Page 56 of A Silence So Divine

“Complicated,”Cecil offers.

“Insane!”

My sentiments exactly.

“So what do we do?”Creed pushes, eyes blazing with urgency.

“Fight,”Cecil responds coolly, as if it’s the most simple solution in the world. “It was always our goal, to eventually end them. We wanted more people, but with them knowing about Eden, we don’t have time. The Reverend only gave us a month before we’re supposed to return.

Tomorrow, I’m taking Eden to the camp. A few of the members have been a part of the resistance for decades, so maybe they’ll have an idea about her…”he trails off, glancing in my direction. “Origin.”

The thought of meeting new people makes my stomach flip. I don’t want to hurt anyone else.

Creed nods pensively.“Alright, what time will we leave?”

“We?”Cecil scoffs and shakes his head.“Weare not doing anything.”

Pushing up from the table, Creed huffs out an incredulous laugh.“You can’t be serious. After everything, you would make her go alone?”

“She won’t be alone, she’ll be with me.”

“And how has that worked out for her so far?”

The words are daggers.

An unnerving stillness falls over the kitchen. The only sound is that of Cecil’s molars grinding. Fisting my hands at my sides, my fingernails threaten to break the skin of my palm.

Ever since I was found in that attic, I’ve done nothing but cause problems between these two. No matter what I do, or where I go, chaos ensues.

It would have been easier if they had let me go.

A mumbled “fuck this” is Cecil’s departing words, and then he’s out the door.

There’s a triumphant twinkle in Creed’s eye.

“That wasn’t nice,”I tell him.

He shrugs. “He’s not nice. Come on, let’s sit on the porch.”

He offers me his hand. Bewildered, I stare at the outreached palm. How could he still bear to touch me? It’s at the tip of my fingers to tell him he has every right to be afraid. Matter of fact, heshouldbe afraid.

But he doesn’t look like he fears me at all. Actually, he wiggles his fingers impatiently.

And because I am selfish, I take his hand.

Twenty Four

Cecil

Freezing water sets my nerve endings alight, and I wince at my reflection. My hair is a wavy mess, half of it smashed to the side of my head from the few hours of sleep I got. Eden screamed during the night, and I had to wake Creed to go to her. She silenced almost instantly, but I never fell back asleep. I’ve got the dark circles to prove it.

The stress I’m under has to have me at risk of some sort of cardiac emergency. I haven’t been to the Refuge in nearly two weeks, and I’ve certainly never brought guests. No one there even knows I have abrother.

Things had been working out perfectly. Curran trusts me the most out of anyone, so he gives me the profiles of our high priority targets. Then, I’m able to take it directly to the Resistance. Within days, the target “disappears”.

We’re not able to save everyone, but even one is better than none.

Stomping downstairs, I make my way to Eden’s door. My hand closes around the doorknob, but at the last moment I think better of it, and I knock with the side of my fist a few times.A few minutes pass before the door creaks open. Eden rubs at bloodshot eyes, squinting at me through her fingers.