Page 19 of Unholy Fate

I took a vow to serve, to guide, to show compassion. Not to judge. With a deep breath, I slowed my pace, breaking down the principles even further.

As we worked through the material together, the girl’s face gradually brightened with understanding. She made the connections, her questions becoming more insightful and specific.

It was a reminder that even the most challenging concepts could be mastered with patience and dedication, qualities that had served me well throughout my own academic journey.

By the time we finished reviewing the key points, the girl’s notebook was filled with neatly written notes and diagrams. She looked up at me gratefully.

“Thank you so much,” she said earnestly. “I don’t know how I would have gotten through this without your help.”

I nodded, feeling strangely hollow. “You’re welcome,” I said. “Remember, it’s not about how quickly you grasp the material but how deeply you understand it. Keep at it, and you’ll do just fine.”

Later, when I stood to leave and gathered the books to return to the desk, the burden of the ring on my finger was suddenly heavier. I glanced down at my hand, the diamond catching the light and casting tiny rainbows across the table.

For a fleeting moment, I wondered what the girl would think if she knew about the ring, about the small act of rebellion I had committed. Would she see me differently?

I made my way to the front of the library, knowing I should drop the ring off. Doing the right thing was its own reward, and one of my vows was of poverty.

My head throbbed. I quickened my pace, tucking my hand into the folds of my skirt. It was probably just costume jewelry, anyway. But as I approached the front desk, I hesitated again. If it was real, I could sell it and donate the money to the shelter. That would’ve been a good deed, wouldn’t it?

Before I could change my mind, I slipped my hand into my bag, concealing the ring from view. I could feel it against my palm, a constant reminder of the choice I had made.

I stepped out of the library and into the bright sunshine. The ring was still with me, a dark secret. But even as I tried to push it from my mind, I knew I had crossed some invisible line, that I had taken a step down a stony path I wasn’t sure I wanted.

Why did I want the ring so much? It didn’t make sense, but sometimes emotions didn’t.

The summer heat pressed down on me as I walked, the air thick and heavy against my skin. But even as I longed for the cool shade of the convent, I found myself taking the long way back, my steps slow and meandering the sounds of the city a muted backdrop to my conflicted internal debate.

I paused at the entrance, my hand resting on the wall. For a moment, I considered turning back, returning the ring to the library and pretending none of this had ever happened. Lifting my hand, I admired the ring, mesmerized, as the diamond facets blazed, caught the light and scattered a thousand tiny rainbows.

Keeping it would be a temporary measure, a decision I could postpone, but as I pushed open the heavy, dark oak of the convent doors, the air thick with the scent of incense, a thrilling hum coursed through me.

It really was very pretty.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

AZIZ

I leaned casuallyagainst the corner of a library bookshelf, the muted glow of sunlight through stained glass windows casting soft colors across my face. I tracked Evelyn as she walked purposefully out of the library, the hand adorned with the diamond ring concealed in her bag. I let my shoulders relax, satisfied. The spell I had cast on the ring, a whisper of compulsion designed to nudge her into keeping it, had worked flawlessly.

My thoughts flicked briefly to where I’d found the ring: prying it off the stiff finger of a wealthy corpse. The memory didn’t bother me. Dead fingers, rich treasures, all in a day’s work. With a happy sigh, I slid into step behind her as she exited the library, slipping into the natural rhythm of the crowd outside.

I walked into a nearby alley, crossing the threshold of the enchantment where Ian and Levi waited, invisible to humans. Within its bounds our words flowed freely, unheard by mortal ears.

Ian leaned against the wall, casually indifferent. “Well?”

“Worked like a charm.” I motioned toward Evelyn’s briskly retreating form. “She couldn’t resist it.”

Levi, lounging lazily on the opposite wall, rolled his eyes. “Not bad, but it’s still not that impressive. Shit, for all you know, she’ll hand it in to that douchebag priest and say a bazillion Hail-fucking-Marys or something.”

I brushed off the comment. “The ring is a tool. Trust me, she’ll keep it.”

As we fell into step behind Evelyn, keeping a casual distance, Ian broke the silence. “Has anyone checked in with Lucifer yet?”

Levi groaned dramatically. “Oh, I did. He made me check in before we’d even been here a whole day.”

“That sounds like him. Let me guess. He wasn’t happy with your attitude?” Lucifer didn’t have much of a sense of humor.

In point of fact, Lucifer invented the concept of micromanagement as well.

---