Carnal Sin

would have been a short five-hour drive to Santa Louisa. He’d have been walking into Skye’s arms now, instead of facing Rico Cortese’s grim face.

“Thank you for coming,” Rico said, taking Anthony’s coat and escorting him to a fire in the library.

“I didn’t have a choice.” Anthony stood in front of the grand stone fireplace, the heat unable to melt the ice in his veins.

“The cardinal said you found answers in Dr. Lieber’s papers.”

Anthony turned and faced the hunter. “Don’t you find it suspicious that Dr. Lieber is dead?”

Rico sat down slowly, indicating that Anthony do the same. Anthony remained standing. Rico said, “He was elderly and infirm. The trip could have worn him out.” Then he looked pointedly at Anthony. “Yes, I find it highly suspicious. But no one has been able to prove it. We must keep our information close.”

Believing that someone had breached St. Michael’s fortress-or worse, that someone inside was responsible- deeply disturbed Anthony.

“What did you find?” Rico asked quietly.

Anthony looked back toward the fire. “Father Philip believed that Moira was the only one who could destroy the Conoscenza.”

“Yes. The Book of the Unknown Martyr clearly states that only a repentant magician with the proper lineage can forever destroy the evil book, through ‘blood and fire.’”

Rico continued. “I tested Moira’s blood. It is poison to demons. We know this is a sign.”

Anthony slowly turned and sat across from Rico. “How do you know for certain?” he asked. “Could it be a trick?”

“It is no trick. It was Moira’s blood that weakened the demon Envy in Santa Louisa. And you heard what happened in Los Angeles.”

“In part. I spoke with Rafe right before I left St. Michael’s.”

“When Moira’s blood touches the demon, it weakens the creature. Gives us time to trap or kill it. When I tested it on a demon-”

“What?”

“A possessed man. We confirmed it was a demonic possession. I injected Moira’s blood into him. The demon was instantly exorcised.”

“Impossible.”

Rico raised an eyebrow as if to say You doubt me?

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Humanity was formed in blood. Sacrifice. Jesus was tortured and crucified, a sacrifice of blood and His human life to save the world.”

“Moira is no Christ!”

“No. But there is history. And Moira’s blood is from the proper lineage. She’s of Fiona, who is of the line of witches that dates back to the dawn of mankind, when the first humans forged an unholy alliance with fallen angels. And Moira is repentant-she has not used magic in seven years.”

“How can you be sure?”

Rico stared at him. “I am.”

The truth was hard for Anthony to accept. “You mean we must kill her.”

“No.” Rico stared him in the eye. “She must martyr herself.”

Anthony closed his eyes. “Yes. That is what Dr. Lieber’s notes say.”

Anthony handed Rico a copy of the key page. He already knew it by heart.

The Book of Knowledge, known by most as the Conoscenza, was written in demon blood by the first magicians. It can be destroyed only by the blood of a repentant magician. Martyrdom is the only guarantee that the book will be destroyed, but if not possible, the blood must still flow, followed by fire. The blood will wash away the stain on the pages; the fire will destroy the paper made of human skin. Only then will humanity be safe from the spells therein.

“You agree,” Rico said.

“I don’t know. But-” He hesitated, handing Rico another page. “It seems destroying the Conoscenza is the only way to send the Seven Deadly Sins back to Hell.”

Rico read the papers. “We don’t need to trap every demon to succeed. Destroy the book and they’ll be pulled back to the underworld.”

“It should be easier to retrieve the book than to capture the Seven.”

“I have many leads. In fact, I’ll be returning to Santa Louisa in ten days to bring Moira back to Olivet for additional training.” Rico looked pained, and turned away from Anthony. “She needs to be prepared for her fate,” he said softly.

Anthony didn’t know what would happen, but he said, “I have a difficult time putting my life in the hands of a witch.”

“Forgiveness, Anthony. You need to work on that.”

Moira bolted upright in bed, her heart racing. She looked around the room, frantically searching for something familiar, something that told her where she was.

“Moira.”

Rafe took her hand and pulled her back down, kissing her. Rafe was familiar. They were back in Santa Louisa, but not at Skye’s. Lily was still there, and there wasn’t room for everyone at Skye’s house, so Moira and Rafe had checked into a hotel. They needed the time alone after what they’d faced in Los Angeles. They needed the time to just be together.

Rafe held her close. “You had a nightmare.”

“No, you did.”

He held her face in his hands. “I wasn’t having a nightmare.”

“I heard you cry out in your sleep.”

Or had she? Had she dreamed Rafe was suffering? Dying? She touched him, hardly able to believe he was alive. She didn’t want to do this five more times, chasing after the sins that remained at large. She just wanted peace. She just wanted to live quietly. Alone, with Rafe.

He kissed her softly. “I don’t remember what I was dreaming. For one more night, let’s put everything aside. Everything but us.”

“Us?”

“I love you, Moira. We’re going to find Fiona and stop her. I promise. And then you’ll be free. We’ll both be free.”

He touched her cheek, made her look at him. It was dark, and he could barely see her face, but her eyes glistened in what little light filtered in from outside. “Where you were is not where you are now. Who you came from is not who you are. You know that, I don’t have to tell you, but sometimes you need to hear it. Whatever gifts you have, they’re good. It might not feel that way …” His voice trailed off as he thought about the memories he had. He pushed those thoughts aside as a dull ache in his head threatened to break out. “But without you, we’d be at a loss. We need you.”

I need you.

He swallowed, wanting to tell Moira exactly how he felt. He’d told her he loved her-and dear Lord, he did love her-but he feared if she knew how much he needed her-how she completed him, how she kept him sane, how she had saved his soul-she would run away. He refused to add any more weight to her load.

I need you. I love you.

Instead, he kissed her, smoothed the hair back from her damp forehead, erasing the remnants of whatever dark dream had her heart pounding. He could do this for her, every night. Hold her. Make love to her. Love her.

“Rafe-”

“Shh.”

Moira sighed when Rafe silenced her with another kiss. Her nightmare faded as she let Rafe soothe her frayed nerves with his warm affection, the heat between them rising quickly. He made her forget the past and not think about the future; his touch told her they only had this day. Today was all that mattered. If tomorrow came, they would face it together.