September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(20)

Shya wouldn’t get away with what he’d done to Willow. I didn’t know how I’d make good on that promise, but I would find a way.

Chapter Six

“Son of a bitch.” I swore softly while scrolling through a web page listing every church in the city. “It’s going to take days to check them all out. Maybe weeks. We don’t have that kind of time.”

The three of us sat in my car, mapping out a game plan. With so many possibilities, it was a tad discouraging.

“It won’t be so bad,” Willow answered, leaning across from the passenger seat to get a look at the list on my phone. “What we want to find are the churches that I can’t enter. Those will be our best bet. Start with the catholic churches.”

“Right. There’s only fifty listed right here. That’s not even all of them.” I wanted to get this first search over with before Arys got home.

Willow pointed to an address on the map. “Let’s start there.”

I found myself staring at him again in solemn silence. The urge to fuss over him was strong. I wished there was something I could do to ease his pain. Insulting him with pity was not my intent so I bit back the sympathetic tirade and started the car.

“We need more manpower,” Shaz suggested. He sat in the back seat, hands folded behind his head. “If we had more people we could split up, cover more ground.”

Jez and Kale immediately came to mind. I didn’t have a lot of people I could trust with this. Unfortunately, my sister and the FPA were not among the few. Too bad. They definitely had manpower.

“We have to be careful. If Shya finds out we’re doing this, he’s going to be pissed.” I called Jez again and once again got her voicemail. After leaving yet another message, I hung up and turned to the guys. “I guess it’s just us for tonight.”

Neither of them questioned me about Kale, and I was thankful for that. My impending death and predicament with Shya had to be my priority. My scorned lover would have to be patient. He would get his turn to put me through the ringer.

We started with the address Willow had suggested. I didn’t know what I was looking for, didn’t have a clue where to start. When the fallen angel was able to cross the threshold, he declared it to be a dud.

“So what’s with that anyway?” Shaz asked when we were back in the car on our way to the next address. “Why are you able to walk into some churches and not others?”

Willow turned in his seat to face Shaz. “The churches I can’t enter are those with an angel standing guard. The pure divine presence of the angel guardian prevents the fallen from entering.”

I nodded in understanding. That made sense. “Am I correct in assuming that a church in need of a guardian must have something worth protecting?”

“You certainly are. It could be anything. A person, a holy object, Lilah’s scroll. Where there is an angelic guard there is something in need of guarding.” Willow took on a wistful tone. It made my heart hurt for him.

“Shya’s got to be doing the same thing,” Shaz mused. “Or maybe he already has. Would he be using humans to access the places his demons can’t go?”

“It’s possible,” Willow said, inclining his head in a half nod. “Demons are manipulative liars. They’re very good at what they do. It wouldn’t take much to convince the weak of faith to do his bidding.”

As I drove, I listened to the two of them discuss the situation. It was overwhelming, to say the least. Shya could have any number of people out there hunting for this thing. I had very few. I really did need to touch base with Kale, at least to find out where he’d already looked.

The next few places also proved to be a waste of time. Then, we pulled up in front of a building I recognized. I had been here not so long ago. The church was massive. Huge white pillars bordered the entrance. We ascended the white stairs leading up to the double doors and an uneasy sensation took hold in my gut.

Willow reached for the door and froze mid-action. “I can’t go inside. Which means you have to.”

“The priest here has the same dragon as me,” I whispered, suddenly afraid. “He said Shya was trying to force him to help find the scroll.”

Shaz raised a brow in curiosity.

A light filled Willow’s eyes, and he seemed almost relieved. “Then I’d say we’re on the right track by being here.” He gave me a gentle shove toward the door. “Go on. I’ll wait right here.”

Exchanging a look of uncertainty with Shaz, I reached for the door and pushed it open. I was surprised to find it unlocked after dark.

It blew my mind to think that there was an angel here with us, unseen yet very much present. Somehow, it was also reassuring, despite my unease, which grew with every step.

I paused in the entryway, letting my gaze sweep over the impressive ceiling. It was like a giant dome, covered with paintings. Candles burned on the altar at the front. I saw no one, but I felt the human presence within.

“Hello?” I called out. My voice echoed in the silence. “Father Andrew?”

A moment later he emerged from a back room. He wore an expression of disbelief. “Welcome,” he said, spreading his hands in an open gesture that matched his greeting. “It’s wonderful to see you again, Alexa. What can I do for you?”

“Honestly, Father, I don’t have a clue.” I made my way down the aisle between the pews with Shaz at my side. “I’m looking for the scroll. The one Shya seeks. I need to find it first.”