Alex had accepted his sin, embraced his title of Demon, but Gabriel tried to deny his. He didn’t feel evil, and he didn’t enjoy perpetuating sin in others, or hurting humans. He had a loud conscience, and he appreciated it, wanted to nurture it. His flaws, and sins, were his own, and to his core, he felt he was truly not Demon or Angel. He was human.

Yet irrefutably immortal.

He had to let Anne go. Had to know he hadn’t destroyed her life, so he could move on, to a future that wasn’t stagnant, a purgatory of his own making, as Alex had pointed out.

But he wasn’t sure how to get to the truth. Had no idea who the fingerprint could belong to.

If he had Anne’s DNA, he would have an answer of sorts, because if the blood flakes still preserved on the bowie knife didn’t match Gabriel’s or Anne’s, then there had been a third person in the room. One who had nicked and cut himself as he slashed Anne in a frenzy. It wouldn’t tell Gabriel who that person was, because there was no one alive to do a DNA comparison with, and no other suspects besides the mysterious man in the room prior to him, but it would be enough for Gabriel to know it hadn’t been him who had taken life.

He needed to know that in his weakness he hadn’t violated his own nature and the laws of morality so deeply as to kill a defenseless woman.

Through the open windows Gabriel heard someone come into the courtyard. It was probably Sara, since she had said she’d be there at ten. She had been a little nervous with him on Saturday, jumpy almost. He had figured it was because she was embarrassed that they had slept in his bed together, but for whatever reason, after lunch she’d gone back to her apartment and he hadn’t seen her since.

He was perfectly content with his own company, but he hadn’t realized how lonely he was until he’d met Sara. Or more accurately, he had known it, but been able to ignore it. Now that he had access to Sara, it was different. He enjoyed talking to her, sharing ideas, hearing her soft laugh. Smelling her feminine perfume and touching the small of her back. There was no denying the pleasure he took from her presence, and he was pleased to hear her pushing the gate open.