A Strange Coin (Three Trinities Haven Church)

[Ezekiel]

Zeke reclined on cushions, smoking and relaxing. He’d ensured he remained present and visible at the church the past few days, though there was little he could do about Sickness. He let Tatyana ride it out as she may – if she couldn’t find a way to survive it, her future would likely be short-lived.

His attention flicked up at her approach. She was blunt, no preamble. Her hands twitched at her sides.

“Magic powers,” he repeated, as though intrigued or perhaps sceptical of the possibility. Of course he’d seen the evidence already, with his own eyes. He offered out the joint he’d been smoking, which would take the edge off her anxiety if not provide the true hit her body craved. “They say Kallisti has women who’ll teach what they know,” he said. Sasha had recently asked the same question, and he’d been content to encourage his path in that case – but Sasha was a powderkeg Zeke had no interest in toying with, especially when his loyalty was already assured. Tatyana might have the same kind of power for all he knew, but her use to Zeke was a different one. ”If you think you need the guidance, of course.”