Sins of the Innocent: A Novella

by Jamie McGuire

  “It’s not a date. It’s a meeting.”

  “Well, that’s disappointing.”

  “If you’re here to kill me, let’s get it over with,” I said quietly.

  He raised a thick eyebrow, making something twinge deep in my chest.

  “You wanna get coffee first?”

  I closed my eyes, my entire face compressing in frustration. “No, I don’t want coffee.” I glared at him. “Why are you in Providence?”

  “I live here. Well, I have a place on Rose Island at the moment.”

  “How long have you lived here?”

  “Nearly a year.”

  “Why?”

  He reached over, slowly covering my hand and the knife with his.

  “Try to take it from me, and I’ll run it across your jugular.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Eden. I came here because I needed to see you again.”

  “Again?”

  His eyes flickered, and for the first time in my life, I felt intimidated. Levi didn’t scare me. The way he made me feel did. I didn’t understand it, and the unknown was unsettling for someone who already knew too much.

  I pulled my hand out from under his, crossing my arms and holding the knife close to my side. I sat back in my chair, trying to seem unimpressed. “To size me up? Stake out your nemesis?”

  He chuckled. “So dramatic.”

  “Just answer the question.”

  “Which one?”

  I slammed my hand on the table. “What do you want?”

  The arrogance vanished, and his eyes softened. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  I laughed once in disbelief. “Are you seriously flirting with me?”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Is it working?”

  “Not at all. Is it true? About your allegiance? Did you really turn your back on your father?”

  He sat back, unhappy that I’d learned the truth. “That escalated quickly. I suppose I couldn’t hide it from you forever.”

  “Why would you want to?”

  For the first time, he seemed annoyed. “I disagreed with my orders. I can’t tell you more.”

  “They haven’t tried to kill you for leaving?”

  He laughed off my question. “They’ve tried.”

  “Does that mean you killed them?”

  “Hundreds of them.”

  “You’re proud of killing your own kind? You might be worse than I thought.”

  He shrugged. “They’re a cranky bunch, selfish. Let me buy you a coffee,” he said, somehow flirting while he described the traits of evil.

  I leaned forward. “What is your game?”

  “No game,” he said in earnest. His expression changed, all the smug confidence melting away. “I was supposed to hate you or fear you or resent you. I feel none of those things—not even now as I sit across from you, knowing you’re holding quite possibly the biggest dagger I’ve ever seen and you mean to kill me with it if I so much as say something to displease you.”

  “You know I can’t. That would give your father the perfect excuse for a war.”

  “So would you dying by my hand.”

  “Not that you could kill me anyway,” I said.

  “I’m not going to try, so I guess we’ll never know.”

  “You’re the son of the Great Deceiver. Why should I believe you?”

  “I have lied to you.”

  “This is my not surprised face.”

  “About the way you smell.”

  “You mean the dime-store fabric softener and cheap perfume?”

  “That was a lie. The way you smell … it’s my favorite thing actually.”

  “That’s definitely a lie.”

  He sat back, crossing his arms. “Do you believe Eli is in league with the Devil?”

  “Of course not.”

  “There is your proof.”

  I stared at him for a full minute. I put the knife back in its holster and clasped my hands on top of the table. “I’ve been told we could be allies, but that doesn’t mean we will.”

  Levi’s eyes brightened, just a hint of hope scrolling across his face. “I’ll take the chance.”

  My eyes narrowed. “What do you get out of it?”

  “Eden,” he said, relieved, “it’s everything to me. I came here a year ago, and it’s taken me all this time to introduce myself.”

  “Then explain your behavior the night you attacked Craig.”

  He snorted. “Attacked him? I just made him quit talking.”

  “You were trying to get me to attack him. If you’ve changed your allegiance, why would you encourage me to fail?”

  “I knew you wouldn’t do it.”

  “So, you were just … killing time?”

  “It had nothing to do with you. It was entertaining, watching Craig’s reaction. I was messing with his head.”

  “That was a terrible plan. Aligned with Hell or not, you’re irrational and dangerous.”

  “I handled it.”

  “Barely.”

  I blew my bangs from my eyes. “I should go. You’re more questions than answers.”

  “I wish I could tell you more, but you’ll have to remember the rest for yourself.”

  “Remember?” I said.

  Eli had said the same thing.

  “Have dinner with me,” Levi said.

  “Dinner …” I said, mostly to myself.

  Levi waited patiently for me to decide.

  “I don’t think …” I began.

  Levi shrugged. “Bex is welcome to join us if you need a chaperone. He’s outside anyway. He might as well eat.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter or a bodyguard or permission.”

  He sat back, satisfied. “Well then … shall we?”

  I glanced around the room, watching the young men chatting while parents wrangled their children and businesswomen tapped on their smartphones. Life was continuing as normal, no one knowing that two adversaries were at a fork in the road.

  A small group of women in their early twenties were seated at the corner table, speaking softly and taking turns stealing glances at Levi. Of course the son of the most beautiful of all God’s creations would be attractive—no, he wasn’t attractive. To look upon him was to feel breathless, like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room and he was the only air left.

  “No,” I said, standing. “I don’t trust you, not yet.”

  Levi grabbed my wrist, drawing the attention of all the twenty-somethings and a few others. “Eden,” he said, the slightest hint of desperation in his voice, “eating alone gets old.”

  I peeked over at the women in the corner, excited whispers filling the space between them. They thought they were witnessing a breakup when the choices that would lead to the end of the world were being made right in front of them.

  I grabbed him back, and he stood, unrelenting.

  “Don’t make me rip off your arm. It might upset your groupies.”

  Levi glanced over, sending the women into a frenzy of giggles and hushed delight. “I could take one of them to dinner, I guess.”

  “Or all of them,” I said with disdain.

  One half of Levi’s mouth curled up. “I just … want to spend time with you—no manipulation, no agenda. It’s not a strategy, Eden. I just want to eat and see your face across the table. Yours. That’s it.”

  “It’s hard to believe you would betray your father … that, for whatever reason, you’ve chosen to help me even if I did hear it from a reliable source,” I said, feeling my resolve melting, fully aware that I was succumbing to his charm.

  “The more time we spend together, the closer you’ll be to the answer.” He tugged on my fingers. “C’mon. I want pasta. There’s a place down the street from your mom’s office.”

  “Pasta,” I said, only barely resisting.

  “Yeah. That’s your favorite place, too. Don’t pretend it’s not.”

  “Capriccio?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “And you know that
because … you’ve been stalking me all year.”

  He looked around, not even a hint of apology on his face. “Exactly.”

  “I’m not really dressed for Capriccio,” I said, looking down at my all-black ensemble. From sunglasses to ballet flats, I looked like a one-woman funeral procession.

  “I can’t imagine by whose standards. I think you’re stunning.”

  I tried not to let his words affect me, tucking my hair behind one ear. “Okay,” I said. “And I won’t use the dagger if you make any sudden moves. I’ll stab those pretty blue eyes with a fork.”

  He pulled me the few feet toward him, holding my fist to his chest. He looked down on me, and I swallowed, feeling the inherent magnetism running through his veins, a perfect mixture of temptation and intrigue that could only be passed down from the Prince of Darkness. It was crushing and enthralling at the same time.

  I kept my chin level but looked up at him with my eyes. The women in the corner were swooning all over themselves.

  He grinned. “Is that a compliment, Ryel?”

  I clenched my teeth, trying not to release the ridiculous girlish squeal building and rising in my chest. “If the threat of imminent death flatters you, sure.”

  He leaned down, close enough to kiss me if he wanted … if I wanted. His scent burned my lungs. The smell turned into a sweet perfume I longed for. It was probably the most alarming twist of all.

  “Death is a fair trade for an evening with you.” His voice was quiet and smooth. He oozed confidence but allowed just enough uncertainty and hope to tug at my human vulnerabilities.

  To say that I was inexperienced with men was a gross understatement, but I was not inexperienced with reality, and he was laying the charm on thick, even for the spawn of Satan.

  “Oh, you’re good,” I said, struggling to remain impervious. “But I know what you’re doing. Flattery will get you nowhere.”

  “On the contrary, love, flattery gets us everywhere.”

  He smiled and pulled on my hand, leading me out of the café to the Audi parked outside. The summer sun was hanging above the horizon, falling closer to the edge every second.

  I clicked my seat belt, and Levi chuckled.

  “What?” I asked.

  He pointed to the seat belt.

  “It’s a habit,” I said, mildly offended.

  Levi leaned over, stopping just inches from my face, and a click sounded as he pressed the button to release the buckle. The belt slowly retracted, dragging along my shirt.

  “I’m not human, Eden. You don’t have to pretend around me.”

  Sometime after he settled back into the passenger seat, I remembered how to breathe. I pulled away from the curb and drove the few minutes to downtown where Capriccio sat nestled between two quaint shops, shaded beneath a pinstriped awning bearing the restaurant’s name. I had been here many times with my parents, with my uncles and aunt, most of them half-divine.

  Now, I was walking in with the offspring of the man who had wanted me dead since the moment I was conceived. One word from Levi, and the host was seating us right away. The stone and brick walls were rounded, and the dim lighting and leather-backed chairs made our dinner feel more like a date by the second. Two tables over, a waiter lit an order of sautéed shrimp, creating a tall flame near the table, much to the delight of the two silver-haired women who had ordered the meal-slash-show.

  The waiter poured our water, and after we let him know we wouldn’t be ordering anything else to drink, he left us to look over the menu. More than once, I caught Levi peeking at me from over his menu.

  “You didn’t just come to Providence for me,” I said.

  “Yes, I did.”

  “No other reason?”

  “Well …” He took a breath and put his menu down. “Our ancient texts have very different outcomes. My father said we would win, but there was that other pesky scroll that said otherwise. When being raised, knowing someone out there is going to try to kill you … it tends to make a man curious, especially once I found out you were a girl.”

  “That bothered you, did it? That you’d be beaten by a girl?”

  “Not that you’re a girl. Quite honestly, I can’t imagine the last thing I’d see being any better. I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to be afraid of a death like that.”

  “You can quit wondering. I’m not going to kill you. I didn’t even know who you were until last week.”

  Levi suppressed a smile. “I wasn’t worried.”

  “I could … kill you.”

  “But you won’t.”

  I glared at him, watching his arms and shoulders for signs of tension. He wasn’t going to attack me—at least not in the next few seconds anyway.

  “Is that a challenge?” I asked.

  “Not at all.”

  I set down my menu, frustrated. “Why don’t you just say it?”

  “Say what?”

  “Whatever it is you’re building up to. I’m bored of the bread crumbs.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t deny killing you was the plan, but that was before.”

  “Before what?”

  “I was informed of who you really are.”

  I leaned forward. “You don’t know me. We haven’t met before.” I sighed. “This was a waste of time.”

  I began to stand, but again, he grabbed my wrist. He was strong, but I could maneuver from his grasp if I wanted.

  “Eden,” he began, “I know more about you than you do. You wish you had a sibling, but Bex will do. You’re bored of your training. You’re weary of this life. I know you couldn’t care less about college because you see everything about your human life as a time suck. It’s beneath you because you don’t belong here. You like tulips because your mother does. You like to drink coffee at that café because of your parents’ sentimental attachment. This is your favorite restaurant because it’s down the street from your mother’s office. You drive too fast and risk detection like Claire, but you wear your seat belt to blend in. You’re both, you’re all, you’re everything.”

  “I’m nothing,” I whispered. “In the middle. Neutral.”

  “You’re only loyal to yourself. Makes it simpler.”

  “Who are you loyal to? No one,” I seethed.

  “You,” he whispered. “I’m loyal to you.”

  “Not your father?”

  “I haven’t been for a very long time.”

  I laughed once without humor. “You are a liar but not a very good one.”

  He wasn’t amused. “Do you honestly believe buying you dinner is part of Hell’s master plan?”

  I squirmed in my seat. Even a fraction of his fury made me uncomfortable. I wondered what he was like when he was truly angry.

  “Do you not feel it?” he asked. “The air is clear. I won’t allow them to come near you.”

  “I just assumed you ordered them away. You still command the legions, don’t you?”

  “They fear me, and they should.”

  “Well, I’m not afraid of you.”

  “Good. I don’t want you to be.”

  I pressed my palm flat on the table, impatient. “You just said the plan was to kill me. What you’re not saying is why you changed your mind.”

  “Yes, I did. The moment I learned you were here, I arranged to get here first. It’s taken a great amount of patience, but here you are.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  “If I told you now, you wouldn’t believe me.”

  “Try me.”

  He stood, took a step, and held out his hand. “If you mean to pick a fight, let’s take it outside. I don’t want to trash the restaurant.”

  I put my hand in his, and he pulled me to stand. His hands, warm and soft, cupped my jaw, his irises bright. He shut his eyes, his long lashes lying on the pale skin below, and he moved in, pulling me closer.

  The movement startled me, and I yanked back, my face slipping from his fingers and my hands balling into fists.

  “Careful,” Levi
said. “We want to leave the restaurant intact, remember?”

  “What do you think you’re doing?” I hissed, glancing around at our audience.

  “I can’t tell you, Eden. I have to show you.”

  I watched him for a long time, waiting for any sign of humor, but he didn’t crack a smile.

  “If you think I’m going to let a demon hybrid be my first kiss, you are worse than evil. You’re stupid.”

  Levi breathed out a laugh, looking down. His eyes met mine again. “Your first kiss?”

  “Shut up,” I seethed.

  “Okay. You’re not ready yet.”

  “Ready for what?”

  “The truth.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him and then spun around, leaving him at the table alone. I broke out into the fresh air, and dusk was settling upon Providence, transforming everything about the city like a time machine. Bex was sitting on a stoop to my right, his elbows resting on his knees, his fingers interlaced.

  “I’m fine,” I said quietly, annoyed he hadn’t bothered to look up.

  “Eden,” Levi said, pushing through Capriccio’s white door. He noted Bex’s presence and then nodded. “Okay, that was out of line.” He shrugged. “I’ve been patient for a long time. Spending time with you makes it … difficult.”

  “What does that mean?” I held up my hand. “You know what? I don’t want to know. You’re ridiculous.”

  His confidence diminished for half a second, and I caught a glimpse of the real man behind the impervious elitist façade.

  “Eden,” Bex interjected.

  “I’m going home,” I said.

  “Wait,” Levi said.

  “Eden, it’s true,” Bex began again. “He left. He’s denounced his father and his station.”

  “What? When?”

  “Nineteen years and seven months ago,” Levi said, sounding exhausted.

  Levi took a few steps toward me, and I shifted my weight, preparing for his next move. He took my jaw in his hands again and leaned down, touching his perfect soft lips on mine. My mind glitched, displaying a picture like snow on a television. His lips pulled mine in until I could feel the wetness of the inside of his mouth. His movements were tender, his skin warm. The tip of his tongue slid along mine, both foreign and familiar, like he’d kissed me a hundred times before.

  I pulled away, wiping my mouth with the inside of my wrist.