Bayou Bishops Box Set: Books 1-12

CHAPTER 12

The drive to the Dry Dock produced a million questions in Sahvrin’s mind now that he had time to think. “How much they know about her?” he asked Zep.

“Everything,” he muttered. “As far as I know. That messenger will tell them they confirmed the mark on her.”

“Motherfuck,” Sahvrin said, pulling off the road and getting his phone out.

“What you doin?”

He dialed Hurricane.

“Eveque.”

“I need you to snuff the Messenger but leave him on the bridge the same. He’s got information I don’t want out.”

“Amen. Anything else?”

“That’s it.”

“We’ll be at the Land Houses if you need us.”

“Good. I’ll text everybody soon.” Sahvrin got back on the road.

“Glad one of us can think,” Zep muttered, his self-loathe coming through.

“You had your head knocked around pretty good.”

“Not good enough,” he muttered, hinting at a lot more going on with him.

Fuck, he couldn’t believe he’d been living with that pact all these years. “I’m sorry you couldn’t come to me about that back there.”

He gave a dry laugh. “Ain’t nobody’s fault, really.”

“But you know I gotta have all the blame and guilt.”

Sahvrin grinned at the chuckle that got. “You get everything else, don’t see why not.”

Fuck. Revelator was sure right. He wished the dude would open his eyes and see there were plenty of women he could love if he picked one. Well, maybe none of the fucks but he was sure there were women in the swamp he hadn’t fucked that were a catch.

“We’ll need to keep an eye on Lucas now,” Sahvrin said, glancing at Luseah. “What’s wrong?”

She wiped tears. “I…I told Brandon a lot of things. I’m worried about him.”

“My God,” Zep barely muttered.

“What all did you tell him?”

She fought to talk around her sobs. “Everything,” she wailed.

“What’s everything, Luseah?”

“Beth, Katrina, the gun stuff, and everything that happened all those years ago.”

She didn’t mention Maggie. She hadn’t been home, thankfully. “Pretty sure they all know about Beth if Katrina knew. And they also know about Katrina, I’ve already made arrangements to keep her and Savvie.”

“Who?”

Fuck, she hadn’t heard about Savvie either.

“She’s been gone the whole week,” Zep said. “Sneaking around our backs.”

“I’m sorry,” she wailed. “But I love him, I swear and he loves me, that’s why I’m worried about him. They’ll kill him! Who is Savvie?” she asked again, confused.

“My daughter. Your sister,” he muttered. “Katrina was pregnant when she left all those years ago and never told me. Ended up with the president of the Roulettes in New Orleans who fell for her and thought the pregnancy was his. She just now told us. Like a fucking week ago. I got her and her mother in exchange for that gun deal.”

“You’re gonna run those guns?”

“Yes, we are,” he said, not about to tell her otherwise.

“I told Brandon you’d never do it.”

“Well, there you go, you didn’t tell him everything,” Zep said, sounding exhausted.

“I can’t believe this. I have a sister?”

“You sure do,” he said.

“Why are you saying it like that?”

“Sorry, my mind is on a lot of shit.”

“Because she’s in love with Lucas,” Zep said.

“Thanks,” Sahvrin said.

“Well, she’ll find out soon enough. Better she knows ahead of time.”

“Wait…your daughter is in love with her brother?”

“Not technically,” Zep said.

“You’re letting them do that?” Luseah cried, sounding pissed.

“Savvie didn’t find out I was her father right away. By the time I told her, it was too late.”

“So, I can’t date but Lucas gets to fall in love with your daughter? His not technical sister” She quoted the air.

“How about you go back to being sorry for the shit you caused tonight?” Sahvrin said, navigating the backroads to the Dry Dock. Fuck, he’d forgotten Revelator was in the back.

“I’d like you to help Brandon,” she said.

“Of course you would. I’ll put it on my saviors list.”

****

Beth paced nervously in the Basilique. She’d finally meet The Revelator. After talking to Mah-Mah, she’d learned all about him. Was nice having a swamp info directory in the form of a living person. She’d even told her to just call her instead of having to hunt her down. Which Beth did. Enough times that Mah-Mah laughed and told her to maybe write a list of ten things and then call.

The more she learned about The Revelator, the more nervous she got to meet him. Terrifyingly handsome, so much that women fell in love with him at first sight, like some kind of witchery. But it was something he despised about himself and solved the problem with a hideous scar from eye to mouth that somehow only makes him even more handsome. Was funny to hear Mah-Mah tell all about it. “Did you fall in love?” Beth had asked, giggling.

“I’ll never tell!” She’d given one of her laughs that always got Beth going too.

But surely somebody knew where he came from. Mah-Mah seemed serious as could be when she said he was the Moses of the Bayou, left in a basket next to a cypress tree. Only he wasn’t found by a queen, but a poor old woman that took him and raised him. Mah-Mah assumed it was Miss Lucette who is a master of holistic healing that lived deep in the swamp because Lesion, one of the Twelve had seen Revelator out there taking care of the woman when he went for his lessons. But that was still a guess.

How did you raise a kid and not let them experience humanity for eighteen years? How did he just jump into preaching the good news in the Swamp to anybody who would listen with no experience with socializing? She had so many questions she’d never ask but wanted to know. Did he try to find his parents? Did he want to? Was he celibate like The Twelve? Mah-Mah said he wasn’t part of The Twelve, but he was definitely treated as the Swamp Seer. And that was the main interest she had—his seeing. What was he seeing? How did it work? Did he always see or just sometimes? And what would he see when he looked at her?

Voices shot her pulse up and she hurried to the door with her rehearsed greeting. She stood, waiting for it to open, hoping she wasn’t overdressed. Was just a simple dress she kept telling herself. Wasn’t her fault that all the dresses they gave her were Sunday best. This one was very covering, which was most important she felt. It was red but that didn’t have to mean harlotry, it could mean blood of Christ.

The big door swung open and the sight of Sahvrin hit her gut hard enough to make her knees weak. Then she saw the look on his face and hurried to him. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” She somehow knew to search his body and discovered his hands, lifting them. “What happened?” She regarded his face next, getting his mouth on hers. It was a brief kiss and she realized or remembered why.

Her breath caught when she turned to The Revelator and nodded. “Finally,” she breathed, at him, realizing Mah-Mah hadn’t exaggerated a single thing. “Wow.”

His bright blue eyes were already locked on hers, clear and yet filled with a million secrets she wanted to know. She remembered the handshake he usually wanted so he could see whatever he could see, and she shot her hand out to him.

He looked down at it and just stared, making her wonder if she were presenting it wrong. She glanced at Sahvrin who only had confused raised brows as an explanation.

She was about to stick out her other hand when she spied both of his moving up. He took her hand between his warm palms and stood there with his head lowered. Eyes closed? It was hard to tell. But there was no mistaking the tingling heat coursing through their hands. His fingers pressed then, moving along the inside and outside of her hand as if searching it. He paused like maybe he’d found it and let out a single breath.

He very gradually released her, and she realized he’d been holding it quite tight by the absence of his touch. She rubbed her hand with her other one, staring at him, curious.

He finally opened his eyes only he didn’t look at her, but at Sahvrin. “I have never seen a light like this. I know it and yet it’s…somehow hidden from me.” He turned his tormented confused face to her finally.

“Sorry,” she whispered, not sure what else to say.

“Did you see anything?” he asked her, seeming hopeful, like somebody looking for another like him.

She shook her head. “Only felt…stuff,” she barely said, glancing at Sahvrin who reassured her with a wink that made her want to smile.

“What did you feel?” he wondered.

“Just…a tingle and…heat. Moving in my hand and in yours.”

“Can I please meet Maggie?” he asked Sahvrin. “I hate to press but…I need to understand what’s vexing my spirit if I’m going to be able to sleep.”

“I’ll call Spook.”

Sahvrin stepped away with his phone and Beth eyed the man who appeared troubled. “I hope it’s nothing too bad,” she said.

He shook his head. “I wish I could assure you it wasn’t. It’s something big, not necessarily bad.”

She glanced at Sahvrin who was speaking quietly, deciding to try and calm him. “I’m not really that religious,” she said, getting his intense blue eyes drilling into hers.

“Glad to hear it,” he muttered. “Religion is for the simple. Spiritual things are for the learned. We live and breathe it, we don’t go through ritualistic motions.”

She didn’t want to disagree with him and nodded.

“You don’t think you’re spiritual,” he said, or realized, or saw. “Fascinating. I wonder if this is why it is hidden? Because you don’t see it?”

She wasn’t sure and gave a light shrug. “I wish I was more help. Maybe Maggie will answer more questions than I have.”

“You have questions?”

“What? No, I’m saying my sister might—”

“I understand, but you have questions,” he repeated. “About me. Why?”

His need to know why she had questions made another question. “Mostly…because I’m nosy,” she confessed. “I like knowing all the details of everything. My dad said it was a gift and my mother said it was a curse. She was joking,” she added, only to have his burning stare make it feel real.

“You probably think you’re honest to a fault,” he said, like it was a sad thing.

She shrugged a little, considering that. “Maybe sometimes. But only because others say it.”

He slid his hands into the pockets of his long black coat. “Honesty can be many things, but a fault isn’t one of them.”

Sahvrin walked to Beth and put his arm around her. “He said they’re waiting for us.” He looked at Beth. “Maggie is happy you’re coming.”

Beth smiled, thrilled to see her again. “Feels like I haven’t seen her in a month.”

He leaned and kissed her forehead and she cast an embarrassed look toward The Revelator, glad his back was to them. She used that second to grab his face and steal a real kiss before quickly composing herself, catching Sahvrin’s burning look.

“I’ll meet you at the back dock,” Revelator said, as if sensing what suddenly brewed in the air between them.

“To the prayer room, Mah Belle Eveque,” he muttered when the big door shut.

“The prayer room?” she whispered, as he pulled her by the hand.

He spoke much French and it made her breathless knowing he did that when was so aroused he couldn’t speak proper English.

He opened a door and pulled her in, his mouth on hers hard and hot as he shut the door. She had no time to even look around to see what was there, what holy things they were desecrating with their lustful moans even as he found she’d been naughty and gone panty-less for him.

“You fucking didn’t,” he gasped, lowering to his knees and pushing her dress up. He held one of her knees high up against the wall, his hot breath and tongue on her pussy until she moaned shamelessly and pumped on his mouth, helping him with her fingers clutched in his hair.

He made war on her clit, his lips and tongue, even his teeth ruthless weapons. He pushed one, then two fingers deep inside her and she came, fighting not to collapse and cry out.

She gasped when he moved her to her hands and knees, pushing her chest to the floor, sliding his cock along her entrance.

“Oh God, yes, yes,” she shot out, so desperate for exactly that.

His hand popped her ass so hard, she yelped before she could catch it as he buried his cock without warning. He wrapped his fist in her hair and pulled, lifting her upper body while slamming into her body deep and fast. She had to hold her breath to keep from screaming then they began to slip out as she clenched her eyes shut tight, the glorious pleasure overwhelming her until the sounds couldn”t be stopped.

Sahvrin pushed her chest to the floor again, his hand on her mouth as he bucked his hips till his groin banged into her bottom. His guttural groans blasted in her ear alongside his French as his orgasm hit. It was perfect having his hot breaths blasting right against her face, if not holy.

His breathless groans said it was utterly holy, at least to him. And that made her feel immaculate. If he thought it was that good, then surely it was.

“I love you so much,” she moaned. “And missed you even more.”

“Baby,” he said, his lips so soft as he filled the side of her face with kisses. “I missed you too. Revelator is waiting, we better go.”

****

“Maggie.”

The soft sound of Spook’s voice floated in her mind, sending her heart racing through the mental fog. Her response came in the form of a pained moan. She hurt everywhere.

“Eveque and your sister are coming with The Revelator. He wants to meet you and your sister misses you.” It was hard to focus on what he said when his lips moved along her face as he whispered the words. Both her hands were already touching him. She noticed ever since he’d kissed her, she had to use her lips when exploring him.

He gave a soft moan, stroking his face along hers. “I let you sleep. You were tired after just three orgasms.”

Just three. He’d untied her earlier, then they decided it was too late to go to his hideout and would go in the morning. She felt guilty for being happy the Bishop and her sister weren’t returning. Wait… “You said my sister’s coming? Now? And the…”

“Revelator. He wants to meet you.”

“What time is it?”

“Almost midnight.”

Midnight. She made her way up and he put his arm behind her, helping when she struggled.

“You hurting?”

“Yes. Feel like I’ve been hit by a... milk truck.”

“A milk truck. You must be thirsty,” he said, sounding humored.

“I am,” she realized. “And hungry.”

“What you hungry for?” His pretty blue eyes lowered to her mouth and he smiled. “Besides orgasms.”

“I’m hungry for your orgasm. It’s not fair.”

He leaned and kissed her, his fingers stroking her shoulder then arm. “I swear to God I’m terrified what I’ll do if you try.”

She smiled pulling back. “You might force me to do something I don’t want? I’m used to being forced. I can take it.”

His hand played in the short side of her hair as his lips moved to her cheek. “I don’t mind forcing,” he said at her ear. “If you like that.”

Her heart pounded in her clit at those words. She”d meant it as a joke, but he’d made it sexual. She’d never imagined that before. And as she did, she couldn’t breathe from it. “I’ve…never had that.”

“I like making you orgasm. Is forcing different I wonder?” His mouth gradually worked to her neck as his fingers found her nipple, gliding over the tip softly. “Force implies doing whatever I want no matter what you say.” She gave a moan, and he lowered his mouth to her nipple. “You like that,” he muttered as he covered the entire thing and sucked gently.

“It gets…so hot when you do that.”

He was suddenly back at her mouth, giving her a peck then standing. “You need to dress for male company.”

She eyed him, her gaze on the huge bulge in his jeans. She still hadn’t even seen that part of him.

“I should warn you that The Revelator is very easy on the eyes, and I just might lose my shit if your gift tries to touch him like you touch me.”

She gave a huge smile, making her way out of the bed, the pain in her limbs wrecking the moment.

“Damn, that bad?”

“Feels like it’s getting worse by the minute.”

“You need a hot soak. When they leave you can do that, then sleep. Then we’ll head out in the morning.”

“To sign our contract?”

He helped her up and she gasped. “Unless you can’t walk,” he said. “I shouldn’t have let you have that temper tantrum all over me. But I deserved it.”

“Like you could stop me,” she strained, standing finally.

“I never loved anything more. I’ll look for something for pain.”

“No, please. No medicine.” Had enough for a whole lifetime. At the dresser, she glanced over her shoulder, finding him openly staring. She turned back to the drawers, warmth filling her cheeks. And worry. “Do… you like it?”

He didn’t answer right away. “What part?”

She opened the top drawer slowly, her breaths shaky. “All of it?”

He was quiet and she closed her eyes, waiting.

“I’m crazy in love with every fucking inch of you,” he said, his sudden nearness making her jump. He moved the part of her hair that was long. “And if I didn’t need you covering this gorgeous body, I’d be all over it right now, showing you that.”

She quickly pulled something out of the drawer, hoping they were panties.

“You always do this,” he muttered, lowering his head and turning away.

She looked over her shoulder briefly before focusing. “What?”

“Lure me in and intoxicate me till I can’t think. I’ll go make you something to eat while you dress in something that makes you look like an unavailable nun.”

She giggled, loving that he didn’t want anybody else having her. “I’m all yours.”

“I know you are,” he said as he left out. “You’re dressing that way so others know it.”

She found an oversized sweatshirt and pulled it over her head slowly, still smiling. “I would need clothes that say Maggie belongs to Spook then?” she called, finding fluffy pajama pants that would swallow her up.

“Yes, you would,” he said, banging around in the cabinets. “You like eggs?”

“Yes,” she called, pulling on socks next, wanting to cover every fucking inch of her that he was crazy in love with.

“What about onions and cheese?”

“Yes please.”

She made her way out and presented herself, turning for him. “Covered enough?” She hobbled her way to him. “I can help?”

“You can. By sitting and watching me.”

She smiled pulling out a chair. “You like me watching you?”

“I do now.”

“You didn’t before?”

“I did but…having a hard dick all the time was getting difficult to walk with.”

That news had her starving for that part of him more than any food. She glanced out the window, looking for signs of their company. “And now you don’t have that problem?” she wondered, curious but teasing.

He chuckled, turning on the stove. “I’d say my cock is harder more now, but I don’t have the torment of thinking I’ll never get to bury it in your…” He shook his head, opening the fridge. “I need to quit using words I should only use with dudes.”

“Why?”

“You’re a lady, for one. I’m pretty sure there’s a rule against talking that way.”

“But…I love the things you say to me. All the words. Especially…those,” she whispered when his gaze landed on her. So much power in those blue depths.

He raised his brows as he got back to focusing on what he was doing. “In that case…”

He didn’t finish his sentence and she wondered what the rest of it was. “In that case you will?”

“I so fucking will.”

“I love that word too. Maybe the most.”

He regarded her. “Fucking?”

She nodded, her pulse a hammer between her legs.

He cracked an egg in the skillet. “I haven’t said a lot of the words I think.”

“Like…which ones?” she asked, breathless. She glanced out the window, praying they took long enough for her to find that out. “Tell me. I want to hear them.”

He set the utensil down and lowered the fire then made his way behind her. She closed her eyes at the soft glide of his fingers along her neck, his lips on her cheek. Her breath caught when his hand snaked under her large top. “This fat fucking nipple?” He rolled it firmly between his two fingers. “I want to bite it,” he said, his tone that angry she loved. His hand lowered, sneaking inside the front of her pants. She gasped and opened her legs when his fingers sought access.

“Oh, Spook,” she whispered, dizzy as he stroked her clit.

“And this,” he whispered, his breaths thick at her ear as he captured her clit like he had her nipple. “I want to suck and bite it too.” He moved his fingers lower, stroking and pressing. “This beautiful fucking pussy haunts my days and nights till my cock hurts for it.”

He was wiggling his finger over her clit, and she realized he intended on making her come. “Spook!” she gasped, holding tight to the chair. “Oh my God, oh my God,” she moaned panting and flicking her hips.

“I can’t fucking wait till you’re moving that pussy on my cock like that. I want to be as deep as I can be when you come and then I’m going to fuck you so hard, you’ll wonder if I fucking hate you. Oh baby, you like that?” he shuddered as her orgasm rocked her. His fist bit in her hair and he turned her face to his, devouring her mouth with lusty breaths, forcing the pleasure to go on and on.

“Fuck,” he gasped on her mouth. “Go to the bathroom and wash your beautiful face. They’re here.”

Shame and fear flooded her as he helped her from the chair. “You should’ve told me.”

“And interrupt your orgasm?” she heard him say. “I knew you wouldn’t take long.”

“How close are they?”

“My phone buzzed about a minute ago. They still have to walk here. Take your time. And look at your face in the mirror. That’s the look on you I love the most.”

“I look like I barely escaped a fire.”

“Mmm, I know. So fucking beautiful.”

She fought to catch her breath, turning on the water and splashing her face as she smiled. So fucking beautiful. She’d never loved words more. Dear God, except the ones he’d said in her ear while he made her orgasm.

Now she wanted their company to hurry and come so they could leave and let them get back to exploring each other. She had an idea to pleasure him before they signed the contract that he might allow.

She waited in the bathroom while the company came in. She listened as Spook explained where she was and that she was sore from training and wanting a midnight snack.

“Sorry to come so late.” She strained to hear the rest of his sentence, realizing it was the Revelator. She remembered Bishop’s voice and that wasn’t it. “Eveque and his woman will be up shortly. I was giving them plenty of space.”

Her heart skittered in her chest, and she didn’t know why. There was something familiar to her mind in his voice. Did he sound like somebody?

“Maggie?”

She hurried to the door and took a breath as she opened it then made her way out on trembling legs. “Hello,” she greeted, stopping at the kitchen chair. She’d intended on keeping her eyes on Spook but she couldn’t tear them from the man’s now drilling into hers.

****

It was pure pride that forbid Spook to step between their connection. It formed almost immediately and burned in his blood. He needed to let this happen. It was the perfect test he had to have but didn’t want.

He watched as Revelator slowly moved toward her then at a couple feet away, he stopped. Spook eyed his hand, waiting for him to extend it, but it was Maggie who did it. Even as his gut knotted, she paused with a gasp, looking at Spook with fear and worry. She drew her hand back like he was an abusive boyfriend. He fought to say the words. Touch him. You’re a free woman. “Touch him,” he finally said.

She shook her head quickly, still looking at him.

The abusive boyfriend vibe got worse. “She’s worried I’ll be offended,” he said, ready to clear the air. “I kind of told her I might lose my…cool if she uses her touching gift with you. I’m obsessively jealous.”

“Touching gift?” He looked at her with more curiosity than before somehow, skipping right over the jealous part.

“Tell him,” Spook said to her, getting another wordless head shake. Why was she being mute suddenly? “You can talk.”

He realized how that sounded, like he was giving her permission to speak. But she gave another headshake, confusing him.

“She doesn’t need to,” Revelator said, reaching his hand out to her. “Please,” he added to her.

She looked at his hand, then at Spook then at his hand again, like her gift’s need pressed her. “It’s fine Maggie,” Spook said gently. “Unless you don’t want to touch for some other reason, then don’t.”

“Five seconds,” Revelator said, sounding desperate.

She finally moved her hand towards his then stopped when it was parallel. Her breaths were coming harder and faster like something made it difficult or scary to put her hand in his. Which was it? Difficult or scary? Or both? And why?

Spook hated not knowing what she was thinking, torn between wanting to protect her and letting her show herself.

She finally placed her hand in his, and a gasp escaped her as she latched a second hand to his as if something magnetic pulled it. He couldn’t tell if she was fighting to hold on or get free.

Revelator had his eyes closed with an expression of strain and confusion. Was he not able to see? Or not understanding what he was seeing?

“Stop!” she gasped. “Stop, stop, stop!”

Spook reached out and pried their hands apart. He got between her and Revelator, facing him, ready to touch too now. The man’s blue eyes finally opened and stared then blinked, seeing Spook.

“I…”

“What’s going on?” Spook asked when it looked like he wasn’t going to say more.

He turned to Maggie who stood there clutching her hand against her chest, her eyes closed and winded. “Maggie? You okay? Either of you want to tell me what the fuck just happened?”

“There’s something there, something big and I can’t see it,” Revelator said.

“Then how do you know it’s there?”

“I see it’s there, I can’t…understand what I’m seeing.”

“Maggie, what did you see? Why did you tell him to stop?”

“I don’t want to see anymore,” she whispered, her eyes still closed.

“You saw something?” Revelator asked. “Please, tell me. Nobody sees things,” he said to Spook, seeming desperate again.

“I can’t say,” she said, shaking her head a lot. “I can’t.”

“Please, I can take it.” Revelator’s anxious tone was new to Spook.

“Maggie, you want to tell me in the other room?”

The door opened and Eveque and his woman came in.

“Maggie!” her sister cried.

Eveque’s woman ran over, and hugged Maggie and it was like seeing a mother and child reunited. Spook forgot how much Maggie loved her. Petted her and cooed to her like she was something fragile and precious. And she used her words this time and her sister marveled in delight with happy clapping, making it hard not to grin at the small triumph.

“I can see it,” The Revelator suddenly whispered.

Spook looked and found his eyes wide with shock.

“They’re linked. I couldn’t see it because the link was missing. Their physical bond is another link. It hides it when they”re apart.”

“What are you seeing?” Eveque asked, sounding as impatient as Spook was.

”Hides what?” Spook asked.

He looked at Eveque. “I’ll need to talk to you outside.” He glanced at Spook. “You too,” he added, thankfully.

He looked back at Maggie who was remarkably still enthralled with her sister and vice versa. Eveque angled his head toward the door, signaling they leave out without disturbing them.

Out on the porch, Revelator glanced through the window then looked at Eveque. “I’m just going to say this right out. Just…don’t panic.”

“Fuck,” Eveque muttered.

“There’s a darkness in both. It hides like a shadow in the light. But I see it. They likely don’t even know it’s there and I see no reason to alarm either of them.”

“What kind of darkness, Revelator,” Eveque said, glancing back through the window before returning closer than before. “I’m not a man of much patience, particularly when it comes to Mah Petite. And I respect you, but you see the struggle?”

He nodded quickly. “It’s the same darkness that first had Luseah and Lucas.”

“The coven?” Spook wondered, getting his immediate nod.

“That’s the one. Same and exact. I know that darkness personally for as long as I can remember. It pursues and follows just out of my line of sight at times. But I can sense it’s there, wanting something from me. But I can’t see it. I was really hoping Beth or Maggie could help me.” He pointed at the house. “She saw something, and I need to know what it was.” He looked at Spook. “I need you to find it out. Can you do that?”

“I can try,” he said.

“When you say from the coven,” Eveque whispered. “In what way?”

“I didn’t see, she made me stop.”

“I had to pry your hands apart,” Spook reminded.

Revelator looked at him, amazed. “Whatever gift she has is strong. I don’t know where it came from but it’s subject to her will or her emotions. It does what she wants it to do.”

“She uses it to draw,” Spook said, hoping to understand more. “She touches things and draws many angles of what she saw but then she said her mind will give her a single image out of all those, one she hadn’t really seen.”

“Really,” he whispered, fascinated. “You’ve seen her do this?”

“She touched my face once and immediately after drew at least a dozen angles of it in like ten minutes, one after another. Almost like her hand and mind didn’t need her there for it. She talked to me about it as she drew, like she was just an observer, like me. I’ve never seen anything like that. And she has amazing hearing. She hears distance in sound, something that took me years to learn. She says she learned it when in solitary confinement but now I wonder if she wasn’t just practicing a gift she already had.”

“But the light in her, in both of them,” Revelator said in hushed awe. “Never seen anything so…pure and… powerful. I feel like…” His eyes focused on the air between them. “…Like it’s hiding the darkness from them. But to protect them.”

Eveque released a huge breath. “Mon Dieu, that’s good news?”

He nodded. “If I can touch a little longer…” He eyed Spook. “Or maybe just watch both of them while they’re together then I’ll see more?”

Eveque eyed Spook. “They got coffee here?”

“They sure do,” he said, relieved he was wanting to get to the bottom of that now. “Revelator, you mentioned something about her demons lurking in the dark.”

“Son, that was pure prophetic,” he said raising both hands as if not responsible. “A word given to me by God without seeing or touching a thing. Sometimes I get those. And what I just saw in her, has certainly testified to that prophecy.”