Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 114281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
It was his way of saying goodbye to me.
Chapter 38
Soren
It takes days to get back to the House, every step harder than any of the ones before. Leaving her was the most difficult decision I have ever made, but with every step I take, I grow stronger in my belief it was the right one.
She didn’t deserve to be there.
She was sinless, yet they brought her to us, thinking we could fix her, thinking we could turn her into something she wasn’t meant to be.
So I set her free.
How could I not after the story she told me about how bad they treated her? And just how horrible she thought it would be to have another man touch her, let alone use her just to make babies.
The way her face contorted told me enough. But I was conflicted because of my duty to the house and the vows I made to always listen to my superiors and never fail. And that kept me from making the best decision. From doing what’s right.
Because she deserves to be safe.
To be free.
Far, far away from me.
Even if that meant losing her.
Even if that meant … losing me.
Because giving her this one thing she desired the most will cost me everything.
I sigh out loud as I stand in front of the door to the House. I will have to pay for my sins…
But I still believe it was worth it.
That smile on her face was worth more than my life ever will.
So I hold my head high and go inside to face the consequences of my actions.
Whatever happens, I will not change my mind.
I made my decision the second she told me she hated me, and I’m sticking to it.
I thought I could do it, that I could bring her to that cult, but something inside me broke when she uttered those words. Something broke in her. Something I took for granted. And I would do anything to have it back, even when I knew it would cost me everything.
I can live with that as long as she is happy.
So that’s what I keep in mind as I walk up to the study room and knock on the door. I wait, my heart steady, my head cool, but there’s no response.
Of course.
I’d forgotten what Eli said.
I lower my eyes as I remember his words … that he was done and that it was time.
The final punishment for committing the gravest sin of all.
Eli is gone.
I sigh and lean my head against the wood. “Rest in peace.”
“Well, he’s in peace but not in the ground.”
Tobias’s sudden interruption makes me glance over my shoulder.
“What do you mean?”
My eyes flicker back and forth between him and the book in his hands. “Eli isn’t dead.”
My eyes widen. “How?”
“He chose to leave with his girl,” he replies.
I frown. “Amelia? Why?”
Tobias shrugs. “Don’t ask me.”
“But the final rule …” I mutter.
“He changed the rules for himself,” Tobias says, closing the book in his hand. “Forgiveness is a powerful thing.”
This sounds nothing like Eli. “Where is he?”
“Gone. Doesn’t want us to find him.”
I narrow my eyes. “What happens to the House?”
Tobias’s nostrils flare. “I take over.”
My heart begins to pound. “Can you?”
He cocks his head. “Why wouldn’t I be able to?”
I raise a single brow. “The sinners are gone …”
“We’ll get new ones. The House always continues to do its job.” Tobias closes the gap between us. “But I heard you had something to do with their disappearance.”
“I obeyed the rules,” I retort, standing my ground.
“Eli’s rules,” he quips, not backing down either. “But he is gone.” There’s a deathly stare and a pause. “This is my House now. And you will listen to my commands.” When I don’t reply, he asks, “Do you understand?”
I nod slowly.
I don’t like it, but it is what it is.
I was born to serve, born to follow the leader of this House. And if the leader is dead … a new one will replace him.
I sigh and let out a breath through my flared nose. “What do you need?”
“What did Eli want you to do with that one girl? April, right?” He licks his lips, waiting for a reaction. “Did you bring her back to the ones who sent her?”
I swallow. If I lie … he will find out. All it takes is contacting one person from the records, and I’m done for.
No, I have to tell the truth.
Lying is for the weak. The sinners.
And I have sinned enough.
My payment is due.
“I brought her home,” I say.
His eyes narrow. “The cult … or her house?”
“Her house.”
His face turns sour, and suddenly, he throws the book to the ground. “I knew it! I knew he made a crucial mistake entrusting that girl to you.”
I don’t respond. I just take in his criticism with my head held high.