My movements were tentative—how could I be afraid of breaking this man who could gut a Dahrak with nothing but a penknife? But I was afraid. Afraid that if I wrapped myself around him the way I longed to that I’d never be able to let go. That he wouldn’t hear me when I spoke to him. That he wasn’t going to wake up.
“You know you have to, right?” I said. “You have to wake up. It’s completely non-negotiable.”
I half-expected him to smile that smile he saved just for me. The only movement was the steady blip of the heart monitor.
I sat and took his hand in mine, studying the veins as they crisscrossed their way up his arm.
“I’ve heard that people in comas can hear what’s going on around them,” I said, my voice tight with stifled emotion. “So I’m going to assume you know I’m here.”
I struggled for the right words. What could I say that would break him out of where he was? On the way in, the Institute doctor had told me that the swelling in his brain was down—there was no medical reason that Taren was still in a coma. Which meant that he could wake up any minute. Or not at all.
“I might be bipolar,” I blurted out. “But I guess you already know about that…”
I barreled on. “We’re still not sure if it’s a being-trapped-in-a-Hell-dimension type of thing or just run-of-the-mill inherited brain chemistry. So, um, stay tuned.”
My skin began to itch and suddenly the room felt way too small. I got up and began pacing.
“So, yeah, I’m pretty freaked out about that. And there’s something happening with the demons. Pretty sure they’re going to attack any day now. Like, really attack—all out, double or nothing, destroy-the-whole-freaking-world attack. I’m not sure if they’re going to bust through all the Gateways at once or just pick one and go for it, but the end is pretty much nigh. And I could really use your freaking help on it,” I said, angry tears making tracks on my cheeks. “Because I might be turning into a Dahrak, so I can’t really trust my instincts anymore. Oh, did I mention that? Dahraks are Daemons that used the Chasm. Awesome, right? The one thing that could save us might totally destroy me.” I stopped my pacing and went back to Taren, gripping his hand tight.
“Wake up!” I bit my lip to stop from screaming. “You are a Guardian of the Institute and you are supposed to be keeping me safe. I am not safe, do you hear me? Not at all. And if you don’t wake the eff up right freaking now, I’m going to make sure your tombstone reads, ’Here lies Taren Hart. He abandoned his post and failed in his duty.’”
I laid my forehead on the bed and began to sob.
“You would, wouldn’t you?” Taren’s voice was as thin as reed and still the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard.
My head whipped up to meet his eyes, my tears stopping in their tracks.
“I totally, totally would,” I said, sniffling. “So don’t ever do this again.”
He lifted his hand to stroke my face, but with all the tubes, he couldn’t reach. I leaned closer, felt the coolness of his touch on my cheek.
“You’re even beautiful when you cry,” he said.
I matched his lie with one of my own. “You’re sexy when you wake up from a coma.”
A moment later, Gretchen and the doctor came in to find us still laughing.
39
I stayed with Taren for a few more hours while doctors poked and prodded, making notes on his chart. Taren wolfed down the food he was brought and asked for more. Gretchen had cried tears of joy and texted Richard to come as soon as his shift was over at the Gate. It wasn’t lost on me that they were so short-handed that a man whose son had just awoken from a coma couldn’t leave work early, but that worry was for another day. Today I had Taren back, and nothing could darken my mood. We took advantage of any moments alone to steal kisses and say I love you.
Finally, Taren fell asleep. At first I was nervous, worried he might slip back into a coma and away from me, but the doctors were confident he was out of the woods. Gretchen urged me to get some rest also, and assured me that both she and Richard would stay with him and let me know if anything changed. With jet lag coming on strong, I started for the dorm.
Halfway there, a Guardian approached me and said, “Your mother’s at the front gate.”
“She is?” I was torn between elation and exhaustion.
“I’m sorry but I can’t let her in,” he said. “Annys’s orders. No outsiders allowed while this is going on.”
He gestured to the veritable shanty town that had sprung up on the main lawn. Makeshift shelters were being erected in less traveled areas of the Sanctuary so that both Keepers and Guardians could get much needed sleep. Taren said that while awake, most were able to keep the voices at bay, but more and more were experiencing something beyond nightmares. Night terrors would be more accurate. One Keeper woke to find himself with one leg slung over the balcony of his fourteenth-floor apartment building in West Hollywood. He’d packed a bag and begun sleeping in the Keepers’ lounge. He’d been the first but not the last. More and more, those who had suffered similar episodes had been flooding the Institute.
“She’s not an outsider,” I said. “She’s my mother and she knows what goes on here.”
Some of it, anyway...
“Clear it with Annys and I’ll let her in, no problem. Until then…” he shrugged.
I was exhausted, I was starving, and I really wanted to see my mom.
“Listen,” I said, “here’s how this is going to go down. I’m going to walk over to that gate, and you’re going to let my mother in. If Annys has a problem with that, she can take it up with me. But if you try to stop me, you’re going to have to deal with one seriously pissed off Daemon. So, what’s it going to be?”
He didn’t look pleased, but made a sweeping gesture with his arm and said, “After you.”
“Em!” my mom called out when she saw me.
She reached for me through the wrought iron gate and I took her hand.
“It’s OK, Mom, step back. They’re going to let you in.”
The gate had barely parted a foot when my mom came rushing in and scooped me in her arms.
“What happened?” she said, hugging me tight. “They said everything was fine, but I knew it wasn’t. And now, seeing you, I can tell something’s happened.”
“Let’s go for a walk,” I said, not wanting anyone else to hear our conversation.
She seemed to catch my meaning and stayed silent until we’d found a bench well out of earshot.
“I know you aren’t going to tell me everything,” she said, “but are you OK?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I am now that I’m home.”
And now that Taren’s out of his coma. And now that I know I’m not going to turn into a Dahrak overnight. And…
“Em?”
“Sorry,” I said, shaking my head to get the thoughts out. “What did you say?"
“I asked you what is happening,” she said.
“You mean with the tents?” I said, gesturing.
“I mean with everything. Strange animal attacks, people in Griffith park swearing they’ve seen Big Foot, the increase in shootings, and lootings, and…everything.”
What could I tell her? How much would be too much?
“A lot is happening,” I said. “But it’s not all bad, I promise. I brought home some more people like me, and we’ve got a plan. It’s all going to be OK.”
The lie had popped out before I could stop it, but I wasn’t sorry. We would come up with a plan and it would work. And if it didn’t, well, then there wouldn’t be anyone left to call me a liar.
“Is there anything I can do?” she said, putting her hand on my knee.
“Can you tell me why boys are so stubborn?” I said.
She laughed. “Because they’re boys,” she said. “I’m sorry, but that’s the best answer I’ve got.”
I laughed with her, and then asked, “How are you?”
“Well, I’ve been worried sick about you,” she said. “But other
than that, I’m good. We’ve had to make some adjustments to my medication, but nothing serious.”
“That’s good, Mom,” I said. “That’s really good.”
“Em…” she said, struggling with what to say. “Do you…do you still hate fish sticks?”
Laughter burst from my lips. Our code for whether or not I was safe. “Yes,” I said, looking into her eyes so that she would believe me. “They are the absolute worst.”
Mom and I talked for a few more minutes, but she could see that I was dead on my feet and told me to get some rest. I was more than happy to oblige.
Stepping inside the common room of the dorm was like going back in time. Everything was as it was, as it always had been, but so much had happened to me since I’d last seen it. The bustling in the room stopped as people noticed my arrival. What had they heard? Did they even know where I’d been?
“Em!” Callie had been reading a book, but now snapped it shut and scrambled out of her chair. She threw herself at me, wrapping me in her tiny arms. I hugged her tightly, realizing she’d grown since I’d seen her last.
“You’re not a total midget anymore,” I said.
“Yeah, right,” she said. Her tone turned serious when she said, “Is it true? Taren’s awake?”
“Yes,” I said. “Not right this second, because he’s sleeping, but yeah, he’s awake and going to be fine.”
Callie’s grin took up her entire face. “Finally, some good news around here. Come on,” she said, tugging on my hand. “We have to go find my roommates. They can’t wait to see you.”
We found Crystle sitting on her bed, flipping through magazines. She hopped up the second she saw me and flung her arms around me.
“Michael told me you went right to Taren. How are you? How is he?”
“Both fine,” I said. “I’m really happy to be back home.”
“Have you talked to your mom yet? Because I’m pretty sure she’s been reading Annys the riot act for the past week,” Crystle said with a giggle.
“Yeah, I actually just saw her,” I said. “Annys might read me the riot act about that.”
“The prodigal Keeper returns,” Bridget said from the doorway. Madison came in behind her.
“I couldn’t stay away,” I said, giving them each a hug.
“You look different,” Bridget said. “Like, older or something.”
“Thanks,” I said. I knew from living with my mother that looking older was never a good thing. Although it was true, I supposed. I’d lived two months in the time they’d lived two weeks.
“She means more mature,” Madison said. “I see it too. There’s something—”
“Oh my God,” Crystle said, clapping a hand to her mouth. Then she whispered, “Did you and Taren…you know…?”
“Crystle!” Callie admonished, blushing.
“What? No,” I said. “We haven’t had sex.”
“Then what?” Crystle said. “And don’t say it’s nothing, because it’s definitely something.”
“What did they tell you about where I’ve been all this time?”
“Nothing,” Bridget said. “Other than what we already knew. You were on a tour to see if you could strengthen the other Gates.”
“They said you were out of touch for a while because you were off the grid,” Callie said.
I almost snorted. “Off the grid” was right.
“We figured you were coming home so soon because all hell is breaking loose here,” Crystle said.
“So what really happened?” Bridget said, never one to believe BS.
That was how the story of the past two months of my life came tumbling out. They were silent except for an occasional sympathetic murmur, and when I was done, I swore them to secrecy.
“No wonder Kat was so happy when she found out you were coming home,” Crystle said.
“Where is Kat?” I said, surprised that I still hadn’t seen her.
“Probably on patrol,” Bridget said. “They are working the Guardians to death.”
“What other choice do they have?” Madison said. “Someone has to stop the demons from taking over.”
“Have there been more killings?” I said, unsure I wanted to know.
“Lots more,” Crystle said. “And not just by Dahraks. The news is saying that some rabid lab monkeys must have escaped because there are so many incidents of people being bitten in Griffith Park.”
“Except none of the people bitten get rabies,” Bridget said. “But some of them die anyway.”
“How about your Mark?” I said to Crystle.
In answer, she frowned, and turned her back to me, lifting her shirt and lowering the waistband of her jeans. Her birthmark, the one that identified her as being a potential Keeper, was almost gone.
“Oh, Crystle, I’m sorry,” I said. “Do they know what it means? Are there others?”
Callie reached out her arm, turning her wrist up so I could see that her Mark was beginning to fade.
“If they know what it means, they aren’t telling us,” she said, her voice tremulous.
“I think we can all agree it isn’t good,” Crystle said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Are you having any symptoms?” I asked. “Or hearing the voices more strongly?”
“We all hear the voices now,” Bridget said. She was training to be a Guardian which should have made her immune. “They’re relentless.”
“We stay inside the Sanctuary as much as we can,” Madison added. “Although there’s been talk of bringing us on patrols.”
Trainees on patrol? The Institute had to be desperate.
“I might be able to help with the voices part,” I said. “I don’t know if it’s strictly a Daemon thing for not, but I might be able to teach you to shield yourself from them.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Crystle said, her face grim.
I wasn’t the only one who had changed. When I’d left, Crystle had been bubbly to the point of effervescent. Now there was an undercurrent of sadness about her. All the girls seemed on edge, but I noticed the change in Crystle most of all.
Kat burst in then, and I stood up to hug her. She lifted me from my feet and spun me once before letting me go.
“You are a sight for very sore and tired eyes,” she said. She did look tired. Dark rings rimmed her green eyes.
“Taren told me you guys were planning to come get me,” I said. “Thanks.”
“Anytime,” she said. “But don’t take that as an excuse to go back.”
“I won’t, trust me. Once was more than enough.”
“And you got them all out?” she asked.
“I did,” I said. “Though I don’t know how much better they are for it.”
I told her that Cole’s people were still sick, stuck at the Colony and not seeming to get better.
“That’s a worry for another day,” she said. “Today, let’s just be happy you’re home.”
“And Taren’s awake,” Callie said. “Let’s not forget that.”
“No,” I said. “Let’s definitely not forget that.”
But I had forgotten something. Or more to the point, two someones. I told my friends I’d see them later, and fighting off the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm me, went to find Michele and Cole.
Kat joined me, unwilling to let me walk around without a Guardian.
“Honestly, what trouble can I get into here at the Institute?” I said.
It wasn’t that I minded her company, I just didn’t want to overwhelm either Cole or Michele, which is why I made the rest of the girls wait back in the dorm.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Kat said. “Maybe jump into a pit of Hell?”
“That was one time,” I said, going along with her.
“I’m not kidding,” she said, stopping to face me. “I let you go last time, and I’ve regretted it for every second since. I know you’ve got Taren, but you’re stuck with me too. I’m not going to let anything do you harm—not even you.”
“It
’s not your fault,” I said quietly. “You couldn’t have stopped me any more than Taren could have. Even if you’d tackled me, I’d have found a way. I had to go. And you knew you had to let me, so thank you.”
“I don’t feel right saying, ‘You’re welcome,’” Kat said, “but I hear you.”
We started again toward Master Dogan’s office. Cole needed to be kept out of the Sanctuary, but I’d told Michael to take Michele to see Master Dogan. He’d know the best place care for Cole.
We stepped inside the yurt to find Michele and Master Dogan in the middle of the meditation circle, kneeling next to Cole, who writhed in pain.
“What are you doing?” I cried, rushing forward. “I told you he can’t be inside the Sanctuary.”
Cole was moaning, his face contorted in agony. I remembered the feeling—like every nerve ending was on fire—and grabbed his hand, ready to drag him to safety.
“No,” Master Dogan said, laying his hand on my arm. “I know what I’m doing. He agreed to this.”
I looked at Cole, at the sores on his arms that had broken open. “You’re killing him,” I said.
“I’m not,” Master Dogan said. “Please, trust me. He needs to get the poison out of his system. He will feel better once he does.”
With that, Cole vomited into a bucket. Michele took a wet washcloth and wiped his lips.
“Um, Em?” Kat said. I’d forgotten she was there. She looked almost green. “I, uh, don’t do so great with puke, so I’m gonna wait outside.”
She left, and I turned back to Master Dogan and Michele as they tried to calm a writhing Cole.
“How can you think this is helping him?” I asked. He was in agony.
“It is,” Michele said, lifting his arm. “Look, two of these sores are beginning to heal over. The Sanctuary is pushing out the evil.”
I knelt down to inspect Cole’s arm, when I heard him in my mind.
I think they’re right. I think it’s working.
Even his thoughts seemed pained. I took his hand in mine, and he gave me a feeble squeeze.
I settled in, knowing where I’d be spending the night.
The Gateway Trilogy: Complete Series: (Books 1-3) Page 51