Sinners Are Winners [bxb]

Chapter Thirty-Three

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE- Aftermath

I couldn't see if the bullet found its mark or not, because Renee knocked into me directly after the shot fired. I gasped as I felt a cool, mucky sluggishness seep into my body. I slammed onto the ground and Renee landed awkwardly on my side, digging an elbow into my rib. I winced and caught sight of my arm. It was as usual-- boring, pale. I was more interested in the soul brewing beneath.

Dark, inky black. The slightest swirls of grey hung around the edges, but an abyss coated the rest. My soul nearly matched Xavion's jacket.

Xavion--

I looked over to the scene. Father John and Xavion were both gaping at the angel, who lay dead on the floor. White blood was pouring pooling around his head, like a gruesome halo.

"God's not gonna like that one bit." Grant muttered.

Renee picked herself up, staring at me in newfound horror. "What have you done, Ishmael?!" She grabbed my shirt, lifting me off the ground. "You killed him! How will you ever transcend if you--"

"I don't want to transcend! That asshole didn't want me to either! What did you want me to do? Let him murder Xavion, and then let him move onto Grant and I?"

She let go of my shirt and stood, looking angry. "Grant and you could have escaped. Without the demon being a problem of your lives anymore, I'm sure that angel would have not bothered chasing you."

"He. Killed. A. Child." I growled, gesturing to Christopher. He was still in the same position Grant had left him in. He was staring lifelessly at the ceiling.

"How could you do that, Ishmael?" Father John's voice quivered. "This angel was just trying to help you."

I couldn't settle on anger or annoyance.

Luckily, Xavion seemed to find a way to do both for me. He rolled his eyes with an indignant scoff. "How is he the bad guy? This prick," he gestured to the dead angel loosely, "was obviously at fault."

"He was an angel. Of course he was on the good side--"

"Stop drawing this line between good and bad!" I snapped. "Bad people do good things just as often as good people do bad things. It's all this massive grey area-- don't call yourself 'righteous' when you just let this happen." I jutted my finger towards the bloody scene, not able to actually turn to face it again. "Xavion hasn't been leading me down this destructive, evil path, okay? And neither has Grant. Because of them I... I know what ice cream tastes like."

Renee frowned. She held out her hand, as if I was a dangerous animal she was trying to calm down. "Ishy... if you wanted ice cream--"

"Unbelievable! It's not about the fucking ice cream!" I was now yelling. "They taught me friendship without even knowing what it meant. I've felt so much authentic happiness-- it's not like the fake shit up in heaven. I've-- I've felt betrayed, and angry-- so angry. I've been sad and-- all this shit! I've finally lived-- and you're trying to kill me!"

"We aren't trying to kill you." Father John said, soothingly.

"You're trying to stop me from living! That's just another way of saying you're trying to kill me."

"Look, Ishmael." Renee soothed. "Everything in moderation, right? It's good to have fun and everything, but it's also good to know when to pull back and do the right, safe thing. And, right now, the right thing is to... dispose of the demon and hide. If you need a place to stay, the church--"

"Dispose?!" I growled. "What is he? Trash?! I love him!"

Renee snorted, as though it was a joke. "Ishy, you don't lo--"