The Last Harvest(89)

“Would it have made a difference?” Miss Granger says nonchalantly.

I try to pick Ali up, get her away from the stench of death, but she screams out in agony. “Stop. I can’t move.”

I set her back down again. “Help her! Can’t you see she’s in pain?” I turn to see Miss Granger opening the barn doors to the hordes of people.

“Don’t!” I stand in front of Ali as if I can protect her from the mob gathering around the breeding platform. They’re smiling at us, like we’re some kind of entertainment.

“You still don’t understand, do you?” Miss Granger says. “Jimmy, Ben, Tammy, Jess, Tyler, Sheriff Ely, the priests … that was all for this to come to pass. It was right in front of you all along.”

“What are you saying?”

“I was with Reverend Devers and Jimmy that night at the church. I thought you almost caught me when you got close to the garage. Ben was in my bed the night you woke from a nightmare and came over to my house. You ran your hand right over his jean jacket hanging on the back of my chair. It’s a shame, really, because I’m certain I could’ve had you that night. Lee was supposed to be one of the sacrifices, but you weren’t man enough to finish the job. That’s okay. I’m devout. I can still be of service, for goodness sake.”

“Why are you saying this? It can’t be—”

“I was beginning to wonder if you could even pull this off, the dirty deed.” Her gaze shifts to Ali. “You were stubborn with your virgin whore complex. But when she offered herself to you and you refused, I knew what I had to do. I had to make you believe I took the Devil from her, made her pure again, so you could pour your demon seed into her. The priests had to pay the price, but it was well worth it. Was it worth the wait, Clay? Everything you hoped it would be?”

I feel a blistering heat take over my face. “How long have you been one of them?” I ask as I scan the barn, trying to come up with an escape plan.

“I should’ve died that day in Mexico. But I offered my parents instead.”

“You killed your parents?”

“I set them free.” She smiles up at me and I feel sick to my stomach. “You were so easy to manipulate, Clay. Drinking my tea. Telling me your deepest darkest secrets.”

“The salvia. That was you?” I look around for anything I might be able to use as a weapon.

“I needed you off balance. Especially when you saw what happened at the rebirth ceremony, Ali emerging from the cow. I needed you to believe it was all a bad dream. I think deep down you knew, didn’t you? You kept seeing it over and over again. Did you see it when you were bedding Ali? I bet you did.” She smiles coyly.

“What do you want from me? What do you want from Ali?” I yell as I stand guard.

“We’re here for the birth of our lord,” she says, her gaze shifting to Ali’s stomach.

“That’s impossible … we just … I mean … Ali was a virgin before tonight.”

“Is that your highest concern? That she was a virgin for you?” Miss Granger rolls her eyes. “So provincial, Clay. But yes, Ali saved herself for you, poor wretched cow. Our lord works in mysterious ways.” Her smile deepens. “Blessed be the seed,” she exclaims. “Satan chose you to deliver his seed. And you chose Ali. It’s the highest honor.”

I don’t want to believe it, any of it, but when I look at Ali writhing on the breeding platform, the witnesses gathered around, I know it’s true. I have to get Ali out of here, to the hospital, so they can abort this monstrosity growing inside of her. I look back at her and my heart is breaking. How could I have been so blind … so stupid? The seed … I was the seed all along. That’s why my dad tried to kill me that night. He knew. He saw something in me … something evil. I remember the bull kneeling before me. All this time, I thought someone else killed the golden calf, but it must’ve been me. I started it all. I brought him here.

Ali holds out her hand to me, beckoning me closer.

I sink next to her on the breeding platform. “I’m so sorry … I didn’t know … I didn’t und—”

“The prophecy,” she grunts through the pain. “Only the chosen one will be able to care for the lord. As the chosen one, you’re the only one who can touch him … maybe the only one who can hurt him, too.” She looks up at the ceiling pointedly.

I follow her gaze to the flash of silver glinting in the candlelight—an upside-down crucifix hanging from the neck of one of the priests.

“I can’t.” I shake my head rapidly, thinking about what she’s asking me to do.

She grips my arm. “If you don’t stop this … we’re all going to die. Think of Noodle.”

I push her damp hair back from her face. Acid floods my throat, my shoulders start to convulse, but I choke it back. I choke back everything. Grabbing a bail of hay, I climb up and jump, snatching the crucifix from the priest’s neck.

As I stand over her belly, the crucifix at the ready, I glance nervously at the horde behind me, but no one moves to stop me. They just keep smiling.

“Do it,” Ali pleads.

“God help me,” I whisper, my entire body trembling.

As I raise the crucifix over my head, ready to impale the child, something reaches inside of me, grabbing hold of my heart. My mind wants to, but my body won’t let me. “I can’t,” I cry out. “I can’t do it.”