It could’ve been an accident, I told myself.
And yet the niggling whisper in the back of my brain had something else to say: Nothing is ever a coincidence in your life, Izzy Sage. Nothing.
I WAS EXHAUSTED WHEN WE retired to Braden’s bedroom. I stripped out of my pants and tumbled into bed. I didn’t even remain awake long enough to register Braden joining me and I was out within seconds.
Unfortunately, my dreams were hardly restful.
I found myself in the space beyond the gate again. It was familiar because I’d crossed over once, risking death, to retrieve Aisling. She’d been sucked across by a tempestuous god who was aiming for me. He likely regretted his actions as soon as he had her, because one thing the youngest Grimlock could do above all else was run her mouth.
My dreams had drawn me to the other side of the gate several times now, usually to show me something of importance. It was the bruja in me, or at least that’s what I told myself. My magic was at the core of the dreams, which was why I was instantly alert.
“What now?” It was petulant to complain — the dreams had helped us more than once — but all I wanted was a good night’s sleep. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to descend on Belle Isle ... again.
The waiting room, which was how I thought of it, was muted. It lacked the brightness of our world. Even the cloudiest day in Detroit was brighter than this washed-out space.
I wasn’t sure I should venture into the woods. I knew there was a cave on one side where Aisling had been held, but most of my visits resulted in almost immediate answers. I opened my mouth to call out even though I knew it was likely a useless gesture. Nobody had heard me during my previous visits.
And then I saw him.
Emmet Grimlock, Cormack’s father, emerged from the trees. He was wearing the same clothes he had on the last time I saw him in person — a very expensive suit — although it was ragged now, as if he had been exposed to the elements for a very long time. He staggered like someone who had been running for miles and was about to collapse. He never looked at me, never acknowledged my presence, and instead headed directly for the gate.
I watched him a moment, dumbfounded. Was he trying to cross back? What did he hope to accomplish? I finally managed to unfreeze my tongue and called out to him, my voice echoing across the expanse.
He didn’t look in my direction. He continued, head down, as if fighting some unseen force that was trying to block him. When he got to the gate, he stared at it for a long time ... and then he disappeared through it.
I jerked to a sitting position in bed, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Next to me, Braden stirred.
“Nightmare?” he asked, his hand automatically going to my back.
It hadn’t been a nightmare. It hadn’t been something I was happy to see either. “We have to go to the island,” I said, tossing off the covers and climbing out of bed. My weary body protested, but I battled through. “We have to go right now.”
Braden didn’t immediately follow suit. “I don’t understand.” His voice was sleepy and I could only make out his silhouette in the darkness. “Why do we have to go to the island?”
I debated making up an excuse, but I trusted him more than anyone, and that seemed unfair. We’d built a relationship on trust and I wanted to keep it that way. “I think your grandfather is about to cross back through the gate.”
That’s all he needed to hear. Braden jumped to his feet and started rummaging on the floor for his clothes. “Is he already there?”
That was a good question. “I don’t know, but we need to get out there right now.”
He became all business. “We can be there in fifteen minutes. There won’t be any traffic.”
That was good, I told myself. If Emmet was about to emerge into our world after weeks on the other side, I wanted to be the first to talk to him.
BRADEN DROVE, PULLING TO A STOP in the very first parking spot outside the aquarium door. I already had my card out to scan at the security panel.
The aquarium lights were low, but not off. The building was never completely devoured by darkness, and I hit the stairs that led to the basement at a run.
My eyes were wild as I scanned the gate room. It was quiet, all the souls delivered for the evening. Any that accumulated during the overnight hours would be sent through in the morning.
The desk terminals were empty. Nothing moved, and yet I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that had been clinging to me since I woke from the dream.
“He’s not here,” Braden noted.
“No.” I stared at the shimmering gate. “He’s not.”
“Maybe it was just a dream,” Braden offered. “You were exhausted when we went to bed. You ate your weight in prime rib. Maybe it’s just a meat sweats dream.”
I shot him a dark look. “Meat sweats?”
“Oh, that’s a thing.” Braden bobbed his head. “Once, Dad let us barbecue, like, eight different types of meat. There was cornbread, corn and potato salad, but we all gorged on the meat ... and we all woke up sweating as if we’d run a marathon that night. My dad thought it was funny.”
“You guys get off torturing each other.”
“We do. Even Aisling got the meat sweats. She carried on as if she was dying.”
I blew out a sigh. “I guess I was wrong.”
“It’s okay.” He rested his hand on the back of my neck, rubbing at the tension building there. “I’m so handsome I can miss a night of beauty sleep.”
“It’s good that you’re not too egotistical or anything,” I drawled.
“I wholeheartedly agree.”
I looked again, because it felt necessary, and then held up my hands. “I’m sorry I woke you for nothing.”
“It’s okay. I would rather you wake me for nothing than ignore a dream that could turn into something.”
“Yeah.” I rubbed my cheeks. “I just thought for sure ... .” Before I could finish, the gate flickered, emitting a sound I’d become all too familiar with. At the same time, voices on the other side began whispering a chorus.
“Do you want to sleep in your apartment here or go back to Grimlock Manor? I’m up for either.”
I held up my finger to silence him, giving the gate my full attention. It flickered again. This time Braden heard the hissing that accompanied the small flash of light.
“What is that?” He instinctively shot out his arm in front of me, an unnecessary protective measure.
I shoved his arm away and engaged my magic, the bruja mask slipping into place as my hands caught fire.
The third time the gate hissed, movement accompanied the sound. Emmet, what was left of his hair disheveled, stumbled through the gate, landing on the platform in front of it.
His chest was heaving, his eyes fierce, and when he peered around, he looked anything but happy.
“What happened?”
“Um ... we were just going to ask you that.”
“We were,” Braden agreed, his voice thinner than normal. “I ... you ... where have you been?”
Emmet’s expression was blank. “Where have you been? For that matter, where am I?” His eyes narrowed as he regarded Braden. “You look familiar. Do I know you?”