Come Hell or High Water - Striker x Reader (18+)

49. Crossroads

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Even now you mark my steps, lovely bitter water

All the days of our delights are poison in my veins. . .

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"Absolutely not!"

I flinched at Stolas' outburst. I'd never heard him raise his voice like that before.

"Have you gone mad?! Do you really think I would allow you to use one of my artifacts to find the man my wife hired to kill me?! The man that put you in this bed?! He nearly killed you, (Y/N)!"

"I'm already dead," I said plainly.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, (Y/N) — you know what I mean!" He brought a hand to his face. "He shot you with a holy bullet, (Y/N). You and I both know your soul could have been annihilated if you hadn't made it here in time. He is far too dangerous. I am not going to allow you to risk your life again — or your afterlife."

I opened my mouth to argue when there was a knock on the door. In walked my manager, a fairly tall imp-succubus halfling, holding a manila envelope, and she smiled when she looked at me. Her eyes promptly fell on Stolas, and she stiffened and said with a hint of nervousness, "Oh, good morning, Your Highness. I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"

"No, it's fine," I replied, glancing at Stolas. "He's just visiting."

"Oh, I see." She looked at me, then at him, then back at me. "I just wanted to give you this, so you can still get some income while you're out," she said, handing me the manila envelope. "I'll let you look over it. Just text me whenever you get done filling it out, and I'll pick it up and give it to HR. Odds are I'll be here when you do."

She and I both snickered at her comment. It was unfortunately quite often that she would have to come into work on her off days to help when we were short-staffed. I smiled apologetically at her. "I'm sorry y'all are short. I wish I could help."

"Don't worry about it. Just focus on getting better." She grinned and quipped, "And the sooner you get better, the sooner you can come back to work."

I let out a small laugh and waved as she left. When the door closed, I turned my head back to Stolas, who still had that stern parental expression on his face. I pursed my lips and placed the envelope on my bedside table. "So, I take it it's still a no?"

Stolas groaned in exasperation and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and turning to look out the window. His shoulders drooped slightly as he let out a soft sigh. "What do you even see in him, (Y/N)? I've gone over it a dozen times in my head, and I've yet to find a plausible answer — and no, being good in the sack is not an adequate reason."

I bit my lip, my gaze falling down to my white bedsheets. "I don't think I can really explain it," I said quietly. "He's funny, and talented, and . . . kind."

I regretted my words the instant they came out of my mouth. Stolas whipped his head around to me, a terribly appalled look on his face, and a humorless laugh escaped his throat.

"Are you joking?" he muttered. "After all he did . . . you think that man is kind ?"

He spoke with a staunch repulsion, as if the word had a disgustingly rotten taste to it. He shook his head in disbelief. "After what he did to me . . . After what he did to you. . ."

I opened my mouth to speak, but quickly shut it when I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Well," he scoffed, fixing me with a hardened glare. "I suppose that just goes to show how low I fall on your list of priorities."