The Gateway Through Which They Came (35 page)

As we break apart, I can feel my heart give way, collapsing into the pit of my stomach. I pray that there’s a way to get her through this.

Pressing my forehead against hers, I’m breathless when I say, “I’ll fight for you. I always will.”

The words are a promise. One I intend to keep.

At the church door, she squeezes my hand one last time as she blinks out of sight.

The door unlocks and swings open before me.

“You rang,” Koren jokes, her butler impersonation spot on. She greets me with a swing of her arm, welcoming me over the threshold.

“You’re beautiful… for a man,” I jest.

She smiles, nudging my shoulder.

Glad I’m not the only one trying to forget why we’re here.

“All right,” she whispers. “From here on out, you have to follow my lead. No matter what happens or what I say, remember this.” She presses her finger lightly against my lips, as if I could ever forget.

A sad smile twitches at the side of her mouth as she lowers her hand to her side. I ignore the urge to reach for her, to press her against me one more time. There’s no time for that, or for regrets.

“Follow me,” she says, leading the way down the aisle to the chamber.

Only the dull moonlight shining through the painted glass guides us. The hall is dark, and the building is so quiet, I can hear a rustle from the swaying branches outside, clear as day. Koren blinks out again, opening the door to Father Martin’s chamber. Cold air swarms through the room, and this time I have no question as to where it’s coming from. The secret door is ajar when we approach, a true sign that we are expected.

As she pulls the door open, I grab her arm to beg her to go back, but she already knows.

“No,” she says. “I’m staying with you.”

She gives me no other choice when she steps into the stairway. The torches along the wall are lit, making this feel more like a trap. Aren’t we supposed to be the ones trapping him? It’s too late now.

Our breathing is heavy the farther we descend. That pressure I felt before weighs again on my chest. I can feel the sweat building along my brow, but I feel chilled to the bones. Every step Koren takes in front of me is confident, her act to betray the Dark Priest beginning to take form. I’m still unsure what role I’m supposed to play, but one thing I know are these words:

With the Light I send thee, forever into the depths of darkness.

I say this over and over like a mantra, but my mind is invaded with the familiar sound of disembodied voices. The two I’d heard before, speaking to each other again.

“He’s come back. He brings the dead with him.”
The voice hisses into my ears from far away, but not far enough.

“I can feel the power of the book. It is close, it is close,” the other rejoices.

“The Dark Priest will be happy, yes. Happy, indeed.”

“Indeed, yes.”

Can Koren hear them? Am I the only one? I shudder at the sound of their maniacal laughter when we reach the end of the steps. A tunnel leads us to a room, the glow of firelight bouncing off the stone near the entrance. Before we turn the corner to face what waits behind the wall, Koren turns to me. Her breath catches in her throat.

“Remember,” she whispers, placing her fingertips along her lips for the briefest of moments.

I nod once before she walks through the entrance to a room filled with lit torches. The entire room is made up of stones, rows of black pews facing a ceremonial altar much different from the one above us. This one is decorated with red candles and made of black marble. In spite of the cold temperature that led us here, the room is sweltering—so hot, my very flesh threatens to melt.

A man stands ready to greet us, only it isn’t Father Raimi. It’s Vincent Chase.

A dark voice rumbles through my head, coming from somewhere within.

“Welcome to the Brethren, Aiden Ortiz.”

incent stands at the altar in a ceremonial black cloak, similar to the one worn by the Dark Priest in the old photograph. The cloak matching the one from Redhead’s vision. My jaw drops. This is definitely not what we expected to find here tonight.

His eyes glow with the light of the flames, staring upward as if praying straight to God, though I know different. Flanking him are two dark shadows, hovering in place, their faceless gaze directed on us.

Vincent lowers his head slowly, his lips curled into a devilish grin. With his hands pressed palm down on the altar, he leans forward, inspecting Koren. Her head is down in respect, masking any emotion she must be feeling upon finding him here. She’s playing her part well, showing no trace of a girl marked with betrayal. The light of the torches warms her skin, and for the first time in a while she looks herself again. It’s as if the room itself and the power it holds rejuvenates her.

“Look at me!” he snarls with distaste.

Carefully, she obeys.

“Am I supposed to believe you’ve brought him here of your own volition?” His face contorts with disapproval, and I’m now more afraid for Koren than myself.

I try to distract him. “It’s been you this whole time? But Father Raimi…” I force myself to stare only at him; I can’t let him see my connection with Koren.

He turns steadily to me, his face twisting to something more pleasant, if that’s possible.

“Father Raimi is simply a mask. Would you rather it be him you see? Would that make this easier?” The skin of his face melts away, shaping and peeling back to form the calm smile of the priest I’ve come to know.

“Why Vincent?” Is Justin’s dad another mask?

“Oh, that. Yes, I get quite bored having the same face for too long. Brother Chase doesn’t mind. In fact, he finds it to be an honor that I’ve chosen him.”

“He’s like you.” It’s not a question.

“Of course! How else would I have discovered you were the Gateway? Do you think it’s only the dead that can sense your presence?” He shakes his head. “Brother Chase knew what you were years ago when he became a member of this church, as do all the Brethren who come within feet from you. The energy of a Mortal Gateway is blaring. It was only a matter of time until everything fell into place.”

“Vincent Chase is part of the Brethren?” Even though I know the answer, I can’t grasp it. The Chase family is exactly like Koren and her parents. Followers. Did she know?

I turn to her as if expecting an answer.

“She never knew,” Father Raimi says, answering my unspoken question. “We all have our roles to play, Aiden. The trustworthy priest. The concerned lover. The jealous boyfriend. Though to be fair, Justin was a pawn, someone to look over Koren when I could not. He has yet to grasp what it means to be a part of the Brethren, but soon enough, he’ll have the power of his father and mine. His flirtation with the girl was simply to bring his father closer to their family. To persuade them to believe. It was clear you’d do anything for her, though, it turns out I didn’t need her after all.”

I’ve never wanted to kill anyone ever in my life, but now… Koren’s parents died for nothing.
She
died for nothing. I’d fallen right into his hands, his portrayal of a priest making it all the more easier. He never needed her. She meant nothing to him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I growl, feeling more like a fool than ever. Vincent was the man who’d destroyed Koren’s family. Suddenly I wish I’d crushed Justin’s throat when I had the chance. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

It takes everything in me not to charge at him. To cause him as much pain as he’s caused Koren.

“You’ve become so attached to the idea of me. Who am I to ruin it?” he replies. “Trust, Aiden. You trusted me, as you should.”

“Why should I?”

The gentle smile he’s shown so many times comes to life. “Because this is where you belong, of course. I’ve seen the way you take the power upon yourself. It doesn’t possess you, you own it. You control every aspect of it. And do you know why?”

I stay silent.

“You are power, Aiden. What you feel is what you’ve wanted your entire life. To feel in control after having no say in the burden left upon you. With us, your burden can grow to become so much more.”

There’s no denying the effect of his words. They ring true in so many ways that even I can’t admit to myself. I hate knowing he’s right, and even more so that he knows.

Still, there’s the Light inside of me that glows brighter, battling against the darkness. I can’t turn my back on that.

“But you stopped me from coming down here. You warned me against everything.” I hold my ground, my eyes dead-locked with his.

Koren does the same. She doesn’t cower or back down from her stance, keeping her gaze on the Dark Priest.

“Now, how could you trust someone if they just let you blindly wander into a dark tunnel?” A tiny snicker leaves his lips. “I needed to know how badly you wanted this. How much you devoted yourself to knowing more. You’ve proven that your drive and perseverance is everything it needs to be.”

As he says it, I suddenly understand. He manipulated me, just as Vincent did to Koren and her parents.

With a blink, Father Raimi stands beside the podium, hands clasped behind his back. The silent shadows appear next to him, following his every move.

“Funny,” I scoff. “You talk about me having control over my choices, but you’re the one who’s done this to me. You led me here.”

“Ah. Did I? Or is it that I gave you the push you needed? It was up to you how far you would take it.” His kind face is no longer that, but a mask I see right through. I watch as he paces near the front of the altar, the shadows close on his heel like obedient dogs. “You were a ticking time bomb ready to blow. Alexa, the girl you so viciously disintegrated, was your trigger. You welcomed her into your body. You fed off her energy.”

Redhead
, I think to myself.

Beside me, Koren’s face flinches with anger. Her fingers curl at her sides, digging deep into her legs. She’s losing it. With each word, Father Raimi drives her more over the edge. She could turn at any minute. I have to let her in before it’s too late.

“Tell me, Aiden. How did it feel when you killed her?” He stops at the center of the altar and faces me.

“How do you know about that?” My jaw clenches.