He felt no relief when he saw Knight the Dog bounding out from his corner.
The dog froze, then started barking at something behind Saint, spittle flying from its lips, tail tucked between his legs.
Saint didn’t bother looking around. He immediately broke into a run.
He was yanked back unceremoniously by his collar before he could even make it a step. He opened his mouth to scream, and a sharp smelling cloth was clamped over his nose and mouth.
He inhaled sharply with shock before he realised he should have held his breath. He tried to fight, eyes on his gate and his compound, his lips weakly mouthing, “Help me.”
His arms were already too heavy, his eyelids refusing to stay open. His words had come out a rasp instead of a shout. Hands caught him under the armpits as he began to sink to the floor.
The last thing he saw was another person stepping into his line of sight, rushing at Knight the Dog with what looked like a stone. Knight the Dog turned and ran, the stone missing him by just a few hairs when the stranger lobbed it.
Thank God, was Saint’s last thought, and then he blacked out.
Knight had made a decision, damn the consequences. He was going to ask Saint if he could stay. Obviously, the only way he could stay was with a contract—he wouldn’t even dream of Saint selling his soul; it just didn’t feel like something Knight had earned or would ever deserve. Saint was just ... so good. So sweet. So lovely. Knight wasn’t sure how old he was, but he had the rest of his human life ahead of him, especially once they dealt with the cult once and for all.
Saint would probably tire of him once that happened. Knight was probably a novelty, a release after he’d been trapped for so long. Once this whole ordeal was over, Saint would happily tell Knight he’d had an amazing time and he would never forget it, and that would be the end of that.
But Knight wanted him anyway, for as long as he could have him, even if that wouldn’t be long at all. He would be honest, lay on his cards on the table, even though the thought terrified him.
Outside of escaping his sect, he’d never wanted anything this ardently. Where once his future had felt like a big question mark, an empty vastness, now all he could see was Saint. Whatever shape the rest of his life took, his only fervent wish was for Saint to be in it.
Right now, Saint was underneath him in the gatehouse, reading their book club’s novel. The other security guard, Samuel, had gone on his rounds.
Knight couldn’t concentrate on his book. He’d initially planned on waiting until this contract with Saint was over before he spoke about his feelings, just so he’d have an excuse to disappear if Saint rejected him, but he’d decided, fuck that.
It would be awkward if Saint said he wasn’t interested in anything else, but Knight was a big boy, he could take it.
He was wondering if he could sneak down to give Saint a few kisses because he missed his mouth, when he felt one of his traps at Saint’s house go off.
Using his magic, he quickly made the roof underneath him transparent. Below him, Saint was completely engrossed in his book. Knight’s heart swelled with fondness.
Not wasting another moment, he teleported straight to the house.
Saint’s mother was standing at the gates. She seemed to feel Knight’s presence when he appeared, because she spun around, her left hand already flying to the cross at her throat.
“You have some nerve coming back here,” Knight growled.
The small woman was praying frantically, rolling her fingers around the balls of the rosary.
Slowly, her shaking right hand lifted, holding something out toward Knight as if to ward him away.
It was a straw doll. Come to think of it, it looked like a crude, miniature version of him, with horns and wings and a tail.
Knight almost laughed. He made to take a step forward and felt a sharp, piercing pain shoot through his skull, at the same time that something bright and blinding flashed in front of his eyes.
He cried out, stumbling backward, eyes clenched shut against whatever it was.
When he forced himself to fight the pain and open his eyes again, he wasn’t standing in front of Saint’s house anymore.
He glanced around, heart pounding. He was in a forest. And from the height of the trees and the feel of the atmosphere, he knew, somehow, he was back in Hell.
Saint, he thought frantically, immediately trying to go back to him.
The Veil didn’t budge. He tried again. And again. And again.
He sank to his knees, staring at his shaking hands.
