Saint of Sinners by Devin Harnois Read Free Book Online

I’d been to a movie. I’d been to a few during the many times I’d run away from home; I’d even gone with my demigod friends once. It still felt special, though. Watching movies with friends was a normal thing to do. The movie wasn’t great, but it was entertaining enough. Afterward we went out for ice cream.
    The theater was part of a strip mall, so we walked down to the ice cream place and I offered to pay for everyone. A few of them protested, but I told them the same thing I’d told Casey. It used up all my cash, but I could just get more tomorrow.
    While we ate, I kept catching Hayley looking at me and she’d smile and say something, or smile and look away. I realized I was doing the same thing. I wanted to ask her if she liked me, but not with all these other people around. Then I worried that maybe she was just being nice. I was the new guy, and I’d stood up for her little brother, so maybe that was it.
    While we were walking back to the cars, Casey pulled me aside. “Dude,” he whispered. “Oh my God.”
    I blinked at him. “What?”
    “You like my sister.”
    “I…” I didn’t know how to respond to that. A denial tried to slip out of me, but that was a lie. But if I said yes, would it make him mad? Gross him out? Would he run and tell her? I swallowed and settled on, “What makes you think that?”
    Casey rolled his eyes. “The way you look at her. You’ve practically got cartoon hearts floating around your head.”
    “Is it that obvious?” Oops.
    “Oh yeah.” He smiled.
    “Damn it.”
    The others were getting far ahead of us, so he grabbed my sleeve and tugged me along. “Alex and Hayley, sittin’ in a tree.”
    “Shhh! Be quiet.” I shrugged him off, heart pounding. I looked ahead to see if anyone heard, but they kept walking and chatting, not looking back. Quietly, I asked, “Do you think she likes me back?”
    He covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. “Dude, she was giving you the exact same looks. I could ask her to make sure.” The one eyebrow I could see under his mop of hair waggled.
    “No, no. That’s okay.”
    “Are you gonna ask her out?”
    What if she says no? “Well… not right now. Please don’t say anything.” I could turn this kid into a messy splatter in two seconds, and here I was begging him not to tell his sister that I liked her. I did a literal face-palm and groaned. I hadn’t known playing normal would be so embarrassing.

Chapter 7
    One of the kami in Japan had forged my sword from the bits Mew-Mew collected. It was made up of little pieces of power from ghosts and animals, and there was nothing else like it in the world. I went back to the cave where I’d gotten it a few months ago. Only a little over two months, and so much had changed.
    I took my shoes off at the entrance, the spot where the cave merged into another world. I made my way on stocking feet over the smooth floor, tempted to slide across it, but I resisted. I was here to ask for help, and I didn’t want to do anything to make the kami mad.
    A servant had gone ahead to announce me, and I waited outside the paper doors of an inner room. The servant came out. “He will see you.”
    “Thanks.” I gave the woman a little bow and went in.
    The kami had once been human and he appeared now in his human form, a middle-aged man in a house kimono. I gave him a deep bow. “Thank you for meeting with me.” I realized I didn’t know his name. Maybe that was intentional. Some spirits were funny about names.
    “It is an honor to meet with the one who saved the world.” He bowed in return. “What do you wish of me?”
    I unfastened Animus from my belt and held her up. “I was hoping you could teach me how to use this.”
    The kami smiled. “It would be an honor to teach you to wield the sword I created for you. She is very eager for you to learn how to handle her properly.”
    ***
    I spent the next week making googly eyes at Hayley, and Casey kept teasing me behind her back. If I didn’t