“Of course.” How can I forget? They’re my origin. My future.
He nods. “I’ve never told you this before, because I never wanted you to worry, or feel less than what you are. Do you understand?”
Not really, I want to say. But I don’t.
When nothing is said, he continues. “Young Gateways like you,” he takes a deep breath, “they are very rare. Men of Light are not known for coexisting with, well, women.”
He shifts in his leather chair, uncomfortable with the indication of his words.
“What are you saying?” I lean forward, intrigued.
Father Martin mirrors my movement, our words low and meant only for this room.
“You have the blood of an Original in your veins, Aiden. A true Man of Light. This makes you far more valuable than anyone.”
“But I’ve felt others like me. At school. On the streets. How could I be the only one?”
“You’ve sensed other Gateways, yes, but they’re not young like you. They’re Originals seeking a life outside; bearing children with women they love. But they can’t stay in one place forever. There’s too much work to be done. It is because of this that most do not procreate. They can’t bear leaving their children alone to face what they are, but they must, you see, it’s their duty to their brothers.”
“So you’re saying my father had me knowing he’d have to leave?”
The muscles of his jaw clench, as if troubled by the truth of it all. “No one wants to leave their children behind, Aiden. But you can’t deny a man the privilege of becoming a father. Believe me when I tell you that you children are far more important than you will ever know.”
My leg shakes beneath me, my nerves beyond reason. His words are like an explanation given seventeen years too late. And now, I not only have to accept my freak status within the human world, but I’m an outcast among Gateways, too. A freak among freaks.
Talk about adding insult to injury.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
Father Martin leans back into his chair, hands clasped over his stomach when he says, “Before there was no reason to fear the reality of this. I never wanted you to feel any different. But if these shadows have any idea what you are, you might be in more trouble than we think.”
ather Martin requests that I take the book home again. Something about reading it where there will be no distractions. Somehow I think he forgot about my mother. After a day of floor scrubbing while wearing bright yellow gloves, which is a blow to any guy’s ego, I’m finally sent home.
The city streets are busy with people making their way home. Water dripping into an open drain clears the gutters of the last trace of rain. An annoying jingle from a creepy guy dressed as Santa Claus rings from the corner. A lame reminder that Christmas is upon us. It was a time I used to look forward to, but now, I only seem to dread each day more than the last.
Who wouldn’t after finding out they were the anomaly within an already unbelievable situation? I’m the ultimate black sheep.
I cross the street to my car, pulling the phone from my pocket. It’s been on silent all day and I keep hoping to hear from Trevor or Evan. In a way, I never expect to hear from Koren after the way she left. A grin manages to cross my face when I read a text from Trevor: Dude, you owned Justin yesterday! Sorry I didn’t text sooner. I was a little shocked to find out my best friend’s the Hulk. Let me know when we can come over.
I laugh when I close out Trevor’s grammatically correct message and find one from Evan: Best shit i’ve evr seen. Txt if u get this. We’ll brng the whisky.
The time stamps from both messages prove they talked it over first before hitting send.
Typical.
I get in the car and text them back. A hint of relief lifts the weight from my chest. With the keys in the ignition, the urge to look back at the church engulfs me. Somewhere I can sense eyes on me. Seems like it’s feeling I can never escape. I scan the perimeter of the church expecting to see something or someone. My guess is it’s the thing that inhabited the church last Saturday. The energy of it is similar from what I remember, and an itch in the back of my mind tells me that this thing doesn’t just haunt the church—it’s claiming the building as its own.
A bang against the passenger side window rocks me back in my seat.
“You really should have listened to me,” Koren says.
When my heart sinks back to my chest, I spit, “You really should find another way to get my attention. Christ.” I lean across the passenger seat and unlock the door.
A long drawn out squeak sounds from the hinge as she opens it and settles in.
“What’s that?” She points to the book. “It looks—”
“It’s nothing.” I snatch it up quickly and stuff the book under the backseat. Her eyes follow, reading the words on the cover.
When she says no more about the book, I say, “All right. What the hell is going on? You don’t want me at the church. I get that. At least tell me why.”
She picks at a hole on the knee of her jeans. Her clothes look more ragged than before and her peacoat has nearly lost its last button. Something dawns on me.
“Have you been wearing the same clothes?” I can’t remember another time that she wore anything besides this. Her brown boots are scuffed beyond repair, and the tangled strands of her hair fall over her face to cover the sunken half circles under her eyes. Have I really been so consumed by my own burdens that I haven’t stopped to consider hers?
She shrugs. “I haven’t gone home in a while.”
“Speaking of which, where are your parents? Did you guys move or something?”
“Sort of,” she says.
“Koren, where do you go every night?” I have to ask. This shit is getting too weird.
She peers at me from between dark strands of blonde, and says, “If you wanna know. I’ll show you.”
It’s all she says on the matter, but damn am I curious. As I turn the car around, I catch a glimpse of someone near the church steps in the side mirror. His sharp blue eyes narrow, watching Izzie put down the road. Why Vincent Chase is visiting the church at this hour is beyond me, but I gladly press harder on the gas, watching him fade into a speck in the mirror and disappear.
Before I know it, I’m on Taylors Ferry Road heading toward River View Cemetery. I have to say, this is the last place I thought I’d go on a late Tuesday afternoon. There were about a million daydreams I had about this day: Koren Banks. My oldest friend turned crush. In my car. On a date. But this isn’t a date. At least, not at all what I had in mind.
That all seems ridiculous now. Our friendship, or whatever this is, is a complete train wreck without all these extra emotions thrown into it. That doesn’t necessarily mean I would deny my feelings if it ever came up.
As we pull into the paved lane of the cemetery and pass through the gates, I finally break the silence. “Okay. I have to ask. Why are you dragging me to a cemetery?”
“You wanted to know where I’ve been staying. This is it.” The energy about her changes once we cross the threshold.
I stop along the side of the path. “Where?”
“There,” she says, pointing her finger in the direction of an ominous structure. A mausoleum.
“You have got to be shitting me.”
“Nope!” She’s cheerful as she jumps out of the car and begins walking toward the gray building, her attitude taking a complete one-eighty.
I didn’t come here for nothing, so I follow. Cemeteries and I don’t exactly mesh well, for obvious reasons. The occasional Bleeder sticks around after their body has been buried and it’s not always my favorite place to be. But seeing how they’ve doubled the past few days, I have a feeling this trip will turn ugly, quick.
We pass statues of bronze angels and memorials with dates way before my time. The grass is freshly groomed and vibrant colors peek from behind tombstones. Others are decorated with flowers that have browned with age. Seeing these things, knowing what l
ay beyond the ground in which I walk, doesn’t affect me as much as it should. When you’ve seen death as much as I have, you become immune to the idea. Which overall seems offensive. No one should be numb when it comes to the dead. No one.
“Here we are,” she says, opening a rickety gate to the dusty, decrepit mausoleum.
I peer inside, not exactly eager to rush into a tomb.
“It’s okay. I won’t lock you in or anything. This gate doesn’t even close all the way. No one’s bothered to check it.” Koren’s livelier now than I’ve ever seen her, as if being near her safe place makes everything better.
“Why are you staying here?”
“Why not?” Her eyes narrow in on me, offended.
I take in the dark, musky room. Spiderwebs sling along the walls. A grimy purple blanket and a backpack used as pillow rest on the floor next to the slab of stone. The stone coffin takes up most of the space, with engraved carvings of strange symbols lining each side.
I force myself inside the cold, stale room and turn back to her. “It’s not exactly where I picture a girl like you hanging out is all.”
“Well, maybe you don’t know me at all then.”
That last part stings a little.
Koren steps inside, running her fingers along the stone slab. An approving smile lifts at the corners of her mouth as she says, “I like it here.”
“Aren’t your parents looking for you?” To prevent collecting dust on my clothes, I cross my arms and stand in place.
Koren’s fingers stop at the tip of the coffin near the carved initials: J.H.R.
“My parents aren’t exactly in a position to care.” A whisper of sadness strains from her words.
“What does that mean? I can’t imagine your parents not caring. That’s…”
Her head snaps in my direction. “Ridiculous? Don’t be so sure.”
The expression on her face is cold, like a girl who’s lost everything.
It breaks me to see her like this. I need to do something. Anything. Gingerly, I step closer, and wonder to myself if I should reach for her. If she’d let me.
“I’m so sorry, Koren,” I say as I close in. “If I’d known that—”
“No,” she cries, shaking her head, one hand held out against my chest. “I’m sorry, Aiden.”
Her ever-changing emotions blindside me.
“For what?” I ask.
A sob bursts from her lips. Tears trickle down her cheeks as she says, “For bringing the Brethren to you.”
he world spills out on top of me. It’s like I’ve been tipped upside down and left to tumble downward into eternity. Koren’s confession brings every thought, every emotion to a pause. She can’t possibly mean what she said. How could the girl I’ve known my whole life be the one causing my entire world to unravel?
My body rejects her, pushing me back into the stone walls. Chills prickle my skin so violently, I feel like my whole body could burst. I gather my thoughts, as her sobs erupt through the uncomfortably silent tomb.
“I don’t… I don’t understand,” I force out.
“Please,” she begs, reaching out for me. I back away. Her expression is wounded, but I can’t seem to care. I’m too busy absorbing the brunt of the blow. This is a nightmare.
I hold up a hand in mock surrender, forcing her away.
“I didn’t want this to happen, Aiden,” she pleads. The tears continue to rush down her pale face, when she adds, “I didn’t ask to be a part of this.”
The words push my thoughts aside. I’m all ears.
Now that she has my attention, she continues. “My parents were brainwashed. How could no one see that?” She turns away and paces the length of the stone slab.
With her safely out of reach, I lower my hand to my side. As I watch her, I recall the way her parents shut everyone out, shunning themselves. Even from my mother who’d been there for their wedding. Koren’s birth. All of it. How did we not see it?
“My father is a member of the Brethren of Shadows,” she goes on. “They’ve corrupted him to resurrect the Dark Priest.”
“The Dark Priest? How do you—?”
“Just listen!” Her breathing is deep and heavy as she reveals every detail. All I can do is pray whatever she’s about to tell me can’t possibly be any worse. Not that there’s a possibility of it getting better.
“Another member of the Brethren manipulated him. I don’t know who. I just know one day, out of the blue, they weren’t my parents anymore. I mean…” She’s still pacing and it’s making me nauseous. “They started talking about how there was evil in the world that the church had been hiding from us. That all our friends and everyone we knew were part of some plan to tear us apart. It’s like this guy convinced them to believe that nothing is as it seems.”
“But your parents were always so…”
“Normal. Yeah, I know.” She stops to face me when she says this, but continues back on her path. “I didn’t get it at first. I mean, I didn’t believe what they were saying. No one was trying to hurt us, but the more they kept saying it, the more I was convinced they had to be right. So I—”
“Started pulling away?” I finish for her.
My body is still locked in place. I’m unable to move, or do anything, besides observe her.
She pauses again, her body now facing me. “Yeah. I didn’t know what else to do. It’s like everything I knew was a lie. Does that make sense?”
Does it ever.
“I get it,” I say.
What I don’t get is who started this. The man from the Brethren. Could this be the same guy sending Bleeders my way?
“Is that why you pulled away from me?” I have to ask. I need to hear that it’s not because of the rumors. Or that she was embarrassed by me. I have to know I mean more to her than that.
“Aiden,” she says, “you were the last person I wanted to stay away from. But my parents… they said things about you.”
“Like what?” I’m defensive now.
“Well,” her eyes shoot downward, “they said you weren’t good for me.”
“Not good for you?” This shocks my body back to life. Now I’m the one who’s pacing. “What did I do? I’m just—I never did anything.”
She steps toward me this time. Her hand lifts as if to comfort me, but it only hovers for a moment before she lowers it. “You have to understand.”
I stop pacing and pivot toward her. Ready to listen.
Koren runs her hand through her hair and says, “We thought you were the one trying to hurt us. They said—”
“Me?” I say a little too loud. It’s hard biting back the anger I feel at this.
She rushes forward, her cold hands cupping my cheeks. Her eyes look deep into mine. “Whoever manipulated my parents made them believe that you’re the one we should be afraid of. That people like you were what was wrong with this world. I didn’t want believe it, so I came to you for the truth. I needed to hear it from you that what they said was a lie.”
I place my hands over hers, and lift them from my face. With her hands in mine, I lower them between us and squeeze tight.
“You wanted me to tell you the truth. About what I am,” I say. “And I let you down.”
Her face is so close to mine in this morbid crypt. If we weren’t standing in the middle of a cemetery, I would probably kiss her. Even thinking that in this moment feels incredibly inappropriate.
“I wanted you to say something that would prove them wrong. That you were… you. Nothing more. But I could see it in your eyes that night. The way you hid your secret from me. And it made everything they said that much more true. That if I didn’t even know my best friend—someone I’d know my entire life—than maybe I didn’t know anything at all.”
“And so you left with them.”
“Yes.”
“Because of me.” Guilt slams into me at this.
“No, Aiden,” she says, “because I didn’t know what was real. And neither did my parents.”
“Did?”
Koren nods, her eyes begin to fill with tears. She closes them tight, forcing the tears out.
When she opens them again, they set on me, and I search her face for what’s she’s not saying.
“Where are your parents, Koren?”
She releases my hands from hers and walks to the back of the crypt, leaning on the stone wall.
“When I left with my parents that night, we left everything behind. I was so distraught with what happened between you and me, that as we drove out of town, I don’t even remember falling asleep.”
I watch silently as she crosses her arms over her chest, like she’s trying to hold herself together.
“When I woke up, everything was dark. I could hear my parents talking and all I can remember is that they thought they were saving me.”
Dumbfounded, I shake my head. Saving her from what?
Koren uncrosses her arms to wipe the tears from her face, and crosses them back again. The late afternoon sun shining in is beginning to cast strange shadows throughout the room, and I’m fully aware that we’ve been here way too long. I need to leave before the Bleeders find me. Considering they’ve been traveling in groups lately, I’m not doing myself any favors by standing here.
“What did they do to you?”
Koren lifts her head, the movement slow and weak.
“The man convinced them that in order to save me, they…” Her chin begins to tremble, her voice breaking into sobs. “They thought they were saving me, but really, they made me a sacrifice without even knowing it.”
My skin goes cold.
“They sacrificed—” I blink with astonishment.
The words don’t even register. It’s too crazy. Too unbelievable to think her parents could be capable of such a thing.
I step forward but stop myself. Running my hands through my hair, I try to digest everything she’s said. How could I be so blind? All those times I’d imagined Koren alone in the dark, it’s as if I knew even then. Her ratted hair, the sunken eyes, and the dullness of her skin. I was right that day I saw her in the plaza. Koren’s been a Bleeder all along.
She pushes herself from the wall and does what I couldn’t, because I’m too stunned to move. Finding her way to me, she stays just out of reach. My heart ripples through my chest with everything she’s told me. I’m so angry. So broken. Not just for me, but for her.
The Gateway Through Which They Came Page 15