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Epilogue
Isearch the whole fucking Academy, Chapel, and underground tunnels for Chastity, but she’s just gone. I’m about to give up when I get a call from the Dragon. I answer immediately because you never keep the leader of Locked Souls waiting. That’s been ingrained in me since I was a little boy.
“Sir,” I answer.
“What I’m about to disclose is just between us, Levi Madden. I don’t have time to waste,”he barks, and I’m instantly alert.
“Of course, Sir.”
“Call me Jacob. I hate all that Sir shit. I need your help. My sister just called me and she didn’t sound right. I’m worried and I’m too far from Holy Cross to check on her. She has a history of mental troubles, and I think she might try to harm herself.”I cut him off because I have a feeling I know where this is going, and by the feeling in the pit of my stomach, I have to agree. Something is wrong.
“I’ll find her, Jacob,” I say, and he sighs.
“Chastity never deserved this life she was given. I wish I could have been there for her more. I know about your lessons, Levi. I know you care about her. Save her.”He ends the call before I can respond, but it doesn’t matter. I know we will have more to discuss at a later time, but right now, I have to find my girl.
I turn and run to the guys' dorm. If she’s hiding from me, maybe they know where she is. I don’t bother knocking and storm in. Bast is reading a book and jumps an inch off his bed at my arrival.
“Father Levi, what’s wrong?” he asks, but I’m too scared to speak. Did I do this? Is Chastity missing and possibly hurting herself because I was the one in the confessional? I should have alerted her. I betrayed her trust. I’m starting to panic and my chest is tight. Jonas and Ash come out of Ash’s room looking ruffled, but I don’t comment on it.
“We need to find Chastity right now. She could be in trouble,” I finally bark, and they all stand to attention, waiting for an order. After a minute and I still haven’t said anything, Ash jumps in and commands them to check her grandmother’s apartment while he and I go to her dorm.
We don’t speak as we walk and I’m thankful for it. I know he has questions, as do I.
The door is locked and it’s quiet inside. I bang against the wood, shaking the wall, and some of the girls’ leave their rooms to see what the commotion is. If I was thinking clearly I would order them to go back to bed, but I can’t think straight. All I’m picturing is that sweet, beautiful, broken woman, scared, and with those cuts on her thighs.
“Move,” Ash barks and shoves me out of the way before kicking Chastity’s door in. The wood splinters but I don’t care. We rush in and I immediately go for the bathroom, but that too is empty.
Where are you, Little Sinner?
I grip my hair tight and yank, roaring.Jonas and Bast burst in and shake their heads. “Kitchen,”Jonas says, and takes off down the hall, almost bulldozing into Lisa.
“If you’re looking for Chastity, she was headed towards the chapel about thirty minutes ago,” Lisa says, and I don’t bother to wait for whatever else she says. I take off and the guys follow.
I expect to find her praying when we arrive, not lying there in a pool of blood in front of Christ. Bast stumbles and Jonas shouts, pulling his phone out and calling an ambulance. Ash looks at me with horror in his eyes, and I know I’m crying as I rush to her side to start CPR, but she’s breathing and has a faint pulse.
“We need to stop the bleeding,” I bark, and Bastian rips his shirt off to hold it against her gushing wrist. Ash starts to pace, and for being as strong as he is, he looks like he might pass out. Chastity takes in a shaky breath as I pull her into my lap.
I rock her lifeless body, not caring that I’m crying and covered in her blood. I don’t know what happened to her, but she’s beat to hell. Her angelic face is covered in scratches and dark bruising.
“Who would do this?” Jonas whispers, and I shake my head. I don’t know, but I do know something. I take a deep breath and press a kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry,” I whisper before revealing her secrets.
“Chastity came to confessional while I was there,” I start and Jonas looks up at me with tears running down his cheeks. Bast is keeping pressure on the sliced flesh, and Ash looks like he’s about to burn this chapel down.
Fuck, maybe I’ll help him if she doesn’t make it through this. I run my hand over my face. Fuck, she has to make it! “She confessed that she was lying to the guys she was falling for, and I froze. I should have warned her it was me, but I never claimed to be a saint,” I quickly finish as Ash roars and starts to charge me. Jonas jumps to his feet and holds him as he shakes and cries.
“You did this? You made her end her life?” Ash shouts and I bow my head, because I don’t know if I am the one to blame, but I could be.
“She told me that she was raped and ended up pregnant from it. That she was a mom and was fighting for her redemption. Someone took her baby from her,” I say quietly. Ash looks down at the girl in my arms and unclenches his fists.
He doesn’t seem surprised. Bast is blinking like he can’t believe what I just said, and now Jonas is the one who looks murderous.
“I don’t know who they are, but they are dead,” he growls, and I shake my head. It’s always the quiet ones. Ash drops to his knees and take’s Chastity’s hand.
“I will line them up one by one and burn them at the stake,” he promises, and Bast agrees.
The Chapel doors slam open and a flurry of commotion joins us. The paramedics finally arrive with Mother Superior and Sister Mary. Chastity’s grandmother falls to her knees and wails at the sight of her while they try to save her life. I don’t care about appearances right now. I shuffle closer to the woman who will have me by the balls, and hold her as she lets her stone exterior crack.
“How? How did this happen? Her father came to bring her home for the weekend. She was so excited. I thought maybe she was finally getting her redemption. I just don’t understand,” she mutters and I release her, letting Sister Mary comfort her, then walk over to the guys who are plotting in the corner.
“I think I know who did this, and I know someone who will help,” I say and they nod. The paramedics place her on a stretcher and they start running down the aisle with her. I take after them and offer to ride with her to the hospital, but her grandmother stops me.
Placing her hand onto my shoulder, she gives me a squeeze then takes the offered hand to climb into the rig.
The guys huddle next to me and I watch as the parking lot fills with all the students. Some crying, others just trying to figure out what happened.
“She has to make it. I’m in love with her,” Bast says, and Ash and Jonas agree. I look at them and nod.
“She’s a fighter. She has overcome hell, and she will survive this. She has to,” I say as we watch the ambulance drive away with the angel that holds my heart. “She’s your Eve.”
THE END
