“Not exactly accurate,” Veylo said. The baby continued throwing a fit in his arms. “Hewasa spy, like you, but the Almighty discovered that Janka was working against Him, so He gave him an ultimatum. He could either work with us to maintain his position in Heaven, or forever be banished to Hell.”
“But, I saw Craetis and Veylo—”
Veylo smirked. “A clever performance, don’t you think? The Leader’s Allies, you included, needed to believe that Janka was dead so they wouldn’t know that he was the one delivering names to the Almighty. If anyone knew that he was the one squealing, they would’ve run before we had time to catch all the traitors. As long as they believed thatwe’ddiscovered his treachery, they’d believe it was an isolated incident…that they were safe. That’s why we had time to catch Donna and Krimson.”
As Veylo spoke, Kinzer’s gaze remained fixed on Janka. “So you outed me and the other Leader’s Allies because you were trying to maintain your position in Heaven?”
Janka’s expression didn’t change.
A fire stirred in Kinzer’s chest. “I think you owe me some answers!”
Janka took a deep breath. Kinzer knew what he was doing. He’d seen him like that so many times before. He was massaging a most perfect response into place, unwilling to speak before he’d devised something to articulate his exact intent.
“I did what I had to do.”
His response bewildered Kinzer.That was it?
“What you had to do?” Kinzer asked. “You were willing to sacrifice Donna and Krimson and Fie and Dedrus and Treycore…and me, rather than yourself?”
“I’m not proud!” he barked, a pink shade washing over his immortally pale flesh.
“But you still did it.”
“Kinzer, I—”
The fire in Kinzer’s chest exploded, as if Janka’s words had just fanned its flames. “And you never thought you could come to me for help?”
“You were too committed to the cause. I couldn’t trust you.”
Those words were like a sword through Kinzer’s heart.
“Committed to the cause?” he asked. “The only reason I was a part of the cause was because of you. Because I loved you. Because I wanted to be with you.”
“I’m sorry, but—”
“I don’t think you understand how many shits I don’t give. How could you side with them? After all that they’ve done? After all that the Almighty’s done?”
“Because at the end of the day,” Veylo said, stroking his finger across the baby, “Janka has, and always will be, a coward who doesn’t want to lose the luxurious life he has in Heaven…just like the rest of us.”
A tear formed in Kinzer’s eye. His mind reeled with memories of the past few days.
A horrifying realization hit him.
“It was you,” he said. “You were the Tracker…you tracked me to get to Dedrus and Treycore…to get to Maggie.”
The guilty look in Janka’s eyes was the only confirmation Kinzer needed.
Janka reached out and touched Kinzer’s shoulder. Kinzer yanked it out of his grasp.
“Don’t you fucking touch me!” he shouted. “I don’t know who I thought you were, but you’re not the Janka I fell in love with.”
“I am. I promise. I just couldn’t—”
“No! The Janka I loved never could have done something like this to his friends…to me.”
“Kinzer, please!”
“You watched them clip me. They took my wings. My gift. Veylo tried to make me a sex slave. Did you know that?”
