Sunset to Sunrise (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7.5)(26)

“Let’s go to the next one. It’s not like I have anything better to do.” I got into the car and waited for the demon who shrugged and got in on the other side.

“Now this place I can go into,” Brook proclaimed when we pulled up at the next address. “Good. It’s going to be a total bore if I have to wait in the car all night.”

He strode up the front walk with an air of pride. The sound of ruffling feathers was loud in the stillness despite the fact that his wings were not visible to me. I hung back, reluctant to go through the front door.

“Let me in the back,” I said. “We need to keep a low profile.”

Without a response, Brook disappeared. A minute later, he was waiting for me at the back door, opening it from the inside. Though I didn’t envy his role in this world, that was certainly an ability worthy of respect.

“So what makes this one different?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. “Why can you come in here but not the last one?”

Brook’s black gaze landed on me with suspicion. He studied me as if trying to decide how much damage the truth would do. Ultimately he decided it was very little.

He shrugged and began to walk about the vast interior. His voice echoed in the dark quiet. “There’s no angel here to protect it. No one here to wield divine power against me. So I can come and go as I please.”

I went the opposite way, picking up books, looking in potted plants, feigning interest in Shya’s damn relic. “Is that how it works then? Angels protect churches?”

“They protect a lot of things. Many churches have a protector. Usually the ones with the most to guard.” He turned, hands raised to the vaulted ceiling, eyes closed. He sucked in a deep breath. “Which means there is nothing here for us to find.”

I wanted to keep him talking, knowing I wouldn’t get much more from him. “So what about Hounds of God and other beings like that? They’re not angels, but they still seem to have something to protect.”

Brook snickered, a low, evil sound that caused my skin to crawl. It had been a long time since anyone had made me so uneasy with such little effort. “The Hounds of God were made to protect humankind. They were mortals, human themselves, turned wolf. It was a gift.” Brook paused near a statue of the Virgin Mary, gazing into her lifeless eyes. “Of course, we hunted and killed most of them. Their numbers are few these days.”

Our eyes met, and he smiled. I knew what he was thinking. It was only a matter of time until Alexa became another casualty.

“If angels are protecting the churches with the most to guard, what makes Shya think I can walk in and find the object he seeks? Wouldn’t the angel stop me?” Something didn’t feel right. I was starting to get the feeling Shya had sent me on an errand he knew I might not come back from.

“Possibly,” Brook answered, tapping out a few macabre notes on the organ. “It’s more likely that they would silently watch you pass right by, unaware. Only another creature of light can retrieve it.”

“Like Alexa?”

Brook’s mocking smile grew, and he shook his head in silent refusal. “No more chit chat. We have work to do.”

Demons are very good at what they do. I was both confused and afraid. I knew better than to ask anything further. Not only would Brook tell Shya I’d been asking, he might even start twisting his answers just to f*ck with me. They couldn’t be trusted.

The next several hours were spent going from one address to the next. Most of them, Brook had no problem walking into, which made me insanely curious about those that stopped him dead in his tracks. The last church we went to was one of these.

I hid a smug grin as I left him standing at the car. Excitement surged through me. As I let myself into the building, I secretly hoped to encounter the angel that stood guard.

It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t empty. There was a human here still. Leaving was my only option if I wished to remain unseen. I turned to go and found him standing there behind me, eyes wide, hands held up in surrender.

“Please,” he stammered, at a loss for words. “Don’t hurt me. Not here in the church.”

“I’m not here to harm you,” I said, taking advantage of the opportunity to talk. “I’m looking for something. Maybe you can help me.”

The man’s clerical collar spoke volumes. He might not have been an angel, but he served the same side. Maybe I could level with him, tell him the truth. The knowing look in his eyes told me he knew just what I was. That might make this easier.

“Do you have a name?” I asked the ashen faced man.

“Father Andrew.” Boldly, he offered me a hand that was calm and steady, despite his pale appearance. “Whatever it is you’re seeking, it isn’t here.”

I scrutinized him. From his carefully combed hair to the shine of his shoes, Father Andrew was squeaky clean. The telltale scent of fear surrounded him, but it was accompanied by a determined set to his shoulders and a fierce readiness in his eyes.

“You know exactly what I’m here for, don’t you?” I was glad Brook couldn’t come inside, but if I lingered too long, he would grow suspicious.

Father Andrew nodded. “Shya sent you.”

“He did,” I admitted. “But I don’t serve him. What he wants is something I need to ensure he never gets his hands on.”