“That’s right.” Aisling bobbed her head. “I’m the boss. You tell him, Lily.”
As if she understood what her mother wanted, Lily flicked her eyes to her grandfather and softened her voice. “Gah.”
“Ugh.” Cormack made a disgusted sound. “You are teaming up on me.”
“And you’re giving in,” Griffin raged. “It’s not going to happen. She’s not going back to that island. Not ever.”
I understood the root of his fear. Even though Aisling wouldn’t have been at the top of my preferred list of potential co-workers today, I felt the need to inject myself into the conversation. “The gate is working perfectly. It won’t glitch again.” I was almost positive that was true. “Even if it does, I know exactly what to do to get her back.”
Griffin’s eyes blazed when they turned on me. “No. I don’t want her by the gate. I ... just ... don’t want it.”
“Gah.” Lily leaned her head against her grandfather’s chest.
“Lily agrees,” Griffin said triumphantly. “She thinks it’s a bad idea.”
“Lily can’t even find her nose,” Aisling argued. “She just likes making noise.”
“She gets that from her mother,” Braden noted.
Aisling jabbed a finger at him. “Just wait until I teach her how to torture you. It’s going to be fun.”
Braden didn’t appear bothered. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Stop bickering,” Cormack ordered in a low voice. “That won’t get us anywhere. I think it might be a good idea for Aisling to go with Izzy.” He cringed when he saw the accusatory look in Griffin’s eyes. “Son, don’t look at me that way.”
“Don’t send my wife into danger,” Griffin shot back.
“That’s part of the job.” Cormack adopted a reasonable tone. “She’s safer on the island with Izzy and Oliver than she is running around on her own collecting souls right now. These cult people are obviously watching us. They know who we are. I want to keep Aisling safe as much as you do.”
“Obviously not.” Griffin stubbornly jutted out his chin and stared at the ceiling. “I’m not okay with this. You can talk as much as you want, but ... no. I won’t allow it.”
Rather than trying to placate him, Aisling snorted. “You’re cute.” She patted his arm. “I’m sorry you’re upset. That’s not what I want. As a compromise, how about I promise to stay out of the gate room?”
Griffin shook his head. “No.”
“Then I’ll stay out of the building unless the cult is chasing me and I have no choice.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” Griffin whined.
“I’ll also text you every hour,” she promised, gripping her fingers around his wrist. “I’ll be careful, Griffin. We have to take the training wheels off at some point. You can’t wrap me in cotton and hide me away forever.”
“Why not?”
“Because you fell in love with someone who could never be happy with that life. You can’t expect me to change.”
His jaw tightened for a moment and then he nodded, resigned. “Every hour.” He leaned in and kissed her. “Lily can’t go to the island, though. I won’t budge on that.”
“Lily is definitely not going to the island,” Aisling agreed.
“Lily stays with me,” Cormack said. “She likes spending time with her grandfather.”
“Gah.” Lily blew a spit bubble of agreement.
“What’s the plan?” Cormack pressed. “We have to start making inroads with these cult members. We need information. They’re not going to willingly provide it. They might not even know their friend is dead yet. We haven’t heard news of a body being discovered.”
“Yeah, that’s starting to worry me,” Griffin agreed. “I wish I would’ve thought to drive by the house on our way here to see if the body was still there. It might look weird if we drive by again.”
“Where else would the body be?” Braden asked blankly.
“He’s saying they could’ve found it and moved it,” I volunteered, understanding settling in. “You think they’re covering their own tracks and discarded the body themselves.”
Griffin shrugged. “It’s a distinct possibility. I’m going to see if I can drive past the house without being noticed. But if the body is gone there really is no recourse. It’s not as if we can call it in now, explain why we didn’t say anything last night, and start pointing fingers. We don’t even have a name on this guy.”
“We should’ve called it in right away last night,” I muttered. “That would’ve been the smart thing to do.”
“I don’t know that I agree, but it’s definitely too late now,” Griffin said.
“So, how do we get information from the cult?” Cillian asked. “They’re not going to simply accept Aisling and Izzy into their midst and start spilling secrets.”
“Not if they recognize us,” I agreed. “If they don’t recognize us, it’s a whole new ball game.”
Griffin cocked his head to the side. “How are you going to keep them from recognizing you?”
I smiled in response. “You leave that to me. I’ve got everything under control.”
“Ugh. Why does that frighten the crap out of me?” Braden muttered.
“Because you’re an alarmist,” Aisling replied. “You can’t help yourself. If Izzy says she has everything under control, you have to believe her. That’s rule number one in a successful relationship.”
“I thought rule number one was not mentioning how your pants don’t fit when you have PMS,” Griffin challenged.
Aisling shrugged. “Either way, we’ve got this. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Gah,” Lily agreed, wrapping her fingers around Cormack’s shirt button.
“I guess all the women are in agreement,” Griffin said, shaking his head. “I still think this is a bad idea, but Aisling is right. I can’t lock her away forever no matter how much I wish I could.”
“So, it’s settled,” Cormack said. “Aisling and Izzy are on infiltration duty. They’ll be careful, and the rest of us will go about our day as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening.”
“IS IT GOING TO HURT?”
Aisling eyed me dubiously as I rested my hands on top of her head.
“It’s a glamour,” I said. “Nothing will happen to you. I’m simply going to create an extra skin of sorts, so those outside will think they’re looking at a different person.”
“It won’t last forever, right?” Aisling suddenly appeared nervous as she chewed her bottom lip. “I mean, I don’t want to sound narcissistic or anything, but I like the way I look.”
Her reaction was enough to make me laugh. “I do, too. It won’t stick.” I held her gaze a moment longer. “Are you ready?”
She bobbed her head. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I concentrated, letting loose a cascade of magic. It dripped over her head like a pitcher of water, covering her features, contorting them. By the time the magic moved from top to bottom, she looked like a completely different person — and it wasn’t the outcome I was expecting.
“Wait ... did you purposely choose to look like this? I thought I told you to pick a face and have it in your mind when I started the spell.”
“I did.” Curious, she moved toward the mirror. We were in the boathouse, well away from the cult, readying ourselves for our infiltration effort. She didn’t seem surprised by what she saw in the mirror, running her hand over brown hair, and even going so far as pulling out the collar of her shirt to peer down. “I knew she stuffed!”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. For some reason — and I wasn’t sure I would ever understand the inner workings of her mind — Aisling had chosen to take on the persona of her arch nemesis, Angelina Davenport. Aisling had a long and storied relationship with the woman — I’d seen them fight several times — but I couldn’t understand why Aisling chose to look like her.
“I don’t understand.”
Aisling was distrac
ted by her reflection in the mirror and barely spared me a glance. “This way I don’t have to lie. I can pretend to be Angelina, who would totally fall for whatever line a cult was spewing. Plus, she’s a real person if they want to look her up.”
“And what happens if they go after her?”
Aisling shrugged. “Karma?”
I shook my head and moved my hands to my face. “Give me a second.” It was easier casting the spell on myself. I’d utilized it numerous times when living in New Orleans, trying to avoid members of the hoodoo culture. I loved most of them, but there were some that ... well, needed to be avoided at all costs. “What do you think?”
Aisling made a face as she took in my blond hair, narrow waist and huge boobs. “You look like a Playboy model.”
“That’s what I was going for,” I admitted. “I figured the men were more likely to focus on my looks rather than what I was saying.”
Aisling tilted her head, considering. “Good choice. We both look like skanks. Let’s go get them.”
Her enthusiasm was boundless, one of the things I liked best about her. “Let’s get them,” I agreed. “We need information, and they’re the only ones who can supply it.”
WE TOOK THE LONG WAY AROUND TO the aquarium, making sure we entered from the correct direction. Titus’s followers were already circling, which Aisling found fascinating.
“Why are they walking in a circle?”
“I have no idea.” I scanned the crowd looking for Andrea. I was starting to wish I’d asked her to point out her parents before saying goodbye that first day. There were any number of things that could’ve happened — including voluntary escape from the cult — but from what she said about her parents that didn’t seem likely. But where was she?
“Which one is he?” Aisling asked, oblivious to my momentary distress.
“Um ... under the tree,” I replied, inclining my head. “I don’t think we should talk to him. He might recognize me.”
Aisling cast me a dubious sidelong look. “Not likely. Unless he spends a lot of time looking at porn on the internet. He might think he recognizes you from there if you’re not careful.”
I felt uncomfortable. “Just ... start asking questions. Don’t be too obvious. We don’t want to tip these people off.”
“Yeah, I’ve got it,” Aisling said dryly. “This isn’t the first time that I’ve tried to get information from crazy people.” Aisling zeroed in on a man in the formation. He looked younger than most of his counterparts and appeared to be alone. I trailed at her heels, watching as she pasted a bright smile on her face and focused on the man.
“Is this where new recruits sign up?” she asked brightly.
The man eyed her for several seconds and then shook his head. “You don’t ‘sign up,’” he said. “You’re either a believer or you’re not.”
“Oh, we’re totally believers,” Aisling enthused. “We want to talk to the people on the other side of the door.”
I was relieved she remembered to call it a door rather than a gate. Otherwise, her methods left much to be desired. She was far too brash and forthcoming for my liking. I thought for sure she would at least act demure coming into an unfamiliar arena such as this. She, however, had other plans.
“Oh, yeah?” The man didn’t look convinced. “Who do you want to talk to?”
“My mother,” Aisling replied. “She died a few months ago. She was horrible — I mean, the absolute worst — but I have some things to say to her. I never got to say them in life and I’ll feel cheated if I can’t say them in death.”
The man’s expression softened some. “I get that. I’m Steve Stratton.” He extended his hand. “I’m from Idaho.”
“I’m sorry,” Aisling offered. “It must be tough to live in Idaho.”
Steve blinked in response, as if he was trying to decide if she was mocking him.
“She’s a city person,” I volunteered quickly, hoping it would be enough to appease Steve. “She’s allergic to rural areas. Living in Idaho would be her worst nightmare. Me, on the other hand, I love places like Idaho.”
Steve turned his full attention to me. Er, well, my fake inflated breasts actually. He was seemingly mesmerized by them. “Yeah. Idaho is great.”
Aisling made a face that was completely lost on Steve, who was too busy looking at my assets. “Who doesn’t love Idaho?” She rolled her eyes and then snapped her fingers to get Steve’s attention. “Seriously, though, where does the line form for the door? I want to see my mother as soon as possible.”
The question was enough to drag Steve back to reality. “That’s not how it works.” Rather than react with anger, he gave us one of those exasperated smiles men give women in sitcoms when they think ovaries are coupled with underpowered brains. “We have to build up enough magic to force open the door. It’s not open — at least not yet.”
“And how do we build up the magic?” I asked.
“We have to walk in a circle, because it’s infinite,” Steve explained, taking on a dreamy expression. “There is no beginning or ending to magic, just like the circle. If we walk long enough, and believe hard enough, the door will open — and everyone we’re waiting to see will be right there.”
That sounded like utter nonsense. “But don’t we need magic to fuel the circle?”
Genuine puzzlement flooded Steve’s features. “I don’t understand. We are supplying the magic by walking.”
“But ... who here is magical?”
“We all are.”
That was definitely nonsense. “Well, okay. It sounds easy enough. We just walk in a circle.”
“And believe,” Aisling added. Her expression was neutral, but I knew what she was thinking. This was all a con. That didn’t explain how Titus had managed to land in a spot where a gate existed. There had to be more to the story.
“And believe,” I agreed. “That’s one thing I have no problem doing. Faith is my middle name.”
“Yes, Sunshine Faith Storms,” Aisling intoned, causing me to frown. “Some might think that sounds like a stripper name, but it’s her real name.”
I wanted to smack her around. “It’s a family name,” I offered lamely, causing Aisling to smirk.
“And what’s your name?” Steve asked Aisling. “You’re not as classically pretty as Sunshine, but I happen to like the ones who don’t look like they could be in magazines because that means you’re easier to make happy with fewer compliments.”
I opened my mouth, dumbfounded. Who says things like that out loud?
Aisling merely smiled at him, not bothered in the least by the slight. “Angelina Davenport. I sell real estate. My pimp’s name is Bullseye and I work the Cass Corridor. You should come looking for me during business hours.”
Steve’s eyes practically bulged out of his head. “What are you saying?”
“You heard me.” Aisling winked at him and sashayed her hips. “It was nice to meet you. We’ll have to spend some time getting to know one another later.”
“Um ... definitely.” Steve’s smile was stupid as I firmly gripped Aisling’s arm and dragged her away.
“What was that?” I hissed. “Word is going to spread that you’re a prostitute. We’ll never fly under the radar now.”
“We don’t have to.” Aisling was matter-of-fact. “We’re here to get information. Once we’re done, we’re leaving and no one will ever see these faces again.”
“Yes, but you’re wearing a real face.”
“And if Steve goes looking Angelina in the Cass Corridor, he’s going to come up with nothing — except maybe another look at Knight. That might be interesting. I don’t see a way for us to lose here.”
I wanted to argue with her, but she had a point. “Fine.” I blew out a sigh and collected myself. “No more referencing your pimp, though. It’s too much.”
“You really know how to suck the fun out of an afternoon.”
“I really don’t want to field nonstop questions about you being a prostitute,” I c
ountered. “Let’s just stick to the script. Who do you want to talk to next?”
Seventeen
Aisling was relentless in her press for information from the cult members. It was fascinating watching her work. She even had a run-in with Titus that went relatively well up to a certain point, but I knew we were headed for trouble when she announced her name was Angelina Davenport and then said she was too bad in bed to charge for it, which had gotten her in trouble with her pimp. I couldn’t collect her fast enough after that. And, because we didn’t want the group to know who we really were, we had to take the long route back to the boathouse so I could remove the glamour.
“It’s a relief to look like myself again,” Aisling announced, cocking her head to the side and regarding her reflection in the mirror. “I’m definitely hotter than Angelina.”
I smirked behind her back and shook my head. “You know, as much as you enjoy messing with Angelina, there’s a legitimate chance you just put her in danger.”
Aisling didn’t look worried. “How so?”
“Last time I checked, half the people willing to join a cult — especially this one — were likely to be sexually repressed. You just told them a woman — a professional sex worker — wanted to join. What if one of these people is a freak and tracks her down?”
“Then I will never stop laughing.”
“Except these people have already killed a street kid,” I pointed out. “I don’t think they’re afraid of going after Angelina.”
Aisling, who was smoothing her hair, hesitated.
“I know you hate Angelina, but I don’t think you want her dead,” I added.
“No. Not dead,” Aisling agreed. “But if you ever tell her I said that, I’ll deny it.”
“Fair enough.”
Aisling chewed on the inside of her cheek and then sighed. “I’ll call my father and ask him to send someone to keep an eye on her.”
I had to swallow my smile. “That’s probably best.”
“He’s going to be mad.”
“He’ll get over it. He never stays angry with you for very long.”
Only the Devout Page 16