Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)(75)
Author: Cambria Hebert

He gave a tight nod, “I thought the debt was my life.”

“Your life is too valuable.”

“My life?” He seemed surprised, but I wasn’t. His life was more valuable to me than my own.

“If she lives, then you must live as well.”

“Can you please say something that makes sense?” I asked.

She inclined her head and spoke to Sam. “How much do you know about being a hellhound?”

He sighed. “Hellhounds are not as common as they used to be. Rare, in fact. They were once used to guard the gates of Hell and help souls pass into the World of Sin. They were also responsible for dragging escaped souls back to Hell.”

“Do you know why they have fallen out of favor to use?”

His feet shuffled a bit then he cleared his throat, “They were too hard to control. Even Satan couldn’t handle them when they wanted to disobey.”

“Did you know that hellhounds have been asked to undertake other duties in the recent past as well?” Airis asked.

“No.” He seemed genuinely confused by this.

Airis nodded. “Yes. And I have come to offer you a job.”

Something told me that this job wasn’t something he could turn down. He squeezed my hand again. “What’s the job?” he asked, grim.

“We would like you to guard a Supernatural Treasure.”

“We?” Sam asked.

Airis lifted her eyes to the heavens. I felt Sam recoil. “You can’t possibly be saying that…”

“Yes, you have been chosen, Sam, by the highest power there is.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“I’m a hellhound. We usually operate on the other side, for the sinners. We are sinners.”

“You were created by God, but twisted by the wrath of Satan. Satan twisted two beasts, coerced them into his evil and the hellhound was born. You were always children of God, but you were led to believe otherwise. But then hellhounds were cast out of hell, and your lineage changed. Hellhounds realized that they, too, had free will. A choice of who you would become. Tell me, Sam, do you think that you are a sinner by birth?”

“Yes.”

“You have a dark soul?”

“No!” I yelled. I’d stayed quiet until now, but I couldn’t stand here and allow this woman to call Sam evil, to imply that he wasn’t good. “If he was a dark soul he wouldn’t be capable of love. He wouldn’t have given up his life for mine.”

“The test,” Sam murmured.

“Yes, the test. Now you have proof that you have always wanted – you have proven you are pure of heart.” Airis smiled brilliantly.

“Are you telling us that God now wants to employ hellhounds to do good?” I asked skeptically.

Sam laughed. “If Satan couldn’t control us, then how will He?”

“He does not seek to control you. He seeks the abilities that were sired to you, that are yours by birth; He prays that you choose to use them for Glory and not for evil.”

“By guarding a Supernatural Treasure?” Sam asked.

Airis nodded patiently, kindly and Sam fell silent. It was a lot to take in, and I don’t think Sam ever thought of himself as a child of God before. If he could accept that, then everything could be different for him, better.

“Are all hellhounds being offered these jobs?” I asked.

“Not all,” Airis replied. “Some are indeed what they were originally twisted to be; they have turned their back on God and have chosen darkness. They will not be welcome.”

Sam was quiet for so long that I began to worry. I could feel that he was intrigued by the idea of being something better than what he thought he was. I already thought he was wonderful. This could be good for him, giving him something to be proud of. It didn’t take long, though, for doubt to creep into my head. Selfish doubt. If he was off guarding some Supernatural Treasure, then when would I see him? We couldn’t be together. The thought made panic begin to build in my chest. I couldn’t live without him.

“I can’t do it.”

Did my ears deceive me? Did he just refuse this?

“Sam.” I tugged on his hand.

“Can I ask why you would refuse?” Airis asked calmly.

He looked down at me. Love swelled in my heart for him. He was doing this for me. I turned my back on Airis and faced only him. “You can’t refuse.”

“I already did.” His chin jutted out and he had a stubborn glint in his eyes.

“You cannot refuse God to be with me!” I hissed, even though I wished he could.

“I was meant for Hell anyway. I’m staying with you. Besides, who else is going to stop China?”

“You are not meant for Hell. You have a good heart, Sam. You need to do this; your eternity depends on it.” As much as it hurt, I knew I was right. I would give him up if it meant saving his soul so that when he — gulp — died, he would spend his eternity in peace.

“I want you. To hell with my soul.”

I gasped.

From behind me Airis spoke. “Perhaps you would like to know about this Supernatural Treasure that you would be guarding?”

Sam shook his head, but I turned around to say, “Please. Is it something that he can take with him and keep where he lives?” Then he could still be with me.

“It must stay with him, and he must go wherever it goes.”

“Oh.”

“What is it, anyway?” Sam asked.

“It’s actually a ‘who,’” Airis replied.

“A ‘who?’” I didn’t like the sound of that. What if it was a girl? A beautiful girl without scars and a crazy mother…

Cut it out. Sam’s words cut through my thoughts. No one could compare to you, and I am not doing this.

“It’s why you were given your life back, Heven.” Sam and I both looked over at her. “The Supernatural Treasure is you.”

“I’ll do it.”

“You’ve changed your mind then?” Airis asked.

“I wouldn’t have said ‘no’ at all if I’d known it involved Heven.”

“I was hoping you would agree before you knew.”

“Guess I’m not as pure of heart as you think.”

I heard the exchange, but I was scarcely paying attention. Did no one seem concerned that Airis just announced that I was some kind of treasure? It was ridiculous. I was hardly a treasure; my own mother thinks I’m evil, and I’m dating a hellhound. Admittedly, he is a hellhound who has a moral soul, but still, he was a hellhound.