The Unwritten Sin

Chapter 27

"Wil," James said, as they sat, wrapped in blankets in the windowsill. "I'm going to come back. A brand new body." He breathed in, content. "Will you be there, waiting for me?"

Wilder nodded. He held James' hand. "I'll always come back for you," he said, "I didn't mean to leave you hanging for so long."

"The pain of waiting was nothing compared to never seeing you again," he said. "I know it is against everything I have come to protect and know. But, I think there are things that we have been told that do not match the world we live in."

"The trip over to the Grand Hall will be perilous."

James nodded. "I have twelve hours before I revert again. I haven't ever met anyone who is Third Breach. We don't even know if it's possible."

"I'll find you again, James. I promise."

"And I believe you, sweet prince."

Wilder giggled at his touch. "It doesn't bother you?" he asked at length.

"Hmm?"

"Me. My...situation."

"Not at all. I feel bad that you had to go through what you did. But in reality, I think that there is a desperate need to re-create the reality we inhabit. I don't regret a thing, and neither should you."

They quietly went to check on Neptune and the others, who were all fast asleep, including Theodore. James led him back up to the bedroom, and they both climbed, mostly naked, into bed. "I want to hold you until you leave," Wilder said, taking him in his arms. The two of them nestled together, under the blankets, and Wilder traced his fingers across James' exposed flesh.

"I'm willing to go into that ship with you," he said after a moment. "If you're determined."

"Oh, who knows. I could get caught up in an old sin." He laughed. "You'll have to remind me of everything. I won't remember this night."

"I'll have to remind you," Wilder said, a smile in his voice.

James buried his face into his chest, hiccuping with tears and laughter. "It's not fair, is it, Wil?"

"Nothing is. We have to make what we can of it, unfortunately." 

Morning came, and Wil awoke as soon as he could no longer feel James in his arms. Everything felt so empty and pointless. The sun was watery as it rose, reminding Wilder how thin and weak his entire life was. He pulled on the woolen robes James had worn the night before, refastened his pendant around his neck, and strapped James' long bladed dagger to his thigh. He tucked James' most prized copy of the Holy Book into his vest, and went downstairs to wake Neptune.

Neptune and the convent were sitting around, actively engaged in conversation. Wilder rolled his eyes. He saw Theodore eyeing him from the far end of the room, and he quickly walked over to him.

"So you did what I couldn't," Theodore said weakly. His eye was bruised and swollen and his face looked like a fleshy mess.

"And what's that," Wilder said bitterly. He leaned down to look directly in his eyes, and Theodore snatched the pendant from him, breaking the chain. Wilder's eyes flashed with anger, and without a second thought, he brought a fist down on his face, simultaneously snatching the pendant back.

"James told me everything," he hissed. "I know what you did!"

"Oh, is that so? Did he mention how he fell into my arms the second I returned? How he begged me to relieve his....baser desires after he lost his beloved Ness?"

Theo laughed even though blood was running down his face. "Who am I to deny my priests what they want?" he continued. "He really likes to throat fuck..."

Wilder kicked him, hard, in the shins. He didn't care if what Theo said was a load of bullshit. He didn't care if it knocked him down farther on his list of sins. He felt his face grow red as he kicked and kicked and kicked. Neptune had to rush to his side and pull him off. Theo was laughing in a puddle of blood on the floor. 

"One more word!" Wilder said. "One word, and I will slit your throat."

"Do it, boy! I'll only come back! The world can't be rid of me!"

Wilder paused. He reached into the pocket of James' woolen habit and withdrew the small red pill he had been handed. He grabbed Theodore's face with one hand, and forced his mouth open with the other. Neptune had given up trying to stop him.

Once the pill was inside, he took out James' dagger. "Swallow it, or I will start cutting off fingers."

Theodore spit it out at him. Theodore took one of his bruised fingers, and drove the tip of the knife under his fingernail. Theodore screamed, and the convent covered their ears.

He picked up the pill, and forced it into his mouth again. "You're going to pay not only for what you subjected James to, but what you did to all those convent members. You used their faith against them. They have never NEVER done anything to harm you! You brought them to an unfair end, and I think it's only fitting do bring you to the same."

Theodore glared at him as he took the pill. His hands bled, his face bled, his leg appeared broken. "Fine," he said, "then kill me with mercy. I don't deserve this. I don't...."

Wilder knew that the convent was watching. He knew that he was being judged either by an absent god or an allknowing one. Wilder watched him closely, and Theo said, "Just so you know. I swallowed."

"Fuck you!" Wilder sliced his throat open with one swipe of the dagger, and Theo gagged and clasped at his throat as the life faded from his eyes. Blood tumbled from the wound in his neck, spilling all over the floor and Wilder's shoes.

"Let's go, Neptune," he said. "If you're there, God. Forgive me."

He whipped the cape around him, and stalked out the door.

Neptune caught up with him a few blocks away from the ministry. "What the shit, dude? He was immobile anyway!" He panted as he tried to match Wilder's stride.

"I couldn't deal with what he had to say," he said flatly. 

"Did something happen with James?" he asked. "Where is he?"

"We're going to find him," Wilder said. "He got reincarnated....I hope."

"What did you do?" Neptune asked again. "Did you kill him like you killed Theodore?"

Wilder gave a wry chuckle. "No," he said, "quite the opposite."

Neptune didn't seem to be following, and Wilder didn't offer any clarification.