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His scowl only deepened, and it looked weird on him. His face was made for grinning. “But we want them to think their program is healing us, so, at some point, we’ll need to at least?—”
“We can hug,” she decided. “Nothing else.”
“Okay,” he said slowly and focused on the road. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to look at the glove box.
chapter
eleven
The car rolled to a stop, the gravel beneath its tires crunching like bones in the quiet. Cal killed the engine, and for a moment, they just sat there, the weight of their mission pressing down on them like the thick silence of the surrounding woods.
“Here we are,” Cal murmured, his gaze lingering on Ellie, her silhouette haloed by the morning sun streaming through the car window. He noted the way her curly blond hair framed her face, the freckles on her cheeks more pronounced from the reflection of light. Her blue eyes, usually so full of joy, were now steely with a stubborn resolve that reminded him why he’d fallen for her. The woman who loved facts and danced through life was ready to dance into danger.
Jesus, this was a stupid idea.
He turned to face her. “Elle, we don’t have to— there are other ways to?—”
“Let’s do this.” She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and sucked in a deep breath before stepping out of the car.
Fuck.
Cal dropped his forehead to the steering wheel and cursed at himself for agreeing to this. While wrapped in the familiar safety of the town, it seemed like a great idea. They were both intelligent, logical people, so he’d thought there was no chance of them falling for the cult’s line of bullshit. He thought they’d simply spend the few days of the retreat poking around and then go back to Ash with some solid proof that something nefarious was happening up here. But he’d spent the last few days reading everything he could find on cults, and now he wasn’t so sure. Intelligent, logical people got sucked into them all the time.In fact, most cults wanted intelligent, well-educated people.
Heaving a sigh, Cal climbed out of the car, squinting against the bright morning light. There was a peaceful serenity to this place that unnerved him. All was quiet except for a gurgling brook somewhere nearby and the rustle of leaves overhead. A half dozen buildings painted a cheerful yellow, rose from the middle of an emerald sea of grass. Farther away, he could see what appeared to be a large garden, a neat array of brightly colored flowers forming a kaleidoscope against the backdrop of the towering Redwood trees surrounding them.
A breeze lifted his hair, and for a fleeting second, he allowed himself to be awed by the undisturbed beauty of the mountainside.
But every paradise had its snake.
As they approached the commune, a group emerged from the main building. All of them wore light blue robes, and their smiles were as bright as the sun. They opened their arms to embrace Ellie first and then Cal, like a long-lost family. There was an ease to their gait, a tranquility in their eyes that made Cal’s inner Golden Retriever want to trust them.
No. Down, boy.
“Welcome!” they chimed in unison, a chorus so perfectly pitched it sent a shiver down his spine.
“Hello,” Ellie responded with a stilted smile. Nobody here would see the tension in it, but only because they’d never been blinded by her real smile, the one that made her eyes twinkle, her cheeks rosy, and warmed his soul—the one that he’d fallen for, the one he yearned to see every day.
The cult members surrounded them with a buzz of conversation, the air thick with the scent of lavender and something else, something Cal couldn’t quite place. Something that spoke of earth and growth but also carried a note of something... else. Something ugly. Something hidden just beneath the surface, like the subtle hint of decay beneath a bed of roses.
A woman stepped forward from the group. Her long golden hair cascaded down to her waist, reflecting the morning sun like a halo. She was in her mid-twenties and radiated tranquility as if she were part of the landscape itself. “My name is Serenity. I’m here to ensure your journey within our community is enlightening, so do not hesitate to seek my guidance.” She spoke with a gentle smile. “You must be Calvin and Elena Miller.”
Cal glanced at Ellie. Her posture, rigid with tension, contrasted sharply against Serenity’s calm demeanor. He reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against Ellie’s in a silent reassurance. She gripped his hand and seemed to relax a tiny bit.
“Yes, I’m Ellie, and this is my”— there was a slight hitch in her voice— “husband, Cal. I hope we’re not late.”
“Oh, no. You’re right on time. Come,” Serenity beckoned, turning to lead them toward the cluster of yellow buildings. “Let me show you around.”
As they followed their ethereal guide down a wooded path. They passed more people in robes along the way—some were green, but most were brown.
“What is the significance of the robes?” Cal asked.
Ellie’s grip tightened on his. Her hand was cold, and he could feel her pulse thrumming like a trapped bird beneath his touch. She needed reassurance, comfort. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze in return, rubbing his thumb soothingly over the back of her knuckles.
Serenity smiled back at them. If she was startled by the question, she didn’t show even a flicker of it. “It’s the path we all follow to enlightenment. The lighter the color, the closer you are to Mother God.”
“So you think God is female?”
“I know she is. Women are creators of life.” Serenity swept a hand toward a field of wildflowers spilling down the mountain from the edge of the compound. “A man couldn’t create this kind of beauty. He couldn’t even dream it.”
