seconds, then said, “You kill them? The Brethren? That’s what you do? That’s how you get your revenge for what they did to you?”
Gabriel looked across at the six hooded women. “Where’s Diel?” Almost as if his collared brother had heard Gabriel’s question, violent thrashing came from inside the van.
Gabriel knew that Dinah smiled under her scarf by the way her eyes crinkled at the corners. “I’d say he’s just woken up.”
“You drugged him?” Gabriel said.
“He told us to.”
“How do you know the Brethren?” Gabriel asked directly, feeling his brothers’ patience growing thin behind him.
Dinah spread her arms wide and gestured to her sisters. “We are the Coven. A sinful band of heretics. Witches, occultists, pagans and, best of all, the devil’s favorite whores.” Gabriel’s stomach rolled as the confession spilled from her mouth. “Raped, tortured and tried by the Brethren Witch Finders for most of our childhoods.” She paused. “Sound familiar, Goldilocks?”
Gabriel’s eyes closed, and real, disabling pain cut through his body. In that moment, his greatest fears were realized.
There were more of them.
The Fallen … Holy Innocents … It wasn’t just happening at their old school and parish like Gabriel had hoped. A one-off band of depraved and disillusioned priests. A small sect whose reach was limited and resources few.
Gabriel looked back at Maria and met her eyes. Her gaze was shining with tears. But Gabriel could see they weren’t tears of sorrow. Maria would be feeling that, too—she was empathetic and kind-hearted—but these tears were scalding with anger, fast with fury.
The sound of Diel thrashing harder came from the back of the van, and one of the hooded women broke from their grouping to walk over to it.
“Let us,” Gabriel said. “Despite his rage, he won’t hurt his brothers.” The sound of the van doors opening was followed by Diel’s false promise of, “Let me out of the van, Noa. I won’t hurt you.”
Dinah glared at Gabriel assessingly. She finally nodded her permission, and Gabriel walked past her and the other women. He realized that Diel had grown quiet, and when he reached the back of the van, he saw why. The woman who had opened the van had removed her hood and scarf, revealing her true self. She had a long pink braid that fell to the middle of her back, and dark brown eyes. She flicked a glance to Gabriel, but then refocused on his brother inside the van. Gabriel followed her attention and found Diel inside a heavy-duty cage. And he didn’t even acknowledge Gabriel. His monster’s blue stare was firmly fixed on the pink-haired woman.
Gabriel reached into his pocket and retrieved the collar’s remote. “Diel,” he said. Diel whipped his head in Gabriel’s direction. “You’re okay?”
But Diel ignored him, refocusing on the woman, his nostrils flaring and a deadly smile spreading on his lips. Gabriel frowned, but when he looked at the woman, she was staring back at his brother, not an ounce of discomfort in her gaze.
Their attention on one another seemed obsessive, somewhat possessive.
“You’re coming home,” Gabriel said to Diel, trying to break through whatever strange connection was building between them.
“Let him out, Noa,” Dinah said, coming to stand beside Gabriel.
The pink-haired woman, Noa, hesitated, studying Gabriel, but then she stepped into the van and unlocked the cage. She moved back quickly, and Diel slammed the cage door open. He flew from the cage, diving straight toward Noa. But before he reached her, Gabriel pressed the button on the collar, and Diel dropped to his knees on the cold, damp ground.
Diel snarled in defiance against the crackling surge of electricity, rolling forward to slam his palms to the ground. His limbs shook, and even with the moon as their only light, Gabriel could see the dried blood of Diel’s victims still on his skin. He felt those deaths like a tornado of punches to his face.
“Breathe.”
Gabriel whipped his head to Noa as she spoke. Diel froze at the sound. Then, to Gabriel’s complete surprise, Diel began to do what she instructed. Despite the raging volts tearing through his body, the monster’s evil sinking into his battered soul, Noa’s command seemed to hit his ears, and Diel overrode it all and began to calm.
Several seconds of slow and controlled breathing passed, then Diel raised his head, and Gabriel saw the true Diel looking back at him, not the monster that often took him away from his brothers.
Gabriel leaned down and wrapped his hand around Diel’s bicep. He hoisted Diel to his feet.