Sacrifice (Revelations Book 1) (22 page)

He shook his head and held the door open for her. "Whatever you say, love. Let's go find for your sister. Let Jack mourn two losses tonight." Under his breath he murmured, "I'm sure more will follow before this is over."

Meri stormed toward the door and headed into the night with the Wolfman following after her. Jack seemed dumbstruck over everything that had transpired and the healers and Personifications were going back to their task of putting Lucas's body to rest.

Nico cupped Abby's chin and rested his forehead against hers. "The sun will be up soon. We are going home."

"But what about Chloe?"

"Wherever she is, she won't be coming back here. And she’ll know where to find you. Chloe needs to grieve for Lucas, as do the rest of us. We lost a good soldier today, we need time to recover."

She took a small step. The grief was weighing her down like a ton of bricks. Lucas's body on full display was too much to bare. she wanted to cry all over again. She needed rest and she needed to feel something other than crushing sadness. "Let's go home then."

Nico pulled her close with one arm and caught Jack's attention with a wave. "We’re heading home. Try to rest, Chloe will be fine." Jack nodded and went back to helping the few Virtues who had skulked their way out of the shadows to care for the body of their fallen comrade. As Nico led Abby out of the church and down the dusty street toward his house he leaned over and pressed a kiss against her temple. "It's been a long night, maybe we won't patrol tomorrow."

She leaned against him. "There won't be any attacks tomorrow."

"There won't be?"

"Rosa will give us two days before making her move."

Nico blinked. "Is that what she said to you?"

Abby chewed the inside of her cheek. It wasn't the truth, Rosa hadn't said those words, but now Abby could see Rosa's strategy and she knew why Rosa had asked her to meet in two days. Rosa was giving them two days to mourn and bury Lucas. Two days to let their loss sink in and mess with their heads and their morale. Sure they'd lost a few others in the patrols, and the Personification leader who had exploded in the church, but Lucas had ties to everyone. He crossed boundaries and was respected and loved by just about everyone there. And Lucas had been their hope, their symbol of light, their white knight. Maybe there was honor among monsters. When Abby met up with Rosa in two days’ time it would be a fight. She gave her word she'd show up alone and with nothing in hand. Abby didn't need weapons to rip Rosa apart, she'd use her bare hands and fangs to do it.

Abby sat on the porch as soon as the sun went down. Her hand stayed wrapped around her dagger but her mind wandered far away, wondering how everything had gone so horribly wrong. Her role in Lucas’ death hung heavy on her soul. No matter how much Nico tried to convince her otherwise she still felt the guilt like a stone settling in her stomach. She had given The Whore her word, she'd agreed to a dirty deal that was set up so Rosa could give them hope and then take it away.

Hannah was rallying her Virtues to leave and abandon the town. Most were defiant, they wanted vengeance for their fallen brother. Finally, the Holy-Sheep had collectively found a set of balls and stood up to their leader. Even the Personifications wanted blood for Lucas. They were all twins, after all. Even if they didn't know who was technically related to whom, the Personifications felt as if one of their brothers had perished. They were forming plans of their own to avenge Lucas.

Abby sighed, if only Chloe were there to see how much everyone respected him. She would be proud, but no one had seen or heard from her since she vanished the night before. Jack was going mad scouring every inch of town. Arveda quietly ignored everyone searching for her daughter but Abby had seen small groups of Striga combing the streets. Arveda might like to play tough but she had her girls out looking for their sister.

The teams out searching for Chloe knew they needed to find the vessel before she fell into the hands of Rosa and her army. Abby planned on heading out into the desert, to the large rock where she’d first met Chloe, but Nico had asked her to stay close to town. She smiled at the thought of him worrying over a vampire.

The other teams were on the hunt for the impending trouble and reported back in regular intervals with nothing so much as a peep. Another heavy sigh passed Abby's lips as she rested her head against the porch railing. If war was coming like Rosa intended, then there had to be more she could be doing. Sitting there on the porch wasn't helping anyone.

Standing up she brushed the dust from her bottom and took a step off the porch, only to be met with the deep sound of someone clearing their throat. She spun around to find Jack standing a few feet from where she had been sitting. She wanted to be optimistic, but the cross expression he gave her said all she needed to know. He hadn't found anything and more than likely Nico had actually sent him over to babysit her.

"You're right, he did send me here to babysit."

"Oh great, you're a mind reader now too?"

"Well, I've been a mind reader all along, it's not a newly acquired skill."

"Lovely. Real nice. You might want to share that with people before you go barging in on their personal thoughts."

He gave a half laugh and held up his fist. Clutched in his right hand was a glowing orb. "Relax, kid. I'm not really a mind reader, this little gizmo does the reading for me and only when I'm holding it. I don't use it often."

"But you used it on me?" Abby clenched and unclenched her jaw. "That's even worse."

"I was just trying to make sure you weren't going to run off and put yourself in danger. And it seems I was right to worry about it since that's exactly what you were heading out to do."

"I was heading out to try to find Chloe."

Jack's tired features turned dark for a moment. "Don't you think I've looked? If she were anywhere nearby I would have found her."

Abby nodded to the glowing orb. "That's why you have that thing? You've been reading people’s minds to see if anyone had seen her?"

"Or if anyone was hiding her. And so far, everyone has come up clean." He tossed the orb up, it went dark as soon as it was out of his hands and lit back up when he caught it. He flashed a smile but couldn’t hide the deep sadness behind it. Abby could feel it. He pocketed the orb and folded his arms over his chest. "So when are you going to tell Nico you’re meeting Rosa?"

"You need to stay out of my head."

"I didn't need to read your mind to know that, I could hear what she said to you. The deal you struck with her. She baited you, you know that right?"

"Yeah and I fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker. Now Lucas is dead because of me."

"No, she was going to kill him no matter what. And she wanted you to feel guilty about it. Guilt leads to anger. Anger leads to acting foolishly.” His eyes said ‘Trust me, I know.’ His feet shuffled a bit on the wooden porch. “She's betting on guilt eating you alive so that's it's easier for her to play her hand. Don't be stupid enough to play it for her."

Her cheeks burned. "How do you know so much about her?"

"We..." His word trailed off and suddenly he looked to be a million miles away. "We were together once. A long time ago."

"But I thought you loved Chloe?"

"Good lord, woman."

"What?"

Jack shook his head. "A man gets lonely after a few hundred years. Yes, I love Chloe. Always have. Always will. That doesn't mean I've lived a celibate life for the past two thousand years."

Abby started ticking off a mental list of what she knew from the bible. "But I thought celibacy was part of being who you are? I mean, one of the people who followed Christ around. Didn't you all live like totally saintly lives after you met him? Never curse, never sleep around, never steal, etcetera."

He laughed. "If I never cussed, stole, or had sex in this many years I'd be knee deep in an insane asylum. And besides, that book, that damn book everyone puts so much stock in, was written by men not by God. It's as much of a corruption as anything Rosa will send at us. That book has led to more deaths, more annihilations of entire villages, cities, and nations, than any else in history. Men kill men, women, and children in the name of the Lord. If you were Christ, how would that make you feel?"

"Like shit." Abby answered quickly.

Jack laughed. "Not sure he would have put it like that but yeah, I'm thinking it doesn't feel all that great for him."

"I thought you'd be uber religious since you're one of his followers."

"Nope. I just do what is right or at least try my best. Pretty sure God has more important things to worry about than making a list of everyone who fornicates out of wedlock."

"Even if it is with The Whore of Babylon during the apocalypse?"

"I didn't sleep with her during the apocalypse, it was quite a long time ago."

Time was relative, and given their age difference, a long time ago could mean anywhere from centuries to mere minutes. Abby cleared her throat. "A long time by your standard or mine?"

"Let's just say you weren't even born yet when it happened." He shoved his hands in his pocket. "I knew who she was the moment I met her." His eyes had taken on that faraway look again. "She was young and full of life. She had no idea who she would grow up to be, but it was there, the seeds were planted long before I met her and her role was already sealed. I tried to save her. I tried my damnedest to bring her back from the brink. But, I'm afraid I probably did more harm than good." He tilted his head back to peer up at the starlight shining thought the dilapidated porch roof. "Sometimes we can try so hard to fix something that we end up breaking it more in the process. That's something I have to live with."

"That's the guilt eating at you?"

"Among other things."

"You know, if you tried to help her then it's not your fault."

"Lucas dying wasn't your fault either." His eyes met hers. Abby knew it wouldn't matter how many times someone told her that, deep down she'd never believe it. Just like Jack didn't believe Rosa's corruption wasn't his fault.

She had no words, there was no use in telling him it would be alright. For both of them it would never be alright. But while she was letting the guilt eat her up, Jack had found a way to keep going. She squared her shoulders. That's what she’d do. She'd carry the guilt with her, but she refused to let Rosa use it against her. She’d move forward and be stronger than the weight of her guilt.

Abby moved back to her step and sat down, she heard Jack move behind her on the porch and the eerie creak of the lone chair near the door let her know he'd sat down. That's where they stayed, in silence. Abby figured they were both pondering their sorry lives, both wondering where Chloe was, both fixated on bring down Rosa. For the first time since Lucas's death she found a spark of hope. She and Nico were strong enough to physically take on whatever came next. And she would take Jack's cue and become mentally strong enough to deal with what was ahead. Maybe they would make it out of this alive. Maybe they could push back the army of Hell and keep the Gates sealed. She cast a glance toward Lobo's bar, she would have to meet Rosa there tomorrow night and she’d have to be ready for whatever The Whore threw at her.

The ringing church bells snapped her out of her thoughts. Jack jump to his feet. Again there was a slight beating in her chest. The bells meant they were ready to lay Lucas to rest in the tombs beneath the church. She wasn't ready to say goodbye.

Moving on sucks.

Just the idea hurt. But the alternative would be worse. She stood up and slowly walked toward the church. Jack walked behind her. Probably secretly hoping Chloe would miraculously arrive on time to say her goodbyes. Abby was hoping for it too. But as she neared the church there was no sign of Chloe or any Striga. There would be no goodbyes for her friend now.

Abby locked eyes with Nico as soon as she entered the church. The air was heavy, there was a weight to it that seemed to make everyone stand a little more stooped. Eyes cast downward, shoulders slumped. Defeat emanated off all of them like a heavy perfume. Abby drew her arms around herself as hope started to fade.

So this is what we've been reduced to?

Nico pushed through the crowd toward her, she mustered up the smallest smile she could. "Everything ready?"

He nodded and laced his fingers through hers. "Yeah. Hannah won't be joining us, she was allowed to say her goodbyes in private."

"She chose not to make a scene?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I made the choice for her. Having her here would only incite the mob more."

Abby crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe a good mob is what she needs."

He took a deep breath and squeezed her hand. "Lashing out at Hannah won't bring him back. I know we all want to focus on her, but it won't change the fact that he's dead." He pinned her with a glare. "And no, it isn't your fault. The person who killed him is to blame."

She picked a spot on the floor to focus on instead of meeting his gaze. "Maybe they've already won."

"No. They haven't."

He let go of her hand and walked up to the podium. Something had changed in him, she wasn't sure what, but Nico had never been one for optimism. Now he was standing at the pulpit in front of a mix of downtrodden sinners and holy warriors about to deliver the eulogy of a fallen Virtue.

He belongs up there,
she thought.

This must have been how he looked when he had a congregation of his own. The priest, leading his flock. The shepherd. She smiled up at him. A wave a hope flowed over her.

Nico rubbed his hand over his throat as if loosening some invisible collar around his neck. "Lucas," he paused and cleared his throat, "Our friend. Our Courage. He wouldn't want us to give up." There was a small rustle of voices and Nico held up his hand. "He wouldn't and you all know it. He was Courage after all. He held his head high when he knew he was going to his death."

Nico's hand went to his pocket and Abby heard something crumple in his hand. "He knew he was going to die..."

Abby's eyes stung with tears. What was in his pocket? How did he know Lucas knew he was going to die? Nico looked straight at her and offered a small smile as he pulled out a piece of paper. "He left instructions for us." He opened the letter up and blinked back the tears Abby could see gathering in his eyes. "Don't stop fighting. Fight for this world. Fight for our brothers and sisters. We can't back down."

With that Nico folded up the paper and slid it back in his pocket. He took a moment longer to swallow and then leaned back into the mic. "Lucas will never leave us, we keep him in our hearts every time we show courage in the face of our enemies. His was a life more precious to me than most of you know. It was Lucas who comforted me as a child, who gave me the strength to carry on. I teased him later in life, calling him a kid, but when I was a child he seemed larger than life to me. He was someone I wanted to follow... He was my first real look at someone who was pure and good without intention or motive. Lucas was good because that’s just who he was. He loved freely. He loved—" there was another pause. "He loved Chloe more than anyone could know. He loved his friends. He loved his brothers and sister, Virtue and Personification, with his whole heart. And we will honor him."

He took a step back from the podium and muttered. "We won't let you down, brother."

As soon as he made his way down to Abby she flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. She didn’t hold back her tears. She wept for herself and for Chloe, but mostly she wept for Nico. She knew Lucas and Nico were close, but she didn't know how close. She had no idea that Lucas was who helped Nico through the grief of losing his mother. He had been the only male figure in Nico's childhood and now he was gone and even worse he had known it and left behind a message.