“Now?” Lita gasps. “This is even worse than I thought! We’re filthy. We haven’t slept. What could be the point of this?”
“I just thought we could get a read on the place. Find out just exactly what it is that he’s preaching about.”
“He’s preaching about the same crazy crap he’s always preached about. The Apocalypse, Armageddon, the Last Days, the End Times, I already told you.”
“But is he still obsessed with those things? And if so, what are the specifics? I need details—names, places, dates. How exactly does he figure the world is going to end?”
“You think he’s working with the Richters?”
I shake my head. “No. I think he works only for himself. He’s as vain and egocentric as they come. But I’ve no doubt there’s something very weird going on with him and his daughter, and I think it involves Dace and Cade.”
“Okay, so why me? Why don’t I drop you off at Auden’s and the two of you can enjoy a nice romantic date at Suriel Youngblood’s House of Crazy?”
“Because you’re here and Auden is probably still sleeping.”
“So it’s true, I am a consolation prize.”
“Also, because everyone in this town knows you. And if Suriel is preaching, I figure he’ll be so thrilled to see you in the pews he’ll do his best to impress you and really amp up the message, maybe even reveal more than he intends to.”
“Oh, how you flatter me, Xotichl Gorman.” She huffs under her breath, wanting me to know how unhappy she is with this turn of events. “So if I did decide to go through with this—and I’m not saying I have—but if I did, then what’s in it for me?”
“You mean aside from helping Dace and Daire and possibly stopping Cade from destroying Enchantment and maybe the world?”
“Yeah, aside from the obvious.” She twists her fingers against the steering wheel. “Oh, forget it.” She heaves a frustrated breath. “Seriously, forget I just said that. I’ll go. I’ll do it. But I just want to make it crystal clear that what you’re asking of me is bigger than you think. It’s like asking someone with agoraphobia to leave the house, or someone with arachnophobia to make nice with a spider. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Suriel Youngblood freaks me out.”
“Only one way to overcome your fears and that’s by confronting them,” I tell her. “And, if you live through it, I might be able to help you with a little problem of yours.”
“At the moment, the only problem I can think of is going to Suriel’s. Care to enlighten me?”
“Yes, but only if you live through this. Which remains to be seen.”
“And to think you look so innocent. Who would guess the devious mind that inhabits your cute little head?” Lita laughs and taps the wheel lightly.
“Almost no one,” I quip. “Now, instead of making a left, I need you to turn right.”
“How’d you know I was gonna go left?”
“By the way your hand shifted when you hit the blinker.”
“Seriously?”
I shrug.
“Sheesh. You’re more observant than most sighted people.” Her car judders in protest as the road grows progressively worse. “Definitely not the affluent side of town, is it?” She groans. “Not that we have an affluent side of town. Other than the Richters’ compound.”
“What’s it like? I assume you’ve been inside?”
“More than once.” Lita makes a small sound of displeasure. “It’s like getting a glimpse inside a secret society. Only the chosen few get an invite. I felt so cool and privileged at the time, but in retrospect, it was creepy. Aside from all the opulence and excess, it’s a strange mix of eclectic, modern, and tribal, with a sizable stash of priceless antiques. And now that I know what I know, I can’t help but wonder if all of those ancient artifacts were used in the family’s dark rituals.”
“Did you see them perform any dark rituals?”
“None that I know of. But they are sorcerers, so I’m assuming pretty much everything they do is a ritual of some kind. I’m just lucky they didn’t use me as a sacrifice.”
“I think you were safe. They usually need virgins for that sort of thing.”
“Xotichl!” Lita gasps.
“Speaking of—”
“Speaking of virgin sacrifice?”
“Speaking of dark rituals … if my senses are correct, the church we’re looking for should be right up ahead. I’m picking up on some weird energy.” Along with some dense, dark, and shadowy forms—I keep the thought to myself.
“Should I drive right up to it, or should I be more covert?”
“Hard to be covert in the middle of nowhere. Besides, better to be obvious about our interest; if we act sneaky, he’ll get suspicious.”
Lita brakes hard, sending the car lurching forward and back, before cranking the wheel in a series of turns, until she’s positioned just where she wants it.
“Now we can make a quick getaway. I plan to leave the engine running as well. You can thank me later,” she says, as we climb out of the car and move toward the church, which to me appears as a small, lurching form draped in a heavy cloak of black. But I’m curious how it might look to her, so I ask her to describe it in detail. “Well, it’s adobe. Actually, make that crumbling adobe which probably comes as a total shock, seeing that this is Enchantment and all.” The laugh that follows is sharp and sarcastic. “Okay, what else … it’s small, but that’s only because no sane person would ever choose to come here, so it’s not like he needs a lot of room for overpacked pews. Overall, I’d say it’s pretty dilapidated. But then again, you know what they say—zero parishioners equals zero tithing. And yet…” I veer closer. She’s come to the part I’m interested in. “For being so old and crumbly, it’s surprisingly well-maintained. Which I know sounds completely contradictory, but what I mean is that it’s wearing a fresh coat of whitewash, there’s a freshly shoveled path that leads to the door, and the plants are in decent shape, despite all the snow.”
“Oleander, right?” I tip my nose high and inhale deeply.
“Um, yeah. I think so. I’m just wondering where he keeps all the snakes.”
“I keep the snakes in their aquariums,” a voice says from behind us.
Suriel’s sudden and unexpected appearance causes me to jump as Lita squeals and grabs my arm in a tourniquet grip.
“I didn’t know you were here … we were just…” Lita trembles beside me, as I loosen her fingers. Only vaguely aware of my arm tingling from my elbow to my fingertips as I take in the shadowy figure that hosts some of the worst energy I’ve ever seen.
Other than demons.
And Richters.
Especially Cade.
“If you’re interested in the snakes, you’ve come at an opportune time. I’m just about to feed one.” He dangles something before him—something that’s squealing and clambering like hell to get free. “Not everyday you get to see a sight like this. Perhaps you’d like to come inside and watch?” His voice is jovial enough, but the words themselves emit a deep greasy yellow that keeps me rooted firmly in place. This man is a dangerous combination of paranoia, lies, and delusions of grandeur. Coming here is probably the worst mistake I’ve ever made.
“That’s a rat!” Lita cries, taking a step back, and pulling me along with her.
“That’s what rattlers eat,” Suriel says. “You have nothing to fear. When you’re filled with divine light, no creature can harm you. But you wouldn’t know about that. Your soul is filled with darkness, which is why you’re steeped in dread.”
Says the man swirling in a cloud of dark, sludgy murk.
“Oh, um, maybe,” Lita says, doing her best to play along as she slowly backs away.
“And who’s your friend, Lita?”
“You know me?” She gasps, effectively nailing the high notes.
“’Course I do. You’re associated with that young Richter fellow. What’s his name, Cade?” He speaks the name as though he’s merely hazarding a guess, but the gr
easy, yellow sludge dripping off his tongue betrays his deception.
“No,” Lita says, eager to dismiss any perceived notion of her alliance with the Richters. “Not anymore. Not for a while now. I have nothing to do with him.”
“Still, you’ve been touched by his darkness. I can see it in you. I’m sure your little friend here sees it too.” He turns in a way that instantly blocks the morning sun at his back, casting me in his long and ominous shadow. “You’re not nearly as blind as you pretend, are you, little one?”
Inside I balk, but outwardly I keep cool. A paranoid, delusional, self-righteous freak with insight—he’s even more dangerous than I guessed.
The rat, still dangling from Suriel’s fingers, squeals in loud protest. Causing Suriel to laugh as he says, “Time to feed.” He tries to appear jaunty but doesn’t come close to succeeding. “If you girls aren’t interested in watching, then it’s best you move on. This is a house of salvation, not a tourist attraction. Though you might want to memorize the location. Won’t be long before you’ll be begging to seek sanctuary here. Never too late to repent.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lita calls after his retreating back.
“The Last Days are upon us. The Shining Days of Glory will follow. I will bring about the New World by ending this one, and neither of you are ready. Clock’s ticking!”
The door slams shut behind him, as Lita grips my sleeve and hauls me back to her car where she hits the accelerator so hard I lift off my seat and slam my head into the roof.
“Sorry about that,” she says about five minutes later, after she’s laid down some serious tracks. “So is he as creepy as I said, or what?”
“Creepier.” I hug myself tightly, wishing I could erase what just happened.
“Wonder if that rat was really for his snake. Seemed like he might be planning to eat it himself.”
We burst into fits of laughter, eager to relieve ourselves of the tension.
“Still, I’m glad we went,” I say, surprised by my words.
“Why? What did you get out of that other than he’s a delusional doomsday fanatic who believes this New Year’s Eve will be our last?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “It’s just good to gather as many pieces as possible. You never know where they’ll fit. Anyway, can you drop me at Auden’s? I sent him a text that I’m on my way.”
The rest of the ride is spent mostly in silence until Lita says, “Okay, so what’s the prize? I mean, now that I survived the creepy encounter with Suriel, it’s time to collect. So tell me, what did I win?”
It takes me a moment to make sense of it. I guess I’d been so focused on trying to find a connection between Suriel’s Apocalypse and the situation between Daire, Dace, and Cade, I’d almost forgotten the promise I made. “Well, you know how you’re always worried about being a third wheel? I think I’ve found a way to fix it.”
“You setting me up with Auden?” She laughs, which to me appears as a river of golden bubbles streaming from her lips.
“Never!” I grin. “But how about the next best thing?”
“Auden has a clone?”
“Auden has a band. A band with bandmates who all just happen to be boys. One of whom also happens to be recently single, and, from what I hear, he’s really cute.”
“So, let me get this straight—you’re making me visit the preacher who gave me nightmares as a kid, and my prize is one of Auden’s recently dumped band members?”
“You really know how to put a positive spin on things.”
“Yeah, well, in case you didn’t hear me before, my dating days are over. I’ve kissed practically every boy in our school, including, embarrassingly enough, a few of the scrawnier freshmen, and once again, for the record, every single one of them was found lacking.”
“Still, you haven’t kissed Greyson. And didn’t you recently say that Enchantment was in need of some new recruits? While Greyson isn’t exactly new, or a resident for that matter, he is new to you.”
Lita sighs. “So, just out of curiosity which one is he?”
“The drummer.”
She shifts in her seat. “Are you talking about the cute one whose bangs are always flopping into his eyes?”
“So they tell me.”
“For real?”
“If you’re up for it, I know for a fact that he’s up for it.”
She turns away, taps her fingers against the steering wheel. “Maybe. I need some time to think about it. But no promises.”
“He’ll be at the Rabbit Hole tonight. You can talk, hang out, and see what you think.” I gather my stuff and climb out of her car just as Auden comes out to greet me.
“Xotichl—” Lita calls after me. Hesitating before she goes on to say, “You know how when we were down in the Lowerworld and you said you could kind of see shapes and shadows and things?”
I swallow hard, but otherwise keep very still.
“Well, can you still see those things?”
I shake my head, unable to give voice to the lie.
“That’s too bad. Guess it was just the magick of the place.”
“Guess so.” I bite back a grin and turn away, barreling straight into the arms of the beautiful, shaggy-haired shadow rushing toward me.
fifteen
Daire
“I need cigarettes, tobacco, whatever you got!” I shuck off the filthy sweater I passed out in not long after I got home, and replace it with a clean one. “I’m sure there will be no shortage of demons down there and it’s the demon snack of choice. Also—”
“Nieta.”
I turn to Paloma.
“Don’t overexert yourself. You’ve just returned from a horrible ordeal. You’re still healing, you’re still weak!”
“I slept twelve hours—how can I be weak? Besides do I look weak?” I raise my hands to my sides, allowing her to get a good look before I turn away and change into a clean pair of jeans.
“What happened to your scar?” She stares at the V-neck of my sweater, the place that bears the mark of Cade’s wrath. “It seems to be shrinking, fading. The ointment I used has never worked so quickly.”
“I bathed it with the healing waters of the Enchanted Spring. I should bottle some and bring it back for you to use on your clients. It’s amazing—heals everything.” Including Cade. Though I fail to mention that part. No need to worry her any more than she already is.
A ghost of a grin crosses her face, vanishing almost as quickly as it came. “I’ve tried that on many occasions, it doesn’t work. While the effects of its magick can survive the return to the Middleworld, the healing transformation happens only there. Once the water leaves the Lowerworld, it’s just water. There’s nothing special about it.”
“Well, it’s healing me,” I say. “I feel fine. Strong. Ready to do what I need to.”
“That may be so, nieta. But don’t forget you are thinner, paler, and I have no way of knowing if your friend Axel—”
“He’s not my friend,” I snap, but Paloma proceeds undeterred.
“I have no idea if he healed your heart properly. I have no idea how long his healing will hold.”
“I don’t know either.” I make a concerted effort to soften my tone. “But I can’t let that stop me. It was truly a miracle he was able to save me at all. I have no idea who he is, how he did it, or why he did it. All I know is that so far it’s worked, and it’s all I have to go on. That, and a whole lot of faith that between the combined efforts of you, Axel, and the spring, the healing will continue.”
One look at her face, the way she holds herself so stiffly, tells me she remains unsure.
“Look, I know you’re worried about losing me again just one day after I returned, but we both know the score. We both know the inherited dangers of being a Seeker.”
“It wasn’t quite as dangerous in my day.” Her fingers twist nervously at the row of small shell buttons lining the front of her cardigan.
“Somehow I doubt that.” I head for my clo
set, searching for my old green army jacket, but I can’t seem to find it. “There were Richters then, just as there are now.” I place my hands on my hips and frown.
“Aw, but Cade is a whole new breed of Richter,” Paloma says, and as much as I’d like to refute it, we both know it’s true. “Still, I fear you are running on adrenaline. And while you may feel strong now, it won’t last. That sort of thing never does. You’re bound to crash at some point, and then what?”
“You’re right.” I drop my hands, trading the search for my jacket for a search for shoes. “You usually are. But the thing is, adrenaline is all that I’ve got, so it’s just going to have to suffice. I’m stronger than you think, abuela.” I lean against the wall, and slide my feet into a pair of old sneakers. The cool black boots Jennika bought me for Christmas got lost along with the rest of the clothes that I died in. “And despite the scar on my chest, I’m not nearly as frail as I look. Besides, I’m the only one who can do this. I was born to do this.”
“But your training—”
“My training was hastened, I know. But you’ve taught me a lot, and you’ve taught me well. It’ll have to suffice. There’s only one thing…” I reach into my bag and retrieve the bloody athame. “Cade used this to kill me. And Dace used this to kill Cade. And I’m wondering how all of this could’ve happened, when we sanctified it with Valentina’s essence. Wasn’t that supposed to protect me?”
“It did protect you. You’re still here. And Dace is too.”
“Axel saved me. And Coyote saved Dace by default.”
“Who knows what forces are at work,” she says, taking the knife from me. Her gaze firm as she says, “I will take care of this, if you take care of three things before you leave.”
I wait, having no idea what they’ll be.
“First, call your mother.”
I drop my head in my hands, horrified I had to be reminded to do that. Jennika must be totally freaking. Not to mention how she’ll never forgive me for waiting so long to phone her.
“And second, if you’re looking for your jacket, it’s in my room. I know it’s a favorite of yours so I took the liberty of patching it up.”