"How could it be him?" I scream at Crow. "Why is it him?"
Crow just looks at me. I sense him telling me to be glad it was him so that I could now avenge my sister.
"I am glad that it is him. I can finally let her soul rest. It's just...," I can't finish. I don't know how to explain the turmoil of emotions that are inside of me.
"I just don't want that little girl to end up like Alexia," I say finally on a sigh.
Crow bows his head once as if in agreement.
"I'll sacrifice my redemption if I have to to keep that from happening," I say suddenly a fire of determination burning in my eyes.
Crow gives me a piercing stare and I shift uncomfortably under his gaze.
"I guess it's just the human in me," I explain. "I can't let that girl get hurt."
Crow's gaze finally relents and he looks away. I suddenly sense that this is as close to an act of submission to the idea as I am going to get.
"Come here Salvation," Christian said trying to hold back his tears.
"No, I don't think so," Deuce said keeping his grip on Salvation's neck.
"What do you mean? You got me to do what you want. You don't need her anymore. She has nothing to do with this."
"Just think of her as a bit of insurance."
"What are you talking about Deuce?" Christian asked feeling a rush of anger dry up all the tears in his eyes.
"I don't want you to mess this job up, Christian. I'm going to be keeping her to make sure that doesn't happen."
Christian stared out of the small hotel window in his dark room. Rain streaked down the window pane, distorting the red neon glow of the hotel sign. Turning at a small tap on his door, Christian got up from his seat on the bed and walked to the door. He glanced out of the eye hole and saw no one. Christian took a step back and quickly checked for the gun tucked into the waist of his jeans. Keeping one hand on the gun, Christian slowly unlocked, unbolted, and unchained, the door.
Christian slowly opened the door a crack. After peeking out and seeing no one he opened it a little wider. Hearing a caw from below, he glanced down and saw a crow hop over his foot and into the room.
"What the....?" Christian said watching the crow hop through the room then flutter up onto the single bed.
Taking another quick glance out the door, Christian shut it and replaced the lock, bolt, and chain.
"Thank you for opening the door," I say quietly from behind him.
Christian whirled around, gun raised and aimed. Where the crow had once been on the bed, I now crouched. My head is bowed looking down at the bed, elbows rest on my knees as my fingers play with an invisible thread on the comforter. Dark, wet hair hangs past my shoulders, hiding my face.
"Who the hell are you?" Christian asked keeping the gun steady and pointed at my lowered head.
I look up at Christian finally and saw him take a step back. I would laugh if it was in me. That is the usual reaction I receive when people first glance at my face. White paint covers the skin of my face and upper neck. My eyes are thickly outlined with black making their brownish green depths seem to burn with an inner fire. Twin single black bolts run vertically on each side of my face, almost touching my hair line, stopping at my eyebrows and starting up again just under my eye, and then stopping just past my nose. My lips are painted a deep rich black with two single bolts starting at the corners of my mouth and angling down slightly almost reaching my jaw bones.
"Where the fuck did you come from?" he asked shakily with his gun still aimed but his grip a bit looser.
"Crow brought me in here. I needed to talk to you," I quietly reply.
"Who brought you?"
Before I can answer Crow flies over from his dark corner and lands on my shoulder.
"Crow," I repeat and stroking his throat just under his beak.
"Uh, okay, and just what is it that you needed to talk to me about?" he asked finally starting to lower his gun.
I stare hard into his gray eyes, causing him to shift uncomfortably.
"Deuce."