Page 133 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“Oh, that? I packed some food to have on the road. You’ll get hungry.”

“That is thoughtful of you,” I murmur.

It doesn’t escape me that he said I will get hungry, not he or we. He did this with me in mind. Warmth spreads through me. I’ve never had anyone be so nice to me before.

He might be trying to impress me now that he’s made his intentions clear about courting me, but even before that, he’s been nothing but kind. I might have been a little harsh on him in the past, but that was because my sudden misfortune colored my perception. And though I searched for anyone else but me to blame, the truth is that no one forced me to break the rules.

I did it because I wanted to.

And if I were to go back to the past—though messing with time is forbidden too—I would make the same choices.

I’m startled from my thoughts when Mine starts the car. We barely leave the base when something catches my eye in the mirror on the car.

I swivel, my eyes wide with shock.

“Tommy! What are you doing here?”

He gulps down guiltily.

“I don’t want to stay behind with that demon!” he bursts out.

“He’s a greed demon.He won’t eat your soul.”

“No, but he’s awful to me! He makes fun of me every day when he sees me. I hate him,” he cries out.

Based on my own experience with that greed demon, I’d have to agree. He is very obnoxious and if he realizes you can see him, he derives pleasure from making you squirm. Perhaps he’s found a way to channel greed in that, too?

While Tommy prattles away about his experiences with the greed demon, Mine smiles indulgently behind the wheel. Somehow, I would have expected him to be annoyed that a ghost has come into his car uninvited. But it doesn’t seem to be the case.

“Have you sent the letter to my Delilah, Major?” Tommy asks.

“Of course. I am sure she will be happy to read your last words.”

Tommy’s face falls.

“If only I didn’t die…”

“It’s the order of things, Tommy. We die and we get born. All over again,” Mine says in a stern yet oddly wise tone.

“And if you move on, you still have a chance to be with her,” I chime in. It might not be my duty to escort souls to the afterlife, but given the abundance of demons on Anthropa, I don’t want totake any chances that one might prey on Tommy before he’s able to leave.

“I know.” He nods solemnly. “But I need to find one of those messengers you spoke of.”

“Nothing yet?”

Tommy shakes his head.

“All the recent deaths occurred off base,” Mine adds. “The planes were shot down over Germany.”

“Damn it,” I mutter a curse under my breath.

“Is there no other way, Miss Minnie?”

“I’m afraid not.”

He sighs. “Do you think I can join you? Or will I be whisked back to the base?”

I spare a glance at Mine. He doesn’t say no, so I don’t either.

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