Page 19 of Prince Of Sloth

Through the iron gate, an older, scruffy man dressed in priest’s robes and donning a warm, inviting grin stood just outside the main entrance. The church lawn was only a few yards long, but he likely felt me, rather than heard my bike approaching.

“A prince of Hell has come to confess his sins,” he said and peered over my shoulder. “Is she your offering?”

I chuckled, but beneath the humor was a bite of ire. Trying my best to hide it, I took the three steps up to him in one reach of my legs and embraced the Leviathan.

“It’s good to see you too, mighty beast.”

“Come, come! We have so much to talk about.”

He clapped my shoulder and led me into the sanctuary. Stained-glass murals dashed vivid colors over the dark-red carpets that led to the steps of the main altar.

I jumped right to the point. “What do you know about a copper ring that Lucifer holds dear?”

This didn’t seem to catch him off guard.

He quirked a brow at me. “The ring that was taken from him by one of your own?”

“I don’t know about that, but I don’t doubt that you’re right.”

He moved away from the accusation and clasped his hands behind his back as I followed him up the wide aisle between the pews. “It’s for healing, but it comes with a grave price. Like all of His most precious things.”

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.” I recited the human scripture.

“Funny like that, our Father.”

The Leviathan knew better than any of us how cruel our Father could be. He had been created with his companion for sport, but when it became too much of a risk to the humans if he and his mate bred, He took the other half of the Leviathan’s existence away without another thought.

“How can I find the ring?” I asked. “Ipos has been unable to locate it.”

He tilted his head at me—reminiscent of the inhuman being living within this vessel—then down the aisle from where we’d come. It would have been easy for a human to brush off his odd behaviors as mannerisms from someone who had dedicated their life to God.

“She doesn’t have anything to do with this scavenger hunt, and yet you brought her with you. Why?”

“Boredom,” I lied simply.

He laughed to himself and shook his head. “Spoken so truly as one of His most lost sons.” My lip ticked with annoyance at this comment. “Come back tomorrow morning. I have an old tracking spell that might assist your brother in his pursuit. But be warned, the user of the ring will suffer greatly if their intentions aren’t pure of heart.”

I scoffed. “No such thing.”

He shrugged and gave me an amusedhmm.“That isn’t for us to determine.”

Spoken like a true neutral being.

I couldn’t help but search for the sea serpent lurking below the wrinkled and sun-stained skin of the human exterior before me. He’d mastered the illusion of his current occupation and status among the mortal sheep he shepherded. An all-knowing wolf leading the flock.

“If you change your mind about your new companion, I could find a place for her to kneel.”

My cutting glance sent him into a fit of laughter that accompanied me on my way out of the church.

Mad bastard.

9

Pru

It was too hot to stand in the sun while Ezra was inside talking to his priest. I retreated to the shade under a tall pine tree in the courtyard. The breeze from the ocean, which was only a few blocks away, was cool enough to send goose bumps up my arms.

The church was cute: a white adobe exterior with gorgeous stained-glass windows. A low brick wall boxed in the entrance and housed several statues. One of them was a depiction of Michael slaying Lucifer. The archangel looked almost like a child standing over a half-dragon, half-man with his face screwed up in anger and hatred.

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