Unbound

Chapter 9

"This is not amusing!" Pastor Tim sputtered, a few strands of his slicked back hair falling forward to curl around his temples.

Zareen fell back onto the bed and wrapped her arms around her middle, face red with laughter. Hayden couldn't help but admire the way the color painted her cheeks and made her eyes—No! Stop it! She's an evil bitch. He looked down at his shirt to confirm. The word 'Virgin' stared back up at him, firming his resolve.

"Sorry," Zareen gasped out between bouts of giggles, "it's all they had left!"

Pastor Tim narrowed his eyes and stared murder at the girl. Hayden figured it was time to get down to business.

He stepped between them, hands held out to either side. "Enough," he said to his dad. He turned to Zareen, "Grow up." She flipped him off. "Can I ask some questions now?" he said as he looked toward Jesus. The man stood on the side of the far bed, near the wall. Simon leaned against the desk the motel provided. Hayden couldn't imagine why a person staying at the flea-infested place would need a desk.

"You are correct," Jesus said, his voice deep and gruff. His pale gaze turned to Simon.

"Shit," muttered Simon. He folded his arms across his broad chest.

"Judas?" asked Jesus.

"Do we have to do this now?" Simon said.

Hayden sighed.

When Jesus didn't respond, Simon shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. "After you entered the Veil, we... deliberated. When the choice was made to leave you to keep the gates secured forever," Jesus grunted, but said nothing, "Judas and some of the others rebelled against us. Peter subdued Judas personally."

"Did you murder him? My brother?" Jesus asked, his voice dangerous. Hayden felt hot rage rolling off the man, almost as though it were something tangible.

Simon shook his head. "We did not."

"Then what?"

"He was sold. To the Sea People."

"So you made him a slave?" growled Jesus, large scarred hands balled into fists, knuckles white.

"They couldn't chance him returning, releasing you. Not after they'd decided." Simon said, cringing away. It looked as if Jesus would leap over the bed at any second and strangle the man, or just rip him in half.

"'They'. 'They'. Always 'they'. You should have killed him." His eyes narrowed as he stared at Simon. "Magdalene?"

Simon held his hands out as if warding Jesus away. "She vanished after John announced you wouldn't be coming back. Just left."

Jesus nodded slowly. Hayden was confused. "What does the prostitute have to do with this?"

"Oh shit," Simon said, leaping in front of Hayden, hands still held up toward Jesus. "He didn't mean it; it's the way Peter wrote it."

Hayden peeked around Simon to see Jesus with one booted foot on the bed, a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"You would call my wife, a Warden, a whore?" Jesus spat.

Zareen leapt to her feet, not to defuse the situation, just to get out of the way.

"But, in the bible it says she was a prostitute that found salvation," Pastor Tim said, confusion clear in his voice.

Jesus growled and made to move toward Hayden's dad, but Simon rushed to stand in front of him, leaving Hayden exposed.

"What?" Pastor Tim continued, not realizing what he was saying. "You're going to tell me my Lord's word is a lie?"