The Darkest Gateway

by Jeri Westerson

  “I can’t imagine loving another.”

  Shabiri flew next to us, sneering and rolling her eyes.

  “Hey, wait a minute,” I said, watching her elongated shoulder wings flap. “If you could have done this before, why did you make me walk all that way?”

  She put a hand to her ear as if she couldn’t hear me. “What’s that, darling? It’s very windy up here.” Then she rolled over onto her back like a swimmer doing laps in a pool. She looked behind us. “Here they come. That was a fast five minutes.”

  I glanced over Erasmus’ shoulder and saw that the greenish sky was speckled with little flying creatures, like a huge flock of birds. “The gargoyles.”

  “And they are pissed,” she said. She seemed to be enjoying this. Maybe she was as delirious as I was that Erasmus was alive and a demon again. As long as she stayed with us to help, I didn’t care. And I had a feeling she would.

  “Can we outfly them?” I asked.

  Shabiri squinted at them. “I don’t think so. They’re catching up fast.”

  “Did you encounter any trouble journeying through the Netherworld?” he asked.

  “Jeesh, nothing but trouble.”

  He shook his head. “How one human can find so much misfortune…”

  “I figured they smelled a human and came running, looking for a snack.”

  He sighed as his coat flapped. “I’m sorry for that. I’m afraid they must have smelled me first. When I was human.”

  “Did you like being human? Even a little?”

  “No. It was dreadful. Aches and pains I never knew before. And that evacuating of fluids. It was disturbing.”

  “Can we cut the chit-chat,” said Shabiri, back to her old snarky self, “and come up with some strategy? It’s not as if the two of us can fight a legion of gargoyles on our own.”

  “I can help,” I said. But actually, I was pretty exhausted. I was doing everything I could just to hold on to Erasmus.

  “Like I said,” she said with a sneer. “There’s only two of us.”

  I stuck my tongue out at her. She wasn’t fooling me.

  “What do you suggest?” Erasmus’ deep voice rumbled over my body. I was in heaven in his arms, listening to his voice again. I gave a girlish sigh.

  “Splitting up won’t help, they’ll just go after you,” she said. “Are there any canyons around here where we might be able to lose them?”

  He stiffened and then changed directions, almost going back toward them. “I know of one place.”

  “What are you doing?” Shabiri complained. She made a scoffing noise and turned to follow. I couldn’t tell exactly where we were, up above it all, but I had a vague sense of where we might have been. Down that way was the lake of fire. But now below was that sludgy river. And that was…yes, that was the marble bridge and that way was… I looked up at his face, as much of it as I could see while he was concentrating on flying. Oh, Erasmus, you silly demon.

  And he was a demon again, with all the vengeance and pettiness I’d come to know and love.

  We swooped down toward the narrow, obsidian passage where the Powers That Be lived and circled until we reached that open area with the black stone altar. We descended, Shabiri still shouting at him. “I’m not going down there!” Her voice echoed off the walls. She didn’t land and stayed aloft, circling like some great manta ray/condor mash-up.

  Erasmus set me gently down and I clutched the book to my chest. “You probably shouldn’t do this,” I said.

  “Like hell I shouldn’t.” He stood before the altar, hands on his hips. “Show yourselves!”

  A green flame jumped from the altar, hovering just above it. “Erasmus Dark,” hissed the chorus of voices. “We see you are a demon again.”

  “But I’m not your demon. And I’m making that clear now. The book is dead.”

  “We created you. You will always be ours.”

  “I am tied to nothing. You cannot master me again. I am no one’s slave.”

  The flame flickered but said nothing.

  “I am…grateful to my creators for making me. But I am done with you and your altar.”

  “You are our creation. This will always be so.”

  “No. I am done with you. I declare it to the seven winds!”

  And, strangely, winds began howling from several directions. I stepped behind him.

  “I renounce you!” cried Erasmus. “What you have failed to do, Satan has accomplished. The book is dead.”

  “The Chosen Host stands behind you,” they said.

  “She is Chosen Host no more. She has survived the book. The first and the last to endure it. As I have.”

  “Erasmus!” called Shabiri from above. “They’re almost here!”

  A smile stole across his face. “You can command me no more. Show yourselves. I would look into the faces of those who had imprisoned me all these centuries.”

  The flame burst higher. “We do not need to show ourselves to you. You were our slave. Now you are nothing.”

  “Show yourselves, damn you! You’ve threatened me all my life and now I come to learn that your threats were useless, only breath in the wind.”

  The flame grew higher and wider. “We have might you know not of, Erasmus Dark, we who gave you that name.”

  “Then show yourselves. For if you do not, I will spread it far and wide that the Powers That Be are nothing but wind. They are weak and none should fear them.”

  A whirlwind swept through the enclosed space and voices rode on that wind. Finally, three figures appeared as walking flames. And they were raising their “hands” in a threatening manner.

  Erasmus grabbed my arm and ducked with me to the ground as a bolt of power shot from one of them and exploded on the obsidian walls behind us.

  “We have more power than you can ever imagine!” cried the angry chorus.

  Erasmus looked up to the sky. The corner of his mouth drew up in a smiling sneer. “Yes, my lords. I see that you do.”

  Suddenly, the sky above us darkened as a swarm of gargoyles blotted out the light. The flaming figures looked up. With his hand still closed over my upper arm, Erasmus sped us down the rock corridor in a streak of speed, just as the gargoyles flooded the open chamber. Power blasted in deep booms behind us, and the shrieks and cries of gargoyles disintegrating in splatters on the walls were filling the chamber, but we were already far from there. He scooped me up and, while running, he changed again into the flying manta ray and shot up into the sky.

  When I looked back, a black funnel of gargoyles mindlessly followed the ones in front to their doom in the halls of the Powers That Be.

  I glanced up at Erasmus, who was looking mighty proud of himself. “You planned that.”

  “I…only had a notion it might work.”

  I smiled back. “You stole that idea from me.”

  His gaze steadied on the distant horizon. “Maybe I did…maybe I didn’t.”

  We soared onward.

  * * *

  I couldn’t believe I could fall asleep in a demon’s arms while he was transformed into a kite and flying. But I did.

  I awoke with a start just as he lighted down. “It’s a relief to have the strength of a demon again,” he said. “Being a human…well. I know now how weak and frail you are.”

  I slammed him in the shoulder with the book. “Weak and frail, huh?”

  “Well,” he said, rubbing his shoulder, “maybe not you.”

  “Where are we?”

  Shabiri landed in front of me. “We are as far as we can go by flying. We’ll have to make it the rest of the way on foot.”

  “Why?”

  She looked at me as if I were the stupidest creature alive. “Because it’s too dangerous.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there are flying creatures much bigger than we are.”

  I was about to open my mouth when she interrupted. “So help me if you ask ‘why’ again, I will feed you to the next beast to come along.”

  “
I wasn’t going to ask why,” I muttered. “I was just going to ask if there was anything to eat. I’m starving.”

  Shabiri gave Erasmus a confidential look. “She’s starving.”

  I pressed a hand over my mouth. “Oh my God, Erasmus, are you still hungry? For…you know.”

  He opened his shirt and looked down. The tattoo was there. He was looking at it as if he hadn’t expected it. “It’s back,” he said.

  “You mean it was gone?”

  He smiled apologetically. “As a human, yes. It was gone.”

  “And…you still want to eat souls?”

  “Yes. But not Chosen Host souls, because there aren’t any more of them.” He smiled.

  It didn’t make me feel any better.

  “So how far is the place we need to exit? Wait. The book got me through before.” I hefted it. Somehow it felt lighter. “But it can’t now.”

  Erasmus took it from my hands and ran his hand over the spine, then over the cover, fingers grazing the worn leather in a caress. This had been his whole life. I laid my hand on his arm. “Are you all right?”

  He looked at me, puzzled. “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Well…this.” I gestured toward the book.

  “Is a prisoner ever sorry when his prison is destroyed? No. I merely wished to examine it. Ah. It is as I thought.” He handed it back to me. “While it is true it is no longer a gateway, it is still…a key.”

  “And I can open a lock with it? Oh, thank goodness. I thought I’d be stuck here.”

  “No. We are returning to the place—I presume—you went through; where the ley lines crossed. The place I showed you. The place that Shabiri likely brought you through.”

  Shabiri looked to be busy scouting around, and I sidled up to Erasmus and said quietly, “You should be nice to her, you know.”

  He scowled. “Why?”

  “Because she helped me and she didn’t have to.”

  “You convinced Doug to return her amulet.”

  “Believe me, he was ready to hand it over. No, she…she did something nice and not for anything back. You should…maybe you should thank her.”

  “That’s absurd. I will not!”

  “Come on, Erasmus.”

  “Honeymoon over already?” said Shabiri, glaring at us with arms folded.

  “Just a little…disagreement,” I said, giving Erasmus a sharp look.

  God, he was such a child. He screwed up his face in a scowl and he would have stomped his foot if he’d thought of it. “Shabiri…” he began.

  “Yes, darling?”

  “Shabiri…” And then his face softened. Maybe he finally realized what her help had meant. “Shabiri…I want to thank you for helping Kylie. It was a dangerous enterprise, and I know she couldn’t have done it without you. It was…very brave.”

  Shabiri stood visibly taller. “Oh. Well…I guess you’re welcome. It was a fairly selfless act.” She preened, picking nonexistent lint from her leather catsuit. “Just like yours. It’s strange…isn’t it? That we two should…should be so…selfless.”

  “Yes. It is strange. Maybe…maybe Moody Bog has some special quality to it. Perhaps you and I…aren’t so different.”

  Boy, he struggled getting that last bit out, but I was proud of him, and behind Shabiri’s back, I blew him a kiss. He seemed to redden and turn his head.

  “Yes, Shabiri. I’d like to add my thanks to you,” I said. “I really couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Now she was fluffing her hair. “All this praise can turn a girl’s head.”

  “Can it turn it into food?” I asked desperately. “I’m really hungry.”

  * * *

  Since Erasmus had no idea about food, Shabiri conjured me a cheese sandwich. It was the best thing I had ever eaten. When I’d wolfed it down, I wiped my hands on my trousers. “How far now?”

  “Not far,” said Erasmus, coming up beside me. “I’m having trouble believing what happened.”

  “Me, too, I guess. Looking back, it seemed a little too easy.”

  “Too easy?” said Shabiri with a hysterical note to her voice. “We were chased by dragon raptors, shadow imps, and gargoyles. What about this has been easy?”

  “When you put it like that…”

  Erasmus turned quickly toward me. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” I grasped his hand and walked with him. “I’m fine now.”

  He looked down at my hand in his. “This…was entirely unexpected. You. These emotions. This whole journey.”

  “Good grief,” said Shabiri, making a face.

  “You know,” I said to her, “if you keep doing that, your face will get stuck that way.”

  “What?” She grabbed her face and felt around her cheeks and nose, before she dropped her hands away and sneered at me. “Oh, ha, ha.”

  Erasmus chuckled. “You shouldn’t tease her.”

  I laughed. “Look who’s talking. I recall the two of you having the cat fight of all cat fights.”

  “Well…” He glanced over at Shabiri and she fluffed her hair again. “I suppose I don’t have any more ill will toward you, Shabiri. In fact, I might owe you.”

  “What’s that, darling? You owe me?”

  “Hey, you two. Wasn’t it enough that we made it out okay with all our parts and pieces? No one owes anyone…right, Shabiri?”

  She licked her lips and looked directly at me. “I seem to recall that you offered me something…of my choosing.”

  Erasmus’ eyes darkened. “I thought you said she came with you without any payment.”

  “I might have forgotten about that bit. It’s been a trying few days.”

  “What did you offer her?”

  “I didn’t have anything, so I told her to…choose…something…”

  “Beelze’s tail! Don’t you know better than to grant a demon such an offer?”

  “I thought I was going to be dead.”

  “She thought she was going to be dead,” said Shabiri, unhelpfully.

  Erasmus was about to open his mouth with a rejoinder…when he stopped and sniffed the air. He looked back and scowled. “You might yet get your wish,” he said, walking faster. “Satan is not done with us. We’re being followed.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Shifted and dressed, Jeff drove the coven back up to the tea shop but skidded to a stop a few yards away. Sheriff Ed looked like he still had his hands full. They could hear a lot of yelling and other sounds of people spoiling for a fight. Seemed like they wanted a good old-fashioned witch burning for their Halloween.

  Jeff’s claws grew and he could feel his nose becoming a snout, but he left it at that and stalked forward.

  “For the last time, she is not responsible for this,” Sheriff Ed was saying, for probably the umpteenth time. “Now Ted, you take your group away from here or I am going to have to start arresting people. And I’m gonna start with you.”

  “You can’t shoot all of us, Sheriff. And there’s far more of us than of you and the deputy. Now we mean to burn this witch out and there aren’t any god-fearing folk in this parish that’ll argue against it.”

  “What about Reverend Howard?” said Ed. “He doesn’t approve of any of this.”

  “That witch in there has turned our Christian townsfolk into more of her kind. I seen them out there doing their witchcraft—”

  “Dammit, Ted! You know darned well they’ve been fighting all the things that are going on out there. And Kylie is no witch!”

  “Is there some trouble here, sheriff?” said Jeff, flexing his claws.

  The mob gasped.

  “He’s a monster!” cried one of them, pointing.

  “I’ve just got a little bit of a werewolf problem, but it’s under control. Except when my friends are threatened.”

  There was a glint of metal as someone in the crowd raised a rifle, aiming at Jeff. He wasn’t too worried. He didn’t figure that they’d had the time or inclination to fashion silver bullets, but h
e worried they’d miss and hit his friends. He postured forward.

  Deputy George was faster. He had his gun out and was aiming it two-handed. “You’d better be stowing that rifle, Ron. I freaking mean it.”

  Nick was partially wolfed next to Jeff.

  “He’s a monster, too!” shouted someone else.

  “I’m ready to defend my pack,” he snarled.

  “Everyone!” cried Doc, running forward in a stiff gait. “Just calm down.”

  “We’re tired of listening to your lies, old man,” said another with a Budweiser knit cap drawn down to his bushy eyebrows. “You’re the one who ignored your Christian upbringing. You’re the one denying Jesus.”

  “I deny no such thing. Honestly, Chuck. Have I ever harmed you or anyone in this town? Didn’t I fix your broken arm last spring when you fell on the ice? And didn’t I sew up your little Chrissy’s eyebrow when she fell out of her highchair?” he said pointing to one of the few women there. “I see you back there, Leona. You going to overlook all the good I did for you and hundreds of others in this town? I’ve been a declared Wiccan for ten years, and that never stopped you from calling me in the dead of night when you had a sick baby or your kid got a burr in his foot. Now if you follow the good book like you profess, aren’t you supposed to love your neighbor and welcome the alien among you? Kylie was a stranger here and she never deserved this treatment from any of you. She’s put herself in danger and now she’s in the worst possible peril. You should be saying prayers for her, not fixing to burn down her place.”

  Doug burst through the door, flamethrower on his back.

  “Well, looky here. The gentle folk of Moody Bog have come to call. I hear you want to burn a witch. Well? Come on, boys. I’m a witch!” He flicked on the flamethrower and tossed a short jet of fire into the air. “Me and all my friends here,” he began, gesturing toward Charise and Bob, who were armed with a fireplace poker and a bat respectively. “We’re all witches. And I’m here to fight fire with fire. So you either get the hell off this land now or I’ll start toasting you marshmallows.” He shot off another flame, edging it closer toward the wary crowd.

  That was enough for most of them. They backed away, yelling taunts.

  Charise ran forward with her poker and twirled it over her head, giving out a feral call. Men stumbled to back away from her.