Page 58 of A Silence So Divine

With a long exhale, I consider her position. I don’t know the extent of her abilities, but I do know it must take an incredible toll on her.

“You won’t,” I promise firmly. Her gaze finds mine, and by the feel of it, a fissure must have formed in the depths of my chest.

With a sniffle, Eden squares her shoulders and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. Determination wipes away despair, and she climbs back into the truck.

The rest of the drive, I wonder if I just lied to her.

Thankfully, the Refuge looks the same. Through a copse of trees, sat in a clearing, RV’s and trailers dapple the overgrown grass. An embankment leads to a creek, the only water source for miles. It’s not ideal, but it’s secluded.

My heart threatens to beat out of my chest, the truck bumbling forward slowly. Curtains sway in windows, people peeking through at the newcomers. They probably armed themselves as soon as they heard the distant hum of an engine.

Eden’s shoulder brushes mine, and I realize she’s trembling. Creed must realize too, because he reaches over and slides his fingers through hers.

“Let me do the talking,”I remind them.

“Bummer,”Creed signs, feigning sincerity.“Eden and I love to talk.”

I sneer at my brother. Many of the members speak sign language, but I don’t bother telling Creed that. Since he wants to be a smartass, I flip him the bird and hop out of the vehicle.

At the forefront of the camp sits a large blue and white RV. Fortunately, its door is the first to swing open. We don’t necessarily have a leader, but Veda is the closest to carrying that title. In her mid-fifties, she’s the most cunning woman I’ve ever met. She might look harmless with her graying roots and smile lines, but I would never cross her.

Veda greets me with a soft smile and a pat on the cheek.

“Well, look what we have here. I was wondering if you’d died, you know,” she tsks.

“Sorry to disappoint.” My eyes flit over the RV.

Following my gaze, she smirks. “Sylvie is on a run. She’ll be back soon.”

Outwardly, I only grunt in response. Internally, though, I heave a sigh of relief. Out of everyone, her reaction is the one I’m most worried about.

The bang of the truck door closing makes my shoulders tense, and Veda turns sharp eyes on me.

“Bring someone with you?” she asks, her words holding an edge of unhappiness.

No one is supposed to know we’re here, and we don’t allow newcomers without a vote. It wasn’t always that way, but there was an incident that changed things. A man, Walter, brought a woman he had met months before. As it turned out, that woman was actually the wife to one of the Brothers.

They stormed our camp and killed three people.

“They’re no threat to us,” I implore.

The soft look she had given me before ignites into fire. This is why she scares the shit out of me.

“And tell me, Cecil, how do youknow?” She spits, fist curled like she might strike me.

The confession is on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t get the words out. No one,no one, knows about Creed. That’s always been my priority.

But, that was before everything went to shit.

“Because he’s my brother.”

Veda’s jaw drops, and she blinks before looking past me. The footsteps behind me have stilled, and I can feel the two of them at my back.

The older woman curses under her breath, looking between Creed and I.

“Jesus,” she says on a sigh. Raising her hands to her skull, she massages her temples like my very presence has given her a migraine. It probably has.

Other curtains have since been pulled back, more and more faces pressed to the windowpanes.