Page 20 of Twisted Truths (The Sunburnt Hearts #4)

Chapter Fifteen

HADLEY

T he air is thick and suffocating as I join the rest of the congregation in the Sunfire Circle chapel on Tuesday evening.

I fold my trembling hands neatly in my lap; inside, I’m unravelling.

Guardian Solomon’s voice rolls over the congregation like thunder made of silk, low and commanding, every word soaked in fire and fate.

I can’t focus on what he’s saying. Something about divine purpose, chosen paths, and sacred unions.

Sacred unions. The Awakening.

This is for your safety.

No one will know of the deception.

I’m lying to myself. Seraphina will know.

She will be suspicious when Gabriel announces me as his Chosen.

Angry, even.

My throat is dry, and I swear I feel each heartbeat ricocheting through my ribs like a drumbeat announcing war. Our war.

Gabriel went to his father after he snuck me back to my cabin early Saturday morning, and they made an announcement that night—his eldest son is ready to fulfill his duty to the Circle and take a new Chosen.

I haven’t seen Gabriel since. He said it would be too dangerous for us to be seen in one another’s company before he proclaimed me at the ceremony.

Gianna hasn’t let up on her theory that his Chosen will be me, but I’ve kept my mouth shut, not wanting to give anything away.

Nervous tension causes my stomach to clench. When he lost Madeline, his parents forced him to take a new Chosen after six months. Will they be suspicious of him coming to them only two weeks after Zara’s murder?

What we’re about to do is dangerous. Gabriel thinks this will protect me, but what if his plan backfires?

No one will know of the deception, I repeat to myself.

A tingling sensation runs down my spine, a feeling of being watched, but I keep my head bowed. I can’t afford to bring attention to myself. Not now.

I let my thoughts drift as Guardian Solomon drones on, but this proves to be just as dangerous. Images of chestnut curls and intense brown eyes flood my subconscious, and the ghost of Nash’s tongue claiming my mouth makes my body temperature rise.

What would he think of what I’m about to do?

Zara’s brother is so sure Gabriel had something to do with her death, he won’t see reason.

And while I can’t deny how safe and desired I felt wrapped up in his embrace the other day, he has a life and a career overseas which doesn’t bode well for me.

As soon as he finds justice for his sister and lays his family to rest, he’ll be gone, and I’ll still be stuck here.

Gabriel and Madeline are a prime example of what happens when you let feelings dictate your actions.

I’ve lived as a shell for the past three years, mourning my sister and trying to live the life I thought she wanted.

It’s time I take care of myself, and the only option I have that makes sense is to go along with Gabriel’s plan.

He promised to keep me safe. I have to trust him.

Pushing all thoughts of Nash from my mind, I tune in to Guardian Solomon’s sermon as he chants, “We are the Circle. We are the flame.”

I repeat the memorised response along with the rest of the congregation. “From the flame, we are reborn. Circle of fire, circle of light. We stand as one, through the darkest of nights.”

This is it.

Gianna reaches over and surreptitiously squeezes my hand as Gabriel joins his father at the altar. My stomach twists in a knot, and I fight the urge to rise to my feet and run.

“As you all know,” Guardian Solomon begins solemnly, “not everyone is cut out for life in the Sunfire Circle. The duties we uphold, the sacrifices we make for the good of our community … they are difficult. In time, some choose another path.”

I keep my gaze fixed on the stone floor beneath the altar, breathing deeply. In, and out. In, and out.

“They defect,” he continues, his voice echoing through the room. “Though we mourn the loss of their presence, we must respect their decision. The Circle endures.”

“The Circle endures.”

Clenching my jaw, I ignore the ringing in my ears. Zara didn’t defect. Well, okay, she did leave … but no one here knows she was murdered after leaving. Yet Guardian Solomon doesn’t acknowledge that. He doesn’t want his congregation knowing the truth—the Sunfire Circle is built on secrets.

I inhale through my nose, slow and deep. My grief cannot overwhelm me in this moment. I need to stay strong and keep this secret for now .

Guardian Solomon lifts his hands. “May those who choose to leave find peace on their journey.”

“May they find peace.”

When I say nothing, Gianna squeezes my hand again, shooting me a quizzical look when I meet her gaze.

I ignore her concern. Gianna doesn’t know about my friendship with Zara, and I’m going to keep it that way.

Zara’s supposed pregnancy to a Guardian meant Seraphina wanted her protected—she was not supposed to interact with any of the congregation until after the baby was born.

“While still deeply hurt by the sudden departure of his Chosen, my son understands the necessity of our divine values.” At the front of the chapel, Guardian Solomon leans in to have a murmured conversation with his son, no doubt to get the name of his Chosen.

Gabriel gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head. I hold my breath, waiting for what is to come.

After a brief glance at his wife, Guardian Solomon motions for his son to step forward. The silence in the chapel deepens. It’s charged, like the moment before a storm breaks.

Gabriel moves with the grace of someone trained since childhood to hide the uncertainty. But I see it in the tight line of his jaw, the way his shoulders resist the urge to square. He clasps his hands behind his back, keeping his expression carefully neutral.

“Hadley Jacobs.” His voice is clear as he speaks my name. “The deities have spoken, and you have been Chosen for the Awakening.”

Despite knowing it was coming, my heart thunders in my chest as I rise to my feet blocking out the whispers from the congregation. Hadley Jacobs? But she looks like … Is that Madeline’s sister ?

Seraphina’s smile is tight as she watches me walk to the front of the chapel.

I bow my head, imitating reverence as I pass her to take my place next to her son.

Her husband greets me with a beaming smile, and I wonder if he’s really that good of an actor, or he honestly doesn’t know what’s going on right now. He takes my hands in his, and I resist the urge to yank them free.

His wife steps forward to place the woven veil over my face, the malice and contempt clear in her grey eyes, which match her son’s. She’s not happy about this, but as Gabriel predicted, she won’t cause a scene in front of the congregation.

“Hadley Jacobs,” Guardian Solomon intones.

“May you be blessed with the Awakening. As the veil of purity falls, a new dawn shall arise. You are the vessel through which the Light will pass, the whisper of the divine in flesh. You, who carry the essence of the Circle, shall guide them in ways unseen, nurturing the growth of those who are yet to come. May your journey lead them to their purpose.”

“As the fire rekindles, you shall Awaken and carry the essence of the Circle,” the congregation chants.

Guardian Solomon leads Seraphina out of the chapel, and I look up at Gabriel.

He gives me a reassuring smile as he offers me his arm.

Exhaling a shaky breath, I hook my elbow through his.

Not a word is said as we follow his parents through the commune until we reach the guardian cabins.

Seraphina will not want to make a scene.

Gabriel moves towards his front door, releasing my elbow and guiding me with a hand at the small of my back, but he stops when his mother speaks.

“You will bring your Chosen to our abode,” Seraphina says, her voice cool and absolute. It’s not a request; it’s a command carved in stone .

Gabriel’s spine straightens, and for a moment, I think he might obey. But then he lets out a short laugh, humourless and sharp.

“I appreciate the enthusiasm to get to know my Chosen, Mother,” he says, turning just enough to meet her gaze over his shoulder. “But I’d hate to waste my first night alone with her.”

My stomach churns as Seraphina’s eyes narrow, offering a glimpse at the first crack in her polished exterior. But Gabriel’s already pushing me forward, his hand gentle but firm as he guides me through the door.

“We’ll see you in the morning.” The warning is clear in her tone as the door closes behind us.

He lets out a breath, his shoulders sagging, and I feel the shift in the air, like we’ve stepped out of a storm that hasn’t broken yet. Seraphina is pissed, and that doesn’t bode well for me.

Gabriel’s jaw is tight, but when he glances down at me, the tension eases somewhat, replaced by something wearier.

“Welcome home,” he murmurs.

I swallow around the lump in my throat, wondering if what he said to his mother was true. This arrangement was only supposed to be for my safety, but surely he’s not expecting us to?—

“You can take the bedroom,” he offers, interrupting my thoughts. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I murmur, my cheeks heating as my gaze drops to the floor.

He arches a brow. “Are you telling me you want to consummate this arrangement?”

My eyes widen. So he does expect?—

“Relax, junior-firecracker.” Gabriel smirks. “I have no interest in you like that.” He moves to a cupboard and pulls out a spare blanket and pillow. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be an emotional day.”

“What?” I ask, removing the veil covering my face and pinching the bridge of my nose. A headache is forming. My brain is struggling to keep up with all the events of the day, and I have no idea why he’s predicting tomorrow will be emotional.

“We’re going to Zara’s funeral.”

I stare at him, my mouth gaping. When did he find out about the funeral, and why does he think it’s a good idea for us to attend?

I mean, I want to. I never got to say goodbye to my sister, so I’m grateful for the chance to say goodbye to my friend.

But I can’t imagine Gabriel and I would be on Nash’s invite list.

Nash.

The memory of our kiss surfaces again, uninvited. The heat, the confusion, the desperate honesty in his touch.

Zara’s brother.

The outsider.

The one who’s convinced someone from the Circle murdered his family in cold blood.

“It will be fine,” Gabriel says, unaware of the cacophony of thoughts running through my head. He grips me by the shoulders and gives me a gentle push towards his bedroom. “Trust me.”

Somehow, I doubt that, but I can’t deny the stir of excitement in the pit of my stomach as I climb into Gabriel’s bed.

Tomorrow, I’ll see Nash again.

But then it morphs into something bitter.

Tomorrow, we mourn Zara.