choose sides. Battles come in many different forms, and we all must face one, if not many, at some point in our lives. And when that fight comes, we must choose a side.”
I took a bite and thought about it, slowly chewing. After I swallowed, I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted me.
“Don’t make a decision now. It’s going to take time for you to heal and to discover who you are. Nothing else matters.” He slid a glass of milk toward me. “You have a lot to think about and years to do it in.”
“Years?”
“You’ll be surprised how long it takes to overcome what you’ve been through. It won’t be easy, but I think this place will help you heal. It’s helped others.”
While Charlie put away the food and wiped off the counter, I glanced around the small cabin, focusing lastly on the ocean painting. “How did you know to prepare all of this? I thought you came to kill me—I mean, Alarica.”
“The Deific doesn’t always trust my gift. I told them I’d find someone other than Alarica, but they still had me prepared to kill her just in case.”
“I mean no disrespect, but how exactly were you planning on killing Alarica? She was pretty much invincible.”
He smiled. “I didn’t come alone.” Charlie straightened. “You’ll find more food in there, and there’s clothing in the bedroom. After I leave, I suggest a hot bath and perhaps some fresh clothes.”
I glanced down at my jeans and t-shirt. They were covered in so much dirt that I couldn’t tell what color they were anymore.