Page 170 of Ashes

“No tears from you,” he continued softly. “This wrong will be righted tonight. Do as you’re told. I’ll see you soon. Promise.” He brushed his lips against mine and stepped away from me.

“It’ll be OK,” Ashes said as Church pulled his phone out and sent off a text.

I took his hand and wrote a word on his palm.

Scared.

“I am too,” Ashes murmured. “But it’s OK. It’ll all be OK.”

Don’t hurt him.

I scrawled the words over his palm quickly.

Hurting Sin would hurt them. They were his family. I didn’t want to tear them apart. God, I didn’t. I’d faltered and regretted it.

“He will pay for his hand in this,” Ashes said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “No one goes unpunished, heaven. No one.”

He pulled away from me as Cady came into view in her cat costume, Stitches at her side.

She stopped in front of us and Ashes handed me off to her.

“Make sure she makes it back to Asylum,” Church said.

“He’s waiting for her on the patio.” Cady took my hand in hers.

I caught Stitches’s eye. He’d stayed away from me since that day at the facility. Did he hate me for all that had happened? Did he blame me for it? Maybe I disgusted him now.

Cady pulled me away and beyond Stitches.

It was the briefest of moments, but he caught my pinky with his. I turned to look at him as his pinky slipped from mine.

And there it was.

The answer I needed.

Now, to go and pray for Sin’s safety, even though he probably never prayed for mine.

ASHES

My heart was broken, my anger ignited.

Sin had shattered it and stomped on the pieces.

We sat in the cemetery after releasing Sirena to Cady. I’d had the time of my life with my heaven, but now reality was back in full swing.

“Did you text him?” Stitches asked.

“He said he’s on his way,” Church grunted, peering out into the darkness.

We’d spent the last hour out there next to a fallen wooden cross, digging a hole to put it back in.

The plan was simple.

Get Sin out here.

Give him a chance to confess.

Punish him accordingly.

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