Only the Devout

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Because trust is earned. The circus people earned their trust.”

  “How?”

  There was no way I could out Poet. Much like Paris, I was loyal. “Let’s just say they saw things while the circus was here that made them believers.”

  “You mean the banshees.” Luna uttered the word as if it was a normal part of her lexicon. “I wondered if the circus had something to do with them disappearing. It makes sense I guess. They’re magical. You said it yourself.”

  “They are. And one of them has ties to the people who live here.” I searched for the correct words, words that wouldn’t express more than was necessary. “I can’t talk out about other people’s secrets. I need you to understand, I would be the same way if you chose to confide in me.”

  She balked. “I’m not confiding in you. I don’t even know you.”

  “Not yet, but you will one day.” I had no idea how I knew that. I simply did. “I think we’re going to be great friends.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Aren’t you friends with the mouthy chick who has white streaks in her hair?”

  I nodded. “I’m friends with all sorts of people.”

  “Well, she’s a trip.”

  The statement made me smile. “You’re going to like her.”

  “How can you be sure of that?”

  “You’re a lot alike. She doesn’t take crap from others either. She’s naturally suspicious. She also likes to scrap. I bet that’s an everyday occurrence for you.”

  “She’s weird.”

  “She’s ... unique,” I corrected. “I won’t tell you how to feel about her. Even if you feel you won’t like her now, I’m fairly certain you’ll change your mind. That’s up to you, though. I’m not here to talk about Aisling.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “I need help.” I decided to go for it. “You know what’s happening on Belle Isle right now.”

  “A bunch of weirdos are walking in circles and trying to access a door to hell.”

  That was a broad statement, but essentially correct. “Mostly,” I confirmed. “Today girls from your neck of the woods started walking with them. I talked to one of them who called herself Missy. She said they were approached and paid to act like believers. I need to know if others have been approached.”

  All traces of mirth left Luna’s features. “Missy? Were there two other girls with her?”

  “Yeah. Molly and Mandy or something.”

  “Molly and Macy.” Luna’s frown became more pronounced. “I heard they got plucked from the street yesterday. I had no idea it was by those religious wackos. And you say they’re just walking in a circle with the rest of them? Do they appear as if they’re under a spell or anything?”

  I shook my head. “There’s no magic involved, at least where they’re concerned. They’re being paid a hundred bucks a day to pretend they’re true believers. They’ve been given a script to spout, and they’re doing it.”

  “And yet you know the truth.”

  “I paid Missy for information.”

  “Ah.” Luna bobbed her head. “Those chicks will do anything for a buck. If you paid her, the information she provided is probably true. She’s unlikely to lie in case you come back wanting more information. She’s a user and desperate, but not stupid.”

  “I’m not here to cast aspersions on their survival choices,” I reassured her. “I understand how life can turn on you. They’re surviving to the best of their ability.”

  Rather than agreeing, Luna rolled her eyes. “Don’t kid yourself. There are some people who have no choice but to trade sex for sustenance, but that’s not what’s going on with those girls. They’re all druggies, strung out. They’ll do anything for their next fix.”

  I pictured the girls in my mind’s eye. “They didn’t have track marks.”

  “They’re meth heads. They can’t be trusted.”

  “You just said you didn’t think they were lying to me.”

  “I’m certain they’re not. They still can’t be trusted. And your cult members should be careful.”

  “Unless the cult members plan to do something to them, like they did Caitlin.”

  Luna opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. “You think they’re doing blood magic.”

  She really was impressive. “I think it’s a possibility. How much do you know about blood rituals?”

  “How much do you know about blood rituals?” she shot back.

  I tugged on my limited patience and kept my face neutral, waiting for her to get control of herself.

  “I’m sorry,” she said after a few seconds. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just ... you have to understand. I can’t just volunteer information like that on the street. I have to be really careful.”

  “I’m trying to help you.”

  “I don’t need help.” She turned petulant, which had me fighting a smile. “I can take care of myself.”

  “I have no doubt you can. You’re extremely impressive. I’m amazed at how strong you are, but everybody needs help from time to time. In this particular instance, I need help from you. If Titus tapped the three M-chicks for something, it’s entirely possible he’s working with other locals.”

  Grudgingly, Luna offered a small nod. “It’s definitely possible,” she agreed. “There are plenty of people here willing to do almost anything for money. Not the people here in this park, but in other pockets of the city.”

  “So where do the dangerous people hang out?”

  She didn’t immediately answer. Instead, she tugged on her bottom lip, seemingly weighing how she wanted to respond. I didn’t press her. “What will you do if I tell you?” she asked finally.

  I wasn’t expecting the question. “What do you mean?”

  “What will you do?” she repeated. “Will you go over there and kill them?”

  My mouth inadvertently dropped open. “That’s not the plan.”

  “So what will you do?”

  “I will talk to my friends and come up with a plan of action. We’re still not sure what these people want.”

  “They want to talk to the people on the other side of the door,” she replied, blasé. “They’ve already told you that.”

  “Yes, but ... there is no door.” No matter how much I wanted to trust her, I couldn’t simply admit the big secret.

  “Oh, there’s a door.” She smiled at me knowingly. “You know there’s a door.”

  I sat there for a moment, frozen. “I ... .”

  “Don’t bother denying it. I’ve seen it. It looks more like a gate than a door, but that hardly matters.”

  I forced myself to react. “It certainly does matter.”

  “But it doesn’t.” She flashed one of those smiles only the young can manage. I was certain she’d seen more cruelty than most, so my heart melted a bit when I saw it. “You can’t share your secrets with me and I can’t share mine with you. We’re both survivors — and that won’t change in the space of twenty minutes.”

  Something occurred to me. “You can see the future.”

  She shook her head. “Not really. I can see ... multiple paths the future can take. I’ve seen your paths, and most of them have happy endings. But some are dark.

  “Life is full of choices,” she continued. “There is no one thing that’s destined to happen. People like to believe that, but it’s just not true. There are, however, multiple paths that travel the same route.

  “Like you and the dark-haired man who shares the purple eyes with the mouthy one.” She barreled forward, as if she didn’t notice how increasingly uncomfortable I was becoming. “He’s on almost every path you can take. Odds are you never would’ve missed him. That doesn’t mean each path has a happy ending for the two of you. I’m not so much worried about that as what’s directly in front of you.

  “These people who are infringing on your life offer multiple paths—” She broke off, staring at the sky. “You win a lot of the time. I’ve checked several of your paths.
You lose in some of them. You’re not used to losing, so you may not recognize the signs of imminent doom.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything.” She was matter-of-fact. “Just watch your back and listen to that inner voice that warns you when something bad is about to happen.” She tapped the side of my head for emphasis. “As long as you follow that voice, you’ll be okay.” She moved to stand, but I stopped her with an extended hand.

  “Will Braden be okay?” I blurted out the question without really thinking it through.

  “I can’t see the future,” she reminded me. “Even if I could, that’s a slippery slope. If you follow that voice in your head, he should be fine — at least for now.”

  That was a relief. Sort of. I cleared my throat when she started to walk away. “You still haven’t told me where to look for the people who might be working with Titus.”

  She heaved out a sigh. “Check Greektown Casino. There’s a man who does valet parking. He might know. Otherwise, I don’t know where to point you. There are so many desperate people in this city that any number of them could’ve been tapped. There are also predators, and they could’ve easily volunteered.”

  I knew she was right. That didn’t mean I was ready to give up. “Is it hard? Seeing what you see, I mean.”

  “Life is never easy, no matter how you are. You more than anyone should know that. We all have something to deal with.”

  “I’ll be careful,” I promised. “I’ll listen to the voice. I’ll also be back to help you as soon as this is over with.”

  She smirked at the promise. “I know you will. You’ll bring a dark-haired army with you, too.” She hesitated and then shrugged. “Leave the baby at home. If you bring her, she’ll be upset by the misery she finds here. She won’t laugh for days if she comes to this place.”

  My heart sank a little, but I nodded in thanks. “We’ll leave the baby home.”

  “I have to get back to it. Remember what I said. The voice is strongest when it’s more urgent for you. Don’t ever ignore it.”

  “I won’t. Thanks again.”

  “You helped Knight and you’re going to try to help these people. That’s thanks enough for me, girl.”

  I shook my head. “I really wish you wouldn’t call me that.”

  “Why do you think I keep doing it?” She winked and then disappeared in the crowd waiting for supplies. She’d offered me a few things to think about, but added a few questions to my list.

  Where was I supposed to go from here?

  Twenty-Two

  The casino was my next stop. I wasn’t much of a gambler, so I was surprised when I crossed into the entertainment district and found it not only clean but glitzy as well.

  I took a moment to watch the people buzzing in and out of the building. I’d never understood the appeal of gambling. Throwing money away seemed the dumbest thing ever — especially since my grandfather and I were often struggling to keep food on the table when I was a kid — but I tried not to judge. I recognized gambling addiction was a legitimate sickness. But I couldn’t grasp how people were ever bitten by the gambling bug. There were so many better things to do — like enjoying loud family dinners and catching frogs in the bayou.

  I found Zeb — the name she telepathically communicated before I’d left — quickly. I never asked Luna for a description. It wasn’t necessary. The workers at the casino wore name tags and he was so big and burly the eye naturally went to him. I watched him a few minutes, waiting until there was a break in the action before approaching him. He seemed surprised to be singled out for something other than work.

  “What do you want?” he asked, looking me up and down suspiciously. “If you’re here to collect on those bills ... .”

  “I’m not a bill collector,” I reassured him quickly.

  “That’s good, because I don’t care how much my momma spent on that makeup. It was defective and I’m not paying for it.”

  It took me a moment to wrap my head around his words. “Defective makeup is the worst,” I said finally. “I wouldn’t pay for it either.”

  “Damned straight.” He went back to staring at me. “What’s your deal? You like what you see or something?” He gave his hips a little shake.

  “I’m here for information,” I countered. “Everything else is off the table.”

  “Information?” His lips curved and he snickered. “Do I look like the sort of dude who provides information to ... whatever it is you are?”

  “Yes.” I decided to be upbeat. If I simply pretended he had no choice but to share information with me, maybe he would agree.

  “Well, you’re wrong.” He turned his back to me. “You should get out of here.”

  “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” Rather than slinking away, I opted for boldness, hopping up onto the stool that obviously belonged to him. “I hear you’re familiar with things. I need to know if you’ve been approached lately by any outside factions for work.”

  Zeb swiveled back. “Are you deaf? I have no intention of helping you.”

  “Don’t think of it as helping me. Think of it as shutting me up so you can go back to work.”

  His eyes gleamed as he leaned closer and snorted directly in my face, giving me a blast of his rancid breath. Most people would’ve gagged, or had the good sense to retreat. I wasn’t most people. I refused to back down.

  “Perhaps I’ll shut you up a different way,” he warned.

  “You can try.”

  His grin widened. “Maybe that’s what you want. You heard I’m good with the ladies and you want to see for yourself. If that’s the case, you don’t have to play it on the sly like that. My shift ends in two hours. You can wait for me over there.” He pointed toward where four women — all dressed in skintight skirts and low-cut tops — stood and smoked. Prostitutes were publicly frowned on by establishments such as the casino, but privately arranged. He either thought I was a prostitute or was trying to unnerve me. I hoped for the latter.

  “I want information.” I was firm as I stared directly into his eyes. “My understanding is that you know most everything that happens around here, that people come to you specifically if they want certain jobs done. I want to know if someone has approached you recently.”

  Zeb’s eyebrows drew together. “You a cop?” He waited a beat and then shook his head. “No. There’s no way you’re a cop. You’re ... something else. I don’t have to talk to you. Get out.”

  “I’m not leaving without my information.”

  “Get. Out.” He extended his hand and jabbed toward the parking garage. “I’ll have you removed from the premises. If that happens, they ban you. No one wants to be banned.”

  I didn’t care if the casino banned me. It’s not as if Braden and I spent our weekends gambling. To Zeb, though, it was obviously a big loss.

  “I’ll go if you answer a few questions,” I offered.

  “I don’t have to do nothing for you,” he snapped. “Go away.”

  “I want to know about the cult.” I pushed harder. I was determined to get information and he seemed my best shot. “You know the one I’m talking about. They’re camped out on Belle Isle. That’s my backyard. I don’t trust them. I think you know something about them.”

  Zeb lowered his finger and looked around. He seemed conflicted, but the way he looked at me was altogether new. “What do you know about them?”

  “I know that they’re covering for their real purpose by pretending they’re looking for some door to the underworld,” I replied. “I know that one girl has died out there and I can’t find another. It’s possible she left. It’s also possible something bad happened to her.”

  I hesitated before continuing, but then decided to go for it. Even if he repeated what I said, odds were nobody would believe him. “I also know they’re sending men in robes into the suburbs to terrorize people and, rather than be caught, the men are slitting their own throats.”

  It was a bol
d pronouncement, but I figured the truth was more likely to pique Zeb’s interest. I was right.

  “When did that happen?” All signs of aggression were gone as he furrowed his brow. “Did it happen in Grosse Pointe?”

  The question caught me off guard. “It might’ve happened in Grosse Pointe,” I hedged. “What do you know about it?”

  “I know that a call came in.” Zeb looked around again to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. When he was satisfied, his full attention returned to me. All traces of badass street tough disappeared and he seemed earnest. “The night before last, someone was looking for a disposal team.”

  I’d seen enough movies to know what he meant. “Did you pick up the body?”

  He shook his head. “I wouldn’t be talking to you if I had. Don’t be an idiot.”

  I held out my hands in capitulation. “Fine. I’m sorry. I’m trying to figure out what happened to that body.”

  “It was picked up.”

  I shot him a withering eye roll. “I figured that out when the body disappeared.”

  He folded his arms across his chest and stared me down. “How do you know about the body?”

  I could’ve lied. No one would’ve blamed me. Instead, I tried to impress him. “I was chasing him when he cut his own throat.”

  “Really?” Grudging respect elbowed its way onto his blunt features. “That’s pretty ... badass. Did you threaten to kill him or something? Did you have a gun on him?”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t have anything. It was an impulse decision to chase him in the first place. He was hiding under a tree when I found him.” I thought back to the incident and shuddered. “He seemed resigned to his fate. He didn’t hesitate to kill himself.”

  “And you say he’s with those freaks out on Belle Isle?”

  “I thought you already knew that.”

  “I suspected. Those freaks have been around a few times. That dude in charge thinks he’s snowing everybody, but he’s a total fraud. He was here last night looking for women.”

  “Let me guess: blond prostitutes.”

  He nodded, an amused grin appearing. “You’re smarter than you look. He said he couldn’t use anyone with track marks. He wasn’t opposed to addicts — said they were more malleable or something — but they couldn’t have track marks. I sent him to the park.”