I frowned, jerking my gaze away. I didn’t care about these humans. I’d seen enough difficult loss in my own world. I certainly didn’t want to see it here.
It had been several days since I’d arrived in time to see Castiel break free of his imprisonment. In the few days that had passed, I’d had many late night conversations with Castiel and Lilith, discussing what to do now. Gabriel had given us full authority to do as we needed, keeping the sedge’s wellbeing in mind.
Castiel’s execution of the elders put the church into a tizzy, though hopefully this service would calm things down.
The humans in the pews muttered to one another or sat stone-still, eyeing Castiel. They were sheep, these humans, looking for someone to tell them what to do. I couldn’t believe he was staying here longer. Nothing about this little human neighborhood appealed to me. I didn’t think it appealed much to Castiel either, except the blonde with the lush figure making his head turn to rot.
I never wanted a mate.
The humans who were brave enough to look at me flushed and turned away as soon as they saw me stare right back. Strange earthbound creatures.
In our conversations, I had suggested razing the place to the ground and making them leave their cult behind.
Lilith had gasped in horror and Castiel had reached out and squeezed her hand. “We won’t do that,” he promised in a low voice. “We’ll see them through this transition, then return to Mirkwold.”
She offered him a tremulous smile. “Jo has ideas on which reverend from the main church of Erlik who would be a good fit when we’re ready for them to take over.”
“There you go,” Castiel replied, as if that solved all their problems.
I grunted. “I can find this path home myself if you’re too busy playing nursemaid to the humans.”
Lilith’s eyes flashed, but Castiel beat her to it.
“We’re going home in two or three weeks. After killing the elders and assuming responsibility for the church until the humans decide what they want, I know I’ve gathered far too much interest and attention on us.”
I grimaced. I preferred it when humans didn’t know we existed.
“Our time in the shadows is nearly up, and I know I bear much responsibility for that.”
“It was bound to happen at some point,” I grudgingly replied. Castiel had too soft a heart, too ready to pick up more responsibilities if he thought it kept people safe.
Then Castiel turned to me, and his words changed everything. “Lilith spoke with Silence this morning, and she has information that can help us.”
“Silence says she knows about Hawkstone,” Lilith butted in.
Hawkstone Coven. The religious community the book mentioned. The art of a royal seraph falling into this world, painted hundreds of years ago. The angel Judith loved, the humans called the piece. Tucked away in a hidden coven we weren’t sure still existed.
“Silence,” I said in disbelief.
“The woman with the black hair and hazel eyes,” Castiel helpfully offered. “Quiet, looks like she hasn’t slept in three months.”
I ground my jaw. I knew exactly who he was talking about. I’d seen her walking about like a ghost several times. Such a timid thing, jumping at her own shadow. I avoided her whenever I could.
“She said her grandmother used to talk about it. Apparently a family member used to be a witch in that coven.” Lilith’s eyebrows rose in incredulity, for she had been raised to believe most covens had died out. They were rarer than the other three gods’ places of worship, but they hadn’t completely disappeared.
Somehow, by the end of that meeting, we’d agreed Castiel would stay behind to be with Lilith—though he said he was staying for a few weeks to shepherd the cult back into mainstream religion and society—and I would go to Hawkstone Coven, using Silence as my guide.
“Please be kind to her,” Lilith said.
I glared. Who was she to issue commands to me?
“She’s been through so much. She doesn’t need you being mean to her on top of everything else she survived.”
I scoffed.
Castiel shot me a look.
“You know me,” I told him.
