Page 14 of Judge of Saints and Sinners

“I can.”

“No. No, please.”

His car was now in view, the black four-door waiting for him to throw me into the back of it. And that would be it. No more running. There was a strange relief to it. But then I remembered what could happen there. I would be a sitting duck. Those people, whoever they had been, had killed my parents, and I knew they were still looking for me. It might sound crazy, but I knew, more than anything else in the world, that it was true.

Closing my eyes, I threw my weight away from him again, my heels scraping against the loose gravel on the crumbling roadway. “You can’t take me. Please. I will sell my soul to the devil before I go with you.”

My heels slipped, and with a cry I went down. At least, that’s what I thought would happen. Instead of the ground smacking into me, there was only a solid, hot form at my back. Slowly, I peeled my eyes open and stared up at the detective’s face. His mouth was wide open, spittle leaving his lips as he shouted at me. But there was no audible shout. I followed the line of his throat down, realizing that neither his pulse moved nor his chest lifted. He was frozen, mid-act, fury shining back at me out of those dull eyes.

A deep voice spoke from behind me. “I hear you are in the market for a deal?”

I turned, as best I could with the detective’s grip still heavy on my upper arm. At my back stood a man, his tall, broad frame blocking out any of the light from the gray day as he loomed over me. Everything about him was larger than life, from the broad, muscular chest, to the pair of arms that slowly crossed as I watched. But nothing prepared me for his face.

My stomach dipped. He was beautiful. Pale, silvery blond hair was long and loose around his shoulders. A straight nose, angular jaw, and straight brows captured a face that was both masculine and broad while still being immeasurably lovely.

His deep-amber eyes shone back at me with more than a little fire in them. As I took him in, he was doing the same to me, his eyes cascading down my body in sleek strokes that left me breathless. When his gaze settled on the detective’s hand on my arm, something dark and dangerous twisted his stunning features. My belly gives a responding tug in the protective way his body bowed over me.

“A deal?” I tore my eyes away from him to look at the frozen detective. “What’s happening right now? I’m so confused.”

The beautiful man moved around until he was behind the detective. He had several inches on the man and at least fifty pounds. Carefully, he began to loosen a finger one at a time, freeing me from his hold. “Got yourself in a bit of a situation, haven’t you, little thief?”

6

Nephesh

I didn’t know what was wrong with me. When I’d crashed into the living world, I’d been hoping that Cerberus would lead me right to her. But that wouldn’t be necessary after all. I’d barely gotten to my feet when I’d felt it.

A call? Not quite. More of a demand, and my chest and body had ached with the desire to find the source. I’d let my instincts guide me the short distance, parting the sprinkling of pedestrians as I followed the pull that burned deep in my chest.

I had only gone a short distance when fear had ricocheted through me, and I knew in a moment it wasn't mine. It was hers. And somehow, for the first time in fifty years, my cold heart bumped to life, adrenaline flooding my system as I grew closer and closer to the source of the pull.

And still, nothing could prepare me for when I turned the corner around the backside of an older brick building and found myself staring at her.

I knew her in an instant, every long-buried, choked-out instinct in my soul screaming for release as I watched a man put his hands on her. I swallowed the roar, her very presence filling me with not just strength, but with a sharp awareness of the soul that warmed her own chest.

Mine.

It took only a swipe of my fingers to freeze time. From the traffic noises to the male who dared to hold on to her. Everything except for her. I let my body buffer her fall as my hands automatically moved to cradle her slender form against me. My magic leaped in my chest as the soft pressure of her against me rooted its way into my mind, my soul, my fickle, traitorous heart.

For a moment, I wished I had frozen her along with her attacker, simply to have a moment to let my mind catch up with the very real carrier of my soul who stood against me now.

My soul bound. Likely my soul mate. Fuck all of this madness.

Against my body, I could almost feel her frantic heartbeat, and suddenly I was terrified. Of her. Of this entire situation. Before she could whirl away from me, I simply asked, “I hear you are in the market for a deal?”

She turned, satin strands of red hair brushing over my neck as she whipped around to face me. For a moment, I was worried I’d messed up the magic, because she seemed frozen as well. But her eyes were moving, taking me in, curiosity, interest, and confusion all wrapped up on that stunning face. And when she parted her lips, the soft pink reminding me distinctly of fresh rose petals, I had to cross my arms, tucking my hands in to make sure I didn't reach out to touch her.

Because I needed to touch her more than I needed my next breath. History and need battled in my core. She had called for a demon. It was sheer luck that meant I was the one who had answered the call. Then again, I was thinking a lot of things that had once looked like luck might just be some kind of divine intervention.

Whatever it was. I had to deal with it before this moved anywhere. I sent out a whisper of my magic, letting it settle over her as my natural abilities to sort the souls came front and center. Her scales were tipped to good, but there was plenty of darkness there. I took in the freckles on her nose, the way her chin quivered as she raised it high as I looked her over.

My throat clamped shut for a moment. What if my soul was responsible for that part of her? Responsible for her darkness?

Arafel’s soul hadn’t affected Lucia until she had given half of hers in return, but I knew without even talking to her that whomever this was, she was going to be a very different human than Lucia.

“A deal?” Her head tilted now, staring between me and the frozen man and back again. I could see the bright intelligence in her gaze as she attempted to take in all the new bits of information about the world around her. I saw the dip in her throat as she swallowed, and the insane urge to brush my lips over her there, against her pulse, nearly strangled me. Cursing silently, I tightened my hold over myself. I had to be very careful about all of this.

While this fiery little human may not know what monster she carried, I did.