by Sabra Kay
I shook my head. “She’d never displayed powers before the kidnapping. But I'd bet money that Rachael knew. That's why she was there. She was working for my father.”
Harry put his hand on my shoulder. “Everything is going to be okay. We're going to get through this together. This is our family. We have each other's backs. Don't be afraid.”
Afraid? I was terrified.
I looked out the window. It had started raining, hard, and sheets of water washed over the glass. It was time for us to go.
Chapter Fourteen
“It would be real fucking cool if we knew just what we were walking into,” Chuck muttered under his breath.
I stopped short. Chuck rarely swore. That was my department.
Darah had found several emails and documents that spoke of a gathering in the desert. Most of the back and forth was in code, and even Darah didn't understand it.
“How many people do you think they sent?” I asked Darah.
“Not enough.” Chuck snorted, grinning at my apparently hilarious question. “I would think at least a dozen if they were doing a recon type of operation to get Sera. Don't know if they had an agenda beyond that.”
“Well, they're going to be ready for us. I don't know why we would be more successful than a dozen neph enforcers.”
“We have you,” said Chuck.
Harry cleared his throat. “This is crazy. Grace isn't an enforcer. She's barely been trained as an exorcist.”
“Excuse me? I think I can speak for myself, Harry.”
What the fuck is this dude thinking?
“Of course you can. I'm just scared for you, is all. Shit.” He crossed his arms and pouted at me.
It was very cute, but I wasn't in the mood. I ignored his childishness. As I thought about it, I realized there was no way we could all walk in together. We'd be spotted and immediately hauled off to… wherever.
“I think we'll need to split up. I'll go in alone. You guys follow me, see if you can blend in. If Gregory and his men are focused on me, they might not notice you right away.”
Chuck spoke up. “We have no idea what kind of gathering it is, how many people, how much security.”
“That sounds stupid,” Darah said. “Why would we split up? Why do people always want to split up? Bad things happen when people split up.”
“Oh? What's your idea?”
We were on the road and only had a few hours to come up with something that would work. There were only five of us, and all we had was an address… of sorts.
“Darah? Do you know anything about what Miles and the rest of the team were on to?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Normally I would be part of the team investigating, but they kind of edged me out after the first night. They kept me out of the loop until they were already out there. A gathering or something. My guess is it's a bunch of demons, maybe a compound. Probably some kind of ceremony. You know how they love their ceremonies.” She rolled her eyes.
“Ah, just an excuse to get high and bang.” Harry threw up his hands. “Great. We get to walk into that.”
“Yeah, and light people on fire. Don't forget that part.” Darah piped in.
“Billy Blaine will be there, I know it.” I clenched my teeth and fists. I knew he was behind all of this. I just didn't know why.
Darah nodded her head in agreement, then reached back and squeezed my hand. “They want you. Sera is a bonus.”
Chuck took a swig of his coffee and sped up to pass a minivan. We had four hours to get there. The navigation said it would take at least an hour more than that, but Chuck reassured me we would be there in time.
I checked the speedometer. Yeah, we'd be there in time if we didn't get arrested or die in a fiery collision.
“But why? Why do they want me? Why now?”
“You're part of them. You've got demon DNA coursing through your veins, and so does she. Maybe when you used your powers the night of the Cervantes job, it tipped them off that you were a hybrid? If they didn't know already. And Sera, well, it makes sense they'd want her too. They know you'll come for her, hell or high water.”
Hybrids. I was sick inside. Darah and Chuck seemed to be taking it in stride, somehow. No big deal, I've just been shot up with evil and darkness. It's cool, though. How could I exist?
I'm an abomination. How could they even stand to be in the car with me?
I hid my face in my hands, my mind reeling with the reality of it all. All these years, I thought my father didn't love me because I was an unremarkable loser, and now I’d come to find out I was much worse than that, and he was the one who had made me that way, to some end I didn't understand.
“Hey, kid,” Chuck spoke quietly.
I met his eyes in the rear-view mirror. They were so kind, so compassionate. Not like mine.
A laugh escaped my lips, dripping with self-pity and bitterness. “All these years, I just thought I was just a sub-par Nephilim. Turns out I'm also a sub-par Cambion. No wonder I drink so much.” I laughed again.
“Grace, stop it,” Chuck's voice was firm. “Unresolved trauma is why you drink. Loneliness, anxiety, self-pity, and self-loathing is why you drink.”
I caught a glance of Ethan's SUV in the mirror and wondered what he was thinking about all this. Did he feel betrayed by Sian? She had to have known. Or had she?
Sera and I had even more in common now. DNA. We were one part everything I hated, everything I thought should be wiped out.
I returned my concentration to Chuck. “What do you mean, unresolved trauma?”
“Are you serious? Losing your mother at an early age, being raised by a neglectful, cold, abusive father, being raised in an institutionalized, restrictive and clinical learning environment, being different than other human children, seeing things that the mainstream world thinks doesn’t exist, knowing that there are beings in other realities that can come through and execute you on a whim. I don't know, maybe that unresolved trauma.”
“Oh.”
I'd never thought of it as trauma. It was just my reality. Monsters were real, our kind were on borrowed time, my mother had been murdered, and my father couldn't be bothered about any of it. It had always seemed to me like if I could fit in, if I could somehow avenge my mother's death, if I could feel like I was preventing more children from living a motherless life, if I could drink enough, if I could hate enough and not let go of that hate, then I would feel okay. I would have some peace. But there would be no peace now, not with what I knew about myself.
The only thing I could hope for now was redemption.
***
We stopped at a gas station off the highway in some godforsaken desert burg. The wind blew garbage across the parking lot and dirt in my eyes. We ran inside to relieve ourselves and refuel. I filled my cup with the Rocket Boost Highly Caffeinated Blend, no cream, no sugar. I grabbed a bag of pretzels and a pack of mini donuts. Real healthy, Grace. I looked for Pop tarts. Some gas stations had a stash of dusty boxes, but no luck here.
While Chuck was fueling and Darah was in the disgusting ladies' room freshening up, I walked across the road to grab a smoke. A lone Joshua tree sprang from the dust, and a raven perched on its highest branch, studying me while I shivered, despite my warm jacket. I was so tired of being cold. This was a different cold than I was used to in the Bay Area. This was a dry cold that sucked the life out of me, chapping my lips and cheeks.
Ethan’s SUV joined us a few moments after we’d stopped at the station. He got out to stretch his legs and waved at me from across the lot. We hadn't spoken, not really. It bothered me to know he'd been hiding a part of himself from me for so long, but what did I expect? I was always more focused on myself than him, or than anybody, really. And now, there was this heaviness. He'd lost a good friend in Rachael. Sera had lost her adoptive mother, for all intents and purposes. I’d fucked up and gotten her killed. Now, the bomb of all bombs would be dropping once he found out the truth about Sera's DNA, that she was a hybrid child crea
ted from my harvested, genetically altered eggs. I began coughing and put out my cigarette. The urge for a drink hit me out of nowhere, bringing a fresh wave of shame and despair.
I felt like shit. I was scared.
After what seemed like hours, we turned off the main road and onto a narrow dirt road. The darkness was suffocating. Even the headlights struggled to penetrate it. After a couple of miles, the road curved and started to wind, and towering, jagged rock formations rose from the dust surrounding us. We needed to split up soon, and I was dreading it. Chuck pulled over as though he'd read my mind. He turned toward me as Ethan's SUV rolled to a stop behind us.
“Okay, this is where we part ways. You know the plan. We don't have one, but you're going to go in there and find Gregory, kick his ass and grab the kid.”
Darah nodded cheerfully. “I like it. Solid.”
“He'll find me first, I'm sure,” I muttered.
“That's fine. We have you tagged, so we'll know where you are on the property. We'll split up into two teams and get a feel for what kind of firepower they have. We've got plenty of protection, so don't you go worrying about us.”
“Are you scared?” Darah asked.
I shook my head. Liar.
I wasn't so much afraid that something bad was going to happen to me. I had a feeling it wouldn't. My fear was of failing. Letting everyone down. Facing Sera after I’d promised her I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. And facing Ethan if I failed yet again to protect his little girl.
Chuck and Darah left me in the Subaru and changed course while I continued down the desolate stretch of dirt road. I glanced at my phone to check the time every few minutes. What seemed like an hour turned out to be fifteen minutes. We were still on time. At one point, I rounded a curve, and out of nowhere, there were lights.
A small city, right there in the middle of nowhere.
As I drove closer, I realized it wasn't a city or even a town. There was a sign, and a line of cars were parked on either side of the road. I squinted to read it as I slowed down. When I got close enough to read it, I sucked in my breath so hard I choked on my own saliva.
The Reverend Billy Blaine Welcomes you!
And underneath that warm welcome, in shimmering gold script,
Redeemed by The Light - A Revival.
I shook my head in disbelief. “Well, Holy shit.”
Chapter Fifteen
There was no way to prepare for what I was about to walk into. Once I secured a parking spot, I took a moment to gather my courage and get my shit together. I reached for the bag Luz had given me. The hand-knit blanket was in there, along with Rex Bunny. I felt the amulet around my neck and pocketed a booster she'd thrown in for good measure. I stuffed a water bottle, the donuts I'd purchased at the last mini-mart, and my half-eaten bag of pretzels in the bag because you just never knew. This was a religious event, however twisted, so I felt confident there would at least be coffee available. I stretched my neck from side to side, popped in a breath mint, and got out of the car.
I learned two things about the desert. It wasn't always hot. The late February evening was freezing and battered me with a scouring wind that whipped my hair into knots and irritated my eyes. Also, it was creepy as hell on a moonless, starless night.
As I trudged along the side of the road, I was joined by others who were parking, laughing, grabbing their backpacks, and bundling up against the cold. The closer I got, the thicker the crowd grew, many of whom were wearing Blaine's church swag. T-shirts and sweatshirts with the Redemption logo, bible quotes, and even a few with the face of the man himself surrounded me. I shook my head and tried not to make eye contact with anyone in the crowd, sure they would see I didn't belong. Despite my efforts, I was confronted with one friendly face after another. Women carting babies and toddlers beamed at me. An older man stopped, took off his hat, and in a gentlemanly flourish, allowed me to pass in front of him. A group of teenagers waved at me and bid me good evening. On the surface, these were happy, joyous, faithful folks on their way to an evening of praise and prayer, but the darkness had other plans.
Oh, and the darkness was there in full force. The shadows encroached, swirling, darting, rolling through the desert night in waves. I felt they were mocking me, thriving on the fear in my heart and the conflict in my mind.
As I drew closer, it became clearer to me that this was a well-organized, fully staffed, festival-style horror show. Chills ran down my spine as I thought of what may transpire before the night was over. I heard snippets of conversation from passers-by that alarmed me.
“... are you kidding me? You don't have it? Are you sure? Please, Janie, don't tell me we drove three hours from Vegas, and you forgot your invitation...”
Invitation? Uh-oh.
“... he chose us. Chose us! I trust him completely. If he says it, I believe it.”
“... damn witches. What people need to understand is they're here, they're real. There's a reason they burned them back in the day.”
A line formed near the secured entrance. From my vantage point, I saw a large pavilion and a lot full of trailers. The smell of roasting meat and kettle corn permeated the air. Hymns blared from speakers, and a gigantic screen showed a stage with an energetic, golden-haired man who stood behind a pulpit, speaking earnestly to a rapt crowd. He was probably one of Blaine's sons.
The opening act.
I fell into line with the rest of the crowd and tried to keep a smile plastered to my face. Dammit, I was happy to be here. Thrilled. The Rev chose me! As for my lack of invitation, maybe the staff were so stupid I could influence them into letting me through. I could only hope.
Finally, it was my turn. A fresh-faced, smiling youngster decked out in full Redemption gear stood behind a table and gave me a broad, toothy smile. I smiled back.
“Hello and welcome, Miss. May I see your invitation and your identification, please?”
“Of course. Let me see...” I rummaged around in the bag. I'd left my wallet in the car, and my phone was in my back pocket. There was nothing in the bag, but I kept the act going for a moment, then shrugged and plastered my best 'golly-gee' look across my face. “I'm so stupid. I think I lost it!”
While I played this pathetic act, I focused on extending my energy out toward him. I worried a little. The place was crawling with hitchhikers. I noticed more than a few people avoiding me, giving me a wide berth. They didn't know why, but once I got in and was in the thick of a keyed-up, parasite-ridden crowd, it could get dicey. I just needed to get past the gate and inside. Everything would take care of itself after that.
I continued staring into his eyes and focused on setting him at ease, letting him know it was okay to let me in without an invitation, and for good measure, letting him know how terrible it would be if he didn't. Oh, the guilt. He wouldn't have a moment's peace if he didn't do the right thing and let me in.
I may have laid it on a little thick.
But it worked and worked well. He relented, ushering me through, pointing at the dolled up, bubbly Blaine groupie behind him.
“Welcome, come on in, and please open your bag for security. Just a reminder. No cell phones or cameras allowed.” He flashed an earnest smile and waved me along.
Security was tight. The young, blond-haired, blue-eyed woman who searched my bag raised an eyebrow at Rex. I shrugged and explained I was meeting my sister there and that the toy belonged to my niece. She smiled and continued. When she came to the sandwiches, pretzels, and bottled water, she frowned. “We have food available for sale here and free water and coffee. Sodas are two bucks.”
“Uh, oh. Okay sorry. I didn't see a sign that said no outside food or drinks.” I shot her what I hoped was a sheepish, ignorant smile.
“It's fine, but there is a sign, Ma'am.” She pointed back at the entrance, and the lit-up billboard that clearly stated no food or drinks, then handed me the bag and told me to have a pleasant night.
Very polite help.
Once inside, I felt a wa
ve of nausea. My senses were overwhelmed by the malevolent energy permeating the grounds. There was little to no light here. The darkness eclipsed it. Even the children were affected. Shadows enveloped them, sapping their natural brilliance and snuffing out any spark of free will.
The pavilion was even bigger once I entered the grounds. People milled about, traipsing up and down the dusty pathways, stopping to eat their popcorn and hot dogs on piles of hay bales. The vibe was festive until you looked a little deeper. Evil and chaos simmered beneath the surface.
The transformation from outside to inside the perimeter was breathtaking.
The Pavilion had an entrance and exit on each of its four sides, with security posted. It wasn't open yet, so all action was on the outside. A cluster of trailers sat behind barriers on one side of the tent, and I assumed that Blaine and his inner circle were set up here. There were armed guards everywhere, and outside of rushing the barriers, I couldn't see a way to get past unnoticed. A distraction might work for getting in, but once inside, getting Sera and getting out would be a challenge. I realized security wasn't the biggest problem, though.
The throngs of followers were.
I lingered around the barrier that led to the trailers. My head was throbbing, and I shoved the last donut in my mouth. My watch said it was half-past ten. That’s getting late for this crew, I thought. When was the action going to start? What was the action going to consist of?
As if in answer to my question, a woman's voice broadcasted through the speakers, announcing that the entrances to the Pavilion were now open.
Okay, now what? Go in? See if there was an opportunity to get to those trailers? Which was it?
This is where I stopped because, again, my head was pounding. My ears were ringing, and I was feeling a little nauseous and dizzy. A crowd of people was getting in line to get into the tent, and I fell in with them, waiting to get in the door. As I grew closer to the entrance, the chills running down my spine intensified. The energy coming from the tent was… confusing. I was repulsed, intrigued, drawn. Also, afraid.