It was hot today, much too hot. I had the only spaghetti strap dress in, white, on because I woke up melting but it wasn’t doing much to keep me cool. That could also be because of Noah’s confession last night and the fact that my ‘father’ had cut me.
Noah was there, his eyes burning into me. I refused to look at him through fear of giving away our plan – his plan. I wasn’t even sure if I believed him, but he was all I had right now. I’d contemplated running off to the side Noah would be waiting but in another direction to go it alone but that was probably stupid. It was hard to know who to trust when every single person important to me had lied.
We walked slowly. Fiona kept breathing in and out deeply, and I wanted to laugh, but I was too scared. They all looked absolutely ridiculous, dressed only in white, lips moving with whispered words. It was probably about me being ‘the light’ again.
Without a word, Fiona took me to the centre of the circle and went to stand between Donald and Shaun-the-traitor. I licked my lips. What was about to happen now? On the floor in front of their feet were vines of what looked like ivy. I didn’t want to know what they were going to do with them but no doubt I would find out very soon.
The only comfort I had was knowing that they wouldn’t kill me before the final ritual in a few days time. But would they hurt me again? Would Noah stand by and let that happen for a second time? Probably, if he intervened they’d know he was – possibly – on my side and that would be it.
I hated placing my faith in a guy that had betrayed me and crushed my heart.
Donald picked up a vine and closed in. I braced myself, clenching my fists and breathing heavily. My cut started to sting but I ignored the pain.
Don’t hurt me. Please don’t hurt me.
He stopped and knelt down winding the vine around the bottom of my ankles. They were tying me up? My breathing came out in thick pants as he wrapped around and around until my ankle was covered.
With wide eyes, I looked at Fiona. She at least half explained what was going to happen. I knew we were going to a field and there would be chanting but I didn’t know about being tied up.
He stood a few feet away and with a warm smile said, “What are we but part of nature. Like trees breathing new life in spring, we will be born again. Into eternal light, you shall lead us. Wind around our souls and take us with you, my love. The Light, our saviour, my daughter.”
If I could move, I would’ve run right then. My fists trembled, digging into my legs where I tried to stop people seeing how scared I was. I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction, not that I thought they’d get any out of it anyway.
My eyes flicked to Noah. He looked like the rest of them, calm and happy. He looked like he didn’t care about me in the way he’d proclaimed yesterday, but I’d learned the hard way that the guy had the best bloody poker face, so I hoped he was pretending to fit in.
I was counting on him completely, and I hated that.
Fiona was the next to move, she picked up her vine and made her way over. She looked at me like she loved me, but she didn’t, not in any real way. If she did love me, she wouldn’t let this happen. I held myself tighter, my arm now throbbing as it crushed against my side.
Smiling, she bent her knees and wound the vine around my legs, starting where Donald left off. How long was this going to go on for? “You are the one that will lead us, Scarlett. Your gift grants us eternity.”
You’re bloody welcome.
Biting my lip, I nodded and stopped myself blinking so I could make my eyes tear up. I didn’t need them to trust me or think I was all for their cult now Noah was getting me out, but it’d help them relax, and I wanted to catch them off guard when I ran.
It was thirty-eight against two. We didn’t stand much chance, but I was determined to do everything I could to get away. All I wanted was to be back with my family.
I had a few apologies to make to Mum, Dad and Jeremy.
I closed my eyes as one by one they tied vines around my body. I hated not being able to move. There was about half a centimetre leeway where I could move and that felt tighter with every second. The vines bound me to the elbow and there was still one person left to go. Noah.
He stepped forwards, and I held my breath. This was the hardest one. I could push away the panic of being trapped but Noah having a hand in that was awful. When he was right in front of me, far enough from the others that he could show his true emotions, his face fell. His eyes looked haunted, pained. He didn’t want to do this. That meant something. Actually, that meant a lot.
“It’s okay,” I said under my breath, trying not to move my lips.