attention because one of them had a familiar Scottish burr. Yes!
The master entered the room with a ruddier face than usual, like he’d been arguing. In his hand was her backpack. He didn’t speak until he took a seat on a chair near the couch, then beckoned her over. Once she joined him, he gave her the pack. ‘See if there’s anythin’ missin’.’
Riley dug through it, wondering what had caught the hunters’ interest. No surprise, her father’s Holy Water research papers were gone. Her cellphone was missing too.
She gave Stewart the news. ‘They even went through my make-up kit.’
The master shot a glare at the hunter near the door. ‘Ya can leave now.’
‘Lieutenant Amundson said—’ the man began.
‘This lass has the right ta counsel, and that must be private.’
‘Sir, I . . .’
‘Out!’ Stewart bellowed, and to Riley’s astonishment the hunter complied. The door clicked shut. ‘Sometimes ya just hafta shout,’ the Scotsman complained.
Riley closed her eyes in an effort to calm herself. He won’t let them do anything bad to me. If this had been Harper, she wouldn’t be so sure.
‘Riley?’ She opened her eyes to find Stewart watching her intently. There were dark circles under his eyes, evidence that he hadn’t had much sleep. ‘Ya hafta trust me today.’
That didn’t sound good.
He bent closer to her. ‘We must talk very quietly now. We don’t want ta be overheard. Ya ken?’ She nodded. ‘I wish ya’d come ta me first, but we’ll work with what we have.’ He leaned even closer now. ‘Tell me what happened. Don’t leave anythin’ out. If ya lie ta me, I don’t have a hope of savin’ ya.’
Now she was really scared.
Riley took a deep breath and in the quietest voice possible she whispered all her secrets. About her dad and Ori and Lucifer and her deal with Heaven. With each confession tears began to build, stinging her eyes.
Stewart muttered something under his breath, shaking his head. ‘I shoulda guessed Hell would come after ya.’
How would he have known that?
‘Did ya give up yer soul?’ he asked, his voice so low she almost couldn’t hear it. Riley shook her head. ‘Ya swear that on yer father’s grave?’
‘Yes.’
Relief lit the old master’s face. He leaned away, tapping his fingers on a knee in thought. ‘I knew somethin’ was up, but I couldn’t see it clear. Simon was dyin’ that night at the Tabernacle, I was sure of it, but the next day he’s on the mend. I wondered who had a hand in that.’ Then he leaned towards her again. ‘What does Heaven require of ya?’
He’ll never believe me. ‘I’m supposed to prevent Armageddon.’ She waited for him to call her a liar, then leave her to deal with the hunters on her own.
Instead, the master sighed deeply.
‘You believe me?’ she said.
‘Of course I do. Ya might not know it, but ya can’t lie worth a damn. Besides, it all makes sense now.’
‘It sure doesn’t to me,’ Riley grumbled.
‘Anythin’ else I should know?’
Riley filled him in on the Holy Water investigation and exactly what she had been up to overnight.
‘My friend Peter has all the photographs and video. I can give you his number.’
Stewart pulled out his cellphone and stored the information as she dictated it. Then he leaned back and stared up at the plain white ceiling for a time, collecting his thoughts. She knew better than to interrupt though the tension was turning her stomach into tangled knots.
Finally he leaned close to her again. ‘Tell them everythin’ but that ya slept with a Fallen.’
‘Even about Lucifer?’ she asked, surprised.
‘Aye.’
‘They’ll ask about Ori. They’ll want to know what happened between us. There’s no way I can talk about that.’
‘I’m thinkin’ they won’t. Trust an old Scotsman’s instincts,’ Stewart replied.
‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’
The master gave her a wry grin. ‘So do I, lass, so do I.’
Chapter Eight
They were
The master entered the room with a ruddier face than usual, like he’d been arguing. In his hand was her backpack. He didn’t speak until he took a seat on a chair near the couch, then beckoned her over. Once she joined him, he gave her the pack. ‘See if there’s anythin’ missin’.’
Riley dug through it, wondering what had caught the hunters’ interest. No surprise, her father’s Holy Water research papers were gone. Her cellphone was missing too.
She gave Stewart the news. ‘They even went through my make-up kit.’
The master shot a glare at the hunter near the door. ‘Ya can leave now.’
‘Lieutenant Amundson said—’ the man began.
‘This lass has the right ta counsel, and that must be private.’
‘Sir, I . . .’
‘Out!’ Stewart bellowed, and to Riley’s astonishment the hunter complied. The door clicked shut. ‘Sometimes ya just hafta shout,’ the Scotsman complained.
Riley closed her eyes in an effort to calm herself. He won’t let them do anything bad to me. If this had been Harper, she wouldn’t be so sure.
‘Riley?’ She opened her eyes to find Stewart watching her intently. There were dark circles under his eyes, evidence that he hadn’t had much sleep. ‘Ya hafta trust me today.’
That didn’t sound good.
He bent closer to her. ‘We must talk very quietly now. We don’t want ta be overheard. Ya ken?’ She nodded. ‘I wish ya’d come ta me first, but we’ll work with what we have.’ He leaned even closer now. ‘Tell me what happened. Don’t leave anythin’ out. If ya lie ta me, I don’t have a hope of savin’ ya.’
Now she was really scared.
Riley took a deep breath and in the quietest voice possible she whispered all her secrets. About her dad and Ori and Lucifer and her deal with Heaven. With each confession tears began to build, stinging her eyes.
Stewart muttered something under his breath, shaking his head. ‘I shoulda guessed Hell would come after ya.’
How would he have known that?
‘Did ya give up yer soul?’ he asked, his voice so low she almost couldn’t hear it. Riley shook her head. ‘Ya swear that on yer father’s grave?’
‘Yes.’
Relief lit the old master’s face. He leaned away, tapping his fingers on a knee in thought. ‘I knew somethin’ was up, but I couldn’t see it clear. Simon was dyin’ that night at the Tabernacle, I was sure of it, but the next day he’s on the mend. I wondered who had a hand in that.’ Then he leaned towards her again. ‘What does Heaven require of ya?’
He’ll never believe me. ‘I’m supposed to prevent Armageddon.’ She waited for him to call her a liar, then leave her to deal with the hunters on her own.
Instead, the master sighed deeply.
‘You believe me?’ she said.
‘Of course I do. Ya might not know it, but ya can’t lie worth a damn. Besides, it all makes sense now.’
‘It sure doesn’t to me,’ Riley grumbled.
‘Anythin’ else I should know?’
Riley filled him in on the Holy Water investigation and exactly what she had been up to overnight.
‘My friend Peter has all the photographs and video. I can give you his number.’
Stewart pulled out his cellphone and stored the information as she dictated it. Then he leaned back and stared up at the plain white ceiling for a time, collecting his thoughts. She knew better than to interrupt though the tension was turning her stomach into tangled knots.
Finally he leaned close to her again. ‘Tell them everythin’ but that ya slept with a Fallen.’
‘Even about Lucifer?’ she asked, surprised.
‘Aye.’
‘They’ll ask about Ori. They’ll want to know what happened between us. There’s no way I can talk about that.’
‘I’m thinkin’ they won’t. Trust an old Scotsman’s instincts,’ Stewart replied.
‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’
The master gave her a wry grin. ‘So do I, lass, so do I.’
Chapter Eight
They were
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