Since the night he kissed me then abruptly left me wondering what the hell went wrong, he’s been distant. He’s slipped back into his old ways, acting aloof in the most frustrating way possible. My attempt to talk to him about the situation was met with a sarcastic quip and a dismissive wave, and that was enough for me.
If he thinks I’m going to beg at his feet just because he kissed me, he has another thing coming. I’m done hurting myself to feed men’s egos, and I refuse to beg for affection that isn’t freely given. It just means I need to guard my heart more with him, because it’s easier for me to keep him at an arm’s length than to sit in limbo wondering if he cares for me as anything more than his captive.
My resolve only strengthens the further I get from the house, leaves crunching underfoot as I make my way downthe path to the old church. The trees are layered in brilliant shades of red and gold, but the dry, brown leaves cracking under my shoe serve as a reminder that the beauty won’t last long.
I sense their presence before I see them. The forest goes uncannily silent, just as it did the last time the angels appeared, and I nervously scan the woods around me.
Even though I intentionally came out here to meet them, my heart races and nerves flutter in my stomach. I’m not sure why.
When I round the corner, I find them in the same spot as before, and I brace myself for this conversation.
“Hello, Brielle,” Samuel says.
“Hello.”
“Have you found the item we have asked you for?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m sorry. I came out here to tell you I can’t help you.”
“But you do know what it is,” the other man says. The way his gaze bores into me, as if he’s reading my thoughts, sends a chill down my spine. Ireallyhope he can’t read my thoughts.
I pause for a second too long, because Samuel raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Interesting…” he muses. “You know, but you’re not willing to tell us. Your guilt is written all over your face.”
“I just can’t get caught up in this,” I say. “I’m just a woman who has barely survived life thus far, and I can’t pick sides on some supernatural rivalry.”
“This is more than some simple rivalry,” Samuel argues. “Innocent people are dying, and the blood will be on your hands as much as his if this continues. You’re guilty by association and by withholding the truth.”
“I’m sorry. I just can’t.” I don’t tell him that there’salreadyblood on my hands, as he doesn’t seem to know the details of the deal I made with Ambrose. And I definitely won’t admit that it doesn’t bother me as much as it should. The power and adrenaline that coursed through me when I killed those wretched men was intoxicating, and the guilt that may accompany it is simply a temporary side effect.
“I know it’s hard for you to trust us,” Samuel coaxes. “You’ve been manipulated and lied to by one of the most manipulative creatures on this earth, and you’re feeling conflicted. But maybe we can sweeten the deal for you.”
His words pique my interest, even though I know it’s a ploy to get me on their side. But I simply shake my head again, even as my resolve wavers. Am I really going to choose the side of evil in the fight of good versus evil simply because it’s easier? Because he kissed me and told me about his dead wife? Does my lack of willingness to help them make me just as bad as the men I’ve killed?
At some point, enabling evil becomes just as bad as committing the sins yourself.
But Ambrose isn’t evil, I reason with myself. At least, not entirely. I may be rightfully pissed off at him right now, but that doesn’t mean he deserves to have all his power taken away.
“You’ll have to find a way to do it on your own,” I answer, turning away to walk back the way I came.
“We’ll give you one last chance,” he shouts after me. “One more meeting, exactly one month from now. We can provide you with the means to start life anew, erase your name from others’ memory and provide you with the funds to leave.”
I pause and face them again. “You can do that?”
“Ourpowers cannot, but we have many powerful connections who can.”
The thought wraps around my mind and doesn’t let go. A new life where I don’t have to constantly look over my shoulder and worry about being found. After all, a significant part of the reason I attempted to kill myself was because I thought there was no other way out. Now, I’m being offered not only that, but an additional layer of freedom.
It’s incredibly tempting.
“I’ll consider it,” I answer truthfully before I head back down the path.
Just like last time, the sounds of the woods come alive again as soon as the angels are out of sight, as if the switch of a stereo has been flipped.
As I walk to the house, I allow myself to consider what I would do and where I would go if I were to accept the angels’ offer. The possibilities are endless.
I could have the life I’ve secretly dreamed of for years. All they need is Ambrose’s necklace.
CHAPTER 29
