King of Dust

Chapter 26

"Back! Back out of this holy place, evil one!"

The curate, leader of the church and head of the religious group in Nessden, held up a symbol that hung around his neck, a likeness of a face with a radiating sun behind it and thrust it in my direction. I rolled my eyes, and Yra stifled a chuckle. This particular display had never worked and never would. Ohaldin had no power over me. Never had and never will. The Starkovians had tricked themselves into thinking me unholy, but I was dead. Not a demon. There was a difference.

"Stas, please," Urien pressed, gently raising a hand to the curate. "Hear me out for a moment."

"Urien, you know better," Stas spat, taking a step back into the shadows of his temple and away from me. "He wears a different face, but I know what he is. I know what the both of them are. Hellspawn, the both of them."

Urien flinched at the word and took a deep breath. "Stas. We fear that you're in danger."

"No evil could possibly enter this place. I'm safe here from all supernatural creatures of the night."

"Sounds like bull to me," Yra scoffed. "Are we going in or what? If we don't act now, he might die."

"Silence, deceiver. Don't threaten me."

"I'm not threatening you. I—"

"Please." Astrid stepped forward and held up her holy book, the source of all the learning she had been doing. "I've been studying the ways of Ohaldin and I wouldn't have gotten here if Darius hadn't shown me. He's not the enemy here."

Stas raised an eyebrow and looked between the four of us, trying to discover the lie. He ran his teeth over his bottom lip and shook his head. "It would break my vows to allow such creatures in here, Urien. You must understand."

"Stas," Astrid pleaded, "please consider making an exception for us just this once."

"This is ridiculous." Yra pushed past me and attempted to enter the temple. "Your life is on the line. Astrid is a worshiper of Ohaldin and all I've seen her do is ineffective healing magick, nothing more. Your god doesn't scare me."

As soon as Yra tried to cross the threshold of the building, over the stone and wood and into the heart of the structure, a loud humming sound echoed across the yard and graves that dotted the ground. A golden glow rippled across the building like sunlight sparkling over water and the light concentrated in the heart of the door. With a bang, the light formed a solid barrier, and the force threw Yra backward and down the path. His umbrella was knocked from his hand and the full force of sunlight beamed down on his exposed skin.

I moved as quickly as I was able. In a flash, I dematerialized into a puff of smoke and threw myself in Yra's direction. When I formed again, I laid my body across his to protect him from the sun. A radiating burn danced its way across his face, and his eyes teared as I cradled him. I could not believe Stas' holy magick had done that. Maybe Ohaldin existed after all. "Oh, hun," I muttered. "That was a really bad idea."

"No one of evil supernatural origin may enter here without my expressed permission," Stas stated from the door. "Werewolves, vampires, demons, and other monstrosities are not permitted. You can turn around and go."

"Let me at least explain the situation." Urien remained by the door while Astrid ran to us.

"Oh, Yra, your eye." Astrid's eyes flicked around the wound, panic on her face. "Let me help."

"Don't touch me with your holy magick," he spat. "Just because Darius lets you dote on him day and night doesn't mean I want you to."

"Don't be such a petty asshole." I gently sat him up, making sure my back blocked the sun. "Let her do it."