Only the Devout

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Us. Our attention is on the people in the lot. They’re circling, circling. They’re lulling us. We’ve been trained to keep watching them in the lot, except who isn’t there?”

  A muscle worked in Braden’s jaw as realization dawned. “Titus. He’s not there.”

  “No. So where is he?”

  “At the camp?”

  I shook my head. “No. He wasn’t lying when he said he was looking for the gate ... er, door. He was telling the truth. He wanted us to think he was a crackpot while doing it.”

  “Because?”

  “He’s going to open the gate.”

  Braden swallowed hard. “Of course he is.” He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. “Why does everything in our world lead back to that gate these days?”

  “Because the revenants are trapped on the other side of it.” I turned on my heel and ran toward the aquarium. “Call your father. Have him send everyone to the gate room.”

  “You’re not fighting this battle without me,” Braden growled as he caught up with me. “I’ll call him when we get there.”

  “You should call him now.”

  “And let you take on whatever mob we’re facing at the gate alone? I don’t think so. You’re not getting rid of me. We’re doing this together. I’m not letting you leave me. Not again. I don’t care what fight we face as long as we do it as a team.”

  I cast him a sidelong look as we scrambled down the hill at the back of the aquarium. For as long as I lived, I would never forget the expression on his face as he tearfully watched me cross the gate threshold in an attempt to save his sister. That one act almost broke him. It was no wonder he wouldn’t allow it to happen again.

  “Together,” I agreed finally. “We’re a team.”

  “All of us,” Braden stressed. “The Grimlocks are an army. You’re part of that army now.”

  “I’m the colonel.”

  He smirked. “We’ll talk about rank later. For now, let’s get inside and call my father. We’ll see what we’re dealing with after that.”

  I grinned. “One step at a time.”

  He returned the smile, but the sentiment didn’t touch his eyes. There, grim resignation resided. “One step at a time. We’re all in this together, for better or worse.”

  “So let’s finish it.”

  Twenty-Nine

  The aquarium lobby was empty. I didn’t know whether that was a good or bad sign. The second I hit the stairwell that led to the basement, though, I sensed trouble.

  “Go back.” On impulse, I swiveled quickly in an attempt to get Braden to retreat to higher ground.

  He fought the effort. “Together,” he hissed. “We’re doing this together.”

  I searched his face and then nodded. “Stay behind me.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You stay behind me.”

  “I’m the one with magic.”

  “Yes, but I’m the one who loves you. You stay behind me.”

  It was a romantic gesture, but I was having none of it. “We’ll stand side by side.”

  “Fine.”

  I was alert when I walked through the gate room door, carefully monitoring my surroundings. Almost immediately, my gaze went to the bank of desks where we spent our days working.

  Paris and Oliver sat in their respective spots, their eyes on me. They didn’t move, even to offer a casual greeting. They looked unnaturally stiff.

  I immediately started toward them. “Have you seen anyone hanging around down here?”

  Paris didn’t respond. Oliver, however, nodded as he met my gaze.

  “You have?” I was confused. Neither one of them reacted as I expected. “Where?”

  “Izzy.” Braden’s voice was low behind me.

  “What?” I was agitated as I turned — and that’s when I realized what was causing all the weirdness in the room.

  Titus stood in front of the gate, a smug smile on his face. He looked altogether proud of himself, and the gun gripped in his hand was aimed at Paris. “It’s about time you got here. What took you so long?” He asked the question in a bright manner, as if we were old friends and I was running late for a coffee date, but darkness lurked in his eyes.

  I took a moment to scan the room a second time. He appeared to be alone. And while I didn’t want to minimize the fact that he was dangerous, the gun didn’t worry me half as much as a potentially magical foe. Still, this felt off. Even more so than should’ve been obvious. “You’re helping the revenants,” I said finally. “Why?”

  “The revenants?” Oliver straightened in his chair. “What do they have to do with this?”

  “He’s working for them,” I replied. “The blood magic, it was for them. They’re trying to open a door.”

  “You already have a door,” Titus pointed out, inclining his head toward the shimmering gate surface. “This is much bigger than they told us.”

  Us? Hmm. I pursed my lips, debating how I wanted to play this. Backup was on the way. There was no reason to panic. “The revenants told you about the gate?” I cocked an eyebrow. “How did they manage that? They’re trapped in another world. They can’t get through.”

  “Oh, they’re going to get through.” Titus sounded sure of himself. “I have no doubt about that. We’ve worked everything out. I’ve done everything I said I would. Now they’re going to reward me.”

  “Reward you?” I could feel Braden hovering at my side, but he stood back and allowed me to direct the conversation. His message was clear. He was there if I should need him, but he considered this my show. “What are they going to reward you with?”

  Titus made a face. “Immortality, stupid.” He acted as if I was the slowest human being on the planet. “I’m going to live forever.”

  Braden finally reacted, making a strangled sound in the back of his throat. When I risked a glance in his direction, I found him shaking his head.

  “What is it?” I asked, confused.

  “It’s always immortality,” Braden replied, frustration evident. “My mother, when she came back, that’s what she wanted. Every super villain who ever existed wanted to live forever. That’s always the end goal ... and it corrupts. I don’t understand how nobody grasps that.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. “People fear death. It’s not an evil as much as sad.” An idea formed and I turned back to Titus. “Take this sad excuse for a human being.” I flicked my fingers toward him. “He actually thinks the revenants are going to reward him with everlasting life — like that’s actually something they can grant — and he’s willing to kill for it.”

  Titus’s brow furrowed. “They are going to give me everlasting life. They told me.”

  “How?” I really wanted an answer to that question. “How are you in contact with them?”

  “I just ... am.” Annoyance etched across his face. “It’s none of your business how I’m in contact with them. You need to start doing as you’re told.” He tilted his head toward the gate. “Open it.”

  I stared at him for a long moment, flummoxed, and then I started laughing. I couldn’t help myself. “You’re such an idiot.”

  Braden shifted from one foot to the other. “Izzy, now might not be the time to poke the moron with the gun. I know it’s a natural reaction, but it might not be the best choice if he decides to start pulling that trigger.”

  I knew better than that. I’d figured out the one thing Braden hadn’t ... and it made me laugh. “You’re not going to shoot us, are you, Titus?”

  “I might.” Titus’s eyes filled with fury. “I just might shoot you.”

  “No, you won’t.” I was certain of that. “You’re not in charge. You’re just a lackey. If you shoot us, then you’ll be in trouble. That means no immortality for you. Your hands are tied.”

  Titus’s scowl grew. “I am in charge. Haven’t you seen those people upstairs? They’re here because of me. I’m calling the shots.”

  “But you’re not.” I’d figured out that part at least. “You’re following order
s. I just ... .” The sound of footsteps in the doorway Braden and I had walked through moments before caused me to jerk my head in that direction. I expected to find Griffin and Aisling walking through the door — or at least Griffin, because he remained leery of letting his wife get close to the magical portal that had whisked her away once before.

  Braden’s eyes bulged. “Mary and Emmet?”

  I wasn’t sure what was happening. “I ... are you here for a visit?”

  Now it was Titus’s turn to crow. “Who is the stupid one now, Izzy?”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s still you,” Braden fired back.

  Emmet’s smile was cold. His attention was focused on me rather than Braden. “You need to catch up, girl. I was warned you were the one to worry about. Lord knows none of my grandchildren are smart enough to be threats. I was told you were the only one who might be able to derail this plan because you’re somehow ... more than human. Apparently, your reputation was overblown. I’m not really surprised.”

  I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening. “I ... .” I looked to Braden for help, but he looked as clueless as me. I thought things couldn’t get worse, but I was wrong. The sound of sniping voices filled the loaded silence, and my heart plummeted when I realized Aisling and Griffin were about to join us.

  “You need to get over it,” Aisling argued, appearing in the doorway. She hadn’t yet looked inside the room because her focus was on her husband. “I know it’s not easy for you because you’re afraid I’ll get sucked through the gate again, but it won’t happen. They fixed it. In fact ... .” She trailed off when she realized the gate room was busier than she expected. When her eyes landed on Emmet and Mary they went wide as saucers. “What is this?”

  That was the question we were all asking.

  “I think they’re involved,” Braden volunteered, although his expression reflected confusion. “I just don’t know how.” He looked to me for answers.

  “I don’t know how they’re involved,” I shot back quickly. “They’re your grandparents.”

  “Actually, this makes sense,” Aisling said. “I’ve always thought they were evil. Now we know just how evil.”

  “That doesn’t explain how they got involved,” I argued.

  “Do we care?”

  “I care.” I meant it. “I want to know how all of this happened.”

  “It’s fairly simple,” Emmet interjected. He wasn’t brandishing a weapon, but something told me he was armed. We still had them outnumbered, though, and more people were on their way. “We were contacted by an interested party. My years with the reaper council gave me insight into the day-to-day operations of the gate decades ago, when they were still trying to harness the energy it provided for other things. Those things never came to fruition, of course. It seems the gate is designed for only one thing. Very few people know as much about it as me. That’s why they wanted me. I knew I could gain access to the gate again, so here we are.”

  As far as explanations go, it was a weak one. “I’m still confused,” I hedged.

  “Yeah, I think he believes he explained something to us, but he didn’t,” Aisling said, her eyes sliding toward the gate when it sparked. “What was that?”

  I jerked up my head, confused. “I ... don’t know.”

  “That’s the main event.” Emmet’s smile was so big it threatened to swallow his entire face. “That’s what we’re all here for. It’s time for a reckoning.”

  My heart skipped when the gate sparked again. I recognized the sound from my childhood, one of the only early memories I had. That sound, compounded with the whispering that had suddenly started up, told me what was about to happen. “Something is coming through,” I muttered, more to myself than the others.

  “Something is coming through,” Emmet agreed, grinning. “Do you want to know what, Izzy? You of all people should be interested.”

  Oliver got to his feet and drew Emmet’s attention to him. “I don’t know what your part in all of this is, but if you threaten her you’ll be sorry.”

  Emmet’s eyes lit with amusement as he snorted. “I’m not afraid of some tame vampire. I don’t know why you’re still here, in the same job you’ve been working for decades. You would think you’d want to move on.”

  “You would think,” Oliver intoned. “But I’m happy here. The island is my home.”

  “And here you can watch the gate,” Mary interjected, her eyes keen. She hadn’t said anything since joining the party, but she looked livelier than I’d seen her since she landed in the foyer of Grimlock Manor that first day. She was clearly enjoying her part in all of this. “You saw it take your friends years ago, wondered why you were spared, and decided to watch it. That was probably wise.”

  “And altogether annoying,” Emmet added. “You’re one of the reasons all this subterfuge was necessary. If you’d just let things happen as they were supposed to you wouldn’t be here now.”

  When the gate sparked a third time, Griffin extended his hand in front of Aisling and shoved her toward the door. “Get out of here.”

  Her violet eyes went wide.

  “Get. Out. Of. Here.” He gritted out the words, as if it caused him interminable pain to deliver them. “You can’t be in here, baby.”

  “I can’t just leave,” Aisling argued.

  “She can’t,” Emmet agreed. “If you think I’m going to let her waltz out of here, you have another think coming. In fact, Titus, you should collect my granddaughter. I think she’ll make a tasty offering for Locksley when he comes through.”

  Locksley? Things just kept getting stranger. I wanted time to dwell on what was happening, but the way Griffin stiffened when Titus fixed his full attention on Aisling told me it would have to wait.

  “You’re not touching her,” Griffin hissed, his eyes flashing with a mixture of determination and panic. He was terrified the gate was about to claim his wife again. I knew nothing would stop him from going after her himself this time. He wouldn’t be separated from her again. He couldn’t. The first time almost killed him.

  “I don’t think you have a say in the matter,” Titus said evenly. “I’m afraid things are about to go badly for the two of you. If you could step aside, that would be great.” He delivered the statement with a form of brutal perkiness that might’ve been funny under different circumstances. It wasn’t even remotely amusing now.

  “You’re not taking her,” I announced, moving forward and igniting my fingertips in one fluid move. I had so many questions. First and foremost, though, our three friends had to be secured — and whatever was happening to the gate needed to be shut down.

  “I don’t believe you have a say in the matter, Izzy,” Emmet countered. “You’re not in charge here.”

  “I’m the gatekeeper,” I argued. “I’m the only one in charge.”

  “And I’m the one with the gun,” Emmet reminded me, waving the weapon for emphasis. “We’re taking over this facility. There’s nothing you can do to stop us.”

  “You’re wrong.” I reacted on instinct, letting loose a barrage of magic at the exact instant the gate flashed again. It was meant as a warning, to pass close enough to Emmet to get his attention, but not strike him. I didn’t want to kill him unless absolutely necessary. Because of the timing, the flash careened through the gate and something on the other side let loose an unearthly scream before the noise was cut off by the flash ending.

  Emmet, Mary, and Titus jerked their heads toward the gate. The haughtiness they’d displayed only seconds before was gone, leaving only fear.

  “We have to move now,” I insisted to Braden, taking a determined step forward. “We can’t let whatever that is come through.”

  “Do you have a suggestion on how to stop it?” Griffin asked, his arms around Aisling’s waist as he struggled to move her toward the door. He was determined to get her out of harm’s way. “Baby, stop fighting me. You can’t be in here.”

  “I’m not leaving.” Even though she was clearly afrai
d, Aisling was also determined. She wasn’t the type to walk from a fight. “We can’t let that gate open.”

  “Oh, the gate is going to open,” Emmet shot back, fury lining his face as he turned to glare. “This has been in the works for months, years. We won’t let you ruin it.”

  “I don’t know what ‘this’ is,” I fired back. “But I’m not going to let you win.”

  “Griffin, stop it!” Aisling fought hard against her husband’s efforts. “We have to work together. We can’t just abandon Izzy.”

  “I’m not abandoning Izzy,” Griffin shot back. “I’m not risking you either. I can’t. You have to get out of here.” His voice broke at the last bit and I knew all the fear he’d been masking so well was about to tumble forth and he didn’t want his wife to bear witness. “I’ll take care of Izzy, but you can’t be in here. I can’t take it.”

  “Griffin ... .” Aisling continued to struggle.

  Braden swooped in. “Stop arguing,” he snapped, his eyes on Titus, who waved the gun around like a madman. He obviously didn’t have a specific target. That didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. “We have to focus.”

  That’s exactly what I intended to do. Without giving much thought to consequences, I shook my hands, igniting a fireball of purple energy. On a whim, I threw it toward the gate opening. In theory, the magic shouldn’t have been able to pass the barrier. I had a feeling the rules had changed, though. That’s what the flashing signified.

  The magic collided with a figure on the other side of the rippling barrier, and what emerged from the other side was a dark and grotesque monster. It took one staggering step and fixed a set of wild eyes on me before falling face forward and landing with a loud thunk. The creature didn’t move again.

  “Is that ... ?” Griffin appeared dumbfounded as he ceased wrestling with Aisling.

  “A revenant,” Aisling replied, breathless. “It’s a revenant ... and it came from the gate.” She turned in that direction, fearful. “Are there more coming through?”

  I didn’t know the answer. I could only focus on one thing at a time. “Ostendo,” I hissed as I closed the distance between Titus and me, my hand immediately going for the hand that held the gun.