“Then it looks like you got what you were looking for,” I say.
“Let’s hope.” He nods.
Abigail scrunches her face as if the idea is distasteful. “What kept you?” she repeats.
I take another deep breath, letting the memories settle. “Dominic felt I needed to join him. That there were things I needed to deal with… Abigail, what do you know about sin-eaters?” I ask, shooting a sideways glance at Dominic.
Her expression is full of confusion as she considers my words. Clasping her hands in front of her body, she paces for a few seconds before she finally says, “Rumors only. I am not even certain they exist.”
“Oh, they do. And you’re looking at one,” Dominic says, then pointing my direction.
“Is this true?” Abigail says in a hushed whisper.
I shrug. “I don’t know. That’s what Dominic thinks.”
“But you are not so certain?” she says, stopping her back-and-forth motion.
“I don’t know anything right now. I have some questions of my own. Things are far less clear than they should be,” I say, glancing quickly at Dom.
“Didn’t she show you what you needed to know about it?” Dominic asks, clearly concerned.
As much as I trust both Dominic and Abigail, it doesn’t feel right to talk about my time with the Angel of Death just yet. And truthfully, there was nothing about the whole sin-eating thing said at all.
Dominic must sense my apprehension, because he narrows his gaze.
“No, she didn’t,” I say. It’s not a lie, but it’s certainly not the whole truth, either. Turning back to Abigail, I say, “What can you tell me about sin-eaters?”
Abigail’s eyes go distant for a few seconds, but something in her demeanor changes. It’s almost hopeful. “Sin-eaters are said to do just that, consume the sins of another.”
I never was one for religious context, and I feel myself already recoiling from the idea of what the subtext suggests. “What does that mean?”
Abigail shakes her head solemnly.
“What?” I say, spitting out the word more forcefully than I intended.
She looks to Dominic, as if somehow he might be able to help her put into words whatever a sin-eater actually is. Despite his normal bravado, he remains relatively stoic as his gaze drops casually to the sandy floor. Rather than participate in what is evidently a family discussion, he backs up slowly, resting his shoulders along the stone wall.
I roll my eyes at his helpfulness.
“I don’t know the exact methodology,” Abigail says, her voice grave. “But from what I have gathered, it would mean you take on the sins of another. They become your own.”
“Well, so what? That doesn’t sound so bad,” I say.
Abigail’s eyebrows tug in and she nods. “Perhaps.”
“There’s a downside. That’s what Abigail’s trying to say,” Dominic offers.
“Of course there is,” I say, exhaling loudly.
“Everything is about balance. Good and evil. Light and dark. Should you take on the sins of another, it would be a mark against your soul. It becomes a part of you as if you did the sinning yourself,” Abigail begins. “And as you can see, some sins have consequences. Painful, long-lasting consequences, even.”
“Hmmm,” I mutter.
“This is not the sort of gift you would wish to take lightly,” Abigail says. “Should this be true, I implore you to deliberate long and hard on how to best perform these duties.”
I step away from her, trying to sort out the information I’ve been given.
If I were to embrace this idea—being a sin-eater—does this mean I can clear away the past transgressions of the family? Is this the curse-breaker we’ve been searching for? Could I clear away the sins of Abigail and Warren? And if so, does that mean she would finally be free to cross over?
But more than that, would it free the rest of us? What about Wade? Myself… The baby?
And if the answer is yes, then where do I sign up?
“Did you know about this?” I ask, turning to face Abigail again. “That I could become a sin-eater?”
Surprise flits through her face and she takes a step back. “I held some suspicions, but I could not be certain.”
“Why?” I say, holding my breath as I wait for her answer.
“Autumn, you have always been powerful. Very, very powerful. As a child, you were but one with forces our family has never been able to command before. You could see and speak to me. Something not many can do.” She raises an eyebrow at Dominic, who grins in return and crosses his arms over his chest. “It wasn’t until I realized your mother was hiding aspects of who she was…” her voice peters out and she looks at me from under her eyebrows.
“You mean the fact that she has powers, too?” I say.
For once, it’s nice to know something when others are tiptoeing around it.
Her face brightens. “Yes. Precisely.”
“Wait. Your mom has powers?” Dominic says, surprise etched into the lines of his face as he drops his arms and stands up straight.
I nod.
“Huh, that explains a lot,” he mutters under his breath.
“At first I believed your mother to be of ordinary nature. Yet, there were times when I could swear she sensed me. It was, of course, after the accident that I learned of her origin,” Abigail whispers, dropping her chin to her chest. She eyes her fingertips for a moment as if they’re far more interesting than anything she’s saying.
“When I first moved back, do you remember the first thing you told me?” I ask her.
The place between her eyebrows creases as she thinks.
Rather than wait for her answer, I continue, “You told me I had to break the curse. That I’m the only one who can release you from this binding.” I pause, watching her reaction.
Her lips press tightly, but she nods.
“At the time, I didn’t want to hear any of it. It was all still so new. You know?” I say, remembering back to that day. “It was a lot to take in.“
“I can imagine,” she says.
“Did
