Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

leaping into his throat when someone rested a hand on his shoulder. Hope surged through him—Rafferty?—but immediately died when he turned to find a priest he didn't recognize standing behind him.
    "Are you not going to eat?" The priest asked, the very picture of concern.
    His touch made Corin's skin crawl in the exact same way the demons did when they visited his room at night, and Corin scrambled to stand, managing to mumble, "Sick," before dashing from the hall. He could hear the priest behind him, and Corin stopped right outside the doors, bending over and heaving, his stomach rebelling at the very idea of the man near him.
    The priest stopped behind him, making a noise of disgust as Corin threw up into the hallway. Corin ignored him, breathing hard and trying to figure out a way to get the priest to stop following him. He doubted the priest would let him walk away unsupervised, not when Corin was the star for their binding ceremony. They wouldn't want to chance him slipping away and running off, especially after Rafferty had been caught trying to help him earlier.
    "Some wine will settle your stomach," the priest said soothingly, coming closer when Corin stopped heaving.
    "I think I'd rather have tea," Corin mumbled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He straightened slowly, not sure he was completely done throwing up, especially if the priest took it to mind to touch him again. Why was his touch so different from Rafferty's?
    "All right," the priest said, and Corin's nausea redoubled when the man's eyes glowed an unearthly green. Corin swallowed hard, covering his mouth with his hand as though that would keep him from throwing up again. The priest took a hasty step back at the warning sign, and Corin dropped his hand, breathing slowly and shallowly.
    The glow abruptly disappeared, and Corin's stomach settled almost immediately. He still felt queasy, but not as though throwing up was imminent. Maybe there was a demon in the priest, Corin thought, his blood running cold again. That was the only reason he could think of that would explain why the priest's proximity affected him and why the man glowed.
    "Come, sit down," the priest coaxed, stepping back to give Corin a clear path back to the dining room. "I'll have someone bring you some tea."
    Drugged tea, Corin was positive about that. He had to get away, but there was no way he'd be able to slip away from the dining hall and no way he'd be able to get out of drinking the tea. His best chance was here, Corin realized. The corridor outside the dining hall was empty of everyone except him and the priest. Everyone else was in the dining hall either enjoying the spoils or watching to make sure everyone drank the wine or something else that was drugged.
    The priest was the only barrier, Corin realized, but how could he get past the man without drawing attention? Could he do something with his spirit energy like Rafferty could? Doubtful, Corin thought dismally. Rafferty had been trained to use his; Corin hadn't even known his had existed for more than a few days.
    "Are you all right?" The priest asked, jolting Corin from his thoughts. He looked vaguely concerned, as though he thought Corin was going to throw up again.
    Corin shook his head, taking a step back and trying to think. He had to get past the man, had to get to Rafferty's room to see if he was there. He would have been better off running away from the monastery, Corin knew, but he couldn't give up on Rafferty, not after everything Rafferty had done for him. Not after hearing how the priests had murdered Rafferty's sister.
    The priest stepped in, a frown furrowing his brow. He reached out, as though he was going to touch Corin. Corin panicked, throwing a punch at the priest before he thought about it. His fist sunk into the man's nose, and Corin's stomach turned at the touch. Corin scrambled back, wide-eyed as the priest's nose started pouring blood. His hand hurt, Corin registered distantly, and he turned and ran, not wanting to see what would happen if he stayed.
    He didn't hear shouting or footsteps, but Corin didn't look back to be certain, just ran as fast as he could down the corridor towards the staircase he knew would take him up. He flung himself into the stairwell and threw himself up the stairs, taking them as quickly as he could. Not quickly enough, he felt, but he didn't feel anyone behind him.
    The stairwell was shadowy and getting darker with every second. Unease crawled across every