Page 89 of The Sinner and the Gunslinger
He meets my eyes. Something passes between us. A shared warning. I can’t let these people die from the danger I’ve brought to their doorstep. Only the bullet in my pocket and the Helwing gun are in Mary’s prophecy. All this other stuff might not work at all. And if it doesn’t, these innocent people will be lambs to the slaughter.
Zeke and I barely escaped with our lives.
“Orlov.” Zeke strides to the ladder leading up to the bathroom. He points at the closed trapdoor. “When Leila and I go up, I want you to paint your protection sigil on that surface with your blood. Doesn’t have to be big.”
He lifts the hem of his hoodie and shirt to reveal the tattoos on his sculpted torso. He points to one. “It should look like this.”
Orlov pulls spectacles from his pocket, puts them on, and leans close to Zeke’s abdomen to study it. “Is like ours.”
“Do you say these words?” He taps at the script on his tattoo.
“Yes.”
“So it’s just the blood.” He drops his shirt. “Get that part right and your spell will work.”
I catch Paula pout as Zeke covers his abs, and her mother nudges her with a frown. I smile and turn to watch Zeke show Orlov how to paint the sigil correctly. As pride expands in my chest, I know exactly how Paula feels. Zeke’s ruggedly handsome, charming, and brave. He’s a catch. And he’s mine.
“You ready, wildcat?”
Zeke releases one of his pistols and starts climbing the ladder. I unsheathe my spelled katana and am right behind him. But as he opens the trapdoor, the rest of the family start climbing behind me.
“No,” I hiss, waving them down. “You guys stay here.”
They all scowl at me and hold their ground, even the teenagers.
“Oh fuck,” Zeke mumbles as his head breaches the trapdoor.
“What?”
“Snuggles.”
“You’re fucking kidding me?”
He glances down at me, shaking his head.
“Fuck. Go.” I poke him in the ass. “Hurry.”
My heavy backpack straps dig into my shoulders as I climb after Zeke. When I lever myself up and onto the bathroom floor, Zeke has his gun pointed at Snuggles. The creepy toy still smells faintly of smoke and stares at us from the doorway.
My heart clenches. “I used to cuddle him in my sleep. He doesn’tfeelevil.”
Wouldn’t I know with my specialsight? But then again, I see things. My feelings are usually based on what I see. Even with Sister Agnes, I couldn’t explain how I knew she wasn’t possessed. Father Angelotti has the supernatural ability to sense evil in people. It’s what made him a highly sought-after exorcist.
“He doesn’t look possessed.” I shake my head, dumbfounded.
“Because he is not.” Claudia’s voice has me spinning to find her climbing out of the hatch.
“I said to stay down,” I growl.
She shakes her head stubbornly. The rest of her family joins her, squeezing into the small space.Goddammit.They’re brave. I’ll give them that. Brave or reckless.
“Look.” Claudia hesitantly steps toward Snuggles, looks warily at Zeke, and then picks up the floppy stuffed bear. She shows me the pads of the paws. They’re shaped like...
“Flowers,” she says, holding the toy to her nose and inhaling deeply. “Yes. I smell Helwinga. Inside is spiritual protection.”
“What?” Zeke takes the toy from her and turns it over in his hands, scowling at the rough stitching and stuffing poking out. “I sewed this damn thing up so many times and never thought to look inside.”
“But it just showed up,” I point out. “It followed us.”
