The Church of Sleep (Central Series Book 5)

by Zachary Rawlins

  “He had me captured,” Alice said. “Tortured.”

  “I do not always approve of John’s methods, but I trust his motivations. Whatever he has done, it was with the intent of jarring you from the fictions you have been trapped within and returning you to your true self.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “You are not meant to be an Auditor, or a tool of Central. You are so much more, Alice, you have simply forgotten it.”

  “You’re full of shit,” Alice said. “Who are you working for, Jacob?”

  “No one,” Jacob said. “I promise. I have nothing to do with Central, the Anathema, or any of this madness. John contacted me as a friend, and I have reached out to you with similar affection.”

  “Don’t fucking lie to me,” Alice said, tapping the dull edge of the knife against Jacob’s lips. “No one in this world or any other gets to stand apart.”

  “That may be,” Jacob said, “but I have tried.”

  “Swear it to me,” Alice ordered. “Promise me you had nothing in mind but trying to fuck me when you brought me up here.”

  “My intention was to rekindle a valued relationship, and to remind you of our shared past. I care for you, Alice, and I would like to see you recover. Whatever happened beyond that was simply…”

  “You know what I mean,” Alice said. “Make me believe this was all an accident.”

  “I’m not saying it was an accident. You are certainly aware of the Changeling, and her completely terrifying protocol? So long as she remains active, there will be no such thing as accident.”

  “If there ever is,” Alice said. “This is all too suspicious, Jacob. I’m on extremely delicate ground right now, camping out at Anastasia’s place for the night, apporting back to Central to God-knows-what tomorrow.”

  “A perfect night for having lots of drinks on the town, then,” Jacob said, with just a hint of a smile. “You may forget, Ms. Gallow, but your habits do not change.”

  “Shut up,” Alice grumbled. “You aren’t the boss of me.”

  “That is exactly what I am trying to tell you! No one is,” Jacob agreed. “That’s part of your tremendous appeal.”

  “I wanna believe you, Jacob.”

  “Then go right ahead,” Jacob said, gently pushing the knife away from his neck. “There’s no damage done. We could still have a wonderful evening. You can still swim!”

  “You’re really intent on seeing that happen, aren’t you?” Alice’s eyes sparkled. “Don’t worry. I’m for sure going swimming in that pool. I just have to make up my mind as to what to do about you first.”

  “You don’t have to do anything about me.”

  “I do, though,” Alice said. “I look for things that fall outside of the rules, and then I decide how to put accounts back into balance. That’s my job.”

  “I don’t see what that has to do with me,” Jacob objected mildly. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “Please. Either you are lying to me,” Alice said, putting the knife back at his throat, “or you are living so far out of bounds right now that I have trouble thinking of the rules you aren’t breaking.”

  “What can I say? I’m not lying,” Jacob said. “I’ve been perfectly earnest with you, regarding my identity and my motivations. I only want the best for you, Alice. I care for you deeply.”

  “Okay, but still…”

  “I’ll be the first to admit how unlikely this encounter is,” Jacob said. “I’m not at fault for that happenstance, however it might look. This is not my doing. I just took advantage of the opportunity that fell into my lap.”

  “What opportunity is that, asshole?” Alice smiled and moved close, her hips brushing against him. “What did you think I was going to let you do to me?”

  “No, no,” Jacob said, flustered and waving his hands. “You’ve misunderstood!”

  “I think I understand you perfectly,” Alice said, grinning as she cut his throat open. “I think I get it just fine.”

  He clutched at his bleeding throat, his breath gurgling and whistling through the new aperture. Alice laughed and kicked him over, putting her heel on the side of his head.

  “You all think you’re fucking enigmas, all you guys, bragging about shit that I can’t remember,” Alice said, tugging one of his hands away from his lacerated windpipe. “As if that makes you better than me. As if you have anything to hide besides a hard-on.”

  He thrashed weakly as she peeled his fingers away from the wound, the blood pulsing out in little bubbling jets.

  “You say you can’t die,” Alice said, wiping the blood from her hands across Jacob’s face. “That would be a first, for me. I don’t mind, though. I like a fucking challenge.”

  Jacob’s struggles diminished as the red stain grew on the smooth concrete, twisting out from his neck like a crimson scarf.

  “You think I’m a Witch, Jacob?” Alice grinned. “Wait right here, okay?”

  Alice returned to the kitchen and started opening drawers.

  She found something like what she wanted on a counter beside the refrigerator, sitting on top of an oiled butcher’s block.

  She went back out by the pool. Jacob was quieter, and the pool of blood had spread further, but he appeared no closer to death.

  “Guess you weren’t lying about your protocol,” Alice remarked. “I’ll be very curious to see how this next part works.”

  She pulled his head up by the hair and showed him the cleaver.

  “Which part do you think you’ll grow back from?”

  Alice dropped his head and took a two-handed grip on the massive cleaver.

  “The head? Or the body?”

  She brought the knife down, grimacing when it bounced off the bone.

  It took several minutes of demanding work, and Alice was covered in gore to her elbows and completely sober by the time it was finished. She grabbed him by the hair and set his head on one of the patio chairs at the side of the pool, turning his face toward her.

  “You still there, Jake?”

  His face did not move, and the eyes appeared to stare out, unseeing. Fluid leaked out of the crude cut across the neck.

  “I’m still going to swim, if that’s okay with you,” Alice said, pulling her sweater off as she walked toward the shallow end. “You can watch if you want. Seems like the least I can do, you know?”

  She swam, but did not linger in the pool, despite its gloriousness.

  Something was off, and the experience was unsatisfying.

  She paddled around just long enough to get the blood off. She got out and changed back into her dress on the roof. A brief search of the bedroom closets turned up a valise big enough to fit Jacob’s head, with a bit of shoving and pushing.

  Alice picked up her shoes at the door, tossed the bag across her shoulder, and marched out barefoot with wet hair, leaving every light in the suite blazing, and the door to the hallway wide open.

  No one said anything to her on the way out.

  She met every stare that prompted them to quickly look away.

  She walked out into the night that was finally, reluctantly cooling, feeling lost and frustrated and a bit sick to her stomach.

  Seven

  Day One

  The Audits facility at the Far Shores had been ransacked for equipment and supplies, but the dorms on the second floor were still relatively intact. Alex basically carried Katya up the stairs to an available room, Eerie running ahead to turn on lights and open doors. Katya’s eyes were a gleaming void, her feet scraping across the floor as Alex dragged her down the hall.

  Eerie held the door while Alex placed Katya on the bed with all the gentleness that his aching shoulders would allow. Katya immediately rolled into a ball, curling her knees up into her chest, her back to Alex. He stood there uselessly while Eerie pulled the sheets up, and then sat down on the bed with her, stroking Katya’s back.

  The assassin moaned and shuddered, waves of grief passing audibly through her.

&nbs
p; At least she stopped screaming, Alex reflected, standing awkwardly beside the bed.

  “Is there anything I can…?”

  “She needs time and space,” Eerie said. “Maybe you should take a walk?”

  “I’m going to go talk to Emily,” Alex said, grateful for the reprieve. “She needs to answer for this crap.”

  Neither girl responded, so he let himself out, shutting the door quietly behind him.

  Eerie lay down beside Katya, wrapping an arm around her middle, and held her while sobs racked her body.

  “I’m sorry,” Eerie whispered, not sure what else to say. “I’m so, so sorry.”

  That just made Katya cry harder, so Eerie decided not to say anything more.

  Katya’s grief and was wild and unrestrained. She would go into fits where she thrashed about, grabbing the blankets and tearing at them, or pulling at handfuls of her own hair. She wailed and gnashed her teeth, pounded the bed with her fists, cried out prayers or curses in an unintelligible blend of Russian and English.

  Eerie embraced her and said nothing.

  She stroked her hair and held Katya tightly, keeping her breathing slow and regular.

  Katya sighed like a balloon deflating. The sigh ended with a whimper.

  She held still for so long that Eerie thought she was asleep. She had just started to try and free her arm from Katya’s clutches when the assassin finally spoke.

  “Is it true?”

  Eerie was startled to hear Katya speak. Her voice was muddied with snot and tears.

  “It is,” Eerie confirmed, peeking ahead at what they would eventually learn. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know until just now.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Katya muttered. “Please, Eerie. What can you tell me?”

  “Only what Alex finds out from Emily,” Eerie said, reluctant to put it into words. “The Thule Cartel bombed Anastasia’s fancy dance party.”

  “Thule?” Katya’s bewilderment was evident in her voice. “You mean Gaul Thule? The Director?”

  “It was on his orders, I guess. The bomb went off during a private part of the event, family only. Her dad died right away. Some other people, too, though I don’t think you cared much about them. If it helps at all…”

  Katya had started to weep again, but quietly, biting her lip.

  “…Timor saved everyone who lived. I guess he warned them, and then he protected some little girl with his…I’m sorry. Anastasia is promoting him to a Lordship, post…post-humorous…”

  “Posthumously,” Katya corrected, sniffling. “Oh, fuck, Timor. I should have been there.”

  “I don’t think there was anything you could’ve…”

  “I could have died there with my brother, doing my job. That would have been…” Katya stifled a sob. “Something bad happened to me, a long time ago. I was still a kid, and it…I was all messed up. I couldn’t…couldn’t sleep anymore. I couldn’t be alone in the room with anyone else, couldn’t be left by myself. I wouldn’t let anyone touch me. I started screaming if anyone even tried.”

  Eerie squeezed Katya tighter.

  “He was the only person who didn’t scare me. He just left his post, without even telling Ana, and moved into my apartment. He slept on the floor during the day, and sat up all night, watching over me, so I could sleep. For…I don’t even know how long. Months. He never complained, never scolded me or criticized. He just listened and watched, and never left, even when I got angry at him and yelled and said horrible things.”

  There was a strange intermingling of raw grief and fondness in Katya’s voice that Eerie had never heard before, something novel and painful.

  “He looked after me until I felt good enough to go outside by myself. He always looked after me, from the time our parents gave us away, after I became an assassin, even after I became an Auditor. He always worried, always wanted me to text or call. He…”

  Katya trailed off, sobbing quietly.

  “This is stupid,” Katya said, sniffling and wiping her nose. “You don’t need to hear all this.”

  “No, Katya, I’m here for you!” Eerie said insistently. “We are friends, and I…”

  “Of course we are,” Katya said, sitting up slowly. “Can you find some Kleenex, or toilet paper or something?”

  Eerie found a box of tissues on the ground beside the desk after a quick search. She handed it to Katya, who blew her nose loudly.

  “You can’t let her do this to you guys,” Katya said, taking another tissue from the box and wiping her eyes. “You can’t let it ruin your day.”

  “Who is she?”

  “Emily fucking Muir, that’s who. Who else? She always seems to know everything. Does that bother you the way it bugs me?”

  “Lots of things about Emily bother me,” Eerie admitted. “I try to be nice, but…”

  “She could have told me whenever. Instead, she waited until you and Alex were about to…you know. Be alone.”

  “But why?”

  “Because she doesn’t want you and Alex to…”

  Katya gestured and nodded. Eerie stared and waited.

  “…hook up. Be together. Whatever.”

  “That can’t be true! Emily told me that she didn’t like Alex anymore, that way, and I believe her.”

  “I don’t know why you would,” Katya said. “Just because she doesn’t want him for herself, that doesn’t mean she’s willing to let you have him. Maybe she doesn’t want him to be with anyone else. I don’t know. She might just have a thing for interfering with other people’s lives. She could even think that she’s doing Alex a favor.”

  “I don’t see how.”

  “You aren’t human, Eerie. People are going to have a problem with your relationship with Alex. You get that, right?”

  “I’m half! My mom…”

  “Doesn’t matter, not to that sort of people. Once they decide that something is unnatural, that’s all there is to it. You should be ready for some bad reactions.”

  “I know about the bad reactions,” Eerie said softly. “I just never knew why.”

  “Get used to it,” Katya said brusquely. “I doubt that’s Emily’s deal, though. I think that’s just jealousy, or spite, or plain old-fashioned bitchiness. You can’t let her mess this up.”

  “You really think that’s why…?”

  “I think Emily knew it would hurt me, but it’s you and Alex that she was fucking with.”

  “Do you think she might…I mean, Alex is probably with her, right now, and…”

  “I don’t think Emily is that stupid, and even if she is, I don’t think Alex would be receptive. Not like that.” Katya glanced at Eerie, a trace of amusement crossing her teary eyes. “He likes you, you know? He’s really into you.”

  Eerie blushed and looked away.

  “He is?”

  “Come on. You know he is. It’s so obvious.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “Oh, please. Get him alone for a minute and you’ll know, all right.”

  “Katya, that’s not important right now…”

  “Pretty sure it’s important to Alex.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I think…”

  There was a knock at the door.

  A moment later, Alex let himself in, slightly out of breath and his face flushed, as if he had run the whole way back.

  “Guys, I got Emily to…”

  He trailed off, surprised to see them sitting up.

  “Oh. You seem a little better, Katya.”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. It’s…it’ll be okay.”

  “If you say so,” Alex said uneasily. “I got the full story out of Emily. There was a bombing…”

  “It’s okay. I know already,” Katya said, rubbing her temples. “Your girlfriend told me.”

  Eerie and Alex both blushed, immediately turning their gazes anywhere except at each other.

  “Enough of this,” Katya grumbled, pulling the blankets u
p to her chest. “You two go away. I need to sleep for a while.”

  Alex looked at Katya with a worried expression.

  “Maybe I should stay,” he suggested, pinching his lip. “Or maybe Eerie should…”

  “I don’t want company,” Katya said, rolling over to face the wall. “I’m sure you two can think of some way to pass the time.”

  “I’m not sure,” Alex said, giving Eerie an uncertain look. “Katya’s been through a lot. Maybe…”

  “She’s right,” Eerie said, standing. “There isn’t much time, and Katya reminded me that we have important things to do.”

  “Important? What are you…”

  Katya sat up suddenly in bed, her eyes blazing at Alex.

  “That oblivious act of yours is only cute for so long,” Katya huffed. “You’re just putting all the work on her. You sure ask a lot of your girlfriend.”

  “I…I’m not sure that I…”

  “Get out of here,” Katya said, rolling into a ball and tugging the blanket over her head. “Turn out the lights on your way out.”

  “Katya…”

  “Come on,” Eerie urged, taking his hand. “We should go.”

  Alex hesitated.

  “We only get so much time,” Eerie said, pulling him toward the door. “Shouldn’t we make the most of it?”

  Alex nodded and followed her out, flipping off the light and shutting the door with the utmost care.

  Katya waited until she heard the footsteps recede down the hall, and the door to the stairwell creak.

  Then she lay flat on her stomach, covered her head with the pillow, and screamed into the mattress until her voice cracked and her throat was raw.

  She wiped her face on the sheet, and then went to the bathroom.

  Finding it in acceptable shape and the hot water supply intact, she showered quickly, and then returned to her dorm to dig clothes out of the mess someone had made of her closet. She chose old jeans, a bit torn at the knees, and a thin grey sweater that she probably should have washed, sneakers and a hair band. The belt she put on had a chrome buckle and a magnetic fastener. She had to stop herself from crying when she remembered Timor giving it to her the prior Christmas, his glee at demonstrating the clever latching mechanism.