Chapter 5 Chase
Chase
The temple was a maze. It was beautiful, but it all looked the damn same.
I’d followed Sagitta’s instructions, but either he gave me the wrong info or I’d fucked it up somehow because I found myself in a different outdoor courtyard.
Manicured shrubs surrounded me, along with a second pond and waterfall piece.
The landscaper for this place must’ve been loaded from all the temple’s business.
“I still say we walk out,” Faust suggested. In my mind’s eye, I got the impression he was casually examining his fingernails.
“I’m not doing that,” I grumbled. “Sagitta told me to stay put.”
“You don’t have to listen to everything he says. It’s not like you’re married.”
I blushed. “Will you cut it out with the stupid remarks?”
“Ooh, that got you riled up. Could Hot Stranger eventually become Hot Husband?”
I jabbed a finger into my own forehead. “Shut up, or else I’ll choke down thirty of those weird glowing arrows, and then you’ll be sorry.”
“I’m positively quaking.”
“There you are,” Sagitta called.
I spun around to greet him. His face looked drawn and tired. Did he have some kind of meltdown in the storage room?
“Taking it hard, huh?” I offered. “It’s okay, dude. We all mess up sometimes.”
Sagitta’s brow ticked with annoyance. “Do you find this amusing? Because I don’t. You are possessed by a demon, Chase. This is a serious problem.”
“Yeah, I know. But I’m not gonna sit around and cry about it. We’ll try another exorcism again tomorrow, right?”
The tautness in Sagitta’s face went slack, as if he hadn’t expected me to be patient with him.
“Yes.” He blew out a soft sigh. “That’s a good attitude.”
He was quiet for a moment, so I scratched the back of my head and said, “Uh, I got a little lost.”
The corner of his mouth curved into the slightest hint of a smirk. “I can see that.”
He was always hot. But he was really cute when he smiled.
“Mind showing me around?” I asked.
“Sure. Follow me.”
I fell in beside him, still mesmerized by the perfect shrubs and gentle flowing sounds of water.
“What is this place, anyway?” I asked. “Like, what’s the religion?”
“This temple has no religion. It’s an organization dedicated to the eradication of malevolent spirits that bring harm to our world. Our members come from all backgrounds, all walks of life, but we’re united in our goal.”
“Yeah, I noticed that. Kinda like a university campus.”
“That’s a good comparison, yes.” Sagitta went on. “We may call demons by different names—daeva, yao, faerie, shaitan... I could go on for hours, but you get the point. What matters is that we prevent these demons from hurting humans.”
I scratched my head as I digested what he’d told me. “That makes sense. So you perform a lot of exorcisms?”
“Yes. It’s my job.”
“Do you get paid?” I asked, curious.
Sagitta didn’t turn around, but I practically heard the raised eyebrow in his reply. “Ridding the world of demons is its own reward.”
“So you don’t get paid.”
He paused. “Well... yes, I do get paid. Handsomely, if you must know.”
“Really?” I blurted. “Damn, I should’ve become an exorcist instead of going to school.”
Sagitta snorted. “Clients pay large sums of money to be rid of the demons plaguing their lives because they’re disturbed and hysterical. Unlike you.”
I shrugged. Faust was annoying, but I wasn’t about to fork over my life savings to get rid of him. Although I could easily imagine worse demons, and the poor people who suffered because of them. That made Sagitta’s explanation easier to swallow.
“So, like... this isn’t a grift, is it?” I asked. “You don’t pretend people are possessed, do a fancy ritual, then get big bucks while laughing behind their backs?”
Sagitta stopped. He turned around slowly, like an owl. I shuddered beneath the stone-cold glare he shot me.
I put up my palms. “Okay, okay, I was just asking.”
He continued glaring at me until it turned into an amused smirk. “Actually, I respect you more because you did.”
A strange warmth curled in my chest. Then Sagitta strode ahead and I ran to keep up with him. He led me through the winding hallways until we reached a door at the end of a quiet hall. Man, I’d gotten really lost.
Sagitta gestured inside. There was a single queen bed with a cozy-looking duvet, a tidy desk, a wooden dresser—and thankfully, no incense.
“There’s an ensuite bathroom for your convenience,” Sagitta explained, nodding at a sliding door on the far wall. “Feel free to make yourself at home. I’ll bring you a meal closer to evening.”
My stomach growled. I was already hungry.
Sagitta sighed, though he looked a bit amused.
“I’ll bring you lunch now.” As he turned to fetch food, he paused by the doorway. “Stay here and don’t roam. Please.”
I frowned. At first I’d felt like a guest, but I was quickly starting to feel like a prisoner instead. I slumped onto the bed and waited for Sagitta’s return.
After ten seconds of waiting, I got bored.
I decided to explore the room. It had a different vibe than any hotel I’d stayed in; cozier and more homey for sure. I wiped a hand along the desk and found it spotless, so it earned a star for cleanliness. I flicked the tabletop lamp on and off, then checked the desk drawers.
They were full of notebooks and stationery.
I paused. Had a previous guest left their stuff behind by accident?
Curious, I picked one up and flipped it open. I recognized the ultra-neat handwriting before I saw whose name was written on the inside cover: Sagitta Sangkaew.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I put the notebook back and shut the drawer. He didn’t strike me as the type of guy to forget his belongings anywhere. So why was it here?
“What, you’re not gonna read it? It might be his diary,” Faust teased.
“I wouldn’t do that to him,” I grumbled.
Which was true. No matter how curious I was. Besides, from the few words I read, I didn’t think it was a diary, anyway. They looked more like lecture notes.
I shuffled over to the dresser and cautiously pulled the top drawer open. It was full of neatly folded shirts tucked inside plastic compartments. It was organized as fuck.
“These don’t look like they were left behind,” I mused out loud.
“Try the next drawer,” Faust suggested.
I knew I wasn’t supposed to be listening to him, but curiosity got the best of me. I pulled the second drawer open.
It, too, was filled with clothes. Except this time it was underwear.
Flushing, I shoved the drawer shut.
“Okay, I’m starting to think this isn’t a guest room,” I mumbled.
“Ooh, try the bathroom next!”
I should’ve said no, but at this point, why the hell not?
With my cheeks already warm, I pulled the ensuite sliding door open. There was a blue toothbrush in a cup by the sink, and a bar of soap sitting on the shower ledge.
“This is Sagitta’s room,” I realized. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“Why? This is where he told you to stay.”
“Well, he obviously fucked up!” I blurted.
I felt like a voyeur seeing something I shouldn’t. Being in a hot guy’s room alone was way too intimate. We’d only met yesterday. We weren’t even friends. And yet he wanted me to stay here overnight? It wasn’t like I’d refuse the offer, but...
My cheeks felt burning hot.
“He made a mistake,” I said. “He was distracted earlier, so he probably just mixed up the rooms. I’ll go find him and tell him the truth.”
Faust chuckled. “If you say so.”
I ran out of the room. Maybe if I was quick, I could find Sagitta before he disappeared in the winding halls. He’d asked me to stay put, so I didn’t want to break his trust, but there was no way he’d meant to put me in his own fucking bedroom. Surely he’d understand.
My shoes squeaked against the polished floor as I rounded the corner. Then I slammed into something.
Knocked off balance, my ass hit the floor with an audible thud. Before I could even groan in pain, the tip of a sword was pointed at my face.
My blood ran cold. When I lifted my face, I saw a short man glaring down at me. His tattered layers of black fabric billowed in the breeze. Something about his pitch-black hair and eyes were familiar. Was he related to Sagitta?
I noticed a rosary wrapped around the sword’s hilt. A red tassel dangled down from it, still swaying from the motion of being thrust at me. The smooth wooden beads looked almost identical to Sagitta’s rosary.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the sword-wielder demanded.
I balked. “Um, can we talk without you pointing a sword at my face?”
He didn’t budge. “That depends. Are you still possessed by the demon Faust?”
My heart flipped with fear. Was this dude actually going to skewer me if I gave him the wrong answer?
Faust spoke in my mind. “He’s just threatening you. Otherwise I would’ve taken over.”
I blew out a shaky breath. I didn’t love being possessed, but I had to admit, it was nice knowing I was never in danger of physical harm.
“The answer’s yes, so I guess I’m staying on the ground,” I said.
The sword guy looked pissed. “Where is Sagitta?”
“Er, he went to get me lunch.”
My stomach growled loudly, just to make me look like even more of an idiot.
“See?” I offered him what I hoped was a friendly grin. “I’m not dangerous. Just hungry.”
The swordmaster narrowed his eyes at me. Even his glare was familiar. He and Sagitta were definitely related.
He angled the weapon like he was about to slice me open. My body tensed with supernatural magic. Faust was on standby, ready to react.
“Cygnet, stop!” Sagitta yelled.
As he ran towards us, I couldn’t help but notice the cute goldfish-fabric wrap in his hand. There must’ve been a boxed lunch inside. Did he make that for me?
“You’re way out of line. You can’t just threaten my client,” Sagitta said. “Chase, stand up.”
I waited to see if Cygnet would stab me for my insolence, but Sagitta’s warning made him back off, although he didn’t stop glaring as I got to my feet. I never thought I’d be terrified of a dude who was five-foot-two, but life was full of surprises.