“Then he told me Sloan arrested the members of the council who had been voting against attacking the traitors.”
Shadrach gaped, and Isaac smiled lopsidedly at his expression.
“That was kind of my reaction, too. Anyway, Hawley saidSloan was sending paladins after you guys, and he’d sent a powerful artifact with them.”
“Those stones,” Shadrach deduced.
Isaac nodded. “They have Enochian sigils on them. It’s a holy light that burns away evil. They’re apparently extremely rare, and they aren’t used much anymore. He said they’ve been locked away in a vault. The possessor battle probably would’ve gone very differently if they’d been able to access them. It would’ve killed you all. I didn’t know how to stop it, so I hoped grabbing him and getting him outside was enough.”
“And it was. We’d all probably be dead if you hadn’t come.”
Isaac raised a hand to his face, rubbing his forehead like it was an excuse to hide behind it. “I’m sorry I ran. I’m sorry I chose wrong. I fucked up. They taught me right from wrong, and I still don’t know if I’m choosing right. I just knew I couldn’t let you die. And when Hawley tried to stop me from leaving, I lost it. I bashed his head in and ran.” His voice was thick with emotion. “Is killing people to protect demons right or wrong? I don’tknow.”
“I’m going with right, because I don’t fancy dying.” When Isaac didn’t respond to his quip, Shadrach sat back against the headboard and pulled Isaac against his chest, pleased when Isaac went without protest. “Come here, killer. I’m sure most humans prefer a healthy sense of morality, but I like you just the way you are. If you’re ever truly worried about making the wrong choice about something, talk to Ira. I think he probably has the best idea.”
With his head in the crook of Shadrach’s neck, Isaac said, as though it was only just occurring to him, “Ira is a prophet.”
Shadrach frowned at the non-sequitur. “Yes?”
“Prophets receive their visions from God.”
“Supposedly.”
“Ira’s with a demon. Ira’s seen all of us with our demons.”
“As far as I know, yeah.” Where was this going?
“Does that mean this is all part of God’s plan?”
Shadrach’s brows rose. He hadn’t really considered that, and it was far above his pay grade, to be sure. “You’ll have to take that up with him, I’m afraid. I would assume that’s correct, though.”
Isaac was quiet for a moment, and when he pushed himself upright to meet Shadrach’s eyes, his own were tainted with confusion and loss.
“What do I do now?” he asked. “I… I have nothing. My apartment was on the grounds of HQ. I ran with nothing but the clothes on my back and whatever happened to be in my car.”
Unfamiliar hope took root in Shadrach’s chest. “Stay.”
Isaac stilled, looking painfully uncertain. “Really?”
“Stay,” he said again. “I’ll take care of everything. You can go to work with the Sentinels. You can keep hunting demons if you want. You can take out killers and gangbangers too, if it would please you. Hell, I’d let you kill anyone you wanted, but the Sentinels might protest.”
Isaac snorted out a laugh. “Really? You barely know me. I barely knowyou. We met while you were holding me hostage and torturing me for information. How can this possibly work?”
“It worked for the others,” he said. “I know enough to know we fit together. Everything else will sort itselfout.”
“I—” Isaac stopped, laughing. “What do Ido? I have no clothes. I don’t even have a toothbrush.”
“Use my toothbrush for now—actually I probably have a spare in the closet. I’ll buy you a wardrobe, just tell me your sizes. I’ll buy you a new car, so there’s no way the guild can track your current one. I’ll buy you a new phone and laptop and a goddamn house if you don’t like that this place has no windows. Juststay.” He was well and truly showing his hand here, but he didn’t care. Isaac was so close to being his he could taste it. All he had to do was agree to stay. Agree to give them a chance. GiveShadracha chance.
Isaac blew out a breath. “Okay.” He frowned again. “I still feel like this isn’t going to last, somehow, but it’s not like I have anywhere else to go. You understand they’ll hunt me down for what I did, right? There’s no way they won’t know I was the one who killed Father Hawley.”
“I’d like to see them try,” Shadrach swore. “And as for the rest, only time will ease your fears. I intend for us to have plenty of that. Just trust me.”
Isaac sighed. He still looked speculative, but he reached over and turned off the lamp, settling against Shadrach with an arm and leg thrown over him.
“I don’t know what’s next,” Isaac said, his warm breath soft against Shadrach’s chest, “but I don’t want to regret this.”
Shadrach’s arms tightened around him. He wouldn’t regret this. Shadrach would make sure of it.
