with a roll of her eyes, and Bale grinned.
He sneaked a quick kiss, then pulled away from her, even though his lips wanted to linger.
He glanced back as he reached for the door. “Get some rest,” he demanded. “I'll be back soon.”
* * * *
Stepping into the hall outside his room, Bale was forced to veer to the right so as not to collide with Arak and Kash. “What the hell?” he barked, staring at the two males incredulously.
“You didn't respond,” Kash drawled, an annoyingly wide grin on his lips. “Arak was just about to knock again.” He waved to Faith over Bale's shoulder.
“I said I'd be down in a minute,” Bale said as he spotted Faith returning the friendly gesture. He shut the door.
“I didn't hear you,” Arak commented, ignoring the glare that would send humans and most demons scurrying for cover. “I was just about to knock again when Kash joined me.”
“Will you be in the infirmary tonight with Zeke? I told Faith that if she needed anything to go to you.”
“Yeah. I was going to try waking him up. His wounds have healed, and while he'll still have to take it easy because the poison is not completely out of his system, he is out of the woods.” Arak fell in line beside Bale while Kash trailed behind the pair. As they entered the dining hall, he added, “And Remy's eager to speak to him.”
“What about Raym? What has he said about the ambush?”
“Raym is gone. Some clothes are missing, and all his weapons are gone,” Remy stated wearily.
Bale glanced around the room, his gaze resting on Remy as he staggered under the weight of Remy's words.
“So it was Raym,” he said quietly. He should be relieved. He now knew whom to look for over his shoulder. But he wasn't.
Remy just shrugged. He had the look of one relaxed, sitting reclined in the leather chair, but Bale knew him well enough to suspect the opposite. Remy took his command seriously, and this defection had to be hitting him hard. Neither Bale nor Remy had seriously considered Raym.
He was the least likely suspect, the only one of them who still had faith, who still believed in their ability to return to Heaven.
“Would Raym really conspire with the demons?” Levi asked from the other side of the room where he stood before the fireplace. “Have his own twin terminated?”
The Watchers: Faith Revisited
45
“No!” Penny cried out.
Glancing over his shoulder, Bale spotted Penny standing in the doorway. Her burnt-copper hair hung in disarray around her pale, tear-streaked face. She seemed to have had little, if any, sleep. Clearly distraught, her appearance pointed to Raym's guilt more than anything.
“Whatever you think, it wasn't Raym,” she whispered.
“Do you have anything to add, Penemuel? Did Raym say anything to you?” Remy asked quietly. Every occupant in the room seemed to hold his breath, waiting for her reply.
“No,” she admitted, shaking her head and moving farther into the room. “But he wouldn't have allowed any harm to befall Caym. If you'd only seen him in the chapel…”
“Then where is he? I've tried telepathy to reach him and so has Bale, but he's just not there.
He has severed the connection with us. Can you still sense him?” Remy demanded, rising slowly to his feet.
“No, he's cut me off too, but I knew he would.” Weariness dripped from her voice. “I knew this morning that Raym would try to avenge Caym's death.”
Snorting in disbelief, Bale rolled his eyes and turned away from Penny.
“Fuck you, Bale,” she hissed, and he whipped around to face her. “Just because you don't give a shit about anybody else doesn't mean the rest of us feel the same way.”
“And you have been jonesing to fuck Raym for years. That hardly makes you an impartial member of this discussion,” he snapped, folding his arms across his chest.
“Bastard,” she snarled. “You are one to talk, with your little tart upstairs.”
A growl inadvertently slipped from between his clenched teeth.
He sneaked a quick kiss, then pulled away from her, even though his lips wanted to linger.
He glanced back as he reached for the door. “Get some rest,” he demanded. “I'll be back soon.”
* * * *
Stepping into the hall outside his room, Bale was forced to veer to the right so as not to collide with Arak and Kash. “What the hell?” he barked, staring at the two males incredulously.
“You didn't respond,” Kash drawled, an annoyingly wide grin on his lips. “Arak was just about to knock again.” He waved to Faith over Bale's shoulder.
“I said I'd be down in a minute,” Bale said as he spotted Faith returning the friendly gesture. He shut the door.
“I didn't hear you,” Arak commented, ignoring the glare that would send humans and most demons scurrying for cover. “I was just about to knock again when Kash joined me.”
“Will you be in the infirmary tonight with Zeke? I told Faith that if she needed anything to go to you.”
“Yeah. I was going to try waking him up. His wounds have healed, and while he'll still have to take it easy because the poison is not completely out of his system, he is out of the woods.” Arak fell in line beside Bale while Kash trailed behind the pair. As they entered the dining hall, he added, “And Remy's eager to speak to him.”
“What about Raym? What has he said about the ambush?”
“Raym is gone. Some clothes are missing, and all his weapons are gone,” Remy stated wearily.
Bale glanced around the room, his gaze resting on Remy as he staggered under the weight of Remy's words.
“So it was Raym,” he said quietly. He should be relieved. He now knew whom to look for over his shoulder. But he wasn't.
Remy just shrugged. He had the look of one relaxed, sitting reclined in the leather chair, but Bale knew him well enough to suspect the opposite. Remy took his command seriously, and this defection had to be hitting him hard. Neither Bale nor Remy had seriously considered Raym.
He was the least likely suspect, the only one of them who still had faith, who still believed in their ability to return to Heaven.
“Would Raym really conspire with the demons?” Levi asked from the other side of the room where he stood before the fireplace. “Have his own twin terminated?”
The Watchers: Faith Revisited
45
“No!” Penny cried out.
Glancing over his shoulder, Bale spotted Penny standing in the doorway. Her burnt-copper hair hung in disarray around her pale, tear-streaked face. She seemed to have had little, if any, sleep. Clearly distraught, her appearance pointed to Raym's guilt more than anything.
“Whatever you think, it wasn't Raym,” she whispered.
“Do you have anything to add, Penemuel? Did Raym say anything to you?” Remy asked quietly. Every occupant in the room seemed to hold his breath, waiting for her reply.
“No,” she admitted, shaking her head and moving farther into the room. “But he wouldn't have allowed any harm to befall Caym. If you'd only seen him in the chapel…”
“Then where is he? I've tried telepathy to reach him and so has Bale, but he's just not there.
He has severed the connection with us. Can you still sense him?” Remy demanded, rising slowly to his feet.
“No, he's cut me off too, but I knew he would.” Weariness dripped from her voice. “I knew this morning that Raym would try to avenge Caym's death.”
Snorting in disbelief, Bale rolled his eyes and turned away from Penny.
“Fuck you, Bale,” she hissed, and he whipped around to face her. “Just because you don't give a shit about anybody else doesn't mean the rest of us feel the same way.”
“And you have been jonesing to fuck Raym for years. That hardly makes you an impartial member of this discussion,” he snapped, folding his arms across his chest.
“Bastard,” she snarled. “You are one to talk, with your little tart upstairs.”
A growl inadvertently slipped from between his clenched teeth.
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