my chest and for the first time, I was beginning to regret getting tossed out. Maybe Kimaris was right. The people of earth would take one look at my horns and only see a creature that laid waste to their world.
“But she could touch the gate.” Stavros continued to watch me curiously, dark eyes flickering from my face to my arm as if waiting for a delayed effect from the holy water. “Not a single demon from any legion has ever been able to come near it.”
“She could be working with the demons even if she’s not one of them,” Zach argued.
“But she says she’s a succubus?”
“Why aren’t you afraid of God?” Kais was the one to address me, while the other two argued like I wasn’t even there.
“Because He created me.” I lifted my chin, my weary smile returning. “You could say succubi and incubi were His first prototypes for humans.”
“Impossible,” Zach scoffed.
“Yeah?” His mismatched eyes dilated, smooth cheeks reddening when I turned my gaze to him. I’d bet both my horns he was growing thick under those robes, too. “Were you there, Zach? Because I was.”
“It’s not anywhere in the scripture,” he retorted. “Except for Lilith, who—”
“Oh yeah, she’s not a succubus, but was another failed attempt.” I shrugged dismissively. “Perfection takes several tries to get right, you see. The writers of the good book would never have you believing such things.”
“And the devil tells lies, you see.” His face twisted into a sneer. “He hides behind beautiful faces too.”
I batted my eyelashes. “Aww. That’s sweet, Zach.”
“Okay, calm down.” Stavros pulled the young priest back by the shoulder, who was getting hot under the collar in more ways than one. “Zach, take a walk. Make sure the rest of the Hellfire’s been put out.”
“But—”
“I said, take a walk.”
Standing toe-to-toe, the two of them were nearly equal in size. Zach’s fists clenched at his sides, his emotions nowhere near as clamped down as Stavros’. The older priest stood impassable, like a fortress. I licked my lips, daring to taste the tension simmering in the air between them.
Could they be…? Ah, very interesting.
After a few moments, Zach yielded, storming out of the shed with a heavy slam of the door. Kais and Stavros exchanged a quick glance before returning their gazes to me. Heavy, hungry gazes.
I bit back my whimper at the heat of their eyes on me, the closeness of them amplified by the walls of this tiny shed. I really needed to feed soon, and to get within their crucifix gate.
“Did you come from Hell or not?” Kais, ever the straight shooter.
“Yes.”
“And you’re seeking sanctuary, why?” Stavros squinted at me as though expecting me to change shape before his eyes.
“Because I’m not safe there.”
Kais looked at his fellow priest, scratching the dark curls at the base of his skull. “And does this have to do with you not fearing God?”
Sure, you could say that.
“Yes.” I swallowed, trying to find an answer that wasn’t really an answer. “It’s true, I’ve spent a long time there, as you can see.” I rolled my eyes up to my horns. “But recent…events have made it clear how different I am from Hellspawn. It’s no longer a welcome place for me, and I…” I sank to the dirty floor, trying to make myself look as pathetic as possible. “I’m asking for your protection, Fathers. Within your church.”
“For how long?” Kais finally put the gun away, although it made the question no less abrupt.
“I’m not sure.” I looked down, frowning at the burnt edge of my dress. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet.”
Kais released a closed-mouth sigh, angling his head at Stavros with a skeptical look. Oh no. That meant two of them were leaning toward denying me and only the big, beautiful Greek man could be my saving grace.
They all had enjoyed their time with me, I made sure of that—but it was Stavros that clung to me like a lifeline. Sometimes I wondered who was feeding off of who, the way he begged me not to leave, how he asked to just hold me after I took my fill. Many of those I’d fed upon wanted cuddling and aftercare once the deal was done, but I’d never been tempted to say yes until him. He—all three of them, really—was just as much an escape for me as I was for him.
I’d been around a long time and was no stranger to priests who took vows of celibacy. When I fed from