The Thief (Black Dagger Brotherhood #16)(65)

Her cell phone. She had her damn cell phone with her.

Taking it out, she went to hit Vishous up—“Damn it.”

Okay, she was so not surprised there was no reception for calls or texts. Duh. Like Verizon covered other worlds? Or the Sanctuary was in-network?

Back to plan A. Which was to walk around until she found someone.

God, she just needed a way to tell Vishous she was okay.



* * *



—

Sola prayed so hard for Assail to be healed in that cathedral that afterward, on the way home, she realized she’d made her forearms and elbows sore from pressing her palms together. And perhaps she had been wrong to ask what she had. She had been told, many times by many different men and women of God, never to pray for specific outcomes, but instead to ask for God’s will. The trouble was, she had a problem with that. To reduce things down to an absurd metaphor, she kind of felt like that was going to an aunt who had always gotten you socks for Christmas and telling her, Hey, do what you want.

She’d just offered a little specificity, a small bit of direction, is all—

Abruptly, she winced behind the wheel, and thought, Oh, wow, I did not just old-maiden-aunt our Lord. Really. I did not—

“So, Assail, what religion?” her grandmother asked from the backseat.

During the awkward pause that followed, Sola looked out the window to the heavens and nodded in God’s general direction. Clearly, her vovó’s question was payback for that wisecrack.

And I love socks, she thought. Socks are good, they keep your feet warm, they come in different colors. I am very grateful for all the socks I have in my life, socks that You have chosen to give me—

“Marisol?”

“Sola?”

As the other two both said her name, she jerked to attention. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Socks?” Assail asked. “You just spoke of socks—”

“Do you need socks?” her grandmother cut in. “I get you some more. Everybody, they need the socks.”

At least this got her vovó distracted off the religion track. “Sorry, I was just mumbling to myself. And I’m good on foot coverage, thanks.”

“I get you more,” her grandmother said. “Assail, answer question.”

Sola closed her eyes. Then refocused on the road. She wanted to tell him he didn’t have to reply at all, but—

“I am agnostic, Mrs. Carvalho. Although the mass was certainly moving.”

“You will go again with us, but next time to our church. You will meet Father Molinero—”

Sola shook her head and looked into the rearview. “We cannot go back there, Vovó. Not an option. I told you that already.”

Her grandmother’s eyes lowered, and as sadness came over her aging face, Sola wished that the woman would come back swinging, as was her usual style. Defiance was life; defeat was death.

“We can keep going to the cathedral, though,” Sola said as they got to the end of the bridge and she took that first exit to go down the Hudson’s shoreline. “Right?”

Assail was all over it. No hesitation: “Absolutely.”

Her grandmother recovered quickly. “Then next time, you meet Bishop Donnelley. He will bless you.”

“A request, if it is not too much?” Assail turned to look into the back seat. “May we please attend the midnight masses? You will find I am a night owl.”

“I like that better, too.” Sola nodded. “That works for me. Fewer people.”

“I no care when we go as long as we do.”

Sola glanced in the rearview mirror again. Her grandmother was sitting back with satisfaction, that smile on her face the kind of thing that she would have hidden if she had known anyone was seeing it.

Taking a hand from the wheel, Sola reached across the seat. When she clasped Assail’s palm, he glanced over.

I love you, she mouthed.

Assail lifted his free hand and pressed his fingertips to his lips. Then he extended his arm and put them to her mouth.

“I love you, too,” he said out loud.

As Sola blushed, she could have sworn she heard her grandmother laugh softly. But maybe she imagined it.

Then again, her vovó had always wanted a good Catholic boy for a grandson-in-law, and if Assail kept this no-more-drug-dealing, going-to-church thing up? She might just get what she had prayed for.

Abruptly, Sola lost her levity.

Yeah, that might happen…if Assail lived long enough. But what were the chances of that, she thought sadly.





THIRTY


Up in the Sanctuary, Jane had no idea how much time had passed, was passing, whatever. It could have been ten minutes or a thousand years, and she had the sense she would feel the same. In this respect, minutes in this sacred place seemed to be like its horizon, having no beginning and no ending: No matter how far she walked, she never seemed to be able to get to the forest ring that encompassed the landscape. Every time she thought she was finally going to go into it, everything double-backed on itself and spit her out at the opposite side with the trees to her back. It was enough to make her crazy.

Well, that and the fact that there was no one around.

And the other irritating thing? She had been wandering for how long, and yet her feet weren’t tired, she wasn’t thirsty or hungry, and she didn’t have to pee.