Page 120 of I Accidentally Summoned A Demon
“I want to talk to Melchizedek.” Kat approached Gabriel. “Please. I need to talk to him.”
“We cannot change what happened. We cannot turn back time.”
“But you can bring Nex back.”
“No, we can—”
“Don’t tell me you can’t.” Kat stomped her foot. “You’re angels. You’re telling me you can’t bring back one demon afterhe,” she pointed at Uriel, “brought them all to their knees? You can’t do something as simple as bring one back?”
Gabriel straightened. “Katherine, it’s not that simple. We don’t have unlimited power. We can’t do whatever we wish. This was an inevitable outcome.”
Kat lifted her chin. “I refuse to believe that. There has to be something you can do.”
“It’s not in our hands anymore. He’s under Lilith an—”
“And she’s going to hurt him.” Kat’s vision blurred beneath more tears. “People would’ve died today if not for him. How can that not mean anything? How can that not be enough? What did he do that was so bad he can’t redeem himself?”
Gabriel shuffled his feet and shifted his gaze to a window so he wouldn’t have to maintain eye contact.
“You know, don’t you? You know why he became a demon.” Gabriel only gave her a small nod. “What did he do?”
Gabriel sighed. “Katherine—”
“Tell me what he did!” Kat slammed her hand on a pew. “What was so bad nothing he does can make up for it? Because Psalm 86:5 says that God is ‘forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call.’ So, what did Nex do that was so bad my loving God can’t forgive him?”
Gabriel’s face crumpled. “Katherine, I—”
“‘Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins,’” Kat quoted 1 Peter 4:8. “I love him. And I love because God first loved me,” she said, referring to 1 John 4:19. “So, tell me what he did, and let me love him anyway.” She swiped tears with her sleeve. “If you’re not going to help me, the least you can do is tell me why the man I love, whosavedlives today, can’t be redeemed.”
“He traded his soul for his sister’s life,” a deeper voice said. The strange customer from the bookstore—Melchizedek—strolled up the aisle.
Kat’s hands shook. “What?”
“He made a deal,” Melchizedek said. “His sister was sick and about to die. He made a deal that hell would gain his soul if his sister’s life was spared.”
Kat frowned, opening and closing her mouth. “That’swhat he did? That’s ridiculous! Would he have gone to heaven if he hadn’t done that?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Uriel scowled. “He’s a demon.”
“Gabriel, please escort Uriel anywhere that isn’t here.” Melchizedek flicked his wrist.
Gabriel nodded, and while Uriel was less than pleased, he had no option. Gabriel set his hand on Uriel’s shoulder, and they vanished in a flash of light.
Kat stared at the empty space they’d occupied, shook her head, then focused on Melchizedek. “Would he have gone to heaven?”
Melchizedek nodded. “He would have.”
“So, bring him back.” Kat’s voice cracked. “Lilith will hurt him. Please, bring him back to me, or at least, don’t let her hurt him.” She moved closer and gazed up at him. “Please, Melchizedek. I love him. I need him to be okay.”
“You asked forthemto have mercy and protect you both,” Melchizedek said. “You haven’t lost your faith. Even after all this, you haven’t lost your faith?”
“How do you know what I asked for?”
“Because I was with them when you asked.”
Kat frowned. “Them?”
Melchizedek’s lips quirked into a smile. “God has no gender, Katherine. God isn’t bound to human delegation. I was with them when you prayed and asked for help because I was also there, asking for guidance.”
