church. “Rare and absolutely vital.”
“I don’t want to talk about that.” My voice wavered. “Tell me why you have Shya’s mark.”
Father Andrew stopped several feet away. Guilt and confusion curved his features into a frown. He tugged the sleeve back down over the dragon’s tail.
“I made a deal with him to save a friend,” he said bitterly. “But, I was too late. The demon was already inside his head. He took his own life.”
“I’m sorry. That was very selfless of you. Something a true friend would do.” It was something I had also done for a friend. Taking Shya’s mark to save Kale had done neither of us any good. I had done it so Shya would spare his life, but he was dead anyway.
I gave myself a shake and fought back another threatening surge of tears. Crying blood in front of the priest was hardly going to fit his expectations for a Hound of God. I didn’t ever want to let myself cry over Kale; then I’d have to admit he was gone. That it was real.
“It didn’t save him though.” Father Andrew shook his head; the weariness in the hunch of his shoulders conveyed more than any words.
“What is it that Shya hopes to gain by making a deal with you? I know he doesn’t do anything unless it benefits him.”
There was a moment of quiet while the man gathered himself. He looked so forlorn and frustrated when he forced out, “Access to a relic meant for no demon. Something secret that needs to stay that way. Powerful and deadly. That’s what Shya wants from me.”
“Holy shit. Sorry,” I added, suddenly self-conscious of my potty mouth. “Do you know where it is? Or, what it does?”
“There is plenty of speculation about what it does. Nobody seems to know for sure. If a demon wants it, it can’t be good. It’s here somewhere, in the city, hidden. I have no intention of helping him find it. I’ll let him kill me first.” Father Andrew shrugged, resigned to his fate.
My mind raced. “He wants something from me, too. But why? What’s he up to?”
“He’s building an army to serve him. People like you are his link to the human world. If he controls you, he controls it. Watch out for him and the fallen angel.” His tone became pleading. “Don’t let them corrupt you. You’re a Hound. One of the last.”
I threw my hands up and turned on a heel to go. “I can’t listen to this. I’m sorry. I’m a killer. A monster. That’s all.”
“If anyone has a chance to stop him, it’s you.”
Father Andrew’s voice followed me out of the church, but I didn’t look back.
Chapter Five
“I don’t believe it,” Jez announced. “I refuse. Kale can’t be dead.”
Her red lips twisted into a scowl. With a vigorous headshake, she huffed. I had anticipated her reaction. Disbelief still held me in its grip as well.
We sat on one of the couches at The Wicked Kiss, looking on to the near empty dance floor. After the disturbing evening I’d had so far with Gabriel and the priest, I decided to follow through with my plan to close the club for a few nights. Only regulars were allowed in, which meant more action in the back than out front.
“Briggs can’t be that good of a liar,” I replied, watching a middle-aged man offer himself to a vampire. The man had more visible bites than I could count. These people must get damn good at hiding the truth behind their daytime personas.
“Says who? He’s a government drone. They mess with mind control. Just because he believes it doesn’t make it true.” Jez’s haughty green cat-like gaze landed on me. “You don’t believe it either. Otherwise, you’d be a total mess.”
I scoffed. “Give me a break. I care about Kale. The last thing I want is for anything bad to happen to him. But, I’m not this lovesick puppy you insist I am.”
“Bullshit.”
I turned my attention to a loose thread on my sleeve. I’d been wearing a lot more long sleeve shirts than usual these days in order to cover the dragon etched into my forearm thanks to Shya. The ugly demon mark drew a lot of unwanted interest.
“If he’s not dead, then where the hell is he? He’s been missing for too long. It can’t be good.” My stomach flipped a few times in response to the anxiety-riddled scenarios that played out in my head.
“I bet they still have him,” Jez mused,