The Sweetest Burn

His expression flashed between fury and tenderness, until I wasn’t sure if he was going to kiss me or shake me. “I can’t help it,” he finally replied. “I see you in danger, and my world narrows to only one thought. Keep you safe.”

He sounded so frustrated that I took his hand, pulling it up to kiss his knuckles despite all the dirt and blood on them.

“I love that you feel that way,” I said with all sincerity, “but we both need to expand our worlds beyond concern for each other if we’re going to win this war.”

He looked like he was going to say something else, and then his mouth closed with an audible click. Instead, he brushed my face with his hand and turned around.

“Father Louis’s car is still in the parking lot, so he didn’t leave the campus,” he said, getting back to the task at hand. “I’ll try his cell.”

Adrian pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket, then let out a snort. “Guess I should’ve known.”

It was smashed as well as soaked from my bath water, his blood and the blood of who-knew-how-many minions and demons who had tried to kill him. Adrian attempted to use it anyway, and then threw it down when the screen didn’t even power on.

“We’ll borrow one,” I said, looking around to see if any of the people near us had one.

“Don’t bother,” Adrian replied, striding toward the chapel. “There’s a phone inside here.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

FATHER LOUIS DIDN’T answer his cell phone. A sobbing student did, and from the details Adrian managed to get out of the hysterical guy, we headed over to the Jesuit Residence. I already feared the worst, but seeing the doors blown off the multistoried building the same way the chapel doors had been destroyed confirmed it.

“Blinky came here,” I said, shooting a grim look at Adrian. “Do you think—?”

“Yes,” he replied in a stony voice. “He went after Father Louis to get the map.”

I didn’t know if the Jesuit Residence had been on hallowed ground, but when I saw the long, ice-slicked puddle that snaked up to the building and continued past those decimated doors, I realized it didn’t matter. A realm tunnel had spilled out here, allowing Blinky and any other demon all the access they wanted.

There was also blood. A lot of blood, and I tried not to step in the crimson swaths as we walked inside the building. The first thing I saw was two guys who looked to be my age, hugging each other in the corner. Two cops were with them, one getting their statements while the other cordoned off an area around a large, sodden hump in the biggest puddle of blood.

The last several cops I’d seen had been minions, so I kept my hands near the knives strapped under my shirt as we approached. We hadn’t just used the phone back at the chapel. We’d also resupplied ourselves with weapons from Adrian’s stash in his loft. My right arm hadn’t begun to hurt or glow, so at least there didn’t seem to be any demons nearby.

“Officer,” Adrian said, striding up to the cop by the blood puddle. “I need to see that man. I know him.”

The cop turned to face Adrian. His face was very pale, but I was relieved when his eyes didn’t show any unearthly flash of light in them. He was human, then, and just pale from shock.

“There’s not much left to see,” the officer replied, shaking his head. “Someone butchered him.”

I closed my eyes. I hadn’t wanted to believe that the bloody hump on the floor was Father Louis, even though deep down, I’d known that it was. He’d been such a kindly old man, and now he was gone, and in a horrible manner. It wasn’t right.

“Not someone, something,” one of the young Jesuits suddenly shouted. “I told you, it wasn’t human!”

I went over to the two men, giving Adrian a sideways glance that I hoped he could interpret. One of these guys had the good father’s cell phone, and if Blinky had taken the tablet, it was now our only link to the runes written on it.

“I’ve seen things tonight that defied explanation, too,” I told them, mustering up some tears, which wasn’t hard to do considering how bad I felt about Father Louis’s gruesome demise. “It’s just so...so awful!”

With that, I flung my arms around the two guys, letting out loud, fake sobs. They hugged me back, either out of sympathy or continued trauma over what they’d seen. As soon as their heads were close, I halted my sobs to whisper an urgent message.

“Give me the priest’s cell phone. These cops will never believe what you saw, but I do, and I need what’s on the phone to stop those creatures from hurting anyone else.”

They reared back, giving me a startled look, but I only clutched them tighter and sobbed even louder.

“If you want Father Louis avenged, give me the phone,” I hissed between those fake sobs. “Quickly!”

Something hard was pressed to my stomach. I grabbed it, slipping the phone inside my pocket before hugging the two men for real this time. “Thank you,” I whispered.

Then, I turned around to see Adrian kneeling next to the bloody remains of Father Louis, ignoring the other cop’s demands to back away. Adrian lifted the father’s sodden robes, feeling around for a moment, and rose, his expression grim.

“It’s not here,” he said, ignoring the cops who were now both pointing their guns at him.

I was dismayed, but not surprised. Zach might not have been the only celestial being who knew that there was a map to the staff’s location. Blinky had been there when we discovered the tablet, so he knew that it had been with the staff. Even if he hadn’t heard of the map, he would’ve known the tablet was a clue, and he must have overheard Father Louis saying he was taking it to get the runes translated. If not for Father Louis’s excitement in taking all those pictures, Blinky would have made off with our only link to the staff’s location.

“Don’t worry,” I replied, patting my pocket. “I’ve got the photos.”

Adrian glanced at the cops, who were ordering him to get on the ground with his hands on top of his head. Then he threw a challenging smile my way. “Think you can keep up?”

I snorted, understanding his meaning. “Can you?”

And then we both ran out of the building so fast, the officers could do nothing to stop us.

* * *

I TOLD MYSELF that it only made sense to return to the light realm. So far, the campus appeared to be minion-and demon-free, but I would be putting everyone’s lives in danger if Demetrius or anyone like him returned to make another attempt at killing me. After all, they might have extra motivation now that Blinky had the tablet. With it, they might not even need me to find the staff anymore. For all we knew, its exact location was carved into the ancient stone block.

If I were being honest, however, I’d admit that I brought everyone back here because I wanted to. The safety, the sun, the warmth, the flower-strewn meadows that were so beautiful, it wouldn’t surprise me if a unicorn appeared and suddenly started frolicking in them... I didn’t want to let any of this go. Not yet. Being here felt like giving my soul some much-needed Xanax. Besides, apparently we had plenty to eat, too.

“There’s fruit trees!” Jasmine announced after returning from a short walk with Costa.

Adrian shot her a jaded look. “Let me guess—apple?”

From her unfettered smile, she missed the irony, although Costa gave him an appreciative grin. “Yep, all kinds,” she said happily. “Plus, olive trees, avocado trees and almond trees.”

I’d be delighted to browse through the trees snacking on fruits and nuts, for more reasons than the simple fact that I was hungry. But, much as I loved everything about this realm, I had to get back on the hunt for the staff. I hadn’t been lying when I told those Jesuits that I intended to avenge Father Louis’s death, and everyone else who’d been killed tonight.

“You and Costa help yourselves. Adrian and I need to find Zach,” I said. We’d been here for over an hour, but the Archon hadn’t shown up. Maybe he was in another corner of this realm.

Adrian stood so fast, I realized he’d only been sitting with me because he thought I needed the rest. “Let’s go.”