Sins of the Innocent: A Novella

by Jamie McGuire

  “What if he doesn’t stay away from me?”

  She shrugged. “Kick his ass. He’ll quit coming back.”

  “That didn’t work with Ryan,” I grumbled.

  “My husband is a very special man who is too stupid to realize his own mortality.”

  “Well, Levi was mortal and gave it up for me, so …” I wiped my cheek.

  “You can’t cry, Eden. Don’t give in to it. Our way of life won’t change,” she said, less than zero apology in her tone.

  “You mean, what’s left of mine?”

  “Feeling sorry for yourself gets you nowhere. And besides, nothing is set in stone. You’re not stuck.”

  “I’m not feeling sorry for myself.”

  “The tears on your face tell a different story.”

  She was so straightforward. I used to love it but not when she turned it in my direction.

  “Apparently, I had this epic love with Levi, and now, he’s here. He’s turned his back on everything he knows to be with me, and I have to stay away from him, or I’ll die a traitor’s death. You don’t want me to be scared or sad about that?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re not dying. I’ve been there. I would know.”

  “Good. Just because I’m not afraid to die doesn’t mean I want to.”

  “Good, because I won’t let you.”

  “If I can’t stop it, Claire, you can’t either.”

  “You might be stronger than I am, but I would kill any demon who comes within a mile of you. We all would.”

  “I know you would, but I don’t want you getting hurt because of me.”

  Her nose wrinkled. “You should be preparing to survive instead of preparing to die.”

  “I have been. My entire life. But Bex said …” I sighed. “Where is Bex?”

  Claire’s expression changed, and she tensed. “Visiting.”

  “Allison?”

  Claire paused. “Yeah,” she said, tasting the word as it slipped from her mouth.

  Her heart was beating faster, and her pupils dilated. She was lying.

  “Where’s Dad?” I asked.

  “Out of sight.”

  I shook my head. “No, he’s not, Claire. C’mon. He’s nowhere near here, and you’re alone. Do we wait until he gets back?”

  She shook her head. “No. Ryan is two trucks back. Drive where you want.”

  I sighed. “I can’t leave Mom unprotected.”

  “I told you, Ryan is here.”

  “He can’t even hit a goblin with a full clip.”

  “Grant is in his office.”

  “Claire.”

  “Fine. We’ll wait.” She slammed her back into the seat.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “What’s your hurry?”

  “Jared got a lead on possible intel,” she said, looking at her nails. “I’d like to sit in.”

  “What kind of intel?”

  She casually bit at a hangnail. “He’s talking to Levi.”

  “What?” I said, bristling.

  She spit out the piece of skin. “He wanted to ask his own questions. Levi agreed to meet with him.”

  “Where?”

  “It doesn’t matter. You weren’t invited.”

  “Claire! Where are they?”

  “Where else? The warehouse.”

  I started the car.

  “I thought you said you couldn’t leave your mom unprotected?”

  I turned to her. “Get out.”

  She frowned. “What?”

  “Get out of my car.”

  She pulled a breath in through her nose. “Sometimes, I really wish I could get a few punches in on you.”

  I glowered at her. “Get out.”

  “Geez. Fine.” She pushed the door open and slammed it.

  I tore away from the curb. The Audi’s engine whined as I pushed it to its limits all the way to the edge of town where the warehouse sat alone behind a chain-link fence, surrounded by bare ground and patchy grass.

  I ran from the car to the front door. Deciding to bypass the traditional entry, I instead climbed the wall to the windows and slipped through a broken pane.

  Though I’d moved silently through the warehouse, both Dad and Levi were facing me when I entered the vast room where we usually waited for Eli. The air was stagnate, very different from the so many times I’d visited that building before. Levi’s presence made the warehouse seem ominous instead of home even though his eyes turned bright the moment he saw me.

  He took a step, as if he’d forgotten himself for a moment.

  “Eden,” Dad said, his tone harsh, “why are you here?”

  “This meeting is about me, right?” I said, approaching them.

  Dad blinked, glancing at Levi. “He … it’s true. He’s renounced his position. He’s completely detached from his father.”

  “I know,” I said.

  “Then let me help you,” Levi said.

  I took a step, angry. “I don’t need your help. I need you to stay away from me.” My bones shuddered, my senses picking up a familiar presence. “What is Bex doing here? I thought he was checking on Allison.”

  Dad sighed. “He’s just … sitting in.”

  I clenched my teeth. “Stop. Stop lying to me. I’m not a child.”

  Dad and Levi traded glances.

  Levi lifted his hands and let them fall back to his thighs. “Bex noticed something new when I attacked you.”

  “No,” I breathed, already knowing what they were about to say.

  Dad touched my shoulder. “All this time, he hasn’t found his Taleh. Now, we know why.”

  “I don’t believe it,” I said. “How is that even possible?”

  Dad frowned. “Levi is mortal. When he renounced his father, he was given protection.”

  I puffed out a breath, raking back my bangs with my fingers. “So, now, we have to make sure Levi stays alive, so Bex is okay.”

  Dad nodded.

  “How am I supposed to stay away from him if he’s Bex’s Taleh?” I wailed. “Are you freaking kidding me? I am being set up to fail! How is that fair? And Bex is too pale to be Cimmerian. Who decided that a hybrid should be the one to protect the son of Satan? I don’t care that we don’t or can’t understand it. None of this makes sense!”

  Dad shook his head. “Eli named Levi as an ally, Eden. We have to trust that. I don’t think you’re supposed to stay away from him.”

  “So, I’m just supposed to fail and die. This is not forgiveness,” I said, pointing to the floor in protest. “This is not a second chance and definitely not mercy. This is punishment. I’m being punished.”

  Levi reached out for me. “I won’t let that happen. I promise you, it’s going to be okay.”

  I glared at Levi. “I don’t love you. And even if I did, you’re not even part of Hell anymore, so …”

  Levi breathed out a laugh. “Exactly. Exactly! I’m on your side, no one else’s. You’re not going to fail. You’re still neutral.”

  Dad shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I want to look into this further. There’s more to it than your past with Levi. You were sent here for a second chance, and now, Levi has abandoned his dominion. This turn of events is nowhere in either of the texts, Hell’s or Heaven’s, but I have a theory. The prophecies in those texts speak of dying, that you’re destined to kill one another. But because of Levi’s choice, I have to assume that we’ve interpreted it wrong. That’s what Eli meant when he said the punishment for failing is death, but you won’t be killed.” He smiled. “It means you were both stripped of your immortality.”

  “Why is this a good thing?” I asked.

  “In that case,” Dad explained, “the prophecy has already been fulfilled. You upset the Balance, and both of you were sent to Earth as mortals, which has happened.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Eli would have told me.”

  “His purpose is to guide you,” Dad said.

  “So, what do we do?” I asked, looking to both of them. />
  “Let’s go for a drive,” Levi said, relief washing over his face.

  Dad’s brows pulled in. He seemed conflicted, but he pushed his fists into his pockets and took a step back, a gesture of his consent.

  “You trust him?” I asked Dad.

  “Eli trusts him. It’s important that we figure out a strategy.”

  “For what?” I asked.

  Levi took a step toward me. “To keep you alive.”

  “But doesn’t this solve our problem? The prophecy is fulfilled.”

  “You still have a job to do,” Levi said. “And I’m going to help you do it. We still have enemies—on both sides.”

  “In that case … you were going to show me our past, weren’t you?”

  Levi beamed. “Yes.”

  I peeked over at Dad, seeing his uncomfortable expression. “Okay then. We’ll drive,” I said, looking back to Levi.

  We left Dad in the warehouse, and I drove without direction, waiting for Levi to tell me where to go. He didn’t speak, and his typical arrogance had vanished. I slowed for a yellow light, coming to a full stop, while noticing the bright blue sky turning dark on the horizon.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “I’m staying at the Rose Island Lighthouse. Are you okay with going there?”

  “At the bed-and-breakfast? Isn’t the island closed until July?”

  He shrugged. “I rented out the whole place.”

  “That’s where you’ve been the last year?”

  “Since April. I’m used to hopping around. Necessary once they found me.”

  “Has it been difficult?”

  He smiled. “Don’t worry about me. Are you familiar with the Ann Street Pier?”

  I nodded, turning toward Newport, where we would take the ferry to Rose Island. Outwardly, Levi seemed relaxed, tilting his seat and holding his cheek to the leather of the headrest as he watched me drive, but I could see turmoil behind his eyes. He was conflicted with something, much like my dad had been at the warehouse.

  “You want to say something.”

  “It’s just that I … I’m desperate for you to remember.”

  I chuckled. “What are you going to do? Hypnotize me?”

  He laughed and looked down. “No.”

  “How does it work?”

  “It comes in bits and pieces.”

  “How? Who told you?”

  “A friend.”

  “A demon disobeyed your father? I thought that was impossible.”

  “Not a demon.”

  “An Arch,” I said, sucking in a sharp breath. “But … why?”

  “Zadkiel felt it was just. How can we learn from our mistakes if we don’t remember them?”

  It was surprising but made sense. Zadkiel was the angel of mercy and benevolence.

  “Remind me to thank him.”

  “You can’t. His revelation disturbed the Balance.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not killing him. I can’t.”

  “You won’t have to.”

  “He’s dead?”

  “Last year, just after we arrived in Providence.”

  “The Creator?”

  “No. Zadkiel asked that I be the one.”

  My blood ran cold. “You killed an Archangel?”

  “At his request. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Zadkiel was my friend, more than a friend. He was a brother, but he knew the consequences and had no intention of thwarting his own justice.”

  I kept my hands on the wheel, unconvinced. “Does my father know?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, you came to Providence?” I said, shifting into low gear as we came into Newport.

  “Zadkiel brought me here …” He trailed off, the memory painful. “I came here for you.”

  After a quick glance at my passenger, I kept my eyes forward, blinking a few times. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of me.

  “Please stop looking at me like that.”

  “Does it make you uncomfortable?”

  I squirmed. “It’s hard for me to imagine, and I’m a little nervous that I won’t remember.”

  “You will.”

  “Do I look the same?”

  He thought about that. “I remember more of your essence, like a light.”

  “Like my soul.”

  He breathed out a laugh. “Yes, like your soul.”

  “Do you remember how it happened?”

  “You mean, how we fell in love? Yes.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I will,” Levi said, reaching over to cover my hand with his.

  I slipped away from his grasp. “I’m sorry, I … I’ve had this general feeling that we knew each other. But I don’t remember you yet.”

  “I understand.”

  I drove the last five minutes to the pier without asking more questions I wasn’t prepared to be answered. After I shut off the engine, Levi looked at his watch.

  “We’ve still got about fifteen minutes before the ferry arrives.”

  I nodded.

  “Eden?”

  “Yeah?” I said, lost in my thoughts.

  “I believe your father is right.”

  “I believe our lives are rarely that simple.”

  One side of his mouth curled up. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you, that day we met.”

  “You attacked me. That took at least some calculation.”

  “I was just trying to get your attention.”

  “What are you? A five-year-old?”

  “Yes.” He chuckled, looking down. “I guess so.” He met my eyes again. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “I meant, from before.” He looked ashamed.

  I frowned. “I don’t understand how it’s possible I’ve kept the Balance since the dawn of time. Isn’t it for the benefit of humans? What was there to protect if there were no humans to influence?”

  “You were influenced,” he said.

  “Celestial beings are susceptible as well?”

  “Consider your grandfather. Archs are not above falling in love.”

  “So, I fell in love with you, the son of Lucifer. Makes sense.”

  “When you’re neutral, there are no bad guys.”

  “You’re not bad,” I said.

  He grinned again—this time, with his whole beautiful mouth. “You’ve said that before.”

  “I have?” I leaned forward, resting my head on the steering wheel. “Does my father know that part?”

  “I told him everything.”

  I looked over at him. “Will you tell me everything?”

  “Everything you want to know.” He looked down. “I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. You just admitted to never being kissed, and it made me think of ours. I wanted to be your first kiss in this life, too. But I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”

  I picked at my nails. “It’s okay. It wasn’t … awful.”

  He smiled and then looked down again, nodding.

  A few minutes before the ferry was due to arrive, we left the Audi in the parking lot and walked to the tiny Ann Street Pier.

  The Katherine docked, appearing much like a typical boat but with a canvas enclosure with roll-down, see-through sides for use in times of rough water. After boarding, I sat down on the starboard side and gripped my seat, as if I were trying to hold on to reality. Levi sat next to me, and one by one, the seats were filled.

  After everyone was settled, the boat pulled away from the dock, and we set off. The two inches of his hair sticking out from his knit cap mashed against his neck, ears, and forehead, being blown by the wind, as we set sail out of Newport Harbor and into the Narragansett.

  Levi leaned in even though we both knew I could hear him over the noise of the engine and water. “How is Morgan?”

  “I haven’t spoken to him in a few days. We’re supposed to have lunch tomorrow.”

  He nodded, hesitating to ask his next questions. “You spe
nd a lot of time with him.”

  “He’s my best friend.”

  “Just friends?”

  “Yes,” I said, a little disgusted he’d asked.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine. A lot of people think we … he’s nice to me.”

  “And you’re nice to him.”

  “Hence, the friendship. Thank you for standing up for him against those guys.”

  “I wasn’t. Once that Craig guy pushed you, I was going to mangle his face if you’d retaliated or not.” He looked away. “He’s lucky I didn’t kill him, and it had nothing to do with Morgan.”

  “Oh.”

  My world was spinning. I had lived before, and I had been in love. No one could have fallen as far as I had. My life had been forged in service to Heaven, being the ultimate protector of the human race. All this time, my position wasn’t one of nobility but a demotion. I was the girlfriend of Satan Junior. It was like I had woken up as a different person.

  Bile rose in my throat, but it wasn’t the rocking of the boat that had me fighting to keep down my breakfast.

  “Eden, are you all right?” When I didn’t answer, he opened his hand. “I know you don’t know me that well here. But if you need to … give me your hand, and I’ll hold it.”

  “Please don’t look at me,” I said, keeping my eyes on the sea.

  I couldn’t see his expression, but Levi said nothing else until we docked at Rose Island. Levi stepped off the boat, and although I could tell he wanted to help, he knew better than to offer. In a lithe leap, I was back on solid ground. The captain waved to us, and we began the three-hundred-yard hike from the Katherine to the lighthouse, the last third being uphill. I noticed that a cliff dropped to the water just beyond the building and the seagulls swooping and soaring overhead.

  The Rose Island Lighthouse was even more beautiful than I’d imagined, a two-hundred-year-old building pristinely white with curved dormer windows and the octagonal lighthouse looming above, not separate, as part of the living quarters. The Newport Bridge served as a backdrop, a stretch of road I’d traveled on many times, and I wondered why I hadn’t visited this place before.

  The stormy clouds I’d seen in Providence were making their way to Rose Island and the Bay was reacting, pushing white caps toward the rocks at the bottom of the cliff and the beaches on each side. The storm added to the ambience. As postcard-worthy as the lighthouse was, I could feel the flutter of Others in the air.