Tirade (Heven and Hell #3)(74)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“What’s a Soul Reaper?”

“I don’t know.”

“If you think this information will buy you your life…”

Riley laughed. “Kill me, go ahead. I welcome death—the freedom. Any death you give me will be far easier than what he gives me.”

I pushed him away, sickened.

“What’s the matter? Don’t want to kill me now because I want you to? Did I take away your fun?”

“You stayed around,” I said, measuring him. “After you took the Map, you stayed around. Why?”

“Because I promised Heven I would get you out of hell.”

“You had the scroll before I was set free?”

He nodded.

“It was you I heard talking with Beelzebub that day. He threatened you.”

“That was one of his nicer threats,” Riley said and smirked.

“So why stick around? Why go to hell with Heven?”

“Because I told her I would.”

I scrutinized him for long moments. I knew this guy was a good liar, but hell if I didn’t believe what he was saying. “You like Heven.”

Riley said nothing; he gave no reaction at all.

That was answer enough for me. “What I just saw back there…”

“Was what it looked like. I was attacked. I was defending myself.”

I punched him in the face.

“If you ever touch her again, I will kill you.”

I walked away, every muscle in my body screaming for me to go back and hit him just one more time.

“He won’t stop until he gets a name!” Riley yelled behind me.

Once again, I believed him.

Heven

I was getting very good at looking like everything was normal when in actuality, everything around me was in chaos. Logan was good at pretending he hadn’t just watched his brother throw Riley out the window and then rush off into the night. I cleaned the blood off my face and hands and changed into some loose pajamas that covered all the claw marks on my skin. When Gran came up the stairs, we were sitting in his room, watching a movie. She went back downstairs for some chamomile tea and cookies, and we both let out a collective breath.

“Do you think Sam is okay?” Logan asked, looking at his window.

“I really do. He’ll be back in a few minutes, I’m sure.”

“He’s been through a lot.”

“Yeah, he has. He’s a strong person.”

“I want to be like him.”

I smiled. “You’re on your way. I think you’re a lot like Sam.”

He widened his eyes, but then he looked away.

“Is something bothering you, Logan? I mean, besides the fact Sam and Riley are out there probably fighting?” I glanced at the window and hoped Sam would return soon. I wasn’t worried about him getting hurt. Riley was strong and mean, but he was no match for Sam—especially as angry as Sam probably was right now. Inside I cringed because it really hadn’t been what it looked like—Riley wasn’t trying to hurt us, physically anyway. I still couldn’t believe he took the scroll. That he used me like that. I had trusted him. The betrayal had a heavy sting.

“I have to tell you something,” Logan whispered

“Sure.”

Logan took a deep breath. “I’m the one who hit your mother. I’m the reason she went to the hospital. I’m the reason she’s dead.” He hunched his shoulders, shame and sorrow radiating off him.

“You… I thought you found her after she hit her head?” My head was spinning.

Logan shook his head and swiped at his face, looking up. “The demon in me took over. He made me do it… When I came to, I was standing over her body with the pitcher in my hands.” His face fell with his admission.

“Oh.” I sat there for a second and then I reached out and took Logan’s hand. “You know it really wasn’t you. It was the demon inside you.”

“But it was using my body, using me, and now your mother is dead. Maybe if I had been stronger I wouldn’t have done what it wanted.”

“I don’t think you’re the reason my mother is dead, Logan. You did hit her, send her to the hospital, but all the doctors thought she would wake up. It wasn’t an injury that should have caused her to die. You weren’t responsible for her death. Beelzebub was.”

“What do you mean?”

I told him about the letter and how Beelzebub probably manipulated her.

“I hate him!” Logan said when I finished.

“I pretty much feel the same way.” I half smiled. “I wish you would’ve come to me sooner with this. You’ve been feeling guilty all this time for no reason. I don’t blame you.”

“But I hit her.”

I grabbed his wrists and he looked up. “And I forgive you. We all do things we don’t mean.”

I was shocked when Logan hugged me. It was a tight, quick hug, but it was real. I hugged him back, grimacing at how thin he was and at the pain of being hugged where there were fresh claw marks.

“How about some of those cookies Gran went downstairs for? I’m starving.”

He glanced back at the window. “What about Sam?”

“He’s probably starving too. We can make a plate for him.”

Logan laughed. “Okay.” He got up from the bed and we made our way into the hall.

When we passed my bedroom, the door opened a crack and Sam’s eye peaked out. Logan was already on the stairs and I called down to him, “I’ll be right there. I’m going to grab a sweater.”

I hurried into my room and closed the door. “Sam, are you okay? That wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Are you okay?” He demanded, his breathing fast as his eyes swept over me, looking for blood and injury.

“I’m fine. I promise.”

Sam was still pretty keyed up and he paced back and forth by the window. “Riley took the scroll, Hev.” He pushed a hand through his hair.

“I know.” Sam paused to look at me. “I passed out after… after I killed Colin. That’s when he took it.”

Sam shook his head. “He was after that scroll back when China was looking for it.”

“That long?” I gasped. “Why did he even leave town, then?”

Sam shrugged. “I guess he figured it wasn’t here. He didn’t know we found it…”

“Then Beelzebub told him,” I murmured, remembering what I saw in Riley’s mind. I looked up at Sam. “Did you hurt him?”