Bound by Sin: The Beginning of a Prophecy (Prophecy #3) (16 page)

Jared walked ahead of me
and back out into the bar. Grabbing a glass from behind the bar, he turned the faucet to the sink on and filled it.

He placed the glass to his l
ips and took a drink of the dingy looking water, his eyes fixated on me. The red-headed woman stood silently in the corner, her menacing eyes boring into me. I could see Jared thinking, his eyes glazed over, and he set the glass on the counter and spun it around. “She’ll need a few days before you let anyone else have her.” He pointed in my direction. “That one there’s a greedy one.” A smile warmed his face briefly. “Almost left her dead.” Jared leaned against the bar and crossed one leg in front of the other. His eyes focused on the end of his boot and he flexed his foot.

The woman
sat down at the bar and rested her face into her palms. “So – do I want to know why you’re here?”

Jared grabbed the glass
and took another sip, swishing the water around in his mouth and then swallowing. “No. You don’t. But I’m sure you can figure out why I am.”

The
woman shook her head. Pulling in a breath, she released it slowly from her nose. Her green eyes focused again on me and her lightly glossed lips barely hinted at a smile.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Constance.”

“
Mmm-hmm.” She spun back to face Jared. Her fingers tapped on the countertop. “So, the prophecy?” She seemed anxious. I could hear the worry in her voice.

Jared nodded
.

“Who was it? Who’s the one who broke the agreement?”

Jared’s eyes slunk down to the broken tiled floor. “Gavin.”

The woman’s head cra
ned out and her eyes popped open. A loud gasp came from her and she covered her gapping jaw with her hand. “Gavin? No…”

Jared’s lips pursed togethe
r and he took another sip of water. “Yep. Doesn’t really surprise me. He’s always had such a damn weakness for women.” He flung his head back to stare at the ceiling. “Abby, if you see him, you have to let me know. I doubt that he would make the mistake of coming here, but…”

That accent of his, it almost seemed too refined for him. I much preferred the thick southern drawl I’d thought was his.

Making my way around to the front of the bar, I pulled out a metal barstool to take a seat. The uneven and worn legs scratched against the gritty floors, almost sounding like nails on a chalkboard. The unpleasant noise sent a sharp unsettled feeling through me.

Abby
gathered her auburn hair to the side and ran her hands nervously through it. Watching her fiddle with her hair, I saw a white butterfly on her neck. That mark, it almost looked like a tattoo.

This can’t be real…

Abby laughed, a smirk shaping her face. “What are they going to do to Gavin? They can’t do anything to punish him, he’s too powerful, and forget killing him. How can you kill death itself?”

Now r
ealizing that Gavin was not human, I feared for Brooke.

Jared pulle
d himself up onto the bar and slid back against the wall. His eyes skirted over to me and then back to Abby. “Oh, they can punish him. That
girl
has woven herself into him and if anyone were to hurt her…” Jared’s voice trailed into a deep, raspy laugh before abruptly cutting off to continue, “The hell that being apart from her would cause would be worse than the damnation he’s faced since the birth of man.”

Slamming my fist down on the counter
, I yelled, “Brooke? You can’t let them hurt her. You won’t let them hurt her, right? Jared. You wouldn’t let them do that?”

Snarling her lips
up, Abby pointed one brow down and rested a very annoyed glare on Jared. “What’s this about? Still plagued by her conscious?”

Nodding
, Jared slid off the counter, the metal buckles on his boot clanking as his feet hit the ground. “The girl was her friend.”

Anger flew up into my throat. “Brooke. Her fucking
name
is Brooke.”

“Calm down, doll. Brooke. Yes, Brooke
, the one that finally brought that bastard to his knees. Finally ripped all control from him.” He picked a piece of lint from his shoulder and, without looking at me, said, “I’ll make sure no one harms her. Just for you.” He smiled, the corner of his mouth twitching before he relaxed his face again.

I didn’t trust him. He’d lied to me, killed me
, and damned me to a hell Stephen King couldn’t do justice to, and I was just supposed to take his word? The way his eyes flamed when he said her name made me want to rip his damn tongue ring out of his filthy fucking mouth.

“Abby,” he said, that southern accent returning to him. “You’re
gonna have to help me. We gotta make sure she’s alive when I find her. Some’ll stop at nothing to separate them, but they don’t understand the importance of keeping her alive.”

Abby nodded. “And
how exactly do you expect that feat to be accomplished?”

“We’ll just have to make sure everyone’s on the same page. You’ll have to help me gather everyone. If they ha
ve to kill every mortal in existence to find her… well, I guess that’s just what’ll have to happen, huh?”

Abby let out a wild burst of laughter. After she’d calmed herself
down she glared over at me and said, “Looks like the damned may very well inherit the earth after all.”

Brooke

Chapter
Nineteen

The cathedral was massive. Standing in front o
f the large doors, I looked up at the round stained glass windows glowing against the stone front of the building. The doors were guarded by sculptures of saints and gargoyles. The combination of holiness and wickedness struck me in a way I was certain had never struck anyone else.

Things are rarely as the
y seem.

The door pushed open and a grey-haired man shuffled out.
“Monsieur, la cathédrale est fermée,” the man said as he closed the cathedral doors behind him.

Gavin nodded.
Merci. Juste admirer la belle architecture. C’est la première fois de ma femme à Paris. Lune de miel.”

I had absolutely no idea what they were talking
about. I just stood clutching Gavin’s arm, wondering if the priest in front of me was actually a priest.

The man smiled at me. “
Quelle belle mariée que vous êtes. Félicitation, que Dieu bénisse votre union.”

The look of confusion must have been evident on my face.
Laughing, the man said, “Vous ne parlez pas Français?” He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, the thick ring on his finger cutting into my skin. He cleared his throat and said, “Allow me to give you my blessings once again so that you may understand. I said, ‘What a lovely bride you are. Congratulations, may God bless your union.’ ” He placed the keys into his coat pocket and walked across the courtyard toward the street.

An irresistible grin crept across Gavin’s supple lips and his hand fell from my shoulder to my waist, his fingers playfully pinching me. “If I wish to refer to you as my wife, I feel I have that privilege.”

I shook my head as we made our way to the side of the cathedral. “Lying to a priest. ‘May God bless your union…’ if the man only knew the union he’d just given blessings to.”

Gavin
looked over his shoulder at me. “And who’s to say he doesn’t?”

We stopped in front of a slender wooden d
oor on the side of the building and he knocked lightly, stepping back to wait.

A group of young men walked past us
. I froze and flattened my back against the wall of the cathedral. The cool, aged stone felt rough and damp against my bare skin and a sudden chill shot throughout my body. I was terrified of why we were here and worried that at any moment I’d be snatched away from Gavin and sacrificed to punish him.

One
of the men stooped down to tie his shoelace, and their conversation carried over to me.

“I mean, what the hell? We can’t go back. They’ve cut off all flights… what are we supposed to do?
Great
time to have planned a vacation.”

One of the boys shrugged. “Man, I don’t know. I’m
kinda glad we’re stuck here. It’s crazy as shit back home. Just glad my parents were able to transfer some more money to my account before they shut everything down over there.”

The one who’d been tying his shoes rose to his feet. “Just crazy, you know? What are t
hey going to do? Shut down the whole damn world?”

He must have felt my eyes drilling into him, concentrating as hard as I could to eavesdrop on their conversation
, because he shot his stare over in my direction. I smiled and he returned one before walking to the curb and crossing the street.

Gavin knocked again and the
doorknob rattled. Dark eyes peeked through the sliver of an opening before the door flung open. A man stood, his eyes expanding as he stared open- mouthed at Gavin. His blond hair was pulled away from his chiseled face. A car turned down the side street behind us and the headlights glinted from a necklace hung around the man’s neck. I noticed a familiar engraving scrawled across the pendant.

“
Semyeza?” the man let out in a hoarse whisper.

“Gavin. It’s Gavin. I’ve not answered to that nam
e in many, many years.”

The man stepped to the side
, allowing us inside. He quickly closed the door behind him and dead bolted it.

The room was small and
along every wall were bookshelves stuffed to the brim with books and old documents. The single light that hung from the ceiling looked more like something you’d find in a mineshaft than in a church. The dim glow it cast washed a dull yellow hue across everything.

“Sit. Please. Have a seat
, my dear woman.” The man pulled up a fragile looking wooden chair. I was certain it was part of the original furnishings of the church and sat gingerly down in it, the malleable wood bending to shape my body.

Gavin sat in the
chair that had been pulled up next to mine. “So, what should I call you?” He asked. “I assume you abandoned the name Amazerek a while ago, seeing as how it’s not the most discreet of names?” Gavin let out a short chuckle as he settled back in the chair.

“
Sebastien,” the man said, and fixed his gaze on me. He studied each detail of my face. Looking at Gavin, his eyes widened and he shook his head. “You…” I watched him swallow and his eyes darted to Gavin. “She’s – she’s the prophecy?”

Inhaling, Gavin nodded. “Yeah. Could you tell?”

Sebastien reached out to touch me, his hand trembling like I was the Holy Grail he’d just stumbled upon. “The innocence – it’s unmatched by anything I’ve seen. Outside of the Garden, of course. No wonder. The draw she possesses is enough to damn
anyone
. How you were the one to cross paths with her… why you were the one…” His hand barely grazed my cheek and he yanked it back, his eyes once again widening in shock and shooting over to Gavin. “She’s still mortal? I thought –”

Gavin interrupted him, “I killed someone out of rage. An unmarked woman who’d threatened to hurt Brooke, to destroy us.”

Sebastien’s eyes were still large. His tongue whipped over his lips, his stare locked intently on me as he spoke to Gavin. “You’ve had no desire to take her, turn her? However have you resisted the urge she must create?”

Gavin ran his h
and over the crown of his head and shook it gravely before raising his eyes to meet Sebastien’s face. “The urge she stirs isn’t like anything I’ve ever felt. What I’ve taken from her,” Gavin drew in a short breath, his eyes closing momentarily as though he were relishing in the memory. “What I’ve taken… there are
no
words for. There is no way I could ever harm her.”

“Love. You
love
her? Damned by the strongest emotion. The greatest wars have spawned from that wretched word.” A soft smile formed on his face. “What’s your name, my dear woman?”

“
Brooke – Brooklyn.”

Sebastien
laughed, hanging his head as though in disbelief. “Water. Her name means water. The substance that cleanses, that washes all impurities away. Now, isn’t that fitting?”

Gavin reached beside him and unzipped his duffel bag, pulling out the book and handing it to Sebastien.

“That demon! He lied.”
Sebastien took the book from Gavin, flipping it open to the last page and reading it. Closing his eyes he recited something from the page his hands were covering. “The Fallen, the wicked and the damned; the immortal will find their graves within the heated brimstone. End shall come to those who have not yet learned the meaning of that word. With all transgressions forgiven, all evil blotted out, the world shall cease. The oceans rush to shore, devouring the wicked and cleansing those with purity inside their hearts. Though death covers the land, though eternity has met its end there is yet to be a new beginning. The prophecy shall ...” Sebastien opened his eyes and said, “And that’s where it ends. What was left of the prophecy was buried with the prophet who wrote these words. So it seems, my friend, death may not be a word meant only for mortals.” Carefully shutting the book, he leaned his back against the door.

Gavin placed his arm around me as though to protect me from some unseen threat. “You can’t tell me there’s not some way to save her?”

A snort flew from Sebastien’s nose. “All you’re worried with is saving her? Now, Gavin… if there’s nothing left of this world, what would you be saving her for? Carry on the way you are, leaving her a mortal and she’ll die. Turn her – she’ll die then too. There’s no way out of this. Quite depressing knowing death is waiting for us all.”

A shrill ring broke the silence in the room and
Sebastien made his way over to a desk. Picking the phone up, he cradled the receiver to his ear. “Bonsoir.”

Though I was certain I should be terrified, I was numb, unable to feel much of anyt
hing, unable to be shocked. I was accepting the fact that death would soon enough claim me. Gavin’s fingers massaged my shoulders.

Leaning toward my face
, he whispered, “I don’t regret anything I’ve done. You are worth this all.”

Those words made my stomac
h knot. He made it sound like I was the reason for this all. “
You
were worth this all.” If I’d never crossed paths with him, would any of this be happening? Was I really the reason? A murderer without ever touching someone?

Sebastien
slammed the receiver back down onto the phone. “Well. You’re being sought after now. That call just then, that was about you. They’re asking for the Fallen to search for you, bring Brooke to Abby. They’ll stop at nothing. They’re determined that this will all stop if they can separate the two of you. They’ll kill every last mortal if they must to find her.” His eyes narrowed. “They’ve no idea where you are, so may I suggest you hide until you can figure out exactly how the hell you can possibly get out of this mess?”

I looked at Gavin
. His brows furrowed as he cast a helpless glance at me. Hurt lay behind his mesmerizing green eyes. His jaw flinched and he glared into me, through me. I could see him thinking, frantically searching for some way to stop this, hoping for a way to halt time itself. I knew the fear forcing itself over his face wasn’t for himself, wasn’t for the well-being of mankind or this world. All he was worried about was me.

Walking through the dark
, crowded streets of Paris, Gavin searched for a hotel. He’d said he didn’t want to stay in one of the nicest because he was afraid that’s what they’d expect. We’d been wandering through this city in complete silence for what seemed like hours. The stars were invisible from the bright city lights. Instead of the sky being black, it was a deep blue. The waning moon an eerie white, slowly being covered by whispers of grey clouds. A light breeze blew through the buildings, carrying the scent of Parisian cuisine. Voices created a soft lull of noise that was drowned out by the hum of engines and the puffs of exhaust releasing from buses. Holding tightly to Gavin’s hand, I watched each person we passed, wondering what they would soon be losing, wanting nothing more than to tell them to make sure they told their loved ones how much they meant to them. The fact that I’d not been able to tell my mother and sister how much I loved them conjured an unbearable surge of hurt to rise inside me.

Gavin pulled me toward
the entrance of a building. Stepping inside, we were in a small market. He grabbed a basket and made his way down the aisle, packing the basket with water and fruit. Standing in line to pay for the items, I heard the soft giggle of a child. The woman behind us was holding a baby on her hip, bouncing him and smiling with an amount of adoration only possible from a mother. Each time the mother spoke to him he let out an innocent laugh, his dark ringlets moving as he tossed his head back.

Speaking lovingly to him
, she said, “
Je t'aime. Je t'aime mon ange doux.
”

My heart plummeted thinking of the destruction each of the
se people would soon face. I swallowed back the sick feeling creeping into my throat and took one last glance at the mother and child as Gavin pulled me back out onto the street.

“I think the hotel at the end of this block will do. At least for now,” Gavin said
, pointing down the street.

A
high-pitched scream coming from behind us broke the hum of conversations and traffic. The terror within that cry turned my blood cold. Drawing my body close to Gavin’s, I refused to let head turn around. I looked up to Gavin and his expression remained unchanged, completely calm and unaffected by the earsplitting wail.