Page 30 of Judge of Saints and Sinners

I didn’t even flinch when Arafel’s claws wrapped around my shoulders and yanked me from the river.

11

Nephesh

A warm hand wrapped around my shoulder now, the fingers nothing like Arafel’s deadly claws. I looked up, pulled from my memory as Justine looked at me, her face pale and worried.

“Are you okay? You kind of zoned out for a while.”

“I was remembering. Once you live a life like mine, there are huge amounts that become clouded or distorted.” I swallowed. “And then there are parts that remain so painfully clear, like the day just happened.”

Justine’s knees hit the ground beside mine, and slowly she raised her hand to trace the lines of Anna’s stone alongside mine. Her skin brushed mine a few times, her warmth a terrifying reminder that she was just as fragile as Anna had been.

I couldn’t fail her. I had to complete this deal, ask for my soul, and get away from her. With no bond between us and the soul safely back in the Underworld, she could go back to her life. She would be safe.

“My parents were killed when I was sixteen.”

I whipped my head around to stare at her.

“They hid me in our attic, but I was there when they were killed. The people… They were looking for me. They kept asking where I was. Kept saying that they would find me no matter what. But my parents didn’t give me up. I can still hear the sound of the guns going off.”

“Justine…”

“The people, they weren’t right. There was something wrong about it, I could feel it. It made my head dizzy. And when I heard that they wanted me, that they wouldn’t stop, I knew I couldn’t just wait around for the police to help us.”

“What did you do?”

“I ran.” Justine’s hand moved over to Anna’s husband’s name, Alec, continuing to trace the inlaid text. “And I’ve been running ever since. I can’t get attached to anyone. I can’t do anything right.”

“What do you mean?”

“I tried to be good like my mother wanted. At first I snuck into schools or tried to get jobs where I could. But every time I did, something bad would happen. People would disappear.” Justine shivered. “I had to start thinking about surviving. And nothing else.”

Silence surrounded us, broken only be the soft sounds of cars on the road bordering the graveyard. “I don’t even know if they buried them. I hope they were buried together.”

“I’m sure they found each other in the Underworld.”

Justine’s eyes were bright on mine, “That happens?”

“Soul mates are always drawn to each other.”

“Does that mean that you are able to find Anna?”

The bond in my chest hummed. “She’s in Elysium, her soul healing and resting. Our bond wasn’t that of romantic love, more of a platonic relationship. And nothing good would come of finding her now.”

“Why not?”

“Because I didn’t do anything she wanted.”

Justine huffed, “Well, what did she want?”

“She wanted me to see the good in the world.”

“That’s not so hard!”

“Maybe for you. With what I see every day, it is…hard to remain positive at times.” She had no idea what it was like day in and day out, making those choices. She couldn’t. Even so, a half smile pulled at her mouth.

“Are you hiring? Because I can provide a lot of positivity. Especially if I’m being paid for it.”