Travis paused then said, “I have my truck here. I can just drive away. Way smarter than on foot. Plus my phone is in there, and I can call for help.”
“My phone is smashed to bits inside,” Emma said quietly, now biting her lip.
I shook my head. “I have a place we can go. It is safe and close by. If you leave my side, it will discover and destroy you.”
His back stiffened. “What happens if it gets me?”
Emma stamped her feet in the inch of snow to keep warm, then turned her head in the direction I was originally leading them. “He called it the soul eater, Travis, what do you think? It dines on pizza and donuts?”
“Why aren’t you freaking out?” he screamed at Emma.
She dropped her arms to her sides and screamed back. “Because you’re doing it enough for both of us. Plus, apparently I have survival skills you freakin’ lack.”
Travis recoiled as if she hit him, stunned into silence.
Prepared to knock the belligerent man over the head and throw him over my shoulder if need be, I counted to five while he looked back and forth between the forest and his car, mulling over his nonexistent options.
With tight lips, Travis finally nodded when I got to four and followed after Emma. Quickly catching up to Emma, who seemed to instinctually know where I was leading them, I took of my coat and threw it over her shaking shoulders. I was left in a long sleeve shirt that was also armored but not to the same extent as the coat. I already felt better with Emma engulfed in some amount of protection and warmth.
She looked up as if she was about to protest, but then seemed to think better of it and mumbled a begrudging, “Thank you.” She wouldn’t look me in the eye, and her avoidance gave me a funny twinge in my stomach, reminding me of what it felt like to eat worms.
I’d had to eat them to survive when I was ten-years-old, undergoing the Trials. Even hours after I’d digested the slimy critters, I swore I could still feel them protesting, wriggling around in my belly.
People typically didn’t make eye contact if they were afraid of you and the way Emma’s gaze only darted to my chest, arms, and stomach – anywhere but my face – meant she must be terrified of me, but she kept in step.
“Glad you two are getting cozy,” Travis groused behind us.
Remembering the soul eater had pronounced Travis the Propheros, I dropped back to pace him in case anything should materialize and try to snatch him.
“We are almost there,” I assured him, and directed Emma which way to lead us until we reached the small, abandoned church. The crumbling structure probably only accommodated forty parishioners back when it was an active house of worship.
“This looks like it’s chock-full of building code violations,” Travis said, digging his heels in against going inside.
“Building code violations?” I asked.
Emma gave me a strange look. “Like the building is unsafe and could come down on us if we go inside.”
I nodded, understanding. “The structure is sound.”
“Whoareyou?” Travis sputtered, still not willing to enter.
I looked around, wondering how far behind the soul eater was. “Someone who is trying to save you. Now get inside.”
He snorted. “It wouldn’t even work if we did. I’m Jewish. No Christian church is going to save me.”
“We don’t have time to argue. We must get inside.” I could have explained that any place of worship would ward against the dark, but I had a feeling Travis was looking for any reason to dismiss my help.
Already, I missed being the normal nobody who popped into Smoky Badger for a bottle of wine every afternoon as I scoped out the grounds, waiting for the soul eater. I liked being that guy. Now I was back to protector and it was difficult when people didn’t want to be protected, which was surprisingly often.
Travis crossed his arms. “No dude, this is ridiculous. I’m going back to my car. I’m not staying in a place where I’ll be buried in rubble. You can count me out.”
A whisper through the trees spoke to me of flesh being torn from bone. It was a warning, and I knew I was left with no other choice but to use force.
Before I could do anything, Emma stepped up and slugged Travis in the face knocking him out cold to the ground. An impressive feat considering she was five inches shorter than him. She immediately bent over and pulled at his legs to drag him inside the church. She paused to look up at me. “Are you going help or just watch me do all the work?”
An invisible hand squeezed my heart with rapid succession, but I ignored it, scooped Travis up, and took him inside. Emma closed the door behind us.
No sooner was it shut and bolted when a heavybang bang bangrattled the door in its frame.
