Page 256 of Sinister

I expect Sin to chastise me for my harsh words toward his mentor, but instead, I catch him smiling at me.

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

“Hmm?”

“This is why I love you—because you fight for what you think is right.”

“You’re not angry that I’m fighting with your mentor?”

He shrugs. “My mentor and I have our own relationship. I don’t need you to have the same views about him, especially in this situation.” He pauses. “And just for the record,” he adds a little louder, “I did not agree with the relationship either. I told him she was too young.”

Arnoult shakes his head and sighs in exasperation.

“Alas, this is neither the time nor the place for this,” Sin then says. He pulls out his pocket watch and watches the hands move slowly into place. “Five more minutes.”

So, we wait.

And then the clock strikes twelve. Midnight.

There’s no sign of Leah.

Not only that—but there’s no sound coming from the house.

Nothing.

“I should go after her,” Arnoult says.

“No,” Sin interrupts. “I’ll go. You stay here with Petra. It’s better if I’m in and out, taking her out of there without alerting anyone. And it’s especially better if no one sees you.”

Arnoult presses his lips together. “You’re right. Thank you.”

Just as Sin is about to head inside the house in search of Leah, footsteps echo from that direction. There’s a thumping on the ground, a rustling of leaves.

“Someone’s coming,” Sin whispers.

The sounds grow louder and closer.

The steps become more frantic until a lone figure swishes through the night. I catch a flash of blue muslin against the stark darkness of the environment.

“Sin . . . there she is.”

She comes into view, stopping just as she reaches the gate.

Without a word, Sin uses his shadows to teleport to the other side of the gate, grabbing her and moving her seamlessly to our side.

The moment she sees Arnoult, her expression transforms into one of pure joy, and for a brief moment, I forget my complaints from before as I watch her run into his arms, sobbing with happiness and relief.

Arnoult hugs her tightly to his chest, kissing the top of her hair, her cheeks, and then her mouth.

“You’re safe. You’re with me,” he whispers.

“I can’t believe you’re here, too. I didn’t think I would ever see you again.”

“Ah, my love, nothing would stop me from coming for you. I told you, I will always come for you.”

Tears flow down her cheeks.

“I love you,” she murmurs in a soft voice.