Page 135 of A Silence So Divine

The cushion beneath me dips, and I slowly face the unwelcome guest. Sylvie’s amber eyes bore into me, and with her hair tied in a knot at the nap of her neck, I see a violet bruise has bloomed over her temple.

“You need the energy. Otherwise, you’re useless.”

I scoff, wiping my nose against my sleeve. Exhaustion tugs at me, but the anxiety refuses to let me rest. Or eat. Or breathe.“Aren’t I already?”I retort, cocking my brow. She doesn’t frown, or reprimand me, she simply stares.

I shift uncomfortably.

After a beat, she stands from the couch and makes for the bedroom. Before she passes the threshold, she turns back, giving me a final up-down glance.

“I don’t know. Are you?”

The door shuts behind her, and with Veda outside taking inventory of our weapons, I’m left alone with the steaming bowl of soup in front of me.

And damn it if I don’t eat the whole thing.

Fifty Six

Creed

Astorm is coming. I can smell it in the breeze—damp and metallic.

The air is electric, a faint buzz flowing deep in the Earth and all the way into the clouds. I splay my fingers out, as if static might shoot sparks from the tips.

Moonlight has been shrouded by low hanging clouds, making it difficult to see. All the better for the task at hand.

A single tiki torch in front of Veda’s RV illuminates faces in shades of orange.

“We stick together until we get inside. Then, split into teams of two. If anything goes wrong, you leave and meet back at the vehicles. Or…”She shrugs her shoulders.“Run.”

There’s more she says, but my attention is scattered, ruminating on all that my brother and friend could be enduring. After eating, I attempted to take a nap. Every time I closed my eyes, the same vision taunted me: Eden, mouth stretched open in a silent scream, holding my brother to her chest as he took his last breath.

I gave up on sleep pretty quickly.

The speech concludes, and everyone makes their way to the vehicles. There’s a commotion in my peripheral vision, and I turn to see the mother pass her little boy to the older couple. His limbs flail, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. The mother’s mouth moves, her own eyes filled with tears. Though I can’t be sure what promises she’s making, I’m certain she knows as well as the rest of us that she might not be able to keep them.

I glance down at the cast on her leg, then flick my eyes forward before I paint the dirt in chicken soup.

Loaded into the damaged SUV, the seats are covered in dust and blood splatters. In front of me, two boot prints are visible on the back of the seat. My fingers wring together painfully.

With missing windows, the air that slices through the vehicle is sharp, forcing me to squint. Sylvie drives like a bat out of hell, and I find myself clutching the seat on more than one occasion.

The vehicle slows, and I peek out into the night. Fragmented glass, pooling blood, bullet casings, and bodies litter the stretch of road. It must be where the fight occurred. The display is so gruesome, I’m shocked Sylvie was able to make it out. The lights on the dash shine over her eyes, and in the rearview mirror, glistening amber stares back at me.

I have to look away.

Lights shine in the distance, close together and staggered. The city. We come to a crossroads, and instead of turning towards the rows of buildings, we take the stretch that leads to more empty road.

My gut twists. There’s so many of them and so few of us. Even if I had years of training, I would still be at a disadvantage. My lack of hearing has never bore down on me with the burden of cannot’s. Yet in this moment, minutes away from facing those who could snuff me out like a low burning candle, I can’t help but consider the hindrance my condition offers.

The gravel of the road turns looser, the ride bumpier. Leaning forward, I peer between the two front seats and into the night.

Never in my life have I seen the Sanctuary, but there’s no mistaking it. Plopped in the middle of an expanse of beige fields, the white of the edifice gives it an otherworldly quality. A few smaller buildings are dispersed behind it, though they aren’t nearly as impressive. It’s an unusual vision; all sharp edges and imposing in nature. I can’t imagine anyone coming here as a place of worship.

The building seems to glow without the aid of moonlight. Few lights are dappled around the perimeter of the property, offering no more than a sinister glow. Even the windows are eerie; impossibly large with gruesome scenes painted in shades of red, green, and blue.

It reminds me so much of the house when we first found Eden. Cold, out of place,haunting.

When the SUV is parked, there’s a heavy pause where no one dares speak, all of us staring at what will be one large grave by night’s end.