Hell's Detective

Chapter Thirty-seven- Goodbye

Follows was worried.

Zadrian hadn't woken up, and as much as the barn he'd chosen to hide them in was a very pretty barn, Follows somehow doubted it had an artillery handy to protect them from the Devils' soldiers, should they come a-knocking.

He knelt down by Zadrian, rearranged the hay around him to cushion his head better. Follows had dragged him all the way to the back of the barn, which hadn't exactly been easy, and he'd bent his wing in the process. He'd have to apologize for that later.

He was healing, Follows could see it. His blackened bruises were slowly fading, his skin knitting itself together. Follows could hear the crunching of bones rearranging themselves. This was obviously a delicate process, and he didn't want to interrupt it, but on the other hand, for the sake of both their lives, he really, really needed Zadrian to wake up.

He reasoned there was no use in him healing if the demons were just going to come in and kill him in his sleep, and shook him vigorously.

Zadrian's eyes flickered open, and he jolted upright. "What happened?" he demanded.

Follows pushed him gently back down. "You flew us here."

"And the demons?"

"They got away." He looked down. "I couldn't stop them. I'm sorry."

"You saved my life."

"Technically, you saved mine first," Follows pointed out.

Zadrian laughed softly, then grimaced in pain.

"They're coming, aren't they?" Follows asked quietly. "All of them."

"The Devil will send his army to kill the Saviour," Zadrian said, in the voice of a man trying very hard to focus on something other than his body stitching itself back together. "But I have alerted the soldiers of Heaven, and they will protect him with their lives."

Follows ran a hand through his hair. This was not good. This was very, very not good.

The demons were going after the priests. They were alone and defenceless. For all his knowledge, all his exorcisms and supposed Faith, he couldn't even save the people he truly cared about.

"Why did God choose me?" he muttered.

"I already told you."

"But all I do is question him," he insisted. He wasn't right for this job. He wasn't like Zadrian. He wasn't a hero. "I barely even have a Faith."

"You assume because you doubt you do not have a Faith?" Zadrian asked as if this was some sort of strange human logic that was beyond him. "Doubt is the very basis of Faith. How can you believe in something if you do not question it first? Doubt is proof that we believe in something's existence and believe it has the capacity to rectify those doubts. Confusion and anger and betrayal are all essential aspects of Faith because without them there could not be knowledge and joy and acceptance. Those who question the most will receive the most answers."

Follows wasn't entirely sure what to think. This wasn't how their conversations about Faith usually went. Follows would argue, Zadrian would give a small speech about the glory of God, and from there he would just say it over and over again until Follows got tired of talking and just dropped it. But this was different. The way Zadrian was talking to him...it was almost like they were equals.

Zadrian grunted, and Follows helped him unsteadily to his feet.

"I must return to the priests," he all but wheezed.

"I'm coming with you," Follows said.

"No. If the demons succeed in their plan, I need you here to protect the residence of Hollowsville."

"You're in no shape to fight," he argued.

"I'll heal."

Follows sighed. He didn't like it, but he wasn't going to win an argument with an angel, even a slightly crippled one.

"And what if the demons do come? What does that mean?"

"That I've lost."

"How likely is that?" he asked carefully.

"I told you, we don't have time for fear," Zadrian said sternly, like he was talking to a kid on his first day of school. "God is with you. Anything that happens, he will be with you through."

"It's not me I'm frightened for."

Zadrian gave him a funny look. "I have to go," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait," Follows said. He stopped. "If the demons do come here, I'll be the only one left to fight them. So I'd be pretty much dead, wouldn't I?"

Zadrian paused as if he really didn't want to indulge Follows in the answer.

"Yes."

"So that would make this the last time we ever see each other."

"It would."

Follows forced himself to grin, even though this didn't really seem like a grinning sort of situation, held out his hand. "In that case, I think you should know that you are a right and proper prick."

Zadrian smiled, not his usual thoughtful smile, but a different one. A brighter one. He took his hand.

"Thank you," Follows said, although he wasn't entirely sure what he was thanking him for.

"Working with you has been insightful, Mr Follows. I look forward to continuing it when this is all over."

In that moment, Follows decided that somewhere very, very deep down, he actually might like this angel.

"Good luck," he said.

Zadrian nodded, waved, and Follows thought it was the first time he'd ever seen him wave , then disappeared in a flutter of wings.

And Follows was all alone.

Author's note: Thanks to iPromote and her amazing review! Go forth and check out her books :)