“A secret for a secret. Ambrose has told you many lies that we can expose, some of which may be relevant to whatever deal you made with him. There may be a loophole.”
I wonder how much they know.
“You’re in a position where you can help us,” he continues. “He’s dangerous, and by helping us, you can make this corner of the world a safer place.”
“How would you know about the lies he’s told me if you don’t know about the conditions of our deal in the first place?” I assume angels wouldn’t be asking for my help if they knew what sort of sins I’ve already committed.
They exchange a weighted look, and Elias speaks for the first time. His voice is softer than Samuel’s. “He has been known to manipulate helpless women by any means possible. He will say whatever he needs to to ensure you don’t leave, call for help, or otherwise mess up his plans.” He runs his fingers through his dark curls, clearly uncomfortable.
“What do you want to know?” I ask. I can almost taste the bitterness in my voice. Of course I’m not the first one he’s done this to.
“Each of us has an artifact that allows us to channel our powers and increase our lifespans. Have you noticed any sort of item that he keeps on his person?”
The necklace. But for some reason, my instincts are telling me to keep the information to myself. At least for now.
“I’m not sure,” I lie. “I haven’t been paying much attention to anything like that.”
“It may look like a perfectly normal item or accessory, but no matter how inconspicuous it may look, it is an item of both protection and power.”
“What do you plan on doing with it?”
“We simply need to get the item from him to dull his power. He likely has dozens, if not hundreds, of lifetimes left that he’s already collected. He will not die, but he will not be able to benefit from taking any more lives.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for it.”
“In return,” Samuel says, “we can help you get away from him without causing you harm.”
It’s a tempting offer. Freedom, and the ability to run away from this place. But that doesn’t solve all my issues with Joel, and I’d still have no money and no place to go. Right now, I don’t think it’s wise to make any more bargains with supernatural beings.
“Meet us here again in exactly three weeks. We will wait in this same spot, just before sunset. Do whatever you need to in order to learn what his artifact is. We will see you then.”
With that, they walk across the small clearing and behind the church, disappearing into the woods. As soon as they’re out of sight, the forest comes alive again with rustling trees and buzzing cicadas and singing birds, as if I’ve been surrounded by a silent bubble that’s popped with their departure.
The tightness in my chest loosens slightly, and I take thefirst deep breath I’ve been able to take since I saw them lurking in the distance.
Instead of exploring the church more, like I had planned to do on my way out here, I turn around and walk back to Ambrose’s house with conflict whirling through my head.
He’s done nothing but manipulate me since I got here. So why am I struggling so much with the idea of selling him out?
CHAPTER 20
The sound of power tools echoes across the yard from the garage, so I slip into the house unseen and shut myself in my bedroom. But I can’t relax. The wooden floorboards creak under my feet as I pace the room.
The more I think about it, the angrier I become. I’m just another pawn in whatever fucked up game he’s playing, and I was stupid to believe the display of emotion he showed me the other night. Every time I think I’m calming down, I’m hit with another pang of betrayal.
It was stupid of me to think I was special in any way, and it was even dumber of me to feel special because he… he what? Chose me as the special woman to manipulate into murdering for him? Oh yeah, that’s what every woman wants.
Jesus, I’m a mess.
I flop onto the bed.
But I need to play this safe and avoid suspicion while I figure out why I didn’t just fuck him over the first chance I had. He deserves it, after all. He targeted me, hunted me,and lured me here to do his dirty work. I need to remember that.
He’s a demon, or at least something close to it. His entire schtick is to be the charming trickster, just like in all those old myths and stories about the devil, and I can’t allow myself to keep falling for it.
And even though I felt on edge around the angels, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. It’s only natural that a human would feel on edge around supernatural beings, especially ones that appeared unexpectedly in the middle of the forest with a backdrop of a decrepit church. There’s probably some scientific explanation about why my body reacted in the way it did. Plus, people in the Bible were terrified when angels appeared then even though they were the good guys, right? It’s probably the same sort of thing.
Also, the angels wouldn’t have a reason to want to take away Ambrose’s power unless it was to protect people. It’s not like there’s a shortage of human lives to take, and therefore there’d be no competition. The world is overpopulated as it is, and there can’t be that many angels or demons or “Liminals” out there.
