Creed (16 page)

“So where does that leave us?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. “I’m not helping you without Luke and Mike, and you’re telling me that seeing them isn’t gonna happen.”

“I never said I wouldn’t bring them here, only that neither you nor I are going to get them.”

I was surprised I hadn’t remembered it when I first woke up. The stalks swaying as we ran for the shack. The strange voices I heard when Luke tackled Joseph to the ground. And the pain exploding through my head. It wasn’t Joseph who’d hit me. It was somebody else. “Oh my God. You weren’t alone.”

I remembered flashes of their two faces. They were both tall and skinny, not nearly as big as Luke or Joseph. But they’d managed to take me down and wrestle Mike and Luke back into that shed.

“Who are they?” I asked, fear overpowering my optimism. “Who were the other two kids with you?”

“Abram and James, and they want out as badly as me. Maybe more,” he said. “Plus, they have someplace to go, someone waiting for them on the outside.”

That statement brought my anger up short. Why would anybody with an alternative actually choose to stay here? “Then why are they still here?”

“They’re my cousins. Three years younger than me. When the sirens went off and I didn’t come back, they came looking for me. They didn’t mean to hurt you, any of you. But when they saw Luke on top of me, they thought … ” Joseph trailed off.

His cousins had probably assumed Luke was going to kill Joseph, and they weren’t exactly wrong.

“They want to come with me,” Joseph continued. “They want to see their mother … my Aunt Mary.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me about them when you first woke up?” I was yelling now, angry and pissed that he’d kept this from me.

Joseph motioned for me to keep my voice down but I ignored him, not caring who heard me. We had four people outside these walls—four people who could help us—and yet he’d simply sat there, feeding me some stupid crap about playing along and trusting him.

“Go get them,” I ordered. “Go tell them to let Luke and Mike go.”

TWENTY-THREE

Alone all of three minutes, my heart was already hammering. Not from fear this time, but from anticipation. And hope. And excitement.

I’d purposefully avoided thinking about logistics. It was safer not to think about how two fourteen-year-old boys were going to sneak an understandably pissed-off Luke into my room. The mechanics of it all, the danger that seemed to follow our every move, were overwhelming.

The door opened, and I was across the room before I realized who it was. My entire world came crashing down when Joseph stepped in alone and softly closed the door behind him.

“Where are they?” I asked.

“James went to get them; he and Abram will bring them in through the back alleys.”

“How long?” I glanced at the clock. It was nearly three already.

“Relax, Dee. It’s going to take a bit of time. Too many people out and about. In a couple hours, the entire town will be in the chapel for evening prayer. That’s the safest time to bring them in.”

Evening prayer. And one messed-up meet-and-greet for me.

“But we’re supposed to be
at
that service,” I said, my voice rising with each passing breath. “That’s why I’m dressed like this, so he can introduce me to his followers. It’s the reason I had to memorize all that stuff and braid my hair and wash my makeup off and—”

Joseph cut me off with a hand to my shoulder. “I went to see my father before I came back. I told him you weren’t feeling well and that even the simple task of braiding your hair seemed to take too much energy. I asked if we could delay your introduction till tomorrow, to give you time to rest.”

“And he agreed?” I half expected Elijah to come barreling through the door, yank me to my feet, and demand that I perform.

“Not yet. He wants to see you for himself, so get in that bed and look sick.”

I did as Joseph asked, going so far as to pull the elastic from my braid and yank a few strands free. Losing the clogs, I climbed under the quilt and bit down on my cheek until it bled. It worked. The taste of blood running down my throat made me nauseated. I considered scratching at my bandaged arms, hoping a bit of fresh blood might help make this whole lie believable. But I didn’t get the chance. The soft knock on the door stopped me cold.

“Close your eyes,” Joseph whispered as he dropped a wet cloth to my forehead. He looked tired and beaten-down himself, but I doubted that was an act.

Elijah slid into the room, the mattress shifting as Joseph relinquished his place on the bed to his father. “Rebekah,” Elijah whispered, his hand trailing to my hair. “Joseph tells me that you aren’t feeling well.”

I turned my head toward Elijah’s voice and opened my eyes, fluttering them twice for effect. I had a lot of practice playing sick, although it usually preceded a chemistry test I hadn’t studied for or a detention I didn’t want to sit through.

“I have brought you something I think will help you see more clearly,” Elijah said.

He pulled a ribbon-tied box from his coat pocket and placed it on the nightstand next to my bed. Judging from the size and shape, I gathered it was a wedding band, which meant I wasn’t planning on opening it. Ever.

He caught me watching it and deliberately pushed it aside. “I was hoping to introduce you to my following tonight. The sooner we start our new life together, the easier this will be.”

I moaned rather than answered. Probably safer, given that the only words I could possibly string together were violent curses.

“Father,” Joseph said, “she truly isn’t well.”

“Rebekah?” Elijah soothed. The door to my room clicked again, and I wondered who else he’d summoned to help him break me down. “Rebekah, dear, can you look at me?”

I opened my eyes wider, my mind racing to figure out what was up with the sudden affection. I quickly remembered it had nothing to do with me, that he was the same maniacal man I’d met earlier. This was nothing more than a cover for the benefit of the young girl who’d slipped into the room and was standing next to him.

She tipped her head slightly as she stared down at me, a mixture of confusion and curiosity sparkling in her eyes. They were brown like her brother’s, and huge, but they lacked the hopelessness I’d come to associate with Joseph’s gaze. Her body was willowy, her hair neatly braided, and she kept sending hesitant glances back toward Elijah, smiling when she finally got his attention.

I didn’t need a formal introduction. I’d have known this girl anywhere. Eden.

Joseph instinctually slid his body in front of hers, a protective gesture he’d probably done a thousand times before. I liked it. It reminded me a little of Luke.

“You understand why it is important for Joseph to go to evening services with me tonight?” Elijah asked as he took the damp cloth from my forehead and dropped it into the basin. He wrung it out and checked its temperature against his own wrist before smoothing it back over my forehead. “I hate to leave you alone, but it is crucial that Joseph show his support for me and the gift I’ve been blessed with.”

My eyes moved to Joseph. He nodded, confirming my thoughts. I was the gift.

“But I don’t think it’s wise to leave you alone,” Elijah continued as he placed a gentle hand under my chin and guided my eyes to his. “Being that you are so weak, I have asked my daughter, Eden, to sit with you.”

Eden’s eyes barely made contact with mine before skirting back to the floor, her voice a whisper as she said, “Hello.”

Unlike the bland garments I’d been forced to wear, Eden’s clothes consisted of a knee-length beige skirt and a rather bright blue shirt. I wouldn’t say she was fashionable or even looked good; rather, she was more like the awkward, smart girl who sat at the back of class. We had one. Every school had one. Her name was Kerry, or Kaylan, or Kaitlin or something. I’d never paid her much attention; now I’d give anything for the chance to ask her what her name was.

I went to sit up, then remembered I was playing sick. Groaning, I slumped back down. In an effort to help me, Elijah slid one arm around my back and the other under my knees. He lifted me up, repositioning me so I had a better view of the room. Of Eden. Of him.

“Are you sick?” she asked me.

Yes,” I said, following her eyes to the floor. I caught the movement of her hand against the pocket of her skirt. It was trimmed with satin, the small patch she was working between her fingers nearly gone.

Twelve. Joseph said she was twelve, but sitting here, watching Eden twist her hands in her skirt, she looked more like seven. And if that was the case, if she was as sheltered and naïve as Joseph had said, then she was screwed.

“I’ll be okay,” I said and held out my hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Eden waved shyly, every last bit of her innocence shining through in that gesture. I was way younger than her when I’d realized the world essentially sucked. But then again, I had other kids to compare myself to. All Eden had was a town full of blind followers.

“Joseph is worried about you,” she said, reaching out for her brother. Joseph took her hand and squeezed gently. Eden turned her attention to her father and gave him the same adoring gaze. “I can sit with her if you want. That way she won’t be alone during evening services.”

This was perfect. Joseph and I couldn’t have planned this better if we’d tried. No need to pretend to submit to Elijah’s divine authority. With only Eden in the room and Elijah tied up preaching that “wrath of God” crap to his followers, Eden and I could be out of this place in no time. No one to stop us. No one to even see us escape. I sent a quick look Joseph’s way, and he jerked his head in agreement.

“I’d like that,” I said. Soon, Luke, Mike, and I would have Eden miles from here. Joseph would just have to catch up with us later.

“Eden knows to come and find me should you become physically ill,” Elijah said. “I have explained to her that you are a bit confused and weak. She is also aware that you have been isolated since your birth, and that the idea of being introduced to the community is a bit overwhelming for you. She will come and get me if you become overly agitated or start speaking nonsense.”

His words required nothing more than a nod of understanding, but I wouldn’t give him that. I knew full well that his phony kindness was nothing more than a warning in disguise. Eden wasn’t to be my caretaker; she was to be my guard, and one false move on my part would send her running straight to him.

Elijah took my silence for agreement and leaned in to place a kiss on my cheek. “Good girl.”

He was in the midst of motioning Joseph toward the door when someone knocked. The knob spun to the right, then stopped, as if whoever was out there was waiting for permission to enter.

“Expecting someone?” Elijah asked.

The color drained from my cheeks as I searched my mind for something to do … something to say to prevent the inevitable. Joseph had that same look of terror on his face, was grasping at the same dead air as me.

“Answer it,” Elijah said as he took a seat on the bed. He stretched his legs out casually and grinned. “We’ve got plenty of time before I’m expected at the altar, and I would love to speak with your guests.”

Out of options, Joseph went to the door, his hand tensing on the knob as he twisted it. My eyes glanced over the two boys who came in. Twins. Identical, down to the small mole to the right of their mouths and the tinge of red in their hair. I had hazy memories of them from the morning—their hands, the rough feel of their shirts, and the log to the back of my head.

I shrugged off those thoughts, too busy searching the space behind them for Luke and Mike. Holding my breath, I waited for them to walk through the door, wanting nothing more than to see them, yet hoping they weren’t there. I prayed they’d somehow escaped and were already heading home for help.

“They’re not—”

It was the sound of the unfamiliar voice that forced me to start breathing again. “No,” I shouted, cutting them off.

They both swung their heads in my direction, following my eyes to Elijah.

“Abram. James,” Elijah said and stood up. They bowed their heads and locked their hands together at their backs. “Your father is waiting for you in the chapel. I haven’t told him about your plans or your involvement with all of this, only that I think you need to spend some time, as a family, reflecting on your mother’s sins. I hate to think what he’d do if he knew.”

A shiver worked its way through each of them, the same fear settling into me. I went to say something, to covertly ask them where Luke and Mike were, but Elijah saw my open mouth and cut me off.

“Eden, darling, please go along with Abram and James to the chapel. I will be along shortly—I wish to speak to your brother and Rebekah alone.”

Eden didn’t argue; she simply got up and followed Abram and James to the door. I caught the quick glance they sent Joseph’s way.

“Go,” Joseph said, trying to reassure his cousins. “We’ll be there soon.”

The sound of the knob catching brought with it a terrifying knowledge. My plan—finding Luke and Mike and dragging Eden out of here while Elijah was tied up at the evening service—had unraveled before it even had a chance to start.