Dealing with Devils (Book 2 in the Road to Salvation Series)

CHAPTER 20

Katie was still perplexed as they stepped out of the portal. Why hadn't Braden taken their souls? She'd seen Josh work harder to get a soul, and he never turned down a chance to harvest one. Maybe Braden's higher rank meant he didn't have to do that. Still, getting two more souls had to look good no matter what. Was that the spectacular thing he wanted to show her? That he could get people to agree to give up their souls and then not take them? It made absolutely no sense. And she wasn't impressed.

"I still don't get why you had me talk to those two if you weren't going to do anything." Her annoyance with Braden was slowly creeping back in.

He glanced at her over his shoulder and smiled. "Something will be done, just not right at this moment. Besides, I wanted to see how you would answer the question."

For crying out loud! If that was all he wanted to know, he could have asked. Katie pressed her lips into a thin line. "Did I disappoint you?"

Braden chuckled. "Not at all. You've seen too much to deny the powers that exist in this world."

He proceeded forward and led her though a hall. She tore her gaze away from him and focused on her surroundings. Where were they? Their footsteps echoed through the corridor, sunlight drifted and pooled onto the concrete floor from dirty and broken windows. Office doors were spaced evenly on either side of the hall they walked down. It was definitely an abandoned commercial building of some kind. How much longer did she have to be around him? The waiting was wearing thin. She was also curious to know if Josh would show up. She really wanted to see him.

The pair walked up to a closed door at the end of the hall. Sunlight illuminated it, as if it was a holy entrance. Braden placed his hand on the knob and faced Katie.

"Did you ever wonder why you felt so safe around Wes?"

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Why would he be asking about Wes? "Wha-at?" she stammered.

"After the years of betrayal and broken hearts, did you ever wonder why when Wes was around you felt so safe with him?"

Katie let her thoughts drift back to her time with Wes. It wasn't a secret that she always felt safe with him, and that was part of the main reason she wanted to be with him, despite the fact that he would end up hurting her. She hadn't really thought about it before because she just assumed it was because she liked him. Even when she was trying to pull away from him that sense of security kept drawing her back in.

"I hadn't thought about it, but I assume you're going to tell me why that is."

"It was the desire to be next to the divine. You remember Lucifer's story about Lilith, right, and how she needed to feel close to the Almighty? Since she couldn't be with Him, she took the next best thing, and that was Adam." He pointed at her. "With her soul, you still crave to feel that power, that unconditional love. As a Praesul, he is filled with divinity. You were drawn to it without knowing why and you were willing to put up with anything to get even a taste."

So that explained it. All this time she thought she was stupid for wanting to constantly be around him when she knew it would end in pain. It made her feel a little better that her attraction to Wes despite his constant abandonment was a deep-seated need she had no control over, but it also bothered her that an ancient desire dictated her actions. She wanted to be in control, not controlled.

"When you realized Wes could never truly love you for who you are, much like Lilith realized Adam wouldn't love her in her true form, you broke the connection. You opened the doorway to let the true you come out, and Josh was there to seize that opportunity."

Katie shook her head. "That's not true. Josh wanted to use me to get to Wes so he could kill him. He wasn't even sure who I was."

Braden waggled his head side to side. "Part of that statement is true, but if Josh really wanted to kill you, he would have. I've been watching you for a while, Katie. I know you know that Josh knew exactly who you were. That was why he kept you alive and continued to pursue you. Didn't you ever wonder why you were so drawn to Josh and willing to follow him anywhere?"