Chapter 28
Dylan grabbed Gabriel’s hand and led him back down the hill. The rifts had seemed to be clustered near the gate, and he suspected—or at least hoped—that meant they couldn’t randomly spring up on the property. They found his mother at the foot of the hill, surrounded by what remained of his family. Part of him wanted to just go back and destroy the gate and stay protected in his little bubble. To keep them safe here. To keep Gabriel safe.
He shook that thought aside. Assuming Johnny was telling the truth, that relative safety only extended to the border of Homer’s property line, and they couldn’t stay hidden away there forever.
His mamaw looked at him. “Was it up there? What was that god-awful sound?”
Dylan bit his lip to stifle a laugh while his mother was on her knees, weeping. “It was Gabe figuring out his power.”
Gabriel raised an eyebrow before collapsing onto the ground beside Merrin. “At least starting to.”
Dylan’s lips curved into a smile, and he shook his head. “At least you’re not likely to flash your family jewels at somebody accidentally if you don’t get the hang of it.”
Merrin shot him a look he remembered from his childhood, and he nodded. “You all need to stay down here. We’re going back up to investigate some more. I don’t think I’m going to open it at this point. Someone’s trying to get over without it being open. Gabe closed the rifts, but if they figure out that the wards here are what are keeping them on their side, we could face a full-on invasion out there.”
His mother nodded without a word. Gabriel looked up at him. “We need to be on our guard. We don’t know if the wards would stop a bullet or an arrow from coming through here.”
Dylan nodded with a sigh. “I just wish there was a way for us to gauge whether Johnny’s telling the truth.”
Merrin’s voice was ragged. “There is. I want to meet this asshole.”
Dylan shook his head. “You’re not leaving the property.”
Gabriel looked at him. “We could call down to Peggy’s and ask to talk to him. Maybe he’ll meet us at the barrier.”
Merrin smiled. “That’s close enough. Between the three of us, we should be able to tell if he’s lying.”
A horrific screeching sound came from above, just over the crest of the hill. Dylan guessed a new rift had opened. He hoped that whatever was happening was in a bit of turmoil, since they were no longer within sight of the rifts. Unsure if whoever—or whatever was on the other side could hear them, he lowered his voice to a whisper. “Let’s get back to the house. Quietly. We can call from there.”
Everyone nodded, and they made their way back to Homer’s house. Once inside, Gabriel stepped aside to call Peggy’s and ask Johny to meet them. Merrin disappeared into the bedroom downstairs.
Tinah came up behind Dylan, whispering conspiratorially. “I think she’s thinking about doing something stupid.”
Dylan nodded. He knew what his mother had planned, knowing Tinah was right. “Yeah, but I’m not sure what either. Let’s just let this play out and see how it goes.”
She nodded. Dylan hoped she agreed, and stepped over to where Gabriel was speaking into the phone, his voice nearly pleading. He raised an eyebrow, and Gabriel placed his hand over the microphone.
“He’s not sure if this is a good idea, Dylan.”
Dylan smiled. “It may not be, but it’s the best we’ve got. Tell him we can help him get home. He said that’s what he wants, right?”
Gabriel nodded and relayed the message.
Dylan watched as Gabriel listened intently to what was being said on the other end of the line. After what felt like an eternity, the call ended.
“He’ll be on the sidewalk out front this evening. He said he can’t leave the restaurant right now.”
Dylan flashed a wan smile. “No worries. Not like a few hours will make a difference, honestly.”
Gabriel nodded. “Do you know what your mother was talking about?”
Dylan’s mamaw spoke from her seat in the dining room. “Merrin can read people better than anyone I know. Between that and what Tinah and I can do, there shouldn’t be any issue.” She smiled softly at Dylan. “I wish I understood your precognitive abilities better. If I could, I would teach you a thing or two.”
Dylan chuckled. “So far, I’ve seen him turn into a monster and eat Gabriel. Needless to say, I don’t exactly trust him.”
She nodded solemnly. “What if that was a shapeshifter pretending to be him? You said he’s been looking for someone who can open rifts, so it’s not impossible for people to have come over through one.”
The color drained from Gabriel’s face. He looked at Dylan, his voice strained. “Are there shapeshifters who can turn into other people?”
Dylan shrugged. “No clue.”
Tinah chuckles. “Me either, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.” She looked at her mother. “Do you know something we don’t?”
She shook her head. “Not exactly. I’m just trying to piece some of this together. Like all the legends across the globe. Werewolves, shapeshifters, skinwalkers, vampires, wizards and witches. What if all of it is based on a grain of truth? If that’s the case, then I would say it is possible. Whether it’s likely that a skinwalker assassin was sent to kill your boyfriend and frame the local restauranteur?” She shrugged. “But this has been a fucked up few days.”
Dylan sighed. “Where’s mom? We need to put together our game plan for when he gets here. The last thing we need is to prolong this conversation in public.”
Merrin stepped into the room. “What conversation. I’m going to shoot the motherfucker. There’s no way he’s telling the truth.”
Dylan turned to face her with a sigh. “Mom, you aren’t going to shoot him in front of the house.”