Flicking his hand, the Bishop gestured for Thane to lead the way, and the pair of men followed him through the door. Once in the hall, Thane stepped over so they could lead. He'd be damned if he marched before them like some prisoner on his way to the gallows, even if that was what he felt like.
Yet all Thane could do was follow obediently. They were using him because he was one of the few that Dahlia hadn't killed. He knew that, and it pissed him off. It was also odd that he thought of her as Dahlia. The priests wanted him to call her the succubus or the demon, but she had a name. She had two, although she didn't appear to like it when he'd called her Valka. That made him wonder why. It was her real name. It was what her girlfriend had called her just before she died. Maybe he hadn't earned the right?
Wait. These priests were going to kill her, and yet here he was, thinking about earning the right to use her real name? He'd clearly lost his mind. Maybe there was something to that whole curse of power thing he'd been thinking about earlier, because his head was not on straight at all.
Although, if he was honest with himself, he admired her. Not just her beauty - and she had enough of that - but her spunk. She'd run into a hall filled with priests to defend her lover without hesitation. She'd fought back an army of hunters and priests. She'd picked who got to live and die, judging them quickly in the heat of combat. She knew how to fight. She knew how to love. She knew things he couldn't even imagine from times long gone.
She was the most amazing woman he'd ever met. It didn't even matter if she was already dead, undead, or living in some other way. Those were nuances. The truth was that Dahlia was one hell of a woman, and he was more than a little obsessed with her.
Never mind what she'd done a few minutes ago. Not the sex, although that had been amazing. No, the way she'd been shy when he asked if she was full. It was almost like she hadn't meant to feed off him. All his life, he'd been told that the minions of Hell could only survive on the life of honest men. He'd been taught that before he could walk, but it was just another lie. Seeing Dahlia nearly blush when he'd asked if she'd had enough? It was such a human reaction. Certainly not something he'd expected from someone who survived on sex.
Which meant she was much more complicated than he could imagine. She fucked for sustenance, yet she'd loved Mei from the heart. When Thane saw that moment of hesitation, he'd almost hoped that it meant something. That maybe she felt a hint of something for him too. Then he'd ruined it all by locking her in the cell.
Fuck the Church.
The Cardinal paused at another door, signaling for him to wait. This was one of the priests' workrooms. Inside, he could hear men discussing something, but their voices were too soft to make out the words. Thane knew time was burning. If they wanted Dahlia, they'd better do something with her soon, because she probably had some other trick up her sleeve. He also had no interest in rushing them, because women like her didn't really wait around for some knight in shining armor to rescue them. They blew the side out of the building, and hopefully picked up the little brother to carry along as a pathetic sidekick.
He almost laughed at the mental image. In his mind, she'd taken the place of Luke Skywalker, and he was Princess Leia hanging at her side as they swung on a cable to escape the stormtroopers. It seemed fitting. Granted, he'd rather die than tell anyone that. Shit, if they thought he'd used her for anything more than an easy lay, he'd end up disappearing down some dark hall in the underbelly of this church.
The door opened again, and Thane stood straighter, his face turning stony. One of the men who followed the Cardinal out was his brother, Laird. His eyes were dull and tired-looking, yet the asshole smiled at him slyly - but he didn't say a word. Sure, everyone in the group knew what he'd just done. It seemed the priests had all been laughing at him. For the first time in his life, having people know he'd gotten a hot piece of ass wasn't something he was supposed to be proud of.
When they started moving, he fell to the back of the group. The church was built like a maze. There didn't seem to be a single straight line from the room where he'd called her and any of the priest's dormitories. The hunter's area was close to one of the rear doors of the building, so he didn't usually have to meander through the labyrinth of this place.
The bigger question was why the Bishop and Cardinal wanted so many additional priests. Were they trying to show off what they'd done? Or could it be more that they wanted the backup in case Dahlia didn't play nice? Because she wouldn't. She would try everything she could to get out, and the more priests in the room, the greater the chances that one of the Words would hit.
Thane was only allowed because he was the sacrifice. His job had simply been to whisper her name and stick his dick in her. He wasn't allowed to call the Power of God. He might have the ability, but the only way he could use it was with permission. Well, except the single spell they'd given him to cancel the illusion set on that room.
If he tried, they'd know. At least that was what they said, but Dahlia always said they lied. She also seemed to know each time the power surged inside him. Each time it had happened, she'd looked right into his eyes. He wanted to ask her what she saw, and now he'd never get the chance. All he could do was hope they killed her quickly. Maybe there really was a Heaven and she'd get the chance to enjoy it, because they certainly wouldn't let her live.
Finally, they reached the door to where she was being held. The Cardinal walked in, the group milling behind him like a perfectly behaved little flock in black. All of them did exactly what they were told. All of them dreamed of one day wearing white and working up from there. As he watched, Thane began to hate them. All of them. Every man who was eagerly awaiting the torture of that one defiant woman was just a sadist, and he hoped they'd pay for it in the afterlife. If there was a God, surely he wouldn't reward this kind of cruelty.
Then someone gasped. Like dominoes, the shocked sounds flowed from the men in front, through the ranks, toward him. He didn't need to hear the words to know something bad had happened. Something that none of them had expected. Before he could stop himself, Thane pushed through, forcing his way into the room, struggling to see. He didn't even care when he pushed aside the man in red. He only cared about one thing, and she was looking right back with cold, sightless eyes.
Dead. Dahlia lay crumpled on her side, completely lifeless. Huge wounds were visible in one arm. The other was soaked in blood, proving it couldn't be any better. Right before his eyes, her body began to dissolve into dust, but it was the mark on the ground that stopped his heart. He couldn't read it, but he could guess. It had to be Chinese. Probably an old variant.
Standing there with his body forgetting to even breathe, Thane memorized every line. She'd done it again. She'd found the only way to escape the Inquisition, and he'd be damned if he'd help them catch her again. Fuck the Church. Nothing about this seemed like the work of God.
Thane turned and stormed out of the room. "I'm done," he snapped. "If you want to catch your little beasty, find someone else. I'm not playing with the Devil anymore."
"Wait," his brother called, jogging after him. "Thane, you can't mean that. This is the closest we've ever come to understanding them."
He tapped his brother's chest. "Then you fuck her. I used the ritual you gave me. You know her name as well as I do. Valka Sorensen. If you want to catch that bitch, then climb in bed with her yourself. She fucking bit me!" He turned his neck, showing the mark. "She tried to bleed me dry, and I'm done with this shit."
Laird dropped his voice. "Don't piss off the church elders, Thane."
He just leaned into his brother's face, aware that everyone around them was trying hard to listen in. "God gave us our paths, and I know mine. I'm supposed to protect the innocent, not fuck demons. If He wants me to do something else, I'm sure he'll give me a sign."
"Be careful what you ask for," Laird whispered. "I'm pretty sure they could make a real nice one. Besides, you're one of two people she hasn't killed on sight. Three if you count me. Would you prefer Brice fucks her?"
Thane scoffed. "She didn't kill me because I froze. Same reason she let him live. I also told her I'm not a priest. Maybe that's why she can touch my cross, huh? Ever think of that?"
Laird's eyes widened and his smile grew to match. "Nope, but thanks for the idea. Go home. I'll try to keep them off you for a few days at least."
"Thanks, Laird. It's been a hard couple of days." He patted his big brother's arm and left. This life was worse than a damned cult. At least those you could manage to escape from.
Chapter Thirty-Three
THANE