one address to the next. Most of them, Brook had no problem walking into, which made me insanely curious about those that stopped him dead in his tracks. The last church we went to was one of these.
I hid a smug grin as I left him standing at the car. Excitement surged through me. As I let myself into the building, I secretly hoped to encounter the angel that stood guard.
It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t empty. There was a human here still. Leaving was my only option if I wished to remain unseen. I turned to go and found him standing there behind me, eyes wide, hands held up in surrender.
“Please,” he stammered, at a loss for words. “Don’t hurt me. Not here in the church.”
“I’m not here to harm you,” I said, taking advantage of the opportunity to talk. “I’m looking for something. Maybe you can help me.”
The man’s clerical collar spoke volumes. He might not have been an angel, but he served the same side. Maybe I could level with him, tell him the truth. The knowing look in his eyes told me he knew just what I was. That might make this easier.
“Do you have a name?” I asked the ashen faced man.
“Father Andrew.” Boldly, he offered me a hand that was calm and steady, despite his pale appearance. “Whatever it is you’re seeking, it isn’t here.”
I scrutinized him. From his carefully combed hair to the shine of his shoes, Father Andrew was squeaky clean. The telltale scent of fear surrounded him, but it was accompanied by a determined set to his shoulders and a fierce readiness in his eyes.
“You know exactly what I’m here for, don’t you?” I was glad Brook couldn’t come inside, but if I lingered too long, he would grow suspicious.
Father Andrew nodded. “Shya sent you.”
“He did,” I admitted. “But I don’t serve him. What he wants is something I need to ensure he never gets his hands on.”
Father Andrew was understandably skeptical. I wouldn’t have believed me either if our roles were reversed. “I can’t help you.”
“I think you can. You know something. I know you do.” I felt a sudden desperation to connect with this man. Staring hard at him, trying to find a way to gain his trust, I felt it. Demon power.
I grasped his arm and jerked his sleeve up, exposing the demon mark etched into his flesh. It was a perfect match to the one Alexa bore.
“What is this?” I demanded.
“It’s the price I paid to save a friend,” he spoke through gritted teeth. “I will not help Shya in his quest. If that’s why you’re here, I beg you just kill me and get it over with.”
“Goddammit, listen to me. I am not here on his behalf, but there’s a demon outside who is. He can’t enter. I can. So let’s take advantage of this and work together. Please.” My voice dropped as I became aware of its volume in the large but painfully quiet building. “My friend, she bears the same mark you have. She took it for me. Shya wants to use her as a sacrifice once he obtains the scroll. I can’t allow it to happen. I owe her.”
Father Andrew blinked at me in sudden realization. “Alexa? The Hound? Is that who you’re talking about?”
“You know her?”
“I do. We spoke. Once. She came here to have me bless a very old cross pendant.”
I had to turn away for a moment then. Emotion battered at me. That cross had been a gift, from me to her, for her birthday. Hearing this from the priest brought me such relief and grief all at once that I quickly became overwhelmed.
“She’s in danger,” I finally managed to say. “That scroll needs to be found and either hidden or destroyed before Shya can use it.”
“I’m not sure it’s that simple.” Father Andrew held his hands up in uncertainty. “I don’t know where it is.”
I turned in a slow circle, surveying the grand church. There was an angel here somewhere. Did the priest know that?
I must have stood there in silence for some time because the priest laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. “She is
I hid a smug grin as I left him standing at the car. Excitement surged through me. As I let myself into the building, I secretly hoped to encounter the angel that stood guard.
It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t empty. There was a human here still. Leaving was my only option if I wished to remain unseen. I turned to go and found him standing there behind me, eyes wide, hands held up in surrender.
“Please,” he stammered, at a loss for words. “Don’t hurt me. Not here in the church.”
“I’m not here to harm you,” I said, taking advantage of the opportunity to talk. “I’m looking for something. Maybe you can help me.”
The man’s clerical collar spoke volumes. He might not have been an angel, but he served the same side. Maybe I could level with him, tell him the truth. The knowing look in his eyes told me he knew just what I was. That might make this easier.
“Do you have a name?” I asked the ashen faced man.
“Father Andrew.” Boldly, he offered me a hand that was calm and steady, despite his pale appearance. “Whatever it is you’re seeking, it isn’t here.”
I scrutinized him. From his carefully combed hair to the shine of his shoes, Father Andrew was squeaky clean. The telltale scent of fear surrounded him, but it was accompanied by a determined set to his shoulders and a fierce readiness in his eyes.
“You know exactly what I’m here for, don’t you?” I was glad Brook couldn’t come inside, but if I lingered too long, he would grow suspicious.
Father Andrew nodded. “Shya sent you.”
“He did,” I admitted. “But I don’t serve him. What he wants is something I need to ensure he never gets his hands on.”
Father Andrew was understandably skeptical. I wouldn’t have believed me either if our roles were reversed. “I can’t help you.”
“I think you can. You know something. I know you do.” I felt a sudden desperation to connect with this man. Staring hard at him, trying to find a way to gain his trust, I felt it. Demon power.
I grasped his arm and jerked his sleeve up, exposing the demon mark etched into his flesh. It was a perfect match to the one Alexa bore.
“What is this?” I demanded.
“It’s the price I paid to save a friend,” he spoke through gritted teeth. “I will not help Shya in his quest. If that’s why you’re here, I beg you just kill me and get it over with.”
“Goddammit, listen to me. I am not here on his behalf, but there’s a demon outside who is. He can’t enter. I can. So let’s take advantage of this and work together. Please.” My voice dropped as I became aware of its volume in the large but painfully quiet building. “My friend, she bears the same mark you have. She took it for me. Shya wants to use her as a sacrifice once he obtains the scroll. I can’t allow it to happen. I owe her.”
Father Andrew blinked at me in sudden realization. “Alexa? The Hound? Is that who you’re talking about?”
“You know her?”
“I do. We spoke. Once. She came here to have me bless a very old cross pendant.”
I had to turn away for a moment then. Emotion battered at me. That cross had been a gift, from me to her, for her birthday. Hearing this from the priest brought me such relief and grief all at once that I quickly became overwhelmed.
“She’s in danger,” I finally managed to say. “That scroll needs to be found and either hidden or destroyed before Shya can use it.”
“I’m not sure it’s that simple.” Father Andrew held his hands up in uncertainty. “I don’t know where it is.”
I turned in a slow circle, surveying the grand church. There was an angel here somewhere. Did the priest know that?
I must have stood there in silence for some time because the priest laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. “She is