Grim Echoes

Chapter 53 - Maeve

"Pastor M, these are... beautiful," Will spoke with reverence.

Pastor Mallory beamed at the compliment and returned to his chair. Will continued to stare at the arrow like it was made of gold.

"Where'd you two kids meet?" Pastor Mallory looked directly at Maeve.

Crap. No choice now. "Will saved me from some monsters," Maeve replied. Her intuition told her to keep her answers truthful or as close to truthful as possible, but not to give too much away.

Pastor Mallory nodded. Apparently it was an acceptable answer.

"And you understand once you are married, as a Soldier of Night, there is a possibility you will become a single mother? Of course the Soldiers of Night will take care of you as they do all the spouses,"

Maeve wasn't sure what to say, so she nodded. Will's hand suddenly rested against the small of her back.

"She knows the drill, Pastor M, heck she's been on a mission with us and it wasn't the monsters trying to get her," Will said, and turned his gaze to her. His expression confirmed not to say too much.

"Ah, are you thinking of being a soldier in the field as well?" Pastor Mallory scrutinized her.

"No, I just wanted to get an idea before I agreed to marriage," she replied.

"Smart girl, very smart. I can't tell you how many women I've had to counsel because they didn't truly understand their husband's dedication to eradicating Satan's creatures from this good earth, before they took the vows." He shook his head. "Its bad enough of a sin to divorce, but attempting to break vows with the Soldiers of Night, well even I'm not that foolish,"

She didn't let her face to change its current expression, lest he'd know they'd lied. But his words about the Soldiers of Night sounded a bit too close to a cult or mafia. She reminded herself Pastor Mallory might be functional but obviously had issues and his perception might not be correct.

"Was it just the one thing Mason wanted me to pick up?" Will inquired.

Pastor Mallory nodded and opened his mouth, but then closed it and sat back. After a deep breath, followed by a weary sigh, he slowly leaned forward. His expression lined with concern. Maeve didn't know how old Pastor Mallory was, but at that moment he looked hundreds of years old and tired. So tired.

"Billy, I tell you this because I've always cared for you boys and your aunt. Mason is a strong woman who's had a hard life but her faith to the cause has never wavered, not even when it took everything from her." he paused and clasp his hand together. "When Satan had hold of your brother, it renewed my faith." he looked up at the crumbling ceiling. "When we saved him it brought me closer to God, gave me the strength to keep fighting this war. Dark times are ahead. Darker than we've ever seen before." He brought his head down and moved his hands to his forehead.

"You heard something from the network?" Will asked with narrowed eyes. The muscles in his arms and chest tightened the way they did when he thought something threatened them.

Pastor Mallory chuckled, but it held no humor. "I wish I had Billy, I wish I had. This came from higher up." he pointed to the ceiling.

Will shifted on the couch, his body suddenly relaxed.

"Its hard to tell the exact time-line for things, you know how it is. We are at the end of times,"

Maeve's body stiffened. Did Pastor Mallory mean it was the end of times like in Revelations? She'd learned God existed because of angels and demons. Did it mean the Bible was literally correct? Were they in the end times right now?