by Carla Rehse
He grinned as he strode in, wearing a bright purple leopard print vest over his signature flowy sleeved shirt. His black breeches were tucked into thigh-high boots with a four-inch heel. He whispered, “I have checked on your daughter and the others. While wounded, they will heal very soon.”
I sighed. “Thank you.” From the injuries I saw, the only way Boone and Luna would be okay “very soon” was if they’d received a nudge from a certain Seraph. But this wasn’t the time or the place to point that out.
Sebastian bowed in an extravagant Shakespearean theater kind of way. “General Assemblyman Allerd. And Randel, I see that you are now on the General Assembly? Much has changed in the last few days.”
Randel? Sebastian’s boss? The one I overheard spouting his hatred for the Popa family? Great. Just great.
Allerd cleared his throat. “Seraph Sebastian, it is most surprising to see that you’ve been re-assigned to Earth so quickly.”
Sebastian tugged on a sleeve. “Yes, well, perhaps I have been owed a few favors over the millennia. Besides, as the only surviving Crossing Shadows Councilmember, I will represent our Gatekeeper. Who did nothing wrong per the Celestial Edict of 891 and the North American Agreement of 1899, as I am sure you are aware?” He raised a perfectly arched black eyebrow.
Allerd pointed his gavel at me. “With all due respect, Seraph Sebastian, refusing to submit to a Celestial being—an Archangel, no less—is not covered by any agreement. Ms. Popa conjured a Crossroads Demon to enter this town and continued to violate our laws from there. Surely, she does not deny this.”
“I don’t,” I said, earning a sharp look from Sebastian. “I have made many, many mistakes throughout my life, mostly because I tend to run from my problems. I also admit to breaking many of our traditions. But at my core, I believe fully in the mission of the Marked and would never violate that. No matter the cost. My decisions over the past couple days were made to secure the Gate and protect this town. No matter how my actions look in hindsight.”
My heart thumped in my chest, triggering a response from my Gatekeeper powers. Heat burned throughout my body, but I squeezed my fists until the fire tamped down. The very last thing I needed at the moment was to lose control.
The assemblyman to Allerd’s left rubbed his chin. “We have heard testimony that the intruders offered you and your daughter a chance to escape, but you chose not to leave. Is this true?”
Intruders? I would’ve chosen a stronger word to describe the Vie, but if the Governing Body knew of their offer, then Lawson must be okay. My hands trembled in relief. “Yes, sir. My duty was clear.” And if there was any justice in this world, then I’d nuked all of them to Hell.
Sebastian rustled his wings. “To the esteemed Assembly, Gatekeeper Everly Popa managed to secure the Hell Gate and Crossing Shadows during an unprecedented crisis, the vilest and most repugnant in nature. Surely her heroic actions override any objections to how she accomplished said feat?”
Allerd cleared his throat again. “Actions do have consequences, as you are aware. Court recorder, please list all the charges pending against Everly Popa.”
All the charges? Like more than one charge? I expected to answer to my standoff with the Archangel. Maybe even conjuring the Crossroads Demon. On what world had the Governing Body found the time to stack the deck against me?
A wizened man in dark-gray robes shuffled to the center of the room. He opened a thin leather-bound book, then in a gruff voice, called out my crimes. He started with the Crossroads Demon, moved to my late arrival for Heather’s search, and continued with every nit-picking thing until finally ending with my failure to kneel in front of Allerd when he stepped out of the limo. Apparently, collapsing in exhaustion did not count.
The townspeople in the peanut gallery gasped or snickered, depending on the charge read. The craziest accusation levied against me was littering, as I apparently dropped the cream cheese kolache given to me by Mrs. Baker. I would bet my last dollar that Randel somehow had a hand in this. Though how he managed to monitor me during the lockdown was rather murky.
Finally, at what felt like ten minutes past forever, the court reporter shut his trap and hobbled his way back to the side of the room.
Allred pounded his gavel. “How does the defendant plead to the charges?”
The teenaged me would’ve had a hard time controlling her disrespectful mouth, but I wasn’t that person anymore. “Guilty.”
“Then the punishment phase will begin.” Allred turned to the Seraphs behind him.
I glanced at Sebastian, praying he would give me a comforting word, but he had his head tilted and appeared to be listening to the mutterings of the assemblymen.
My mind kept replaying the punishments that could be placed on me. The Celestial breaking of my Marked bond and wiping my mind of all knowledge of the otherworld would be the most lenient penalty. A slow, bloody death and banishment to Hell, the harshest. I swallowed hard against the sudden urge to vomit.
As Allred turned to face me, Sebastian placed his hand on my shoulder. His strength kept me standing tall.
Allred stood. “It is with a consensus vote that Everly Ivona Popa shall be immediately stripped of the Gatekeeper powers, privileges, and title. A role within Crossing Shadows will be assigned to her in the coming days. A proxy Gatekeeper will be utilized until the ceremony for Heather Jeanine Russo can commence.”
I touched the ice-cold disc in my wrist. “Stripped?” Two days ago, I would’ve been dancing in the street, but now? Conflicted didn’t begin to name the emotions pouring over me.
Sebastian lifted my arm. “I am so sorry.”
He kissed the disc. Flames exploded around me. I opened my mouth to scream, but they extinguished, leaving me shaken but unburnt. The disc and Hellhound bite were gone from my wrist, although the brand Delilah gave me remained.
Allred dismissed the gallery, and the Governing Body swept past me without another word.
“Are you all right?” Sebastian asked in the kindest tone he’d ever used on me.
I shrugged. “I’m not dead. That’s a huge plus. Can I see Sadie and everyone else now?”
“Absolutely. I will escort you myself. I would like to give them my regards before resuming my role as Captain of the Guard.”
I smiled. “Since we’re both gonna be around for a while, can we discuss why you kept clothes at my mother’s house?”
EPILOGUE
Four hours later, Sadie and I were finally back at Mama’s. The house seemed to have survived the attack from the Bleakness Wraith—wherever it had disappeared to. Though the roof needed to be checked and the yard was an absolute disaster.
I stared at Sadie’s face but found no sign of her injuries. “Are you sure you’re okay to stay here? It’s fine to leave town now.”
I still had to contend with my almost ex-husband and his gangster friends, so I wasn’t completely sure which was safer for us—Crossing Shadows or the outside world. The General Assembly were certain the Vie and Delilah weren’t in the area, but Alana was still missing. In thirty minutes, I was meeting Lawson and his quad of Hunters to help search for her.
Truthfully, the witches had done such a good job hiding from the Seraphs that I wasn’t convinced they’d left. Maybe with a little rest and a barrel of coffee, I could process everything. I still didn’t understand what they wanted or what role Delilah and the Bakers played in this. Sadie and the kids might be free, but I didn’t like loose ends.
“I want to learn more about my heritage, and Heather’s agreed to tutor me. And she lent me clothes that aren’t Gran’s.” Sadie held up a mesh bag.
The house phone rang, so I pointed to the stairs. “Use the guest room on the left.” For a second, my mind blanked on how to answer an old-timey rotary phone without any newfangled buttons, then remembered to just lift the receiver off the hook. “Hello?”
“Gatekeeper?” Luna’s voice crackled through the line.
“Not anymore. Just call me Everly.”
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“Okay, Gate— … Everly. Chase and I found your truck, but everything’s gone! Even the tires!”
I tapped the receiver on my forehead. Just when I thought things were gonna work out, another disaster hit. “Thanks, Luna. Talk to you soon.”
I hung up as a thump sounded on the porch.
“Now what?” I growled. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be worse than everything else that had happened. I flung the front door open.
A small shiny brass box floated eye level.
“Huh?”
Now, conventional wisdom in a border town warned against opening unknown boxes that had sketchy origins. But I kinda forgot that rule as I cracked open the lid. A small piece of parchment floated out. My hip felt like it caught fire, then the yellow sulfur I’d gathered from the library twirled from my pocket. It covered the parchment, slowly crawling across the surface to form words like the creepiest Etch-A-Sketch ever.
Archivist flamed from the parchment before turning into ash.
Loud thumps erupted behind me as thousands of books thudded to the floor.
I rubbed my forehead. “Aw, hell.”
Everly’s troubles continue in:
The Accidental Archivist
Book II of The Accidental Midlife Trilogy
Coming fall 2021
Scroll down for a sneak peek!
AUTHOR’S THANKS
Thanks for picking up The Accidental Gatekeeper. As you see, Everly and the gang will be back in the sequel, which I’m busy writing as we speak.
I’ve published this here lil’ novel independently, which means it’s you lovely readers that have the power to make or break its success. If you’ve enjoyed it, can I ask you to quickly drop by Amazon and leave a quick review? [I’m batting my eyelashes!] As we know, readers read reviews, or at least the book’s rating, so even a single line would be great, thanks!
Chocolate chip cookies will be your reward, even if you have to bake them yourself, sorry. But here’s a good—and v. quick—recipe that Everly recommends:
Mama’s Five-Minute Microwave
Chocolate Chip Cookies*
[for gatekeepers on the run]
prep time: 4 mins | cooking time: 1 min
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
2 teaspoons whole milk
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to make
In a cup, add in light brown sugar and melted unsalted butter and whisk to combine. Then add in pure vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and whole milk and stir to combine.
Add all-purpose flour in (1) and fold until homogeneous. Finally, fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Also, dark or special dark chocolate chips are wonderful for this recipe.
Transfer to a microwavable plate and form one big round cookie. For successful microwaving, the center should be thicker than the edges.
Now microwave the cookie for 30 seconds at 700W. And again microwave for 20 seconds. Finally microwave for 10 seconds. The power of individual microwave ovens varies, so take a look and stop microwaving when the center is set and the edges look still uncooked. The cookie should continue being cooked and get firmer out of the microwave oven.
Another idea …
Out of the microwave oven when the brownie is still hot, spread peanut butter or Nutella on top. And let it melt and serve.
This can also be baked in the oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for about 25 minutes, or until an inserted wooden stick comes out clean. And it’s advisable to reduce the amount of cocoa since it’s rather bitter when baked in the oven.
* Thanks to Eugenie Ma for this recipe. Find it (with pics) and other totally sinful but oh-so-delicious recipes at https://eugeniekitchen.com/microwave-chocolate-chip-cooki/
ABOUT
CARLA REHSE
Carla holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Angelo State University. Although not a native Texan, Carla prides herself on having mastered the correct usage of the colloquialisms “y’all” and “bless your heart.”
Find out more about Carla and her books at carlarehse.com and connect with her @CRehse on Twitter.
ALSO BY
CARLA REHSE
The Accidental Midlife Trilogy
Book II: The Accidental Archivist – coming fall 2021
Book III: The Accidental Hunter – coming spring 2022
Dustlands
A near-future dystopian adventure
There’re worse things than sleeping in a locked cellar … Some jerk breaking down the door, determined to do unholy things to my sisters and me; burying said jerk after I blow a hole through him. So, yeah, there’re worse things.
Forty years on from a mega-drought, the now-crumbling USA is divided between the drought-plagued west and the flooded east. With jobs in Texas scarcer than a dust-free day, nineteen-year-old Analee Cooper struggles to keep her four younger sisters fed through her increasingly less-than-petty thieving for gang boss Dex.
As if coping with dusters and gang activity were not enough, Analee’s ex-beau Luke Taylor reappears. After three years. But perhaps not so ex after all?
Following a right-wing militia takeover of Texas, Analee is driven out of state, separating her from her sisters. And from Luke. What do Analee and Luke mean to each other? Neither is sure, except they did make a good team together. Even so, getting her sisters out won’t be easy. With Texas on lockdown and under martial control, Analee’s testing times are just beginning …
– coming summer 2021
The Accidental Archivist
Book II of
The Accidental Midlife Trilogy
After saving her hometown from witches and a very cranky Archangel, all Everly Popa wanted was some time to relax. And to rebuild her relationship with her estranged daughter. Perhaps, rekindle things with her old high school boyfriend. That’s if her divorce finally goes through.
But after ignoring the first rule of the otherworld—don’t open anything that doesn’t belong to you, especially if it’s floating in the air—Everly finds herself named the town’s Archivist. Now Everly has the Celestial Governing Body angry with her. Again. Plus, a French witch hunter, who’s new to town and far too familiar with Lawson, accuses Everly of working with the witches. If convicted, Everly faces expulsion from a life she just now realizes she really wants.
Add in the FBI reminding her of her human problems and her almost-ex trying to fight against the divorce, and well, there’s no rest for the wicked.
Chapter One
A never-ending game of Whac-A-Mole pretty much summed up adulthood.
Solve one crisis? Five more pop up. Get your relationship back on track with your kid? Yeah, until one teensy argument knocks it back on its ass like a drunken, three-legged goat. Take out a bunch of demons? Then you’ve angered the Celestial Governing Body and its angelic advisors for not following proper procedure. And on and on and on.
What I wouldn’t give for a sandy beach, an overly attentive pool guy, and an endless selection of frosty adult beverages.
Mama’s chirpy front doorbell rang for the third time.
“I’m on my way!” I groused, completely out of patience with everyone and everything.
I’d spent the last forty-eight hours searching nonstop for my friend Alana and the witches who’d taken her. Sadly, even with the full might of the Governing Body and hundreds of volunteers of human and otherworld variety, there was still no trace of Alana or her kidnappers, the Semence de Vie.
Magic had won this round, but none of us were giving up. Just re-strategizing. Or so I told myself.
While glad not to be climbing rock-covered hills with my blistered feet and strongly in need of sleep, I’d found no peace in my childhood house. Ghosts haunted me here—figuratively and literally.
But it wasn’t gh
osts causing me issues at the moment. Stacks of books taller than me kept blocking my path to the front door. Most were the historical manuscripts in Mama’s possession since she was Crossing Shadow’s Archivist. Or at least until she was murdered four days ago. Something that still felt unbelievable and impossible.
Unfortunately for me, Crossing Shadows wasn’t a normal place, but the boundary around one of the world’s ten Hell Gates. The almost sentient town acted grouchier than a constipated cat and was seriously upset with me at the moment. Why? Because I sorta opened the wrong box that might’ve accidentally marked me as the newest Archivist—regardless that I was not qualified, was in mourning, and that no one in their right mind would’ve tapped me for the second most important job in town. And that was why I refused to follow the instructions that had been included inside the box. The stupid letter now floated above my head, with a magically glowing countdown clock reminding me I had five hours left to complete the acceptance incantation.
So, to scold me for not taking the job or getting myself named Archivist or possibly both, Crossing Shadows kept moving the books. Not like a cute poltergeist book-bumping thing, but more like trapping me inside a moldy, paper labyrinth for the last two hours. Which explained why I was having trouble reaching the front door. Or the kitchen or stairs. Or anywhere except for a small powder room located just off the living room. At least Crossing Shadows understood the issue with a perimenopausal bladder, but cutting me off from coffee was some seriously petty bullshit torture.
