‘Take care of what?’ I’m not used to seeing my mom dealing with people, and I’m certainly not used to seeing her interacting with people the way she is with this woman. ‘Take care of what, Mom?’

My mother turns to me with exasperation, as if I’m embarrassing her. ‘I’ll explain it to you when you’re older.’

I stand under the trees and blink several times at her. It’s all I can think to do. ‘When I’m older? Seriously?’

‘This is not for you. I know you, Penryn. You don’t want to see this.’ She shoos me away.

I take a few steps back and join Raffe to watch in the shadows. My mother gestures for us to move farther back, and we turn and walk away. I slip behind a tree to watch when Mom stops looking at us. Raffe stands beside me but doesn’t bother to hide.

The cult woman bows her head and kneels humbly in front of Paige. A part of me wants to leave, never knowing what’s about to happen. But another part of me wants to barge in between them and break it up.

Something is going on with my mother’s full approval that definitely needs supervising. Are they trying to recruit Paige into a cult? I feel no guilt about spying right now. I’m normally big on privacy, but I just need to make sure that there’s nothing . . . well, crazy going on.

‘I am here to serve you, Great One,’ says the woman.

‘It’s okay,’ says Mom to Paige. ‘She volunteered. We have a whole line of cult members who volunteered. They know how important you are. They’re willing to make sacrifices.’

I don’t like the word sacrifices. I rush over to them.

Paige sits on a fallen tree, looking down at the woman now kneeling in front of her. The woman loosens her sheet and tilts her head to the side to expose her vulnerable neck.

I stand frozen, taking in the scene. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Penryn, stay out of this,’ says Mom. ‘This is a private affair.’

‘Are you offering her as meat?’

‘This isn’t like the other time,’ says Mom. ‘She volunteered. This is an honor for her.’

The cult member looks at me awkwardly with her head still tilted to the side. ‘It’s true. I have been chosen. I am honored to nourish the Great One who has resurrected the dead and will lead us to heaven.’

‘Who wants to go to heaven anymore? There’s nothing but angels there.’ I look at her to see if she’s joking. ‘You actually volunteered to be eaten alive?’

‘My spirit will be renewed as my flesh nourishes the Great One.’