Page 97 of The Sinner and the Gunslinger
I laugh. Cry. Kiss him as my heart bursts from my chest. His palm smooths up my spine to pull me closer. When we break, I press my forehead to his.
“You just ran.” My voice is tight. “You pushed him over the edge without a word. I thought...” That sacrificial look in his eyes had broken my heart.
He rubs my back soothingly. “I wanted to promise you I’ll be back, and that I love you, but after last time... after what Asmodeus said—”
“Promise?” I pleaded.
The last time he made a promise, he broke it.
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
“It’s okay.” I stroke his face, smiling through my tears.
“I didn’t tell you because I wanted you to believe in us. If you knew, I was afraid you’d think I only loved you because of the prophecy. But I’ve always loved you.”
“I believe you.”
A deep, rumbling voice intrudes. “Aww. So sweet.”
My sanctified dagger hilt meets my hand. I spin to face the great demon standing over his burning prey. His leathery wings are flared wide—their wingspan is enormous. Embers burn and spark down the fabric of his suit, charring from his own destruction. But just as quickly as it burns, he somehow fixes it. The suit knits back together.
The sheer soullessness of his black eyes sends a shiver down my spine. That yawning chasm is terrifying when I realize he has nothing to lose. But I do. I move to shield Zeke with my body and prepare for the fight of my life. If this is the end of my ride, I enjoyed it—at least the last part.
Asmodeus’s face crumples with loathing as he looks down at me. “Fools. Bleeding hearts lost my soul in the first place. I don’t need to kill you. You’ll do that yourselves.”
The rustling of his great leathery wings fills the air, shadowing us briefly before he returns to the church. I watch him retreat to ensure Zeke is safe.
“Leila.” He taps my leg. “Take Snuggles and go.”
“What?” I drop to face him again. “I’m not leaving you.”
Anger flashes in his eyes. “Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course, I do, dickhead. But I’m not leaving you.”
“Then I’ll climb the path myself.” He stubbornly uses my katana to lift himself, putting weight on his good leg. He scoops up my backpack from the cab and leans on the sword like a walking stick. He hobbles toward the hill path, determination hardening his face. I don’t want to look down at his leg, but it’s not flopping around. It’s not falling off. “I won’t get in the way of your destiny, Leila.”
I run to fit myself under his arm. “You dumbass. It’s because of you I have a destiny.”
He shakes his head as we walk. “I messed up so much. That’s what Flauros said to me while you ran after Asmodeus.”
“Shut up.” I grunt, shifting his weight to walk better. I glance at the smoldering remains of Flauros. He’s so dead that ash crumbles from his corpse. “Without you, Zeke, Puck would have made my life hell. He would have destroyed my soul. Raped me. Ruined me.”
A reluctant sound of agreement comes out of him.
“Every time I was fostered out, and the fire was blamed on me, you waited for me at the group home. You dried my tears...” I swallow a lump in my throat. “You taught me how to get up every time I fell.”
I keep listing all the good things he’s brought into my life. People forget that saving lives can be as simple as stepping in and telling a bully to go to hell. It can be the moment you make up a silly game about eating horse manure pie. It can be a hug. It’s the little acts of kindness that add up. I’m still talking when we finally reach the hilltop.
But my mouth clicks shut when I see Asmodeus pacing the church, burning tracks in the grass. His demonic form is shifted away, and he’s back to being the suave businessman in a suit. No. Suave is the wrong word. He looks unhinged as he attempts to get inside but can’t walk through the decrepit open doors.
“The church is on hallowed ground,” Zeke mumbles. “Even the devil can’t get in. I think.”
“Maybe not.” I point to flowers painted around the foundation bricks. “Protection sigils.”
Asmodeus’s head snaps our way. Then he glares at the flowers and grins. He opens his mouth and breathes fire at the church. Flames lick up the sides of the building. They burn so hot and fierce that they catch the roof and ignite.
Fear pounds in my blood.Fire. I’m paralyzed as flames engulf the church, blinding me. Smoke burns my nose. When I close my eyes and pray, I don’t hear the voice of doubt in my mind. I hear Zeke’s as we drove up that bumpy road.
