Only the Devout

by Amanda M. Lee

  “We’ve already figured that out ourselves,” Aisling said dryly. “They’re responsible for killing a young woman. That’s more than enough for me to believe they’re dangerous.”

  “I like you less than him,” Luna offered, inclining her chin toward Jerry. “You’re snarky, and not in a fun way like me. You need to dial it back.”

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at Aisling’s outraged expression. “I’ll be careful,” I reassured her. “Thanks for the warning.”

  “It’s the least I can do.” Luna started her turn to head back inside the building but then stilled. “There’s something else coming, too,” she said ominously. “Something bigger. I don’t know what these things are, or where they came from, but they’re dangerous.

  “I can’t always feel them,” she continued. “Sometimes, it’s almost as if they’re on top of me ... or maybe a plane or two away. Another fight is coming, and it’s coming for you.”

  The revenants. She knew. “Have you seen them?”

  “No. I feel them. They’re a whole different sort of horror.”

  “Do the people on the island have anything to do with the revenants?”

  Luna opened her mouth to answer and then snapped it shut. Finally, she held out her hands. “I don’t know. My initial answer was no, but I’m not big on coincidences. There’s been a lot of magical energy circulating from that island of late. I’m guessing you’re the reason why.

  “As for the revenants — and I’m not even sure I know what they are — I don’t feel as if they’re behind this,” she continued. “Sometimes I’m wrong. It’s rare, but it happens.”

  I thanked her again and then climbed into Jerry’s van, waiting until the doors were shut to speak again. “Well, at least we know Knight is safe.”

  “I’m not sure I like that Luna girl,” Aisling spat. “She’s mouthy ... and territorial.”

  The statement made me laugh. “She’s you,” I said when I’d properly recovered. “I’m guessing you were exactly that way when you were a teenager.”

  Aisling was scandalized. “I was not!”

  “You kind of were, Bug,” Jerry hedged. “You had better hair and stuff — although the pink is fabulous with her coloring — but you were totally like her.”

  “I’m not talking to either of you,” Aisling grumbled.

  “I have a feeling Lily will grow up to be just like her, too,” I offered brightly. “Won’t that be something to look forward to?”

  Aisling’s horrified glare was giggle-worthy. The world kept spinning and the monsters kept coming, but life was still worth living. The Grimlocks continuously reminded me of that, and I was grateful.

  Thirteen

  Aisling’s plan was to lie. Once we left Knight with Luna, she started pretending she had no idea what I was talking about in regard to the sawmill incident. Jerry played along in fantastic fashion. Obviously they were used to serving as each other’s alibis.

  I, on the other hand, felt guilty. That guilt only increased when we walked through the front door of Grimlock Manor and I found Braden waiting for me.

  “Hello.” He swooped in and gave me a long kiss, one that made my toes curl despite the fact that Aisling mimed vomiting right behind me. “How was your day?” He slid his hand down the back of my head, frowning when I hissed and immediately jerked away. He’d brushed the tender spot where I’d been struck in the head.

  “What was that?” His expression instantly darkened. “What’s on the back of your head?”

  “Wow, what a romantic greeting, Braden,” Aisling drawled, her gaze flicking to the other side of the room as Griffin walked through the door carrying Lily. “I can’t believe you’ve never managed to have a serious relationship before this. I’m shocked.”

  “Hey, baby.” If Griffin was bothered by Aisling and Braden sniping, he didn’t show it. He hardly even blinked. Instead, he stopped directly in front of her and planted a sweet kiss on her mouth. “Did you miss me today?”

  “Every single day without you is like my own personal torture,” she said, reaching for Lily, who extended her hands and flopped into Aisling’s arms. “How was your day?”

  “Well, it started with a body in the parking lot of the aquarium and ended with me running in circles trying to find a street kid named Knight. It wasn’t the best day ... and that was on top of the fact that your grandparents showed up on Belle Isle and were absolutely lovely.”

  Aisling frowned. “Why would Mary and Emmet go to the island?”

  “Is that why you have a knot on your head?” Braden demanded, his fingers gentle this time as he probed the tender spot on the back of my head. “My grandparents didn’t hide in the bushes and attack you, did they?”

  That was the most ludicrous thing I’d ever heard, but it was preferable to the truth.

  “How do you know that’s a new lump?” Aisling asked, pinning Braden with a serious look. “Izzy has always struck me as a bumpy-headed woman. You probably just never noticed it.”

  Braden glowered at her. “I’m pretty sure I would’ve noticed a lump the size of my fist.”

  “You’re not very observant,” Aisling countered, swaying back and forth to keep Lily calm. For her part, the baby appeared amused by the discussion. She laughed when Braden made a face.

  Even though he was clearly agitated, Braden spared a smile for his niece. “You’re very cute,” he enthused. “Your mother is the devil, though. And, quite frankly, I know you didn’t have a bump on your head this morning, Izzy.” He turned back to me. “What’s up? Did someone hurt you?”

  Griffin’s eyes were keen as they searched my face. “Did the cult people attack you? If they did, I can remove them from the island. That’s enough to revoke their permit.”

  I considered lying in an effort to get Titus out of my personal space, but ultimately that felt wrong. “I ... .”

  “She just has a bumpy head,” Aisling insisted. “Stop going on and on about it. You’ll give her a complex.”

  “Uh-huh.” Griffin’s eyes flooded with suspicion as he turned his full attention to his wife, all traces of merriment gone. “What did you do today?”

  “I thanked my lucky stars that I’m married to you,” Aisling replied perfunctorily, offering up her prettiest grin.

  Lily laughed at the statement, delighted. Griffin, on the other hand, didn’t look as if he was going to fall for it in the least.

  “Why were you two together?” Braden asked, catching on quickly that something was happening. He had on his stern face, which normally would’ve made me laugh but left me feeling uncomfortable today.

  “I think I’m just going to slide into the parlor and have a drink,” Jerry threw out, avoiding eye contact with both men as he edged around Aisling. “I’m sure Aidan will be happy to see me.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Griffin shot back. “You’re not leaving.” He pinned Aisling with a probing look. “Tell me what you did today.”

  “I’m more interested in why Izzy has a bump on her head,” Braden interjected. “Did someone hurt you?” His look of concern did me in.

  “I got hit from behind,” I volunteered, earning a groan from Aisling.

  “You’re definitely off the zombie apocalypse team now,” she hissed.

  “Seriously.” Jerry rolled his eyes. “How can you have made it this far in life without learning to lie better?”

  “I never had to lie,” I shot back. “My grandfather always promised that as long as I told the truth there would be no punishment.”

  “Well that’s a stupid way to raise kids,” Aisling shot back. “If I didn’t spend my teenage years lying to my father and living in fear regarding what would happen when he found out we would’ve had absolutely nothing to talk about.”

  “Wouldn’t you rather Lily tell you the truth?” I protested.

  She made a face. “No. She’s my daughter. She’s going to lie. That’s what kids do.”

  “They do lie,” Griff
in agreed, his expression unreadable. “Adults, though ... . You’re not supposed to lie to me.”

  “I had no intention of lying to you,” Aisling sniffed. “I simply wasn’t going to bring it up. But Izzy is terrible at playing the game, and now we’re all screwed.”

  Griffin heaved out a sigh and reached for Lily. “You’re in big trouble — and I don’t even know what you’ve done yet.”

  Aisling kept hold of her daughter and shook her head. “You can’t yell at me when I’m holding your child. It’s against the rules. I think I’m going to keep her.”

  Griffin’s glower grew. “That’s not a rule.”

  “That’s totally a rule.” Aisling brushed her lips over Lily’s forehead. “Isn’t that right?” She was talking to the baby, who let loose with a terrific belly laugh.

  “Oh, that’s not fair,” Griffin complained, smiling as the baby smiled at him. “You know I turn to total mush where she’s involved.”

  “Of course I know that,” Aisling supplied. “That’s why I’m holding her.”

  Griffin pinched the bridge of his nose and looked to the ceiling. His silence served as an opening for Braden. I wasn’t holding a baby, so there was no way to distract him.

  “Who hit you?” Braden’s fury was on full display. “Was it those cult people?”

  The time for keeping this from him had long passed. The truth was the only option. “It was Knight.”

  “What?” Griffin snapped his eyes to me. “You saw Knight?”

  I calmly laid everything out for them. Griffin interrupted a few times to ask questions. Braden merely stood and glared. When I was finished, Griffin viciously swore under his breath as Braden stared at a spot over my shoulder, avoiding eye contact. Both reactions entertained Lily, now sitting on the floor at her mother’s feet and playing with Aisling’s shoelaces.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Griffin complained. “I spent the better part of the afternoon looking for Knight.”

  “I know, but ... he was upset,” I said. “He was paranoid ... and bleeding ... and mourning the loss of his girlfriend.”

  “Or so he said.”

  “He clearly wasn’t faking the injury,” I argued. “Also, the paranoia seemed real. He was afraid of the cult members. I didn’t know what to do, so I followed my gut and got him off the island.”

  “The kid was messed up,” Aisling added. “He’s not a murderer.”

  “Oh, don’t you start,” Griffin muttered. He was putting on a good show of being angry, but I knew better. He would forgive Aisling before they even sat down for dinner.

  I slid my eyes to Braden. “I’m sorry if you’re angry,” I started. “I did what I thought was right. I can’t take it back. Even if I could, I don’t think I would. That kid was terrified and I felt bad for him.”

  Braden worked his jaw and finally found his voice. “He hit you over the head.”

  “Because he thought I was one of them.”

  “It doesn’t matter!” Braden’s temper finally broke loose. “You could’ve been seriously hurt ... or worse.”

  “I don’t think he believes it’s okay either,” I countered. “He was frightened. I’m not sorry I helped him.” I folded my arms over my chest and glared at him. “You won’t make me regret this, so there’s no sense trying.”

  Lily cooed and grinned, drool running down her chin as she looked up at me.

  “You really are your mother’s daughter,” I lamented.

  “She is,” Griffin agreed. “I need to know where Knight is now. I have to question him.”

  “He’s with Luna. I took him back to the old laundromat.”

  He nodded. “I’ll head over there to question him tomorrow.”

  “Great,” Aisling enthused. “Does that mean we’re done fighting?”

  “Not even close,” Braden answered. “Now I know how Dad felt when we did stupid things as teenagers and then refused to apologize for them. I feel like Dad. How is that even possible?”

  “You’re a whiner,” Aisling replied, not missing a beat. “That’s how it’s possible.”

  I was about to stand up for Braden when a distinctive throat-clearing by the door that led to the parlor caught my attention. There, I found Emmet staring at us — and he didn’t look happy.

  “And it just gets worse and worse,” Aisling complained, shaking her head before forcing a smile that was right out of a bad Stepford Wives remake. “Do you need something?”

  Emmet’s expression was hard to read as he glanced between us. “Your father is serving drinks in the parlor,” he announced.

  When he didn’t say anything else, Aisling extended her hands. “And?”

  “And it’s customary to have a drink before dinner,” Emmet replied simply.

  “We’ll be in for our drinks when we’re done fighting,” Aisling said. “It might be a bit, so you should probably start without us.” She rolled her eyes as if to say “can you believe this guy” and turned back to Braden. “I don’t see why your panties are in such a bunch. Izzy is the one who got hit over the head by a drug dealer.”

  “She also used a cupcake van to help him evade the police!” Braden exploded.

  “Yes, but that was a misunderstanding.” Aisling slid her eyes to Emmet as the man drifted closer. His interest had obviously been piqued. “This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

  Emmet ignored her and focused on me. “Are you a drug dealer?” He looked scandalized.

  “Oh, geez.” I shook my head and glanced down at Lily, who lay flat on the floor, her arms wrapped around Aisling’s leg as she smiled up at the adults.

  “She’s not a drug dealer,” Braden barked. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “You said she was hit over the head while hanging out with a drug dealer,” Emmet persisted.

  “I said a drug dealer hit her over the head,” Aisling countered. “She’s obviously fine — unless she has internal bleeding, and then she’ll probably die in her sleep tonight. What are the odds of that, though?”

  Braden’s eyes fired. “Thank you so much for that, Aisling,” he snapped.

  She beamed at him in the way she knew would irritate him most. “You’re welcome.”

  Lily laughed.

  I glanced down at her, amused. The baby was developing quite the personality. Her first few weeks of life had been something other than ideal for her mother, but now the little family seemed to be settling into a happy routine. Lily was thriving. Of course, she was also spoiled with so many people doting on her that she would never want for anything. That was a concern for another day.

  “I think Cormack needs to hear this,” Emmet muttered, shaking his head.

  “Oh, so you’re going to tattle on us, huh?” Aisling challenged. “Why doesn’t that surprise me? You’ve got tattler written all over you. It’s disgusting really. Do you know what we do to tattlers in this house?”

  Braden snorted. “You were the tattler in this house until you were sixteen,” he pointed out. “You’re obviously fine.”

  “I was not a tattler.”

  “You were.”

  Lily laughed again as Emmet called for his son. The baby’s violet eyes were wide with enjoyment — until she slid them to the front of the house. Slowly, her smile began to diminish.

  “What’s going on out here?” Cormack demanded as he stomped into the parlor. “Is there a reason I can’t enjoy a drink in peace in my own home?”

  “I blame him,” Aisling replied, jerking her thumb in Emmet’s direction. “He doesn’t want you to enjoy yourself. You should take it up with your father — in another room. We’re having a private discussion in here.”

  “A private discussion about drug dealers,” Emmet snapped. “That one was hit in the head by a drug dealer and then helped him evade the police.” He inclined his chin toward me. “This one is supposedly the police but hasn’t arrested her yet.” He jerked his thumb at Griffin. “Just what sort of circus are you running in this house, Cormack?”

 
; “Only the very best kind,” Aisling drawled, causing me to smile. I knew better than to insert myself into this conversation. Instead, I lowered my eyes to Lily and found all traces of mirth gone. In fact, she looked distressed. Only a moment ago she’d been happy to watch the adults in her life argue.

  “How can you let this go on, Cormack?” Emmet snapped. “Your children are running wild, for crying out loud. Braden is dating a drug dealer — and I had mild hopes for her.” He pinned me with a dark look. “Aisling married a cop, which is something I never thought I would say.”

  “What’s wrong with marrying a cop?” Aisling challenged. Obviously she was in the mood for a fight. “He’s a detective, by the way. That means he’s a fancy cop. It’s not as if he’s handing out speeding tickets.”

  “A fancy cop?” Griffin made a face. “I want to go back to talking about Knight. I still don’t understand why you didn’t call me when you realized what was going on, Izzy. I could’ve gotten him off the island. You didn’t have to involve Aisling and Jerry.”

  “He was hyper-vigilant,” I replied, my eyes still on Lily, who looked as if she was two seconds from bursting into tears. “He would never have trusted me if I immediately called you in. I figured we might need him to talk to us at some point.”

  I bent over and scooped up the baby, taking Aisling by surprise.

  “What are you doing?”

  Before I could answer, Lily burst into tears. And that’s when the chanting began. Lily appeared to sense it too.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Emmet asked, wrinkling his nose. “Why is she making that infernal racket?”

  “She’s a baby,” Griffin replied, reaching for his daughter. “Babies cry when they’re upset.”

  “Cormack didn’t do that,” Emmet countered. “He had a stiff upper lip from birth.”

  Even Cormack had to roll his eyes at that. “I think you’re suffering from selective memory issues,” he snapped. “In fact ... .” He trailed off as he watched me evade Griffin and carry Lily toward the front of the house. The chants were calling me and I couldn’t look away. “What are you doing?”