Page 67 of The Death Wish

CHAPTER TWENTY

SILAS HELDon to Pitch in the darkness, and wept. The tears seared from him: acidic and hurtful and exhausting. What a great and priceless gift Lalassu gave them; using the last of her reserves to serve their cause. Giving the last of her magick so that an avenging angel would find his way barred.

Silas mourned the Pale Horse, despising how little time he could give to her, for this was far from said and done, and he’d not waste the chance she and Sanu now gave them. But Christ, he wished his humanity not so dominant; so ready to give him pain. How much easier it would be, to lose himself in the monstrosity of his Nephilim nature; or be so thoroughly Death’s messenger that the mare’s loss did not cut into his very soul.

Pitch shook in Silas’s arms. His clothing was mere shreds, but it was not the cold that caused him to shiver.

Silas held tighter, as his own tears refused to dry, and sought to console the prince in what small way he could. Pitch’s guilt would fester, and Silas could not allow that extra burden upon shoulders already so laden.

Illumination arrived. A flickering of a torch, a quiet footstep.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Charlie whispered. ‘Is there no hope?’

Pitch tensed, pressing his face firmer into Silas’s chest. Scarlet resettled themselves in the prince’s hair, offering up all her pretty colours to placate him.

Silas shook his head. ‘Not this day. But she will not suffer. Sanu, and Chollima and the natural folk, will see to that.’

The whispers of Lalassu’s death note still rung in his ears. Their melody would never leave him.

‘Oh, Silas,’ Charlie’s voice broke. ‘She was so wonderful.’

‘There will none other like her,’ Silas said, rocking gently on his heels, while Pitch hid against him. ‘Where to now, Charlie?’ Silas glanced over his shoulder, back to where a shield of darkness now blocked sight of endless hills, and awful tragedy. ‘Lucifer?’

‘I’ve taken him to where Edward waits. He’s badly injured after what he did for us.’

‘Then let us make haste, so no efforts are wasted.’ Silas nodded. ‘Take us to them, Charlie, and quickly now.’

They had lost the mare, Lucifer was wounded; but had it all been enough to lose the Seraph?

‘I will show you the way. It is open now.’ The lad looked pained, ducking his head. ‘Silas, if I’d been faster about getting us here. If I’d made Edward hear me sooner…’

Now Silas saw he was dealing with not one, but two souls laden with guilt.

‘All right. Both of you, listen to me.’ He gently pried Pitch away so he could look him in the eye. ‘What has happened, is not the fault of either of you. Do you understand?’

Pitch would not look at him. Charlie shifted uncomfortably, and the torch light flickered; sending darkness and light shuddering against the depths of the cave. Silas peered up the way the lad had come; not a shallow cave anymore at all, but a long stretch of tunnel whose end was so far off it was not lit by Charlie’s torch.

Pitch tried to free himself. ‘Then who do you blame, Silas?’ His words reeked with bitterness. ‘Lalassu herself, perhaps?’

‘Of course not. But what is done is done. And have you forgotten who gave you reason to step from the cave to begin with, who struck her down? That angel is the villain here.’

Pitch shook his head. ‘But that does not mean I wasn’t a fool.’ He pulled out of Silas’s grasp, and wrapped his arms about himself. ‘Can we just be done with this. The sooner I am at this fucking Sanctuary, the sooner you can all move on, and know some peace.’

A flush of anger warmed Silas; such despondency did not suit Pitch at all, and it would get him damned-well killed. He needed the fight, the fury and arrogance that seemed drained from him now.

‘All right, that’s enough.’

‘Leave me be, Silas. I’m in no mood for cheering.’

‘And I am?’ he stormed, grabbing at Pitch’s arm so roughly the daemon had no choice but to show some life and fend him off. ‘Stop talking like that.’

‘Like what?’

‘Like we are so much better off without you, I’m sick of it.’

Pitch ripped his arm from Silas’s hold, a hint of light emerging in his eyes. ‘I got your fucking horse killed, Silas,’ he shouted.

Scarlet, wise creature it was, fled from Pitch’s hair, and dashed to Charlie’s shoulder instead.