Last Rite (4 page)

The front door swings open and Gabe steps through.

The door’s not even closed before I rip into him, not caring if Faith hears. “You could have told me!”

He shoots a look at Luc then moves to the kitchen. “I didn’t really have the opportunity,” he says, setting his bags on the counter. “But it did give me a chance to see how you interact with strangers.”

“Did I pass your stupid test?” I spit.

There’s an amused sparkle in his eye, but I can see he’s being careful not to smile. “You did.”

“Why didn’t she just tell me what she was?”

He quirks a perfect platinum eyebrow. “Because I asked her not to.”

“Jerk,” I mutter. I move to the window and look down the beach. “So, how many others spies are there?”

Gabe shoots me a hard look before answering. “Faith is not a spy.”

“You could have fooled me.”

He pulls our dinner out of the bags—a rotisserie chicken and fries. “There are no others. Too many Grigori in one spot would risk drawing Hell’s attention.”

Luc settles into a kitchen chair and serves himself. “Especially because I’m sure they’re looking for it,” he agrees.

I cut off a hunk of chicken and dump some fries on my plate then drop into the chair opposite Luc.

Gabe sits between us but doesn’t take any food. “We ended up here because of Faith. She knows most of the people on the beach, so she’d notice anything … unusual.” He turns to me. “And she’s going to help you train.”

“Train?”

“Faith does martial arts. She’ll help you stay sharp.” He cracks a smile. “She gets your body and I get your mind.”

Luc dips a French fry in ketchup and lifts an eyebrow at Gabe. “Guess I know who got the short straw.”

Gabe smirks at Luc. “You got
no
straw.”

Luc shoves the fry in his mouth and chews with narrowed eyes. “Fine by me.”

“So, what do you mean? What is this training?” I ask as I pick at the chicken on my plate.

Gabe looks at me out from under thick white lashes. “You need to sharpen your mind—refine your Sway.”

“Great,” I say, remembering how abysmally things went last time Gabe and I worked on my Sway.

No one has much else to say, and when everyone is done not really eating, I get up and clear the table. Luc and I do the dishes without ever looking at each other.

When we’re done, I grab my duffel off the floor near the front door. “Does it matter which room I take?”

“That one,” Gabe says, pointing to the door on the right, toward the back of the house.

“’Kay,” I say, feeling suddenly exhausted. “I’m gonna take a shower and crash, then, if that’s okay.”

Gabe nods, but there’s a look in his eyes—something sad and a little ominous that makes me want to climb right into his arms and stay there.

I breathe deep and push the bathroom door closed behind me.

LUC

Frannie takes her bag into the bathroom and I wait until the water is running before I turn back to Gabriel. “So, cherub, admit it. You’ve got nothing.”

“I have a plan,” he says, his eyes rolling from the bathroom door back to me.

I wait, but that appears to be all the information he’s volunteering. “Have you thought any more about Rhenorian’s uprising?”

“No,” he says, dropping into the couch.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s Rhenorian’s uprising.”

I lean into the table. “If you’re the best and brightest Heaven has to offer, no wonder Hell is kicking your ass. How could an uprising in Hell be a bad thing? It can only work to our advantage.”

“Or bite us in the butt.”

“Think about this, Gabriel. If anything’s going to change in Hell, I think it’s going to have to start there. If you could rally some celestial support, Rhen and his crew might be able to make a difference.”

He shakes his head slowly. “They’re too unpredictable. They’d take our help as long as it suited their purpose, but you know better than anyone that a demon’s word isn’t worth the breath it takes him to utter it.”

“So, you have something better?”

He hesitates. “More definitive.”

I breathe back my angry frustration at his nonanswers and work to keep my voice even so Frannie doesn’t hear. “What, exactly, is this plan?”

“I’m still working some things out.”

“You already said that. I’m interested in details. Give me what you got.”

“Let me sort it out first,” he says.

My muscles coil tight and I want nothing more than to punch something. “Perfect. You dragged us off to God only knows where without a plan.”

He glares up at me. “You need to get your ears checked. Somewhere in the transition from demon to mortal they must have gone on the fritz, because you’re not hearing me.”

“I’m hearing you say absolutely nothing just fine,” I say through gritted teeth.

He bounds off the couch. “And you’re the expert on protecting Frannie? On your watch she was attacked by Rhenorian, stalked by Andrus, Chax, and Marchosias, and her soul was nearly stolen by Lilith.” He ticks these things off on his fingers while glaring back at me. Lightning crackles over his skin and I’m sure he’s about to start foaming at the mouth. “Maybe you should leave it to the professionals from here on out.”

He’s right, of course. I don’t have a leg to stand on. Technically, it was on Matt’s watch, but that doesn’t change the fact that all those things
did
happen and I was powerless to stop them. But even though I’m painfully aware that Gabriel’s devotion to Frannie goes beyond his sworn duty to protect her, I’m still having more than a little trouble standing by and leaving her safety in his hands.

I cross the room and get in his face, unable to help myself. “Considering that not only Frannie’s safety, but the fate of all humanity rides on keeping her out of Lucifer’s grasp, I was hopeful you might actually have a clue what you were doing. Didn’t think that was asking too much.”

At the mention of Lucifer’s name his eyes flare and his posture stiffens. The next second, he has a handful of my T-shirt. “I know what I’m doing,” he snarls. “I have a plan.”

I stare into his face and suddenly have no doubt that he has a plan. It’s the fact that it’s tearing him apart that has me worried. Frustration roils inside me, the pressure building like lava itching to explode from a volcano. “Fill. Me. In,” I growl.

He pushes me back, releasing my shirt. “She needs to master her Sway. Quickly. We don’t have much time.”

“Until what?”

He stares at me, debating how much to say, before spinning for the door. “There’s no way to do this without her.”

I’m back in his face in a heartbeat. “Do
what
?”

“She’s going to be part of this … part of the fight. It’s the only way.”

My stomach drops to my knees. “You’re insane.” The words are mostly air as they leave my throat.

“It’s the only way,” he repeats, as if trying to convince himself.

I just stare at him, unable to find words to explain just how crazy this is. She needs to be as far from the fight as possible. Now I know beyond a doubt I was right. I need my demonic power if I’m going to be any use to her. She needs me now more than ever. I shove him off. “How long do we have here?”

“That’s up to your boss,” he sneers. “A few weeks, maybe.”

A few weeks may be long enough. She’s changed me that fast before. I need my power back now, and the only way to get it is to make Frannie hate me.

FRANNIE

As I twist the shower knobs I’m surprised to find my hands shaking. I slide off my tank top and step into the water, letting it run over my aching body. I brace my hands against the cool tile and breathe in the billowing steam, imagining it burning away all the guilt that coats every surface of my insides like thick sludge.

I go through the motions on autopilot, and when I step out of the shower, I feel a little better. The bubble gum in my brain making all my thoughts stick together is almost gone.

I’m twisting my hair into a towel when I step out of the bathroom in my Hendrix T-shirt, ready for bed. My heart sinks when I see Gabe and Luc, standing in the middle of the room glaring death at each other. The air is so thick with tension that I can barely breath it. They’re fighting again. And from the glance they both throw my direction, I’m sure it’s about me.

“What’s going on?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

“Nothing,” Gabe says, his voice tight. His eyes lift to mine and he tries to pretend he and Luc weren’t about to rip each other to shreds. “So, I guess I’ll take off—let you guys get settled in and all that.”

I step into the room. “Where are you going?”

Gabe shrugs. “Out.”

“Out,” I repeat. “Listen, I know you don’t need to sleep or anything, but it’s stupid for you to go ‘out’ when I know that means right there.” I point to the front porch. “You should just stay here.”

I think about why I said that. Was it for Gabe, or was it for me? I haven’t spent a night without him in weeks.

Gabe, who doesn’t miss much, seeing as he can read minds and all, slouches onto the couch. “I’ll just crash here.”

Luc glares at him and slides into the chair under the window. “You’ve been in her bed for weeks.” His lip curls in disgust and his eyes harden as they flick to me. “Why resign yourself to the couch now?”

The room feels suddenly cold as Luc picks up the remote and starts channel surfing. His expression is indifferent, as if he didn’t just stab me in the heart. I slide onto the couch next to Gabe.

“My only goal is to protect her, Lucifer,” Gabe’s voice is hard. “Don’t make this into something it isn’t.”

Luc’s face pulls into a sneer. “Honestly, I really don’t care what it is,” he says with a dismissive flick of his wrist toward me. “I took what I wanted. Whatever’s left is yours.”

I swallow hard and glance between them, trying to follow what’s happening. I’m pretty sure Luc is saying he’s done with me … that he was just using me. My eyes scour his face, trying to read him, but he won’t meet my gaze.

I swallow again. “So, what’s the general plan?” I ask no one in particular, ripping my eyes away.

A distressed look passes over Gabe’s face but clears as his eyes meet mine. “For now, we stay put. We need to figure out your Sway, Frannie. That’s priority one. It’s not only your best defense, but also our best offense.”

“
Our
best offense?” Luc repeats, his voice measured.

Gabe ignores him. “We need to figure out what you’re capable of. You need to learn to control your power—to use it.”

My face screws into a grimace and I feel a little sick. “So you want me to work on my Sway again? Remember how well that turned out before?”

His expression becomes sympathetic but not soft. “There’s no choice. Either you’re going to master this thing now, with my help, or you’re going to master it for Lucifer.”

My chest tightens at Lucifer’s name and I can almost feel His leathery arms around me again. “How am I supposed to do that? I have no idea how it works.”

“You’ll practice until you know how to control it.”

I don’t like the sound of that. “On who?”

“Us, for now,” Gabe says, shooting a glance at Luc. “I also think it’s important you learn how to keep others out of your head.”

I raise my eyebrows at him. “Like you?”

“Yes, me, since I’m handy and I can give you feedback. But I’m not the only one who’s capable of messing with your head. I can hear your thoughts, but others can cloud them, which is much more dangerous.”

I shudder, ’cause I know by others, he means Lucifer. My heart turns to lead in my chest remembering how I was when I was near Him—the things He made me want.

I shoot a glance at Luc, who’s running his palms over his knees. “So, you’re going to train Frannie to use her Sway. To what purpose? What’s the end game?”

Gabe’s jaw tightens and he can’t hold Luc’s gaze. “Let’s just worry about one thing at a time,” he evades. “You’ll stay here, where it’s safe. I’ll go out for whatever you need.”

I feel myself bristle at the thought of being held prisoner here. “Gabe, I can’t live in a cage.”

“And besides, that’s not a plan.” Luc’s voice is low as he stares Gabe down, calling him on the evasion.

Gabe shifts on the couch and won’t look at either of us. “I’m working on something, but in the meantime, we need to lay low.”

The itch under my skin tells me I’m not gonna last very long. I just stare at him.

He blows out a sigh and pushes deeper into the cushions, some of the tension finally leaving his body. “Frannie, I know this is hard, but my priority right now is keeping you safe.”

“Is that even possible?” I ask.

“No,” he answers, ’cause he can’t lie. “But I have to try.” He finally raises his eyes to mine, and in them I see his resolve. I also see there’s something he’s not telling me.

I’m so tired. Too tired to think about this. I slump onto the couch and try to watch the show, but my eyes keep drifting to Luc.

His finger mindlessly rubs over a seam in the arm of the chair, and goose bumps crawl over my skin at the memory of that finger tracing patterns on my face. He looks over and my eyes flick back to the TV, but in that brief instant, I’d swear I saw loathing in his gaze. Directed at me.

My chest aches as I pull myself out of the couch and head to my room.

3

Guiding Light

GABE

I can’t believe I’m thinking this.

How can I consider putting her in danger—directly into His path? This isn’t a plan. It’s insanity.

But it’s all I’ve got.

I pull myself to my feet and watch Frannie disappear behind her door. I don’t know how long we have. A few months, or maybe just weeks. Whatever it is, it’s not long enough. I won’t be able to hide her forever, so something needs to change.

Luc is staring at me, waiting for me to come clean. He’s not going to let this drop. And he shouldn’t.

I should tell them. I know that. Eventually, I’ll have to.