Unholy | Noah Sebastian

|Chapter Seventeen|

"Do you have to go?" She asks me later that night. I know I have to go placate Lilith, my chance of getting into The Blue depends on it, but I don't want to.

"Not for long, angel, I'll be back here by the time you fall asleep," I bend down and kiss her head. "If you are lucky I might even join your dreams."

"Come back to me," she says sleepily, her hair is wet from the shower she took after we cooked dinner together and ate on the balcony. The sweatshirt she's wearing is falling off her shoulder, and the scar over her right eye is still an angry red that stands out starkly against the pale blue of her eye.

"I will always come back to you," she stretches up and I kiss her lips, it's short but imprints on my lips nonetheless.

I have to check in with Michael, it will be the first test. I haven't seen him since I kissed her, and if he doesn't suspect anything then I know I'm in the clear. For some reason tonight he wants to meet in a church. He's deep in prayer with the Creator when I phase in. I sit patiently next to him while he finishes. The whole thing seems a bit performative, but whatever.

"Anything you want to share, Sebastian?"

If I had a beating heart it would have skipped a beat, if I had human emotions I would feel unease. I don't have either of those and I'm still weary.

"I don't think so?"

"If you want to make it into the Blue you have to quit visiting the creatures from the Abyss," he shakes his head angrily, "you won't be able to take them with you, you know."

"And yet you hang out with me," I say cockily, because he doesn't know anything.

"I am your employer, Sebastian, I am your superior in every way. Watch your tongue and keep better company," he tuts.

"What about Lilith? She's an active threat to my charge, how do you propose I deal with her?"

"Send her back to the Abyss where she belongs, I don't want her getting any ideas about the girl. She belongs to our side, not theirs, got it?"

Of course he only cares about what side she's going down for, not that she is a human and she is having to choose to give her life for a world full of humans that don't deserve her sacrifice.

"Got it," I say rolling my eyes. I don't know what's gotten into him. He's more edgy than he normally is. Maybe he needed to get laid.

I wasn't sure what to do, I couldn't exactly attack Lilith when she was in a demon house, they would surely get involved. I didn't want to send any of my friends to the Abyss, but I would if it meant freeing my brother. However, if I could avoid it, I was going to. Instead of seeing Lilith, I would go home to Briar, I could deal with Lilith's wrath when I could get her alone. Then I could banish her and she couldn't threaten Briar anymore.

When I get back to Briar she's fast asleep. She's laying on her side with the covers cocooned around her small frame and she's snoring softly with her exhale. I don't feel as creepy when I lay down beside her this time, I reach up and touch her jagged scar lightly and I'm transported into her subconscious.

She's never dreaming peacefully, there's always a battle she's fighting in her head. Seeing this is the final straw for me. She has to face the truth of what happened the night she died, I wasn't going to spend the little time I had with her while I watched her mind sabotage her.

"Angel, why do you do this to yourself?" I call out to her, she won't be able to see me yet but I can reach her wherever she is.

"It's not on purpose," she calls back as tears run down her cheeks, her breaths are harsh pants as she tries to catch her breath.