The Gates

4

INVINCIBLE

A dozen vampires met us at the familiar bayou, the crescent moon now fully visible against the inky sky. I didn’t recognize any of them except Josh and Scarlet, the curvaceous vixen that made my blood boil each time I saw her. She gave a cutesy-pie wave when she spotted me, then winked, her lips curled into a secretive grin, as though she was laughing at something. What was so funny? Was I missing something? I waved back half-heartedly, then turned my attention to Gavin.

“There are only thirteen of you? I thought this was going to be a war,” I whispered.

“We’re doing this in two phases, remember? This is part one.” He set down his bag, adjusted his combat boots. “The rest of the resistance will join us on the first day of the crescent moon cycle, in exactly three months. This is all we’ll need for now, just to have some manpower and a few extra pairs of eyes while we’re in the city. Don’t worry, we know what we’re doing,” he reached up and gently nudged my arm.

“Okay,” I mumbled, looked down at the watertight bag in my hands, which held my new journal, Vivienne’s text, and a few essentials. I didn’t really know what to expect, only making it as far as the castle last time. Everything past the gates was mysterious to me, unknown. Gavin had described the city as an old-world community made up of villages, all without technology, luxuries or running water. I figured a few toiletries couldn’t hurt. Yeah, maybe they’ll make me feel right at home in my very own vampire hellhole.

The twelve vampires all joined together in a circle, waiting for Gavin’s direction, flashlights in hand, game faces on. Scarlet leaned back toward the magic oak, draped her arms across the rugged branch that held the key to our entry, sultry and comfortable in tight-fitting pants and a revealing halter top. Hussy. Must’ve read the wrong dress code. We weren’t headed for Studio 54, for crying out loud.

“As discussed, it’s imperative to keep your spell mojo bag on you, as close to your skin as possible, at all times. Camille, you’re human, so you’ll have to stay with at least one of us for the magic to keep you safe from our kind. The bags need to be kept out of sight and under your clothes. They also have to be fed, nurtured intermittently with the oils I gave you, or the spells will wear out. And we can’t have that.” Gavin spoke loud and authoritative. It was a tone I wasn’t used to hearing him take: one full of power, possession, and most of all, determination. He was such a leader. It was … hot. I smiled to myself, mesmerized as I watched him speak, dagger in hand, dressed in black jeans and a faded gray shirt, tousled brown hair as perfect as ever.

As I admired him, I noticed Scarlet staring intently, too, her eyes catching mine. There was a glint in them, an unspoken challenge that made me furious. Her coy smile made me even more agitated. Where was my jealousy coming from? It was so strong, so urgent, getting harder to contain by the second. Gavin had already assured me she was nothing to worry about. But something about her seared my skin, sank into my bones and settled there, leaving me on edge. I looked away, focusing again on Gavin’s pep talk.

“We’ve had an advantage, an extra defense against humans, against those who practice Hoodoo—the ability to be unaffected by their magic. And yet, we can use their magic among our own kind. Their magic isn’t limited to Samira and Gérard’s use, although they love for us to think that. An original conjurer, a good friend of ours, has gone out of her way to help create these protection spells for us. They are just as strong as Samira’s magic, and will keep us safe when we approach her. They’ll also give us copious amounts of energy to thrive.”

My thoughts trailed to Vivienne and her haint blue shop behind the pizzeria, her cautious eyes and generous heart. She really wanted to help us, even though she wasn’t sure what it would mean for her people, even though the frozen souls had disrespected her magic, her faith, for all these years. I smiled at the thought, thankful for the sweet, wise old woman.

Gavin began meandering around the inside of the circle, locking vision with each vampire. “Samira has no idea we have a conjurer’s help, and no idea we’ve acquired this amount of energy. Even if she doesn’t reveal it, she’ll be surprised that our magic is able to withstand her own. Stand strong, and stand tall. Do not falter, because the time is coming, and her kingdom will fall. Remember to be on guard within the villages. We don’t know for certain the conditions we face. We must gain the peoples’ trust, even as we show Samira that she can trust us to restore her order. Our obedience is the only thing that will keep her unaware until the rest of the resistance arrives to help us.”

“What if we don’t make it past the moat?” one of the twelve stammered, shaking in obvious fear.

Gavin stopped in the middle of the circle and turned to him. “The moat? We will make it through the gates. Of this, I am certain.”

The nervous vampire reluctantly shook his head, taking a deep breath.

Gavin gave the vampire a firm nod, then shouted, “To strong will and sweet freedom!” He waved his hands to encourage his people. Everyone took the cue, shouting in unison, repeating his words, chanting them. He stormed toward me, eyes blazing, his fiery gaze taking me by surprise. It made me melt, witnessing him take such control, but then I shivered as I felt the bayou’s temperature begin to drop, calling us toward the portal, tempting us to pull the branch and unlock the gateway.

“You’re really ready for this, aren’t you?” I asked him as he grabbed his bag.

“This is going to work. I know it. My parents will finally have peace.” He reached up and ran his fingers over his mother’s locket around my neck, then gave me a breathtaking smile and pulled me into his embrace, kissed me hard and desperately.

The group’s energy buzzed, everyone chattering and pumping one another up. When Gavin let go of me, I surveyed the bayou and swallowed, realizing this was it. I was no longer that book-nerd loner-girl from Louisiana, no longer the damaged girl from Seattle who once put up with so much abuse from men.

I was now Gavin’s support, love and future, and he was mine. Better yet, he encouraged my personal dreams despite his all-consuming lifestyle. He didn’t want me to give myself up, even though I was lost in all of his madness. My new path was suddenly tangible beneath my feet, although I couldn’t quite see it brick for brick yet. Hope bloomed in me, and the same energy that now possessed Gavin filled me too. I was ready for this, ready to do anything for this man, for these people, for our friends. I’d somehow managed to entangle myself in the beginning of a vampire war. Purpose panged my stomach and I was overwhelmed with the need for justice.

“Scarlet,” Gavin called to her while taking my hand. She raised her eyebrows and smiled at him, slowly, lasciviously, keeping her eyes on his as she snapped the oak’s branch. My envy flared green at the sight.

The gorgeous violet light over the bayou began to illuminate the murky water, lighting up our surroundings more and more, the wind dancing around us with fury. The bayou’s water churned, and it was time. Gavin, Josh and I took the lead, and one by one, the others followed us to wade into the water.

The heavenly bluish-purple fluorescence broke through the crevices of the bayou’s floor and cast beautiful, blinding rays upward onto our faces, breaking the surface like a budding flower starved and desperate for sunshine. The muddy illuminated water tugged aggressively at our knees until one by one, it seized us and pulled us beneath its surface. This bayou portal, this violent, living thing, mesmerized me just as it did the first time I’d entered Amaranth, only this time I had the chance to appreciate its chilling beauty. How could something so ferocious on the surface be so peaceful underneath?

My head submerged, the current began dragging me downward, farther and farther until I could see nothing above me and nothing below me, only a glimmer of Gavin’s skin as the vortex tugged him beneath me to the portal hole. I allowed my limbs to surrender to the force, knowing it would guide me and carry me gracefully to my destination. Within moments, we passed through the bayou’s disorienting abyss. Soaking wet, I dropped from the bayou’s earthen tunnel onto the black and white tiles with a thud, landing across Gavin’s knees; he’d tried to break my fall as best he could. He stood to help me up, wiping the water from his face and eyes, then mine. He moved us out of the way just in time; Josh dropped from the tunnel’s ceiling next, gasping for breath as the water released him.

“You okay, man?” Gavin asked, lent him a hand.

“Just getting started, brother.” He chuckled, groaned as he stood, shook his shiny brown hair.

Joel’s face swam across my vision and I blinked, goose bumps running up my arms. I shook his memory away, determined to stay focused, although my heart caved at the thought of his last words to us, right here in this very spot: Take care of each other. I’d be damned if I was going to let him down now.

One by one, the others poured in, the daggers we’d brought in their hands, and Gavin led us down the candelabra-lit tunnel toward the medieval, human bone-embellished door. As we approached the door, Gavin grabbed my hand tight, swung his bag over his shoulder to adjust it, then signaled to everyone behind us. They braced themselves, knives drawn. I grasped my dagger firmly, feeling awkward and unsure of my ability to use it properly.

“Don’t let go of me, love. Hold tight,” he whispered, then yanked on the door’s crescent-shaped handle. I shielded my eyes from the dirt that fumed around us as the door swung open. The ashen light filtered in, and as soon as my eyes adjusted, I spotted the familiar English maze. The bright green landscape jumped out at me, and though I couldn’t yet see the sky above it, I recalled how beautiful it was, the last time I was here, against the muted-gray sky.

We stepped through the doorway and toward the gorgeous greenery of the maze, and I now was able to assess the hills in the distance. They rolled like soft, dreamy waves, as though in some distant fairytale land.

So far, no castle guards in sight. Was that a good thing? My stomach churned, my nerves getting the best of me despite Gavin’s confidence.

Gavin led us forward, inching into the maze to keep us out of sight, then picked up the pace as we weaved in and around the corners. I recognized the fountain at its center and my heartbeat accelerated; I allowed Gavin to tow me faster and faster until we reached the maze’s other entrance, and the clearing.

“Incoming,” Gavin shouted behind us, his voice husky and threatening. The horizon revealed the beast-like vampires trudging forward from the distance, first walking briskly, then running and launching toward us into flight, their gray cloaks blowing behind them, fangs bared. Gavin grasped my waist with his free arm, hoisted us upward and sent us soaring, the others taking his lead.

Like a flock of birds, we rocketed toward the guards head on. The castle’s silhouette slowly came into view, its tallest tower becoming more defined as we grew closer. The wind was exhilarating, and Gavin’s energy was evident. Strong, fast, and superhuman, he propelled us forward with immense force. Vivienne’s spell is really working. That was my thought just before we dropped to the ground just before we collided midair with the guards, faking them out at the last minute, then Gavin scooped me up and charged toward the castle’s moat by foot, where more guards waited.

The other vampires landed in pairs directly behind us, still following our lead. Now we had guards coming from the front and behind, closing in just as they had closed in on Joel. Though expected, we were sorely outnumbered.

“Mighty foolish of you,” one of the monsters barked at us, laughing low and wicked.

“We’re here to see the queen.” Gavin steadied his stance, keeping me wrapped behind him, his dagger pointed and ready to strike. “Move forward, Josh,” he directed, keeping his eyes on the guards. Josh gave the others a nod, encouraging them to keep moving forward, toward the moat.

We all banded together and closed in to form a defensive circle, our backs to one another, facing the guards from every direction. Maintaining this formation, we crept forward, and to my amazement, as one guard after another lunged toward us, they were thrown back by some unseen force, unable to get within five feet of us. Satisfaction spread across Gavin’s face as each guard tried to dash toward us, and each time, instead of penetrating our protective hedge, they were propelled backward. As understanding came, his stance became more relaxed, his walk a casual stride. Taking my hand, he turned to his followers and shook his head. Everyone relaxed a little and glanced around at the hordes of guards that stood around us, wide-eyed and flabbergasted.

“You won’t get away with this,” one monster bellowed, giving us a grizzly, chill-inducing snarl.

“Gentlemen.” Gavin was grinning as we walked right by them, his hand still in mine. My jaw dropped as our little flock strolled on through their masses with ease, watching as they were each forced to step backward, forced to keep their distance.

Vivienne, you are a saint. I suspected Gavin shared a similar thought.

Passing over the moat and through the castle entrance, we headed toward the foyer that led to Samira’s throne room. Gavin knew exactly where to go. Guards charged toward us from every corner, thickening in numbers as we approached the tall wood doors, but were continually thrown backward into the rough stone walls when they tried to attack. I grasped Gavin’s hand tighter, still cringing each time one leaped at us.

“Stay together,” Gavin reminded the others, speaking low and calm while he reached for the wooden doors into the throne room. I began to shake, bracing myself to face the gorgeous yet deadly vampire queen once again. Tempted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, I clutched Gavin’s hand so tight that if he had circulation, I was sure I’d be cutting it off.

He swung open the tall arched doors and our tiny flock moved in, straight ahead to the raised throne, where Samira casually sat, staring at us, smug and relaxed.

“Hello my pets,” her Russian accent purred, captivating me instantly. “What a glorious, dramatic display.” She chuckled softly, her gaze directed at Gavin. His eyes met hers, stern and determined. “This is most certainly entertaining, but you shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.”

“Your Majesty.” Gavin discreetly moved me behind him as he approached the throne steps. Samira remained still as stone, her thin, elegant arms draped on either side of her, sharp red nails gently tapping the armrests. Her raven locks sat disheveled atop her statuesque head; her chin turned down, eyes revealing a tinge of irritation that betrayed her normally easy demeanor. I immediately spotted the wolves behind her, positioned near the blazing fireplace.

“I do believe you owe me a new castle wall, Mr. Devereux. The highest tower, if I recall.” She arched an eyebrow and slightly lifted her chin, a wicked grin spreading across her lips. “Shall I put you and your friends to work? I haven’t had the luxury of hiring a redecorator since you plowed through it.”

Of course she would mention the castle tower wall, the one Gavin and I destroyed in haste during our bold escape. As if she really needed to remind us of her displeasure? Hearing the threat in her coy challenge, I wondered if repairing the wall would be so terrible compared to what she was actually about to do to us.