Part 56 (1/2)
”I'll give you a few,” Gayle said.
”Old Mr. Fallon?”
”Oh, no, the silly old buzzard! He's a Wiccan, and a plain old grouch!”
”Mike?”
Gayle smiled. ”It's more fun to torture you by not letting you know-especially about your old buddy Mike! I'll give you a few. You know that charming young couple staying at Huntington House?”
Megan swallowed hard. ”Not the family! Not the kids, not-”
”No, they're just run of the mill tourists. The pretty pair. John and Sally. They came all the way to be here and serve just for tonight!”
So now she knew five...John and Sally, Theo Martin-the cop!-Gayle and Sara. All of these people, so many she considered friends... or at the least, fairly normal acquaintances.
Normal!
Nothing was normal.
And she knew as well that Morwenna was innocent, and intended as a sacrifice. She longed to talk to her cousin, to ask her forgiveness, to help her...
There had to be a way out.”Who else?”
”Darren, of course. Though Lizzie has proved to be an absolute wretched familiar for him. She just loves people too much. And, of course, you should have figured Sam Tartan. He was so totally important, making sure that you and Finn arrived here, safe and sound.”
”You keep talking about your priest and priestess-who are they?”
”You'll find out tonight!” Gayle said playfully.
”Wait-you shouldn't kill Morwenna.”
”You're going to give us advice? You can't save her, you know. A stranger, s.n.a.t.c.hed from the street elsewhere would have been better, but... Morwenna's such a pain in the a.s.s, why not kill her?” Gayle demanded.
”She'll be missed. And you're in danger, playing with fire, taking her. Joseph will be irate, coming after her.”
”None of this is going to be your concern,” Gayle said blithely.
”Even if Theo is a cop, you must realize that there will be repercussions.”
”Don't worry-someone will be left to take the fall. And listen, cutie pie, even if an army of FBI agents showed up, it wouldn't matter. Because once we begin, the circle will be protected by a power stronger than any earthquake imaginable. And once Bac- Dal comes back... he'll see to it that a corpse is there to be guilty of any murders committed, and that the cops see everything the way that he wants. You see, you are the one who doesn't comprehend what you're up against! Which reminds me, I do have work to do.”
She brought the handkerchief to Megan's nose again.
Megan started instinctively to turn her head away.
”Make it easy on yourself!” Gayle said, as if finding some small bit of empathy for her captive.
Megan pretended to submit to what would be most merciful. She didn't try to hold her breath completely, but she tried very hard to inhale just one or two shallow breaths. She wanted the drug to wear off quickly so that...
So that what? The ropes binding her were so tight she could barely budge her arms or legs. She was freezing, naked beneath the embroidered altar cloth. Somewhere nearby, Morwenna was being tortured, probably for trying to help her.
And Finn...
Finn was out there. Finn's ancestor had come to kill a murderer and prevent the return of a demon; he had not been an evil man.
And neither was Finn. And he was with those who could help. There was hope.
There was always hope...
The world was spinning again, but Gayle already thought her completely out. She had turned away because there were others in the woods, and they were very busy. Arranging for... The stroke of midnight.
Chapter 23.
Previous Top NextFinn sat white-lipped and tense, anxious every moment that they sat in the cabin.
Andy had been made comfortable on the couch, and Martha sat by his side, holding his hand, talking to him.
Lucian sat behind her, on the arm of the couch.
Mike was at the table insisting that Finn must know everything that Megan had told them, about the dreams, about the horned G.o.d, about Finn being...
Weird.
Father Brindisi sat at the table with Mike, seemingly incredibly uncomfortable. At length, he stood and walked to the fire, then asked Finn if he had a cigarette.
Finn gave him one, and Brindisi turned toward the flames.
”I am acutely uncomfortable here,” he said.
Finn shrugged. ”Well, Father, we are in the company of wolves, as they might say. A vampire must surely make a man of the cloth uncomfortable. I can a.s.sure you, learning such details about the man has not always made me feel warm and cozy.”
Father Brindisi looked at the fire, shaking his head.
”I know. You don't believe it,” Finn said.
Brindisi smiled. ”No. You're mistaken. I believe wholeheartedly in G.o.d, the one great G.o.d! But as I believe in His goodness, I know that there is evil in the world as well. There is very little that I will not believe-or else see in the realm of the possible. There is something more... Perhaps it is the fact that I'm going to officiate at a Ma.s.s to counter one that is meant to summon a scion of the devil, I don't know. But something here... isn't right.”
The door opened. Ragnor stepped in. ”I've found them,” he said quietly.
Finn rushed over to him. ”You've found them? Megan?” he asked. ”Why didn't you bring her; why didn't you seize her away?”
”Because it wouldn't have done any good; it would have done nothing but warn them,” Martha said dully from her perch beside Andy.
”The graveyard!” Mike Smith said, staring at Ragnor and jumping from his seat. ”What an idiot I've been! Of course!”