Rose held up her hand to still the auditorium, and Jamie continued, eyes flashing a certainty I hadn’t seen from him. “I’m telling you, the temptations I gave in to are no less damaging than the Fury itself. Evil is evil, however it shows itself. And I can tell you that the great testing that’s been foretold is coming as the end draws close. Evil is desperate to own us, and only through submission to the laws that keep it at bay will we survive and receive our inheritance. Watch your heart, watch your neighbor, watch for the demon who appears as an angel.”

People murmured questions among themselves, many nodding in agreement. Jamie stood silently, having said what he’d come to say.

Colin stood and spoke above them all. “After you betrayed us once, how can we trust you?”

Jamie took a moment to consider, then nodded once. “Because I yielded to the temptation of doubt. I’m ashamed to admit that I questioned our ways. I longed for a different life. I was given the opportunity to live outside of the law, and it nearly killed me.” His eyes roamed the audience. “I should have died out there. But I was spared to deliver a message against doubt. I know now that the rules we follow and the fears that help us see the right path are what guide us. If we stray from the path, we will suffer a greater hell than the hell I encountered.”

What about me? I wondered. What were they thinking of me? Why was I spared? What was my purpose in this? I dared not look, but I could practically feel the stares of others on me. Would they forgive me after Jamie’s confession?

An image of Bobbie filled my mind. She’d said the worst was to come and that I would need her.

“Be ever vigilant,” Jamie continued. “Take every precaution. When you feel fear, know it’s your discernment instructing you to run away. Avoid and protect your hearts against anything that might compromise the law.”

Without another word, he left the podium and walked down the steps. Whispered concerns filled the auditorium as Harrison took center stage again, urging all to pray and seek only goodness.

Jamie walked back to our pew and sat down beside me. Our eyes met for a moment, and in his I saw a darkness that I could not fathom. My palms were sweaty.

Whatever Jamie had experienced beyond the perimeter had changed him.

IT WAS JUST ME AND MY BEDROOM WALLS AS THE light of day faded into night, calling me to rest. But it wasn’t just me, I thought as my hand instinctively moved to my stomach. Dr. Charles had confirmed what I had already known in my heart. I would tell Andrew the next time I saw him. The thought gave me butterflies.