Page 277 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

And good strategy!

Ah, but how can someone be so perfect?

I sigh dreamily as I take another bite of my pastry.

More bullets rain down on him, but they hit the dead man instead. Mine moves to the side—surprisingly at the same speed, considering he’s dragging another body with him. He goes for another soldier and repeats the process.

Shielding himself, he lets the corpse take the bulk of the bullets while he positions his gun through the crook of the man’s shoulder and takes aim.

Another soldier falls.

With impressive swiftness, he drops the first body and grabs the second.

I can see his plan now, and to be perfectly honest, I’m surprised it works.

Those soldiers must be idiots because they can’t get one proper shot at him. Not that I want them to, but it would make the fight a little bit more exciting.

As it stands, I’m watching a one-man show.

Why did I have qualms about him before? I should have never worried. Mine is far, far superior to all those men combined.

In fact, by the way he dances around the snow, switching one body for another, I’d say he’s having fun with this.

His new clothes are covered in blood, and there are splatters of red all across his face as well.

He’s dirty, but he’s smiling. That’s enough for me to know he’s enjoying this far too much. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have drawn this out. He would have killed them and demanded another shower and a change of clothes.

I smile fondly and shake my head. Oh, he will certainly demand a shower after he’s done. And like the supportive lover that I am, I will get him one.

Minutes pass by and more soldiers drop to the ground.

I’m almost finished with my pastry when one crucial thought flashes inside my mind.

Where. Are. The. Souls?

I should have seen them exit the dead bodies, yet as I scan the ground littered with corpses, there is nothing.

Nothing.

Mine shoots the last of the ten men before dropping the body shield to the ground and turning to look at me. He has a bright smile on his face as he waves excitedly at me.

But I’m not looking at him. My eyes are focused on the man he just executed.

He’s lying in a pool of blood, a hole between his eyes. I focus on his body and listen to the sound of his heart.

Nothing.

He is dead. But his soul is nowhere in sight.

And that can only mean one thing…

Demon.

I flash myself by Mine’s side.

“The others are coming. They must have heard the shots,” he says, his voice edged with anticipation.

“We must leave. Now. There’s a demon somewhere here.”

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