Djeserit walked around the desk then and sat in her
custom-designed ergonomic chair, a luxury paid for by
the congregation at the astonishing cost of nearly ten
thousand dollars.
Her actions were yet another effort to place herself
in a position of power, sitting while she left him stand-140
SINS OF THE HEART
ing, separated by her desk. But her expression remained
completely neutral, betraying nothing of her thoughts.
“I am surprised by your choice.” She didn’t sound
surprised. But then, she never did.
“Why is that?” Uninvited, Pyotr crossed to the sidebar and poured himself a cup of the rich, strong Turkish
coffee Djeserit preferred. Personally, he favored café
hufuch, a foamy, creamy beverage made with unfiltered
coffee. But small things were not worth his temper.
“She is innocent.” Bold, bordering on rude,
Djeserit’s tone never changed as she made her observations. It was her way. Instead of questioning his
choice, she would simply point out the obvious and
rely on him to see his own wayward path. “I fail to see
her value as bait for a soul reaper. She has no darksoul.”
Pyotr shot her a glance, sipped his coffee, suppressed a shudder at the bitter taste and smiled. Without waiting for an invitation, he settled on one of the
low couches and leaned back. “Precisely.”
Djeserit was missing the obvious. No matter how
much they might wish it otherwise, they had no power
to summon a soul reaper. The minions of their master,
Sutekh, did not answer mortal command. They could
kill the most heinous villains and end up with nothing
to show for their efforts other than a river of blood. No,
they must be cunning. Wise. They must choose their
victim with care. Not someone to lure a reaper, but
