The Dark Divine

He shuddered and backed away against the base of the steeple. He held his moonstone against the hollow of his neck. "Just give me a minute," he said softly, and closed his shimmering eyes. "It'll be okay."

"That's what you think," a voice snarled behind me.

Chapter Twenty-seven fall from grace

SECONDS LATER

"I knew you were here." Jude teetered on the apex of the roof. He walked across it like it was a balance beam, closing the distance between us. "I don't know how. I just did." His eyes seemed so black yet bright in the dim moonlight. "Kind of a fortuitous place to end this, don't you think? It's like God led me here."

"God isn't what led you here," Daniel said. "Think about it, Jude. Think about what you taste and smell. Think about what you feel writhing inside of you."

Jude laughed. "God led me to this, too." He pulled something from behind him. It was Don's knife, still stained with blood. "It was just lying in the alley, waiting for me."

He turned it in his hand and watched the moon glint off its tip. "Do you know what this is made of? It's silver. It's what can kill you."

"Jude, please." I moved in front of Daniel, balancing myself with the base of the steeple. "Please stop."

Jude looked at me, stumbled, and almost fell. He took in the sight of my bruises, my torn and bloody dress, and his hard expression crumpled into a look of concern.

"Gracie, what happened?" His voice was soft and childlike. He took a step toward me, his hand held out. "Gracie, what's going on?" He sounded so frightened, so confused.

"Jude?" I reached for him.

Daniel grabbed my shoulder. "Don't."

My fingertips brushed Jude's. "I'm here," I said, and took his hand.

Jude's eyes shot with silver light. He wrenched me out of his way and flew at Daniel.

I fell against the shingles. I steadied myself and looked up just as Jude grabbed the front of Daniel's shirt.

"What did you do to my sister?!" Jude roared into Daniel's face.

Daniel bowed his head.

"Nothing," I said. "Daniel did nothing."

"Don't lie for him." Jude's body heaved with heavy breaths, but he kept the knife at his side like he was afraid to lift it.

"Pete did this to me ... because you told him to do whatever it takes."

"What?" Jude turned slightly. "No ... that's a lie. He's confusing you. He's getting you to lie for him even though he hurts you. The Bible warns about people like him--ungodly men who feast on your charity and turn grace into lust. That's what he's done to you, and I'm the only one who can see it. He's a monster."

"No," I said. "You're not a saint, Jude. You're the monster here."

Jude shook his head. "How can you defend him? How can you love him? You know what he did." He shifted closer to Daniel. "You left me," he said to him. "You were my best friend. You were my brother--and you left me there to die!"

Daniel's head bowed lower, resigned.

"No, he didn't," I said. "I saw him."

Daniel glanced up. The moon was bright in his eyes, and it illuminated his pale skin. I imagined it setting off his once white-blond hair like it did when he crouched under the walnut tree in my memory of three years ago.

"I saw you that night," I said to Daniel. "You brought Jude home."

Daniel opened his mouth a bit. He closed his eyes and breathed out a tiny sigh. "I did?" "Yes."

Daniel looked up at the night sky. "Oh, God," he whispered, like it was a prayer of thanks.

Jude stepped back. He loosened his grip on the knife.

"Jude," I said. "It's okay. Daniel helped you get home--"

"No!" Jude clenched the dagger. "No more lies! He's a monster, not my savior. He hurt Marya

"You hurt those people," Daniel said. "You did it. And if you don't stop right now, then you'll turn into the wolf just like me."

"Shut up!" Jude smacked him across the face with the butt of the knife, leaving a long, burnlike welt on Daniel's cheek.

Daniel grunted. "I will not fight you."

"Then you'll die like a coward."

Jude tried to yank him forward by the front of his shirt, but all that came with him was the leather strap of Daniel's necklace--and the moonstone.

Daniel stumbled back. He wrapped his arms around the steeple. A deep rumbling echoed from his body, making him quake. He looked up at the moon and then to

Jude.

My brother held the moonstone, looking momentarily stu

"Put it on," Daniel said to Jude. "Put it on now ... before ..." He grunted and licked his lips.

"Daniel." I crawled toward him. "Daniel, you need it..."

Daniel shook his head. "I need to do this," he said through gritted teeth. He looked at Jude. "I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I did this to you." His face twisted with pain. The rumbling behind his voice got deeper. "Take it, Jude. You need it more than I do."

Jude startled. He clutched the leather strap tighter in his fist and pulled the necklace closer to him. "Is it important to you?"

Daniel panted. "Yes."

"Good." Jude wrenched his hand back and pitched the necklace as far as he could--to somewhere in the void beyond the parish roof.

"No!" I shrieked.

Daniel howled.

Jude grabbed him by the throat. He raised the knife and plunged it at Daniel's heart. But then he screamed and dropped the knife like it seared his hand. It slipped down the roof and stopped in front of me. Jude lurched back. He fell onto all fours. His body shook and rumbled. He howled with pain.

Daniel picked up the knife and pulled me into his arms. He ran to the edge of the roof and jumped. We landed on the fire escape a few feet below. Daniel rammed the door with his shoulder and pushed me inside the balcony of the sanctuary. He followed and slammed the door closed behind him. He slumped down against it, sat on the floor, and dropped the knife. His hand was red and Mistered like he'd held a hot iron in his fist.

"Are you okay?"

He grimaced, closing his eyes, concentrating. He looked down at his wound. It was only slightly less red and just as blistered. "That knife must be very old." He nodded to the blade that sat at his side. "It's much purer silver than what I've come across before."

"There's a first-aid kit in my dad's office." It felt like a lame thing to offer, but I didn't know what else to do.

"Go," he said. "Lock yourself in the office. Call the police, whoever."

"I won't leave you."

"Please." He slowly stood, still panting. "This isn't over." His eyes reflected everything he feared. I turned to go.

"I'll love you always," he said. "I lo--"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Daniel jut forward. The door behind him burst open, pushing him out of the way. A massive silver-gray wolf filled the doorway. It growled and snapped and lunged at me.

"No!" Daniel tried to grab its hindquarters.

He missed, and the wolf sank its teeth into my arm, piercing my skin. I fell, knocked my head on the side of a pew, and bit my tongue. The wolf stood over me, snapping and growling like the alpha in that movie. My blood dripped from its teeth. It reared back, about to lunge for my throat.