The High Priestess (3 page)

Her smile took on a sharp edge. “Yes, injury. You weren’t exactly subtle about it when you passed out.”

Which meant he needed to get out of here, and fast. If there were enemies among the crowded tables, they were probably waiting for the chance to knife him in the back. The spot between his shoulder blades itched at the thought. Gerard slid the link from his pocket, but there were no waiting messages, which meant his options were limited. He could stay here or wander the streets until Fisk or Adam gave the all clear. Judging from the way his head still swam, the latter wasn’t the most intelligent plan he’d ever had.

He looked up to find her still smiling. An awful, idiot idea occurred to him, slipping out of his mouth before he could think better of it. “Do you know somewhere we can go?”

“To be alone?” Her smile widened, both teasing him and inviting him to be in on the joke.

“Something like that.” Gerard found himself smiling in return. “I was thinking of getting something to eat.”

“You mean the beaten old InstaChef in the corner isn’t tickling your fancy? The selection is quite nice—synth-beef, synth-brats, and synth-pork. Do you like meat, Gerard?”

He blinked. Surely she didn’t realize how that could be construed? Then again, from the way she was smiling, Marianna knew exactly what she was saying. “I’m not overly fond of…meat.”

She laughed, the sound reminding him of Sanctify’s bells—totally and completely pure. “It would be a crying shame if you were. Come with me—I know the perfect place.”

Gerard stood after she did, taking her outstretched hand without pause. A curious warmth spread through him, fueled by her touch. It wasn’t until they slipped through the back door that he finally spoke again. “You aren’t planning to lure me into a dark alley to murder me, are you?”

…

The flash of humor caught Marianna completely off guard. She’d simply been trying to get him out of The Hammer before one of the good old boys decided to brew up trouble. From the expression on Gerard’s face as he’d examined their surroundings, he’d been about to kill someone. Marianna wanted to avoid that if at all possible.

Giving his hand another tug, she started walking down the street, watching the neon lights play on the cobblestones beneath her feet. Marianna loved Keiluna’s bar district. The colors and old-world architecture gave even the slowest night a festive feel. Sound of laughter and music drifted from the open windows, bringing with it a fascinating blend of sweet-smelling, blue-green smoke and perfume.

She glanced at Gerard as she towed him along, enjoying the simple feeling of touching him. When was the last time she’d casually touched another person? She couldn’t remember. The realization made her feel lonely and giddy, all at once. Part of her wanted to withdraw, to run back to her shop and hide. This wouldn’t last past tonight, after all. Whatever else Gerard was, he was still a stranger, and strangers rarely stayed on Keiluna longer than a few days. On the other hand, it had been so long since she’d done something for herself, sought any pleasure at all. The need to feel
something
was almost too much to bear.

The thought that he might be the wrong kind of stranger rose again, more persistent this time. Marianna pushed it away. Everyone knew members of Sanctify wore those hideous white robes, and Gerard was dressed in a simple pair of black pants and a loose gray shirt. Take in the fact that he was teasing her about luring him into a dark alley…

He wasn’t Sanctify. He couldn’t be.

She skipped forward a few steps, dragging him along behind her. “What a strange coincidence. A dark alley happens to be our destination.”

He gave a wicked grin that sent a shock of lightning through her. Oh Lady, she couldn’t turn down an opportunity like this. Gerard gave her hand a squeeze. “Then I lay myself in your hands. Do with me what you will.”

The invitation, on top of everything else, was too much temptation to resist. Marianna pulled him into the nearest alley and pushed him against the wall. A little more forward than she would normally be, but the heat building under her skin demanded she do something. She paused long enough to make sure the shadows hid them from any observers and then leaned in.

Marianna captured his mouth, her tongue darting out to meet his. Whiskers rasped against her skin and sent delicious chills through her body. Gerard jerked back, inhaling sharply. Even in the darkness, she could see how wide his eyes were. She blinked—surely she hadn’t misinterpreted his signals? More than a little stung, Marianna started to move away. If he didn’t want her, then so be it. It wasn’t as if she really needed another complication in her life right now, and this man was nothing if not—

He hooked the back of her neck and yanked her against him.

Cautious of his healing wound, Marianna tried to stop her forward momentum, but Gerard’s mouth found hers and chased away all rational thought. His hands were everywhere, beneath her jacket, knocking off her hat, cupping her backside to draw her closer. Those Ladydamned whiskers would be her undoing. Or perhaps his tongue was the problem, twining with hers, tasting of the alcohol he’d been drinking. It left her light-headed, intoxicated with the chemistry screaming between them.

Marianna had a moment to wonder if she should grab her hat, but then Gerard gave a muffled moan, one hand tangling in the hair tumbling down around her shoulders, and her worry slipped away. She gave a moan of her own and slipped her arms around his neck, going up on her tiptoes.

Something vibrated against her hip, a chirping sound cutting through the night. Gerard pulled back, breathing hard, and leaned his forehead against hers. “Thirty seconds.”

She would need a bit longer than that to regain her composure. Marianna rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand. “Of course.”

Turning away, he fished a link from his pocket and spoke quietly into it. Too quietly for her to eavesdrop. To distract herself, she scanned the ground for her hat. It was too risky to walk the streets without it these days, not with word spreading of Sanctify’s growing presence. They hated anything different from their purity-obsessed standards—so basically anyone who wasn’t totally and completely human. And they had a special place in their torture dungeon for Diviners. She knew that all too well after what had happened to her uncles.

“Marianna.”

She looked up to find him in the mouth of the alley, his hands clasped awkwardly in front of him. There was only one explanation for the apology in the way he said her name. “You’re leaving.”

It was what she expected. He was a stranger, and strangers came and went on Keiluna the same way the winter storms did—here one night to trash the place, and gone the next morning before the market opened—but she thought she’d have longer than this.

“I wish I wasn’t.” To his credit, he actually sounded as if he meant it.

“Perhaps in another life.”

Gerard held out a hand and she took it, letting him pull her into the neon lights of the street, each announcing a different bar, a different special of the night. “I don’t think I can wait that long. But next time my business brings me—”

Disbelief dawned on his face, quickly followed by horror. Marianna’s instincts screamed at her to run, to fight, to do anything but stand still as his hold tightened to a painful level.

“Diviner.”
The word came out like the vilest curse.

In that moment she knew, though her soul cried out at the unfairness of the Lady pushing her into this meeting. “You’re one of those monsters, aren’t you? Sanctify.”

“I’m not the monster in this scenario.” He pushed her back into the alley, peering down into her eyes as if they were the source of every problem that plagued his life. “Your kind is a blasphemy of the highest order.”

Lady save her from murderous idiots like this one. Had she really thought he was attractive in a dangerous sort of way? Gerard was just plain dangerous. “Let me go, and I’ll take my blasphemous self from your sight.”

“Let you go?” He was already shaking his head before he finished speaking. “No. Absolutely not. You’re coming with me.”

The first real thrill of fear coursed through her. “What are you talking about?” Surely, he couldn’t mean what his words implied. And yet her Ladydamned instincts whispered that he wasn’t joking.

“All blasphemers must be purified.” His words came out hollow, as if it were nothing to threaten her with death by dismemberment and burning.

Panic sprang to life in her chest, its wings fierce as it tried to fly out her throat. “Please. No.” Then she realized she was begging for sanity from a madman. Sanctify didn’t see the humanity in aliens—they only saw the difference. There would be no mercy for her.

So be it.

She dropped to a crouch, pulling him off balance, and grabbed the shiv from the inside of her jacket. Switching her grip on it, Marianna struck out, aiming for his injured side. Even now, she didn’t go for a mortal wound, instead hitting the outer edge of his hip. Gerard growled as he went to his knees, grip never faltering. She swiped at him again, but he knocked the shiv from her hand with no apparent effort. “Enough.”

“Damn you.” No matter how much she wriggled and fought, he refused to release her. “Let me go.”

Footsteps echoed in the alley and Marianna twisted, opening her mouth to scream for help. The plea died in her throat when she saw the white robes.

There truly was no hope for her now.

Purity will protect you.

Through the darkness of space

Only Ba’al’s light will shine;

Cleansing the filth…

Except Marianna didn’t seem like filth. She seemed fragile and kind and innocent—well, maybe not innocent. Gerard shook his head and forced back the memory of her mouth going soft against his, continuing the chant.

Purifying the unclean,

Spreading peace through his vengeance.

In his light, forgiveness

In his hands, life

In the High Priest, truth

In servitude, eternity.

Odd how going through the prayer did little to smother the phantom feeling of guilt working its way through him. Guilt was a useless emotion. The Diviner would be his ticket back into the High Priest’s good graces. Gerard needed her. End of story.

He pressed a hand to his side and winced. Those med patches hadn’t held up when she cut him. Even now, Gerard could feel them peeling away from his skin, their seal broken.

“You okay?” Fisk wasn’t even breathing hard as they walked down the street, but then, the woman couldn’t weigh more than fifty-five kilograms soaking wet. With each step, it became harder to connect her with the monsters the High Priest preached of. While her use of the cards might be blasphemous, it wasn’t as if she were capable of doing real harm.

“I’m fine.” His wound pulled again, and he mentally amended the thought—she wasn’t capable of
much
real harm. Marianna had the chance to do him serious injury when they’d struggled—he’d been wide open—and she’d chosen instead to wing him. It was more than a little odd, which doubled the doubt threading through his conviction. He smothered it—there was no room for doubts, not now. This was right, damn it.

“You don’t look fine.” Adam moved up on Fisk’s other side, gaze roving over the Diviner. “Though she does. Think the High Priest will let me play with her?”

“No.”
Under no circumstances would the man touch Marianna. Gerard rounded on Adam, barely fighting back the impulse to beat the teasing grin from his face. “Stay away from her.”

Adam cackled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. You can have the little bitch all to yourself. All you had to do was say you wanted her.”

“I don’t want her.” Lie. He’d wanted her a whole hells of a lot until he’d realized what species she was. Ba’al be damned, Gerard could still taste her on his lips. “But the High Priest will.”

“I can’t hardly wait.” Adam actually went so far as to clap his hands together. “I’ve never seen a purifying ritual for a Diviner before. Isaiah said there’s nothing that compares to it.”