The Darkest Gateway

by Jeri Westerson

  “Yes. But I am used to chaos.”

  I clicked off one light, started stripping, and got under the comforter au natural. “I guess you are. Things coming out of the Booke left and right, hardly any time for peace and quiet…” He was gazing at me with interest. “Is this really the longest that you’ve been awake?”

  “Nearly a month? Yes. It’s strange.”

  We looked at each other for a moment. “Are you just going to stand there?”

  His eyes darted from one corner of the room to another. “I…”

  “Aren’t you going to come to bed? You’re allowed to, you know.”

  Instead of taking off his duster, he paced in front of the window. Then he stopped and snapped toward me. “I am not a boy.”

  I must have blinked for a whole minute straight. “Oka-a-ay.”

  “Whilst you were getting your tattoo, Mr. Riley called me your boy-friend. And just now, the Ordo leader called me lover boy. I am not a boy.”

  I pulled the sheets to cover my chest and sat up. “Oh.” I chuckled. “They didn’t mean it that way. A ‘boyfriend’ is a politer way to say that you’re my…you know. Lover. ‘Loverboy’ is sort of a variant. But essentially, it’s telling people that we are in an exclusive relationship. Sort of warning men off that I’m involved and warning women off that you’re involved.”

  He seemed to think about it before cracking a smile. “You’re jealous that other men and women might wish to steal me away.”

  “No! I mean…no. It’s just a way of establishing relationships so others understand it. So I’d be called your…girlfriend.” I wrinkled my nose. “‘Boyfriend’ is not a good name for what you are, though. I can’t see calling you that.”

  “Girl friend,” he muttered, mulling the thought over. “It doesn’t seem an adequate description.”

  “‘Lover’ just sounds like too much information.”

  “Hmm.” He sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Are you going to join me?”

  I could tell he was going over everything. “I do not know the boundaries,” he said quietly, maybe even embarrassed. “Or the finer points of these dynamics.”

  He was adorable when he was befuddled. “Don’t worry. I’ll coach you.”

  “For instance.” Erasmus ruffled was also pretty cute. “I thought that we would come to your bed mutually.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Before, we always arrived together, and usually you were in my arms. This time, you simply disrobed and got in. There were no formal actions, no embraces, no introductory salutations—” He huffed at my giggling. “Why are you laughing at me?”

  I did my best to stifle it, hiding it with a cough. “I’m not laughing at you. I just thought you would be comfortable enough with the situation by now. We don’t need to be formal with each other. We’re just…you know. Together. We don’t need to make these declarations of love and come together in a theatrical embrace. Also, this way there isn’t any burning away of my clothes. Which I need and aren’t as easily replaced as yours.”

  “I see. And so if I wish to be affectionate…I am allowed to simply reach over and…” He leaned toward me and caressed my cheek with the backs of his fingers.

  “Anytime you like,” I said breathlessly. “We can even kiss in front of the others. No deep kisses but a little peck is okay. Anything more would be impolite. You can hold my hand, you can put your arm around me. All those are signals that we’re together.” And now I could picture him doing all that in front of Ed just to rub it in.

  “Interesting,” he said again. He stood awhile gazing at me with smoldering eyes then peeled off his coat. Slowly—the demon version of a striptease, I supposed—he divested himself of all of his clothes one lovely piece at a time, and me with a front row seat. When he was in all his glory, he pulled up the comforter and got in.

  “This seems very civilized,” he said, surprised.

  “Yes, it does. Cozy even.”

  “And so I may…” He scooted closer and slid his hands over my skin around my waist to embrace me, pulling me close so that our lips were only inches apart. “I may hold you like this.” His voice was little more than a low growl. “And I may take a kiss.” He leaned in and did, lips gently touching, caressing mine.

  He kissed me for a long while and deepened it, holding me even tighter. I slowly sank beneath him and felt one of his thighs at my hip. He finally pulled back and looked down at me, eyes searching all over my face, and lifted a hand to run a finger over my cheek, my nose, my lips. “This is fascinating.”

  “It’s amazing how freedom makes you feel.”

  “Yes. It is freedom, isn’t it.”

  I nodded. “Except that we’re still…together. Exclusive. Not that much freedom.”

  He smiled a little and gently kissed the edge of my mouth. “So, no Constable Bradbury,” he whispered.

  “No. Just you.”

  His lips traveled up to my eyebrow and nibbled. “No Jeff Chase.” His voice tickled a bit over my skin.

  “Definitely not.”

  His nose touched my face and caressed down my cheek before he kissed my lips again. “No one…but me.”

  I draped my arms over his neck and licked my lips. “Just you.”

  It might have been my imagination, but it seemed that his eyes glowed for just a second. “Just me.”

  “You crazy demon.” I pulled him down and kissed him as passionately as I could.

  His warm lips met mine. His tongue, the low growls from deep in his throat, all sent shivers through me. His hands never stopped moving, teasing over my skin, dipping, squeezing. Soon enough I was wrapping my thighs around him, feeling his hardness against me. I inhaled him, the deep scent of burning embers, distant fires, and dense earth.

  His hands closed over my calves and lifted my legs, raising my knees to his shoulders, and with a grin, he dipped down. I lost myself in sensation, in all that he gave. His tender ministrations made me writhe and arch. A warm hand teased down from my collarbone to my navel and lower, where he did such wicked things with his lips and tongue. His touch sent me on a euphoric rise until I could barely breathe, but it only made me want him all the more. I flopped down and he moved over me, but I sat up and pushed him back till he landed flat on the bed, head at the footboard. Confused for only a moment, a feral smile soon bloomed on his face. He lay back as I climbed up on him. With his hands on my hips, he guided me where he wanted me.

  We rocked together as I cast my head back, feeling him, listening to his moans and soft murmurs. He reacted in so human a fashion, I wondered briefly if we really were that different.

  His fingers were tight on my hips when he made an impatient sound, and I found myself suddenly flipped on my back. He kissed my neck as his hands explored my breasts. He settled in place again, all the while his hips pushing against me quicker. Eyes blazing, he stared at me as he moved. I could feel him, every blessed demony inch of him. His hands, his lips, his growl tingled over my skin. I reached up and touched him, too. He liked it when I raked my nails down his chest, and his eyes slipped closed, writhing over me and reveling in it, in the tiny streaks of pain. And then, suddenly, his eyes snapped open, he threw back his head, and roared out his completion.

  He dropped to lay on top of me, burying his face into my neck under my hair, harsh breaths calming as he lay there. And then he chuckled. I could feel it shiver all the way down my body.

  He raised up to look at me, kissed my forehead, then reached up and curled a tendril of hair on his finger. “I have lived four thousand years,” he said softly, “but I never knew such…such…joy.” He said the word so tentatively and with such awe. It gave me a lump in my throat and a sting at my eyes, mourning for the lonely creature he must have been for all those centuries.

  I couldn’t help it. I gathered him in my arms, pressing him close, and kissed his temple. “You don’t have to be lonely anymore.”

  When he finally rolled away, he was smiling. He tucked hi
s hands behind his head and stared up into my rafters. “It’s strange having a…a companion.”

  I rolled in next to him, running my hand through his chest hair and over that damned tattoo. “The two of us. Against the world.”

  “All the worlds.”

  I looked up at that strong jaw. “Did you make a joke?”

  His smile grew wider. “I might have.”

  I drew up and kissed him. He returned it languidly.

  “I can’t believe after all these centuries that no one snatched you up.”

  “I am hard to peg down.”

  “That’s for sure. But really. You never found anyone—man or woman—as a companion before?”

  His smile faded slightly. “There was never time. I was constantly busy with the book. And the Chosen Host, none of whom ever wanted my help or to be around me.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Why?”

  “Because. It seems like it was lonely for you.”

  “Lonely. It’s the second time you’ve said it. I wasn’t lonely. I didn’t know what companionship was.”

  “And that’s even worse.”

  “Why? I had no point of reference. How could I know what I was missing?”

  “But that’s just the point—”

  He closed his mouth over mine, kissing with heat and tenderness, holding my face with gentle fingers. When he drew back, there was a dancing light in his eyes. I amused him. My human emotions of empathy amused the demon. I gave up.

  “What am I going to do with you?” I sighed.

  “I’m hoping for more of what you just did with me.”

  I giggled. I wanted to run my fingers over that perpetual scruff, to tease more smiles from him, because the vibrations of his laughter deep in his chest made me feel warm and glowy.

  But the sound of weird barking stopped my hand.

  I sat up, clutching the sheets to my chest. A dog had a definite sound to its bark, a familiar noise from behind a fence, or even an annoying yapping next door. But this sound coming from the woods… It was hollow and mournful with a hint of…something else.

  Tossing the comforter aside, I slipped out of bed and padded over to the window. I gasped. It was looking up toward me.

  And it wasn’t a dog.

  Chapter Eleven

  The creature looked like a snake, with a snake’s eyes, head and neck, but it had a leopard’s body…with hoofs, like a deer’s. As if it had been pieced together on a computer from lots of different animals. But it was there, standing in my back garden and challenging me. And then it made that weird barking sound again, before whipping its tail and bounding into the darkness of the woods.

  I hugged myself from the cold. Erasmus’ arms came around me from behind. “The Beast Glatisant, or the Barking Beast,” he said in my ear. “It simply kills. For food. For pleasure.”

  I leaned back into him. “I can’t. I can’t think about it right now. Just a moment of peace.”

  “Don’t worry, Kylie. You must rest. I have no need to. I will be alert for you. Come back to bed.”

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  “You’re exhausted.” He tugged my hand and led me back to the bed, pulling the covers aside. He got in and gently pulled me in with him. Tossing the comforter over the both of us, I settled in his arms. It was nice and safe that way. He petted my hair and his lips kissed my forehead from time to time as he murmured to me in a strange lulling language until I guessed I must have fallen asleep. When I awoke, he wasn’t there and a cup of coffee was steaming on my side table.

  I couldn’t help but run to the window. Nothing except some villagers milling in my backyard. Oops. I ducked and hit the floor. Well, wasn’t that an eyeful I offered to the citizens of Moody Bog. Welcome to my shop! I crawled to the bed and yanked my bathrobe over the side, putting it on while I sat on the cold floor out of sight of the window.

  When covered, I stood and peeked past the curtain. Only one teenaged boy was standing and looking up transfixed. You’re welcome, kid.

  I hurried through my morning routine, showering, dressing for the hunt in jeans and heavy boots, and finally heading downstairs. The place was crowded with people all standing around politely. Some were ogling Erasmus, which I could tell made him agitated. Nick was writing on a portable whiteboard some sort of symbols when everyone suddenly noticed and turned toward me.

  I stopped on the staircase and waved with just my fingers. “Hi, everyone. I see you’re all settling in. Don’t let me interrupt.”

  They gathered in klatches. I was a little shocked to see Charise helping Seraphina organize charitable work, getting lists of the people who were hurt and injured and whose property had been damaged, and coordinating with others to donate this or that.

  When I walked by Doc, he was teaching a class on protection charms.

  Even Jeff was there. Looked like he was demonstrating some self-defense with brooms and pitchforks, anything on hand, and Doug and Bob were right there with him.

  I had my own little Hogwarts. Except that I was Harry Potter and kind of doing a crappy job of it.

  “Kylie,” said Erasmus, rushing desperately toward me. He kept glancing over his shoulder. A bunch of young women—and one guy I didn’t recognize—seemed to be following him a few paces behind. “I can’t seem to get away from these people.”

  “Oh dear. You have demon groupies.”

  “What, pray, is that?”

  “Never mind. I’ll get rid of them.” I pushed him away (did he forget he could vanish?) and confronted his fans. “Uh, look. Erasmus has lots of important, um, demon things to do. You’re kind of cramping his style.”

  They exchanged glances with each other and seemed to acknowledge it. “Oh, sorry,” said one young woman with glasses. They turned their attention to gazing longingly at Nick instead. I wondered if they knew he was a werewolf. They’d be over the moon…so to speak.

  “Thank you,” said Erasmus, still glancing suspiciously over his shoulder. “I did not like the look in their eyes.”

  “They meant no harm. I think they were fascinated by you.”

  He seemed to puff a little at that. “They are?”

  “Down, boy. Don’t you have some studying to do with Jolene? We’ve still got to find something Satan wants besides my soul.”

  “Oh yes.” He made a move toward Jolene before he stopped, took my hand, drew me in, and kissed me on the mouth. Nothing lingering but enough to warn off anyone watching. “I remembered,” he said softly, grinning.

  My silly demon.

  With so many people in the shop, I barely noticed when Ed showed up.

  “So what’s going on here?”

  “Apprenticing Wiccans, I guess.”

  He frowned. I supposed that looking at all the people you’d grown up with suddenly going for the kind of stuff you disapproved of, could put a person off. He certainly didn’t look like he approved. And then Deputy George came up beside him, his mustache displaying the same condemnation.

  “It has to be done,” I said. “They have to learn how to protect themselves.”

  I waited for George’s religious diatribe but none came. I noticed that even he was wearing a charm pouch around his neck. This place was suddenly looking a lot like Salem.

  I saw the moment Ed caught sight of Doug. He stiffened but when he saw his brother was actually helping out Jeff, he seemed more confused than anything else. “He’s got nowhere else to go,” I said softly.

  “I haven’t seen him do anything useful since we were kids.”

  “Today is a different day.” I watched Doug too, still wearing that gauze eye patch. “Adversity sometimes brings out the best in people.”

  Ed looked at me regretfully. “It does in you.”

  “I’m kind of stuck with it.”

  “But look at all these people. I know that some of them were against you. Now look at them.”

  George winced and gave me a meek expression. Yes, he’d been one of the naysayers.
>
  “They’re scared,” I said. “They want to do something. Now they are.”

  Ed fitted his thumbs in his belt. “If we all get through this alive, you will have friends for life.”

  “Let’s hope so. Which reminds me. There’s another beastie out there,” I said. I could tell I had Ed and George’s full attention. “It’s a sort of…” I made gestures with my hands but none were adequate. “It’s a leopard with a snake head and deer legs. Erasmus called it the Beast Glatisant or Barking Beast. It likes to kill and has this weird kind of bark.” I grabbed my coat from the hook by the door. “I’m going to go hunt it. And maybe get that headless guy if I can.”

  “I got a report about him up by Hansen Mills. They were smacked by Baphomet pretty badly. Not a lot of structures left. Some of the folks here might be from Hansen Mills.”

  I looked back at my full shop. I regretted for only a moment that they weren’t simply shoppers.

  “Ed, did you find out anything about Ruth Russell?”

  He shook his head. “Couldn’t find her. She’s not at her house. I’m beginning to feel stupid that I defended her.”

  “Don’t be. She fooled everyone. If I find her…”

  “Kylie, she’s still human. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

  “What makes you think I’ll regret it,” I said, perhaps a little more vehemently than I had meant to do. I calmed myself and gestured toward my many guests. “They’re welcome to anything they need. Looks like Seraphina and Charise are organizing some community outreach. You should coordinate with them. But I’ve gotta go.” I raised my hand for the crossbow without thinking it through. Several people had to duck…while others gasped. “Sorry! Sorry about that!” I cringed, slipping out the door with it in my hand.

  The air was crisp and clear. There was smoke in the air that would have been lovely and fragrant if it had been just people burning fall leaves. But I had the feeling it was Hansen Mills on the wind and I felt pretty bad about what people had lost.