Page 88 of Judge of Saints and Sinners

Faye continued, “Which is why it’s safer for me to remain cut off from the bond and why I have to work harder at my magic. Yours is like wildfire. You can redirect it, but it has a life of its own. I imagine there’s this kind of element that would make the power bigger and more dramatic if you and Nephesh were reunited.”

“We enable each other.”

Faye’s forehead wrinkled. “If he ever takes the rest of his soul into himself, then he will be virtually unstoppable. He was Lucifer’s first weapon, a beast unlike anything the world had seen before. At least according to my teacher.”

I thought back to Nephesh’s face when I called the soul forward. The fear that had shown there. “I don’t think he’s meant to be that beast, all the time at least. He’s more than some weapon. He’s a person.”

“I get that completely.” Faye shuffled across the room, collecting her shower things as she did. “The Drude kept me only because of the potential I might have someday. I serve no other purpose.”

“But you have someone wishing for you.”

“Wishing for my soul.”

“Wishing for you,” I echoed again, raising my brows for emphasis.

“Whatever. I’m going to go shower.” She pointed at the match on my desk. “For God’s sake, work on your focus.”

“Faye?”

“Yeah?”

I kept playing with that string, channeling all my worries, all my anxiety, into the fabric. Grounding myself, shutting off all my doubts. “How long would you be in the shower?”

She stared at me long and hard. “I imagine twenty minutes. I always hurry because the guards are so sweet at the end of shift, and I want to steal an extra dessert.”

I glanced at the blinking digital clock against one corner. “Six o’clock, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Cool.” I pushed back against the bed, feigning that I might lie down. Not that she would buy anything I said at this point.

Faye’s voice was soft, gentle, when she spoke again from the door. “See you when I get out.”

“Uh-huh. See you then,'' I said noncommittally, waiting until the second the door closed before slipping out the other door. There was no one else in the small common room office space, and I was instantly relieved as I stepped out into the hallway. The guards glanced at me, but they seem to be somewhat used to me at this point. And since I stupidly pledged myself to the Drude, they obviously thought I was either on their side or close enough to it.

“I’m going to grab some food,” I tell them when the one on the left looked at me funny.”

After that, he shifted his eyes back to the hallway, adopting his earlier pose as I headed down the labyrinth of plain white walls that tunneled around this immense building.

When I reached the hallway leading directly to where they had been keeping Nephesh and me, I paused, waiting. Their shift would change, they had to report back, and then two new guards would be taking up residence there. I would have only a minute or two inside. And that was if anyone wasn’t already in there with him.

God, I hoped I’d gotten the timing right. I’d been asking Faye questions constantly and had put together something of a plan to see Nephesh. Not to break out, there was no way I could od that on my own. But I needed to see him. This may be my only shot. I ducked into a small utility closet, leaving the door open only the tiniest amount as I stared out at the pair of guards who stood on my side of Nephesh’s door.

I was glad they were on this side, so I could see when they left to shift posts. But it did mean they would have to walk right past me. Clamping my eyes shut, I hoped to God that luck would be on my side this time.

My heart leaped in my stomach as the two guards glanced at their watches, an alarm clearly going off as they nodded to each other. As one, they stepped off, walking down the hallway. I actually held my breath as they passed, my heart hammering in my ears as they marched past my hiding spot, then turned left, towards where I imagined the armory and guard quarters were. Faye said they kept the Corrupted away from the humans. I wasn't sure why, and I didn't ask.

The doorway was empty now, and I knew it had to be now or never since the other guards would be here any moment to replace those two.

Walking to the door, I felt a cool brush of air over my skin. I’d had that magic against me over and over the past few days, and I knew in a moment it was Faye’s. Holding my breath, I kept walking, pushing the door open and feeling her spell sweep over me, harmless as I entered the darkened room.

Nephesh was back in our cell. Tears leapt to my eyes as I stared at the prone figure on the ground, his white hair standing out so dramatically against the cement floor.

“Nephesh?”

His elbow rose, and in a moment, he was pushing to his feet, hsi body plastered against the cell walls. “Justine, you can’t be here.”

I rushed to the cell, my arms slipping through to run my fingers over the cuts on his face, the dark stain of his blood that seemed to cover the entire top half of his bared body. I tried to be gentle, but even then I could see where his stomach jumped and flinched from my touch.