"No," Kim said. "And you're not invited."
"Well, that's too bad. Because I'm coming," he said. He opened the car door behind the passenger side, and slammed it behind him.
Kim looked to me.
"Jared will follow us," I warned.
"So?" Kim said. "He'll want to know what my dad has to say...if he says anything."
I looked around; the Escalade was notably absent. "I haven't heard from any of them all day."
"Does being in the dark make you feel better? You should know by now why they keep things from you."
"It's bad, isn't it?" I said, afraid of the answer.
"Just get in the car," Kim said, settling in behind the wheel.
The drive to Quincy was silent, but when we slowed to a stop in front of a large gate, Ryan and I shared a collective gasp.
"This is your house?" Ryan asked. Staring in awe at the looming mansion ahead.
"Yep," Kim said, keying in a code.
The gate opened slowly, and then Kim accelerated slowly. The gravel drive crunched beneath the Sentra's tires.
"No way," Ryan said, his mouth hung open.
"Yes, way," Kim said, turning off the engine.
Ryan and I leaned against our windows, amazed at the colossal building in front of us. It wasn't a home, it was a fortress.
"If you're so rich, why do you drive this piece of shi--," Ryan began.
"The Sentra serves her purpose," Kim interrupted.
I stepped onto the gravel drive. It snaked all the way to the large, detached garage. Her house was bigger than mine, and far more equipped with security. Cameras were mounted on every corner, and the black iron fence blocking general traffic from entering the drive spanned the entire estate.
Two large dogs ran with great leaps, barking wildly until they reached us.
"Hey boys!" Kim said, giving them both loving, vigorous scratches. When the reunion was over, she turned to us. "This is Zeus, and the little one is Hera."
"Neither of them are little," Ryan said.
The dogs led us to the front entrance, wagging their tails with such fervor, their entire back half wiggled with the movement.
Kim opened the door, revealing a vast foyer. A small, round table stood in the center of the room, boasting an incredible vase that held beautiful, long-stemmed flowers.
"Charlie!" Kim bellowed into the air, causing the dogs to bark. "Charlie!" she said again. Her voice echoed across the marble tile.
Two men entered the foyer, both no less than six feet, six inches tall. They were nearly equal in their massive size, and so intimidating that I realized I was unconsciously cowering behind Ryan.
The largest of the two had a full, brown beard. When his eyes focused on Kim, he held out his arms, and a wide smile broke across his face. "Boo Boo!" he said, his booming voice reverberating throughout the house.
Kim made her way to him quickly, and as tall as she was, the massive arms that encircled her made her seem tiny. Kim's feet came off the ground as the man arched his back, and then returned her to earth after a few sweet moments.
"Nigh...Ryan...this is my dad, Charles Pollock. And this is my uncle Bruce."
"Nice to meet you," I said, watching as my hand disappeared into each of theirs when I shook them.
Ryan did the same, but he didn't seem intimidated at all.
"How's school, Kimmie?" Bruce asked.
"I'm not really here to catch up. I brought Nina to meet you."
"Oh?" Charles asked, suddenly suspicious.
Bruce reached behind him, but stopped, looking beyond me.
"Let's all just relax, here," Jared said from behind me. I turned to see both of his arms outstretched in front of him, his Glock securely between his hands.
Bruce glanced at Charlie, me, and then at Kim, grudgingly pulling his sidearm slow and careful from behind him to the ground.
"It's okay, Bruce," Kim said.
Jared released the hold he had on his weapon, and then stood beside me, placing it on the table next to him.
Bruce pulled another gun from his back, pointing it at Jared's face, but then his shoulders dropped. "How many of them are there?" he said.
"Three," Claire said. I turned to see her in the same stance as Jared. "And if you pull a weapon on us again, I'll blow your knee cap."
"Bruce," Kim said, shaking her head in warning.
Bruce put the second gun down, and then pulled up his pant leg, revealing another gun. He set all three side by side on the ground, and then stood.
"You sure you don't want to check the other leg?" Claire asked, her weapon still drawn.
Bruce sighed, and then reached down, pulling a rather large hunting knife from a holster. "That's all of it."
"Kim," Charles said, stiff and nervous. "What's going on, here?"
Kim reached out to her father. "Nina is my friend, Dad. And she's important. These people are here to protect her. They're not here to harm us."
Charles nodded slowly, and then touched the arm of this brother. "Easy, Bruce."
Bruce relaxed, then, and Claire stepped out of her rigid stance, replacing her gun in its holster.
Jared turned to me. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Don't cuss at me," I said, immediately defensive.
Anger lit Jared's eyes. "You...you have no idea how dangerous it is for you right now."
"Maybe I would if you would just tell me."
"If I told you everything, you wouldn't want to leave the house. And I don't want that for you," he said, his eyes dark. "But you can't do certain things, Nina, and running off with two humans without telling me where you're going is one of them."
"I'm sorry," I huffed. "I thought you'd just follow."
"Oh," Jared said, taken aback. "You did?"
"Oh, Christ, let's hear what Kim has to say and get out of here," Claire snapped.
I peeked at our audience, embarrassed about the outburst. "Sorry," I said, clearing my throat.
"The book," Kim said to Charles.
"Kim!" Bruce said. Charles touched his brother's arm, and Bruce immediately silenced.
"They know," Kim said.
"You're the son of Gabriel, aren't you?" Charles said, in awe.
"One of them," Jared answered.
Bruce's face turned red. "Thief. If he wouldn't have taken the damn book none of this would be happening."
Claire took a step forward, and Jared gripped her shoulder. "You call my father that again," Claire seethed, "and it will be the last words that come from your mouth."
"They're going to help me," Kim interceded.
"What?" Charles said, confused.
"Jared promised to help me return the Demoniac to the Sepulchre in Jerusalem."
Charles' eyes darted to Jared. "Is this true?"
"Yes," Jared said. "I need time to study it, but after that, you have my word."
Charles took a step back, and then walked several steps away with Bruce right behind him. They conversed in low whispers, and then returned.
"We can't trust them," Charles said, finality in his tone.
"None of that matters, now," Kim said. "We've all got some history, here, that's apparent. But we need to focus on the problem. Dad, Nina is the women in the prophecy in the Naissance de Demoniac. Does that mean anything to you?"
Charles' eyes shifted to mine, and then he scanned me from my hair to my shoes. "No," he paused. "Who is she?"
Kim turned to me. "I told you. We're not allowed to open the book. He knows nothing."
"Is that why you came here?" Jared said, livid. "I could have told you that! If Charles knew anything, Gabe and Jack wouldn't have taken it in the first place!"
"It was worth a try, because our next option was the last resort."
"What are you talking about?" Jared said.
I looked at the crowd of people around me, feeling the negative, hostile energy in the air. It was in that moment that I recognized we had finally come to the last leg of the journey. Getting the boo
k back into our hands had always been the only choice, which was why Gabe and Jack had come to me with the answers at night.
"I have to distract Shax long enough for you to get the book," I said softly.
Jared turned to me, his eyebrows squeezed tightly together. "Are you serious?"
"No, Jared, she's trying to be funny. Of course she's serious," Kim said.
"Bad idea," Ryan said.
I reached out to to him, touching his cheek with my fingertips. "It's the only way you're going to get the book.
Jared glanced at Claire, and then back to me. "We've been trying to get the book to save you. It doesn't make sense to put you in danger in order to get our hands on it."
"This is stupid, let's go," Claire said.
Kim held up her hands. "Wait. Just wait. We all know she doesn't have much time left."
Kim saying aloud what everyone else knew--and had hoped to keep from me--felt like a bittersweet release, but the siblings' expressions were ashamed.
Jared's eyes hit the floor.
"Did I miss something here?" Ryan said, shifting his weight. For the first time since we'd arrived, he seemed uneasy.
Kim's eyes met mine. "Both sides are talking. You know too much, Shax wants revenge, and you pose a threat to Hell just by being alive. We could pluck out your uterus today and they would still end your life to prevent a miracle. You are going to die, anyway, Nina. It's time we resort to desperate measures."
"Christ Almighty," Charles whispered.
The air was absent of sound. Everyone's eyes were on me, but I couldn't reply. I could barely breathe.
"I'm not going to let that happen, Nina," Jared said. "We can figure out another way."
"Is it true?" I said, looking up at him.
His eyes fell away from mine, and I knew the answer.
"Why is this happening?" I cried, pulling away from his grip.
"Nina," Claire said as I passed.
I ran outside into the rain. Since the day Jack died, my life had spun so far out of control it was hard to remember what my life was like when I was just like any other girl. It wasn't fair. Eli had instructed me to be strong, and not to mourn the normal life I once had, but I didn't want to die--especially for a choice I didn't make.
Jared was immediately behind me, encompassing me in his warm arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice pained. "Let me find another way."
"No," I said, wiping my nose. "Let's just get it over with."
A few moments later, the rest of the group joined us. They all waited patiently for my answer.
Charles fidgeted. "I wish there was some way we could help you."
Kim hooked her arm with her father's. "I'm helping them," she said, her eyes strangely soft and sad. "I won't leave her side until it's finished."
Charles nodded, squeezing his daughter to his side.
"Okay," I said, shaking off the fear. "How are we going to do this?"
"This is crazy!" Ryan said. "Tell her, Jared! There's no way we're using her for demon bait!"
Jared cringed, but he didn't speak.
Claire grabbed my hand. "We choose our own fate, right Nina?" she said, managing an encouraging smile.
"Yes," I said. "If it's going to happen, I want it to be on my terms."
"You're all insane!" Ryan said, horrified. "I feel like I'm watching you all sentence her to death!"
Kim opened the door to the Sentra. "Now all we need is a plan," she said.
Jared tugged on my hand. "Ride with me."
I squeezed his fingers in mine, knowing he faced the same fate as I. The ride home was quiet; no radio, no talking, just the noise of the road under the tires, and the rain pounding against the windshield.
The window wipers danced back and forth, clearing the rain drops long enough to let the next droplets splash into their place. Headlights from oncoming cars whizzed by, but they were driving slow because of the weather. It was Jared that was disregarding the speed limit by at least thirty miles per hour.
The decision to use myself as a distraction was mine, but the plan was up to Jared. He would be forced to map out our every move, hoping that it was perfect enough to spare our lives.
"We can do this," Jared finally said, lifting my hand to his lips. "It's going to work, and we'll have the book, and then we can save you."
"I know," I said with a small smile. "I trust you."
"Sweet potato fries," he said, his cloudy eyes glossing over.
"Sweet potato fries," I smiled back.
Chapter Seventeen
The Roof
Jared paced, brooded, and once in a while, when his thoughts were particularly tormented, he winced. The color had long left his face as he played back the different scenarios in his mind. Back and forth he paced, so many times that I watched the floor, wondering when he would wear a trail. His inner turmoil could have set the room on fire. It was unbearable to watch, but I couldn't leave him; not when he was planning my death.
Claire sat next to me, holding my hand, suffering Jared's torture as I did. Jared had the most to lose, so the plan was his alone. Each decision, from the moment we left the house until the book was safe within its walls, fell on Jared's shoulders. Watching that responsibility slowly tear him apart was agonizing.
I did not envy his position. Just he thought of doing the same made me feel sick to my stomach.
Jared stopped mid-step. "Ryan?"
"Yeah, man?" Ryan said, standing. He had never been a fan of Jared, but we all shared a common thread. Whether we liked it or not, if one of us was hurt, we would all fall. A loss would affect all of us differently, but it would change our lives in the same horrific way.
"Come with me," Jared said, leaving the room.
Ryan glanced at Claire, and then followed Jared into the hallway. Claire's grip on my hand tightened.
"You can hear them," I said.
She looked down at our hands, and then closed her eyes. "Don't ask me to tell you, Nina. Let Jared do this his way."
"Okay," I nodded, trusting her judgment.
Ryan returned with a solemn expression. Uncomfortable at best, afraid was a more honest description. He took a few steps toward Claire and I, and then held out his hand.
"Feel like going to the pub?" he asked me.
My eyes veered to Claire, and my head turned slightly unintentionally. "Um...I guess," I said, looking back to Ryan.
"Good. Give her something shiny, Claire," he said, pulling me to stand.
Claire reached behind her and held out her pistol. "Take it," she shrugged, trying too hard to seem indifferent. "I have seven more at home."
My first instinct was to ask a dozen questions, but something told me time was an issue. Jared wanted this to be over.
I took a deep breath. "On the bright side, if I die, I don't have to worry that I didn't study for the test I have in the morning."
"You're not going to die," Ryan said. "This is just a test run."
"A test run," I said, looking at the gun in my hand. "Okay. Let's see what they've got."
I followed Ryan into the hall, passing Jared along the way. He didn't meet my eyes, so I grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.
"You don't exactly exude confidence. Can you just pretend?"
He forced a smile. "I'll see you soon."
"Good job," Ryan said dryly, pulling me behind him.
In Ryan's truck, we took the short trip to the pub. Every bump, every pot hole, every street light seemed especially big or bright, as if my mind wanted to record every second of my last moments on earth.
The truck slowed to a stop in the parking lot across the street, and I looked out the window to the pub. College co-eds meandered on the sidewalk, congregating in small groups, laughing and chatting without a care in the world. I had seen a few of them in the halls of Brown, and I wondered what they would say when they heard the news, and what the news would even be. Would the papers call it an accident? A murder? A suicide? I shuttered when thoughts of myself post-mortem. Would
demons allow me any dignity or mercy at all?
"Ryan? If it comes down to it, don't let them take me, okay? I don't know what things something so evil is capable of...but I don't want to...." I struggled to say it aloud, "Don't let me suffer, okay? Take care of it. You know what I mean?"
"What?" he said, his nose wrinkling. "You mean you want me to issue a mercy shot before they drag you off to torture you."
I didn't remember Ryan being so blunt before. Perhaps the desert had taken every bit of sensitivity he had left.
"I don't want to be alone with those things. Even for a minute. If they take me, I'm giving you permission."
"Stop," Ryan said. "I won't let anything happen to you, and I know Jared, Claire and Bex are all watching. You act like you've never been bait before."
I sighed. "Can't say that I have. Let's get this over with."
Ryan stepped out, and then walked around, opening the door. We walked into the pub hand-in-hand, and Ryan scanned the dozen or so faces, picking a spot on the corner of the bar. He ordered a shot and two beers, and then rested his elbows on the dark wood in front of him. The music was blaring, and the loud, variable tones of conversation blurred into one another.
"So what's the plan?" I asked over the music.
The bartender set our drinks on the bar, and Ryan tossed him a twenty. "I don't know. I'm just following orders. So far it's to drink, but not too much where I can't aim straight., or it affects Claire."
"Aiming's not going to help," I grumbled. "Why do you get a shot and I don't?" I asked, watching him throw his back.
"Jared said you get one beer."
"Just one?" I picked at the label on the bottle. "I guess he drinks when I do."
We didn't bother to toast to anything. I tried my best to forget that I was terrified, and sipped on the bitter, dark liquid until it was gone. Ryan ordered another round, but when the bartender placed a full bottle in front of me, Ryan grabbed it with his other hand, drinking from them both. So much time had passed since I'd had any alcohol at all, just the one round helped to drown out the laughter in the background that became increasingly annoying as time dragged on.
When Ryan finally stood, I couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief.
"That's it? We're done?" I asked.
Ryan shook his head. "No, we're just starting. Zip up your coat, we're going for a walk. Once we hit that door, I need Oscar-worthy drunk, giggly college kid on the sidewalk, okay?"
"Well, I've never felt so giggly in my life, so this should be a breeze," I deadpanned.
Ryan pushed open the door, and I hooked my arm in his. We walked a block, and then made a turn. After two blocks, we turned in a different direction.