Page 59 of The Sinner and the Scholar
I adjust my spectacles. Where to start?
“I’ve been working with a group of men around Europe to get a handle on the growing demonic activity.”
“Group of men?” Alice shuffles her weight to the other side.
“Father Angelotti is our exorcist. Zeke is our weapons expert. I’m research and the mystic arts. Dom is a Saint.”
“And what do you know that we don’t?” Alice blinks, then corrects. “I mean the Sinners.”
“Spells. Geomancy. Arcane arts. Holy weapons. Prophecies. Exorcisms.”
“Spells?” Alice snorts, but the vigilantes aren’t quick to dismiss.
Envy listens intently, and Pride takes my hand to inspect the new bloody crescent moon cuts from my nails. He says, “He was chanting while you two fought, and I smelled the fresh blood on his hand.”
Smelled?Is he more animal than man? Looking at those golden feral eyes and claws, I would believe it.
Envy points at my palms, seemingly picking up the tattoo as it travels up my forearms and hides behind the sleeves. “You’ve had more work.”
“Inkless on the hands,” I confirm. “Regular on my arms and torso.”
“Nah, bro.” Envy takes my hand and scrutinizes it. “It’s not inkless but UV. Inkless tattoos can actually help heal scars. This shit can be toxic. I hope you went to a reputable tattoo artist.”
Thea explains to me, “He runs a tattoo shop.”
Vigilante by night. Tattoo artist by day.Interesting.
Pride asks, “Both occult and arcane?”
I nod. “I wanted some difficult to see at a glance. As you saw, I was incapacitated but could still draw blood with my nails. With the right words and symbols, blood conjures a spell. Works better if I surprise my opponent.”
Dark magic has consequences... like sharing with the dark world that someone is using their gifts, which is why I prefer to use them as a last resort.
“What were you going to do?” Thea asks.
“Now you’re interested?”
“Maybe I am.”
Alice scowls at Thea. “Now? As in, you didn’t want to learn before?”
I point my thumb at Thea. “I offered to teach her, but the little minx is stubborn.”
“Thea,” Alice says, her voice soft. “If he can help, then let him.”
“Says the woman who hates being told what to do,” she drawls.
Alice meets her squarely in the eyes. “The Sisterhood isn’t the be-all and end-all. There’s more to life.”
Emotion flickers over Thea’s expression. “Easy for you to say. You’re out. You’re probably going to Heaven along with these goody-two-shoes.”
She gestures irritably at the vigilantes.
Envy scoffs. “Heaven? Us?” He points his thumb at Pride. “All God needs to do is take a peek at his bedroom wall of knotty shibari secrets—”
“Envy!” Alice punches him, blushing. “Just because you see things in your dreams doesn’t mean you have the right to tell the whole world.”
“I’m going to kill you,” Pride says through clenched teeth, reaching for him.
