Page 57 of Judge of Saints and Sinners

“You seem to know an awful lot about someone you’re claiming to be a supernatural overlord who wants my soul.”

I prayed to anyone listening that this man, or whatever he was, couldn’t tell I had already given Nephesh his soul back. The way he continued on told me I was safe. For now at least.

“We are the demon hunters who have been entrusted by our master in the Great Cause to make sure that the sons of Hell are never able to regain their souls.”

“And if they do?”

“They will bring Hell to Earth, combining the living world and the afterlife in one catalytic disaster that will undo all the good humans have ever done.”

I sagged my shoulders dramatically. “I had no idea.” Perhaps I had missed my calling in theater.

Gregory moved forward, and again I heard the jingle of keys, but when I looked up, I took note that it wasn’t just a key keeping me in here. It was a key and some kind of glowing identification pad that he pressed his palm to.

With a pop, the door unlocked, and Lefty gripped my shoulder, pulling me out into the room. The armed guards and the newcomers all stared at me from the eyeholes of their masks. The front row was heavily armed, each with their trigger fingers at the ready. Dread filled my belly, and I was worried I was going to be sick.

“It’s going to be alright, Justine. You are safe now. He’ll never be able to get through our defense. And in a few hours, we will have you in front of our master, where we can safely dispatch your souls.”

“Dispatch?”

The hand stroked my shoulder as ice grew in my belly. “We can’t let you die. Your soul would be lost again. But our master is very gifted. He can take the demon’s soul from you. We can use it to grow more powerful, to spread our cause to even more of the living world.”

I was briefly surprised and confused that so many of the words that Nephesh used were the same that these two used.

Living world. How many times did someone refer to this world like that?

I turned slowly, staring up at him. “You’re insane. All of you. You don’t know anything about this world or his. And you definitely don’t have any rights to destroying his family or their way of life. They didn’t want this war. Your so-called master did. He’s the one who started it. When he gets here…” My voice cut off, and my breathing was sharp and painful.

He cocked his head. “Do you believe he’d come for you? Little girl, these demons do not understand relationships as humans do or even love as we understand it. They understand only power and bloodshed. They are monsters and must be destroyed.”

“The only monsters I’ve seen are the ones in front of me. Who do you think you are, to determine a whole world’s fate?”

Lefty shook his head. “You poor thing. I knew he had gotten to you. The master will be able to make you understand. It’s the least we can do before you give your soul to the Great Cause.”

“The Great Cause?” I laughed, but the sound was too high and thin. “Don’t you know, there is no good or bad. There are only those who continue to fight and those, like you and your little posse, who roll over when things get difficult.”

Gregory’s hand slammed into my face with a ringing slap.

I moved slowly, eyes watering as I turned to face him again. “Guess which one I am?”

“Gag her. I’m tired of hearing her love for the Fallen. It’s making me sick.”

My heartrate spiked again as I leaned back, away from the individuals who split away from the group to raise a gag to my lips. “Nephesh is not evil. He and his family are merely keepers of the souls. They are guardians and teachers, and I—”

The gag slipped into place between my teeth, and the rough fabric bit into my lips as they lashed it tighter and tighter. I grunted a little as I was heaved off my feet and carried back towards the cell.

“If you think a gag will stop me from calling for him, you’re so far from reality that nothing I do will change your mind.” The words game out garbled and strange on my lips as two more gripped my arms, lifting me and pulling on my shoulders as they hauled me up and dragged me back behind bars.

A moment later, the door was shut, and one by one the soldiers disappeared back out of the space, leaving just me and the brothers, who looked between themselves then to me.

“What if he comes for her?”

Lefty nearly squirmed in delight. “Master will be so pleased. Can you imagine what he would say if we deliver the Judge of Hell to him as well as his soul?”

I stared, my breathing labored as panic rose in my belly.

“You see, Justine, if your demon shows up, then we win. And if he doesn't not, we will still win. It is fruitless to fight us. You're entering a battle that was lost hundreds of years ago.”

And then he smiled, stepping away as a small remote appeared in his hand. A moment later, the bars hummed softly, a sign that they were electrified. A new layer of horror and disappointment nearly choked me.