Chapter Sixteen
Kilian led them pastthe dumpster behind the cathedral and to a covered door deep in shadow. When a young man answered, Kilian invoked Silas’s name. Even though the man lacked the vestments of a priest, he knew what was going on because the name caused him to suck in a quick breath and retreat, slamming the door in Kilian’s face.
“Real friendly,” Stephen said dryly.
“He knows what I am. Someone with more authority will come since I used Silas’s name. Probably a bishop.” The relationship between the church and Judas vamps wasn’t common knowledge, and Kilian assumed that bishops did most of the actual interacting. He wasn’t sure since he had only met this bishop once when Silas had explained the process of sleep. He’d told Kilian that he hoped Kilian would live long enough to require that sort of time out from reality.
“I am entirely too amused that you have a secret bat signal that works on Catholic bishops.”
“Can you maybe not phrase it that way in front of said bishops?” Kilian begged. Stephen was in a rare mood this morning. The closer they’d gotten to Chicago, the sharper his tongue had become. The man who had run his fingers over Kilian’s side with such reverence had been replaced with an asshole with delusions of humor.
“Of course I won't. Who do you think I am?”
“Someone with very little reverence for anything sacred.”
Stephen wrinkled his nose. “Okay, you might have a point there. But still, don't you find it a little strange that bishops have some sort of deal to give Judas vamps sanctuary? I thought Judas vamps were the antithesis of Christianity.”
“That would be demon worshippers,” Kilian said.And people possessed by demons, he added mentally. “Judas was a follower of Christ, although betraying him and committing suicide did serious damage to that relationship.” Kilian didn’t pretend to know the theological explanation, but Silas had assured him that Judas vamps would always be safe inside a cathedral. They wouldn’t be comfortable or even conscious for long, but they would be safe. Unless they were baby Judas vamps, and then they ran the risk of the power inside the church ripping their body apart at the atomic level.
“Hence the guilt you guys specialize in.”
Kilian leaned back against the cool brick and studied Stephen. His eyes skimmed the back of the cathedral, studying every shadow and corner, but other than that, he was still. “You keep talking about guilt being the defining characteristic of the Judas vamp,” Kilian said, “but what's the defining characteristic of Christ and Christians?”
“Of Christ? Resurrection. Of Christians?” Stephen glanced over. “Hypocrisy,” he said firmly.
Kilian sighed. Stephen’s bad mood was worsening.
“Too much?” Stephen asked with a sheepish grin.
“Yeah.”
Stephen shrugged. “Still, I'm not wrong in the majority of cases.”
“I was referring to forgiveness. Christ is all about forgiving others.”
“Oh, that.” Stephen was so perfectly dismissive that Kilian considered taking offense on behalf of Christians.
