"No," I lied, but really, I wasn't sure if it did or not.
"I was never taken to the Seer. My soul was determined the moment I died. The Daemons that collected me extended an offer to let me remain behind. It would seem my crimes from my human life would serve me well as a Trader," he said. "I guess I should be thankful. My ass could be frying in hell right now if I hadn't taken the deal."
His words ran through my head on a continuous loop. I suddenly felt uneasy as bile rose up in my throat and my vision momentarily blurred. Which crime would serve a Trader? Only one came to mind, and I loathed to even think it. Could Emrys really be a murderer?
"You want me to take you home?" he asked with a sudden edge in his voice as he took in my expression.
"I don't know. I'm just trying to process everything," I admitted. "I never expected...I just hoped…" my voice trailed off as I tried to form a coherent sentence.
"You hoped what? That I was hanging out as a Trader because I was a choir boy in my past life? You really think I would have chosen this existence if I would have had a choice?" he asked angrily.
"I don't know. I guess I was hoping that you weren't some murderer!" I yelled, pissed that I was the one under attack. "In case you missed it, I kind of work for the good guys," I said, stalking away in a huff.
"Wait a minute," Emrys said, making the mistake of snagging my wrist.
Anger coursed through me and my instincts took over. I flipped my hand around in one fluid movement and twisted his arm behind his back. "Don't touch me," I hissed, making it clear I could hurt him if I wanted to.
"Jordyn, I wasn't a murderer. I was a thief," he said quietly, not struggling against my hold.
"A thief?" I huffed out as I tried to tamp back my anger.
"Yes, a thief. A very good thief."
All the anger in me dissipated as quickly as it had gripped me. "A thief," I repeated, releasing his arm. "You were being sent to hell because you stole stuff?" I asked incredulously, sinking down on the sand in disbelief.
"Yeah, well, The Light doesn't show mercy on his three 'deal-breaker' sins. The Seer has the power to see through the other seven, but murdering, stealing, and worshiping other gods are a one-way ticket to hell unless you choose this existence. Most Traders are like me. Some were nothing but petty thieves while others, like me, stole on a grander scale," he confessed, sinking down on the sand next to me.
"Yeah, but, you didn't hurt anyone?" I asked, still in shock.
"Don't kid yourself, love. I hurt plenty of people along the way. I took advantage of weaker humans by tricking them out of prized possessions. I guess you could say I was a swindler. I could talk you out of the shirt off your back without you even realizing I had done so until I walked away wearing it," he said, leaning back in the sand, bracing himself with his elbows. "That's why they picked me to be a Trader. My charismatic personality and gifts with persuasion as a human is everything they look for in a Trader," he said, sounding sad for the first time.
"I'm sorry," I said. I was at loss for more words. Yes, I believed in right and wrong, but I also believed in second chances. It seemed so very unfair that Emrys would pay the price for his sins until the end of time.
"Hey, it's not your fault. I made my bed, now I have to lay in it," he said, smiling. It didn't escape my notice that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
I didn't know what I could say to possibly make him feel better. The silence between us stretched on, but strangely it never became uncomfortable as we watched the night time waves rolling in. Somewhere in the silence our hands sought the comfort of the other. With our fingers linked, we sat there quietly until it was time for me to go home.
"So, about that double date?" Emrys asked, finally breaking the silence.
"Yeah?" I asked, unsure of where we stood after everything we'd just shared.
"Does tomorrow night work for you?" he asked as his familiar cocky grin returned.
"I'll have to check my calendar. I might have plans," I teased, sliding my hands up around his neck.
"You do that, and then have your people call my people," he smiled, leaning in so he could kiss my cheek. "By the way, I'm ninety-nine percent sure your uncle is lurking right beyond those doors," he said, nodding toward the French doors of our house.
"I wouldn't expect anything less," I said, effortlessly pulling him closer. Being freakishly strong definitely had its perks. "Well, we might as well give him something to stress over," I said, crushing my lips to his.
Emrys was still chuckling when I slipped inside the house a few minutes later. Lost in thoughts of our kiss, I didn't notice Krista until she spoke.
"Did you have fun?" she asked, looking bemused by the dippy look I was sure was plastered across my face.
"Yeah, I did," I said, sinking down on the foot of her chaise lounge. "Even with my stalker lurking around," I added.
"Haniel?" she asked knowingly.
"Yeah, but seriously, he needs to take a chill pill. You guys all got a chance to interrogate him tonight," I said, sighing loudly so she wouldn't miss my indignity.