Page 42

42. Die By the Sword

Gemma

Spin led us to a derelict church on a slight rise of land. It was a simple structure built on a stone foundation with a narrow set of double doors, a brick chimney, three boarded-up windows on each side, and an open steeple that was missing its bell. The clapboard siding had been painted white once upon a time, but weather and age had scoured most of it away.

However long it had been abandoned, its solidity was a testament to the craftsmanship of another era. True, the roof was missing a few shingles and the steeple’s iron cross had rusted and sent orange streaks down the side of the building, but otherwise it was reassuringly solid. With the added bonus of being Holy ground, it was more than good enough for me.

The interior, while dark and dusty, seemed just as remarkably preserved. The sun hadn’t come up yet, but there was enough light to see that the long pews still held hymnals in their racks and the pulpit stood upright on a small dais. It was as if the church itself awaited the return of its congregation, which had risen from prayers one Sunday and never returned.

Slightly to the left of the pulpit, the steeple’s missing bell sat atop four wooden supports. Green-stained bronze, it was maybe fifty inches in diameter and probably several thousand pounds.

“Man, that’s a big, ole bell.” Jax let out a low whistle.

“Yeah.” My head bobbed in a weary nod. “Guess they moved it down here to protect it or something.”

“Maybe. Hey, let’s sit down for a bit. You look pale and tired.”

I swiveled my eyes to look up at him. Tired didn’t begin to cover it, but I plopped on the floor and leaned up against the wall, and he joined me. Drawing my knees to my chest, I tilted my head back and closed my eyes.

“Did he—” Jax took a deep breath. “Did he hurt you? Castle, I mean.”

I shook my head.

“Are you lying?”

“No. I, um, knocked him out, ransacked his office, and got out of there. I only wish I could have found a phone.”

Not the entire truth, but it wasn’t what had happened with Castle that had wrecked me. Oh, no. It was the guilt.

“Maddy’s death has hurt us all.” Jax was reading my mind, apparently. “But is there something more? You’re not … acting right.”

“I used a friend’s death to save my own skin.” I let the tears skate down my face. “What kind of person does that make me?”

“A live one.”

I opened my eyes to stare at him.

He stared back.

“Calm down and think with your head, not your heart.” He took my hand in his. “Was there anything you could have done to save Maddy?”

I could have screamed, but who would have heard? Or cared? I could have raced over to the demons’ lair after I’d dealt with Castle, but that would have only gotten me killed, too.

“No.” I let my head fall on his shoulder. “I guess I wish there was. It’s hard to accept that I’m useless in a crisis and even harder to live with the guilt that my uselessness can cost a life.”

“You are not useless. You kept yourself alive and rescued all of us. We’d all still be sitting in that workshop if it wasn’t for you. You are strong and brave.” He squeezed my hand. “And as for Maddy? None of us are to blame for what happened to her. Evil did that, Gemma. Not you. Evil . Hubler and Castle and those who follow them.”

“And those who live by the sword, die by the sword.” Chance sat down on my other side. “You can bet they won’t be alive for long. Not after we report this to the Council.”

“Forget the Council.” Jax laid his cheek against the top of my head. “They won’t survive Kerry.”

Kerry. Oh, my sweet boy, where are you?

My heart hurt from how much I missed him.

“Whoa!” Spin called out. “What in the world is that ?”

A little bird zipped into the room and paused, then headed straight for us.

“Watch out!” Jax jumped up and tried to intercept it, but it dodged him. “It’s metal or something!”

I was too heartsick to care. If it wanted to hurt me, let it hurt me. But it only landed on my knee and half-hopped, half-staggered up my thigh, moving like a clockwork toy slowly losing its wind-up. I picked it up and held it in my cupped palms.

“Careful,” Chance warned. “We don’t know what it is or who it’s from.”

I ignored him and examined it more closely. It almost reminded me of those caution birds from the Repository—

I gasped.

No. No way.

“What? Did it hurt you?” Chance reached for my hands.

“No. I think… I think it’s from Kerry!”

The bird opened its beak and a rolled-up piece of paper poked out. Using my thumb and index finger, I carefully pulled it out. The bird closed its beak and went still.

I unrolled the paper, which turned out to be a battered index card, and found my nightlight, the one Kerry had drawn for me months ago and recharged right before the ambush.

“It is from him!” Relief made my eyes fill with tears.

“There’s writing on the back!” Jax reached for the card. “It looks like Gigi’s!”

I held it away from him, flipped it over, and read aloud, “Light up your candle so we can track you.”

Without hesitation, I pressed my thumb to it and flooded it with power. As golden light filled the room, a smile traced over my lips.

Kerry was coming.