She choked on her eggs. That wasn't what she expected Kish to say. "And he let you live?"
"Freaky, huh?" Kish laughed before he continued. "Sin lives his entire life up to his eyeballs in death. Believe it or not, he saves everyone he can, when he can. I hadn't been bitten by my demon yet and so he was able to pull me out. Most of the people, and I use that term loosely, who work below owe Sin their lives in one way or another."
Wow. She was amazed by Sin's compassion even though he tried to keep his distance from others... especially after all the betrayal in his life. The fact that he would still reach out to help another...
He was incredible and it made her love him all the more.
She took a drink of juice before she spoke again. "But how can you still be alive?"
"Sin was the god of the calendar year. Even though Artemis took most of his powers, she didn't get them all, and that was one he semi-maintained. He's able to stop the aging cycle. Not as effectively as he could when he was a Sumerian god, but enough to keep me alive and not aging."
That was a neat power to have. "Couldn't he do that for Damien?"
"No. They tried it once and it almost killed him. Damien's cursed-that's a whole other animal to skin, and Sin's powers don't extend to it."
"But he saved you," she said, her heart melting at the thought. "You must have been a good man."
He scoffed at her. "I was the worst sort of trash. A liar, a thief. For pocket change I would have cut the throat of anyone, man, woman... child. It didn't matter. I'm not proud of what I was. Had Sin cut my throat and left me for dead, I would have deserved it." He looked up, his eyes filled with turmoil. "I've never been able to understand why he saved me. God knows I didn't deserve it. I had no concept of compassion until he spared my life."
The more Kat learned about Sin, the more she was amazed by him. And she wanted to fully understand what had made Sin spare Kish. She reached out and touched Kish's arm. In an instant, she was there in that moment.
Kish was on the ground, bleeding while Sin stood over him fingering the knife he'd taken from Kish's hand while Kish had tried his best to kill him.
"Do it," Kish had snarled.
Sin had pulled the smaller man up from the street by his tunic front. He held Kish by his fist as he stared into Kish's dark eyes. And it was then Sin saw the life Kish had lived. The terror, the pain. A runaway slave, he'd lived his life wanting freedom and comfort.
Wanting something he didn't have to fight for, and it resonated in Sin's own soul. He understood just how much something so inconsequential could mean.
Sin had set Kish on his feet. "Life only has the value a person gives it. If I killed you here and now, yours would be worthless and no one would mourn you. Is that truly what you want?"
Kish had curled his lip at Sin. "I don't own my life. It means nothing to me."
"Then it means nothing to anyone." Sin had narrowed his gaze on Kish. "But if you had your life again, would it still be worthless?"
"I don't understand riddles. I'm only a servant."
"Servant or master, you're not stupid. The question is simple... if I give you back your life, will you throw it away again or will you make it worth something?"
Kish hadn't spoken, but the hopeful glimmer in his eyes had said it all. And so Sin had spared him.
Kat let go of Kish's arm and smiled at the warmth that filled her.
He made a noise of disgust. "You know that's kind of rude to spy on someone like that and not to ask. Not to mention really intrusive."
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know."
And still he looked less than placated. "So that's supposed to excuse you just traipsing into my past and my emotions?"
"Okay, sorry. I get it. Damn, you are a lot like Sin. I promise I will never do that to you again."
"Good, 'cause I didn't like it. How would you feel if I went frolicking through your past without your permission?"
"Kish..."
He moved away from her, his face sullen. "I'm just saying you should put a leash on that power. That's all."
She held her hands up in surrender. "It is leashed. Now drop the subject or I'll tell Sin you've seen me naked."