Their eyes found her now, heavy with grief, rimmed in disbelief. They knew what she was, and their judgment nearly suffocated her. In answer, the Hunger stirred again, trying to rise. She felt it push against her teeth, slick with the promise of blood.
Swallowing, she forced it down. Not today. Not them.
“Back off.” Rynna raised her voice, cutting through the low murmur rising from the crowd. “I’m not here for trouble.”
But fear never bowed to reason, and pain didn’t listen to words. The people began to inch forward, their faces hardening, grief searching for an outlet.
Damn it.She didn’t want to hurt them, but she sure as shit wasn’t about to let them string her up.
What would Josh do?
She paused at the thought.
That’s it!
Her knees hit the ground, and her hands came together as she lifted her face to the sky.
“Thank you, Joshua, Great Prophet of the Western Sea, for casting out the demon! May he be bound forever to the darkness of hell!” Her voice rang out, carrying across the square.
The crowd halted, hesitation creeping in as confusion slithered into the cracks where anger had lived just moments before.
It was a bluff. A pathetic performance. A mockery of faith from someone who’d spent millennia cursing heaven. But it bought her a heartbeat of time.
Malachi caught on fast, dropping beside her, his hands clasped in a gesture of worship. Even Adam could recognize the danger of the mob turning against them.
“Praise be to God!” He knelt, gesturing to the others from their group who had already spread through the crowd, offering aid to the injured.
And around them, all of Joshua’s followers shuffled in, sank to their knees, and bowed their heads, following Adam’s lead.
He’s going to rub this in for at least a month.
“Praise be to God.” Rynna closed her eyes, holding in the bitter laugh scratching at the back of her throat.
But it was this or bloodshed. Better to fake reverence than give these people the monster they already feared she was. Rynna peeked out from under her lashes, watching as the villagers shifted uneasily from foot to foot, looking around for someone to provide direction.
“I don’t know what happened here.” A wiry old man finally broke from the crowd, cane jabbing forward as he shoved people aside with impatient nudges. “But we’ve lost too many, and you are outsiders.” Each prod carved him a narrow path through their uncertainty until he stood where Rynna and her companions knelt. “Thank you for ending the slaughter…but please, leave.”
“Now see here, my good man.” Adam jumped to his feet, outrage sparking through every line of his posture. His hand knifed toward Rynna as if to drive his words home with force. “Our companion just acted as the avenging hand of God Himself! She may be…distasteful… but she saved you all from a hellborn demon. You should be thanking us.”
Rynna rose, catching Adam’s arm before he could wind himself tighter.
“Easy.” She wasn’t about to let his temper catch fire in the wrong direction. “Let it go. People need time to grieve and heal. This is nothing new.”
And it wasn’t. Monsters didn’t get thanked for the blood they chose not to spill.
Malachi stood next, grabbing Adam’s other arm and pulling him back. A quick glance passed between the two men, followed by Adam’s silent signal for the others to stay where they were.
“We meant no harm.” Malachi faced the old man. “Your town has been kind to us. We’re sorry for the pain our presence has caused.” His gaze didn’t waver. “If you’d allow it, we’d like to help make things right. Repair what we can. Tend to the wounded.”
“No.” The elder studied Malachi, his jaw working as if grinding down the words he wanted to say. “You all need to leave. We’ll take care of ourselves, as we always have.”
Malachi inclined his head. “As you wish. We’ll collect our things and be gone.” His hand found Adam’s shoulder, turning him firmly back toward the tavern as he whispered in his ear, “Please, just trust me. We’ll talk about it once we’re on the road.”
Adam gave a reluctant nod and then returned to the tavern, the others trailing after him. Rynna followed, sparing the elder a final nod before crossing the threshold.
Inside, the girl they’d left bleeding on the table now sat upright. Her chest was still streaked with drying blood but bound now in clean, tight bandages. She watched Rynna’s approach with wide, uncertain eyes.
“You’re a tough one, kid.” Malachi moved beside her, giving a crooked grin. “You’ll be back on your feet in no time.”
