Page 57 of Prophecy of Gods and Crows

“Oh, holy shit fire,” Justin muttered, another curse leaving his lips as Jace flew into a panic as if Justin’s words were a starting pistol, before grabbing the book and running outside.

Bryn immediately ran after him, hearing Justin order Kessler and Sage to stay put.

Jace was moving toward the chapel, which was thankfully empty as he fell against the doors, all but falling into the building.

Finally slowing his steps, he made his way to the altar and stopped in the middle of the aisle as he looked up at the painting of Balor. Bryn took a look around, having not stepped into the place since she was a teenager. Nothing had changed, which made this all so much worse somehow.

Moving to stand next to Jace, she grabbed his shirt to keep him from running off again before she stepped around to face him. Her heart broke to see tears streaming down his cheeks.

On a sob, he dropped to his knees as if begging forgiveness, but not to the Church of Baleros. No, he was kneeling in front of her.

“What is wrong?” she asked, kneeling next to him as Justin ran into the church, turning to secure the doors only to find Sage and Kessler following him in, and Declan too. He must have seen the chaos of them chasing Jace and came to investigate.

Each of them made sure the door was shut, keeping an eye out through the windows. Keeping them safe while the world fell apart around them. She was never more thankful for her friends than right then.

Without a word, Jace turned the book to her, his finger on a passage.

The drawing of the leader of the Fomori, the one who had led the campaign against the Tuatha Dé Danann long ago, looked back at her with a smile that sent a cold chill down her spine.

Shoving to stand up, taking the book from Jace, she turned to the altar where the scrios stood twice a day to save his town from the sin that was people like Bryn. Her eyes moved between the picture in the book and the painting in disbelief.

The man with the dark hair and pale skin... the scar across one eye.

The greatest enemy to the Tuatha Dé Danann was Evil Eye, his true name...

Balor. Baleros.

Their greatest enemy was the god the people of Ifreann worshipped.

It all made sense in such a sick and twisted way, she wished she could laugh. Instead, she held back a scream, her body vibrating.

“How is it possible?” Declan asked as he looked over her shoulder at the book. At the damning photo.

“This whole fucking time!” Jace yelled, standing, pulling at the seat cushions, and throwing them at the altar. Grabbing sacraments to the town’s god and throwing them down, breaking them.

Justin ran up, grabbing Jace by the arms, telling him to calm down, but Jace was wild with anger. Absolutely feral in his movements as he swung at the lawman. Justin managed to get his arms around Jace, being larger than her cousin working in his favor.

“Get something to knock him out with!” Declan yelled, Sage taking that as an order directed at her as she slipped out the chapel doors.

“Jace. . .,” Bryn whispered, reaching out as her heart tore in two at the sight of her calm and easygoing cousin losing his mind.

“I guess we know now where we stand, Phantom Queen.”

Not taking her eyes off Jace, she could see Kian moving into the corner of the room from her peripheral vision, looking up at the picture of the god on the wall above the altar.

Sage ran back in with a needle, jabbing it into Jace’s neck, making Bryn flinch.

“Take him to the Sanctuary,” Declan ordered as Justin faltered at the sudden stillness of Jace as he went unconscious. Kessler moved to help him. “Make sure no one sees him.”

Turning, they followed Justin out with Jace, except for Bryn, who stepped forward to see what Kian meant when he claimed he knew where they stood.

“Who is he to you, Kian?” she asked, her hands shaking at her sides.

“The man who sent me to kill you before you killed me yourself.”

Her eyes met his silver ones in the low light of the church.

“I’ll ask again. Who is he to you?” she demanded.

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