Page 30 of Infernal

Double shit on a stick.

We had company, and it was the worst kind.

10. THREE’S COMPANY

My chest swelled with a sharp intake of air as I took in the cold, unforgiving features of my uncle Karl. He was standing in a formal line along with William Thompson, the senior Magister, and another suit I didn’t recognize, watching us with weighty disapproval in their eyes. I hadn’t heard them walk in, and being that I was in a house with two Revenants who also didn’t hear a thing, either they were spelled, or they’d ported themselves here.

Neither option made me comfortable.

“I wish I could say I’m surprised to find you here, fraternizing with the enemy,” said my uncle, his voice clipped and riddled with accusations. “But of course, I’m not.”

“That’s pretty funny coming from you,” I shot back humorlessly. My unease over what they may have overheard was quickly overthrown by my hatred of him for lying to me about who I was, about my mother, and God knows what else.

His charcoal eyes shifted from me to Gabriel, and he shook his head. “For shame, Gabriel. We’ve come to expect this sort of thing from your brother, but not from you.”

Gabriel cast his eyes down, and suddenly, I wanted to kick him in the shin.

“By all means, barge into my home and berate me,” said Dominic, his crooked smile shrouded in dark warnings. “That will surely end well for you.”

My uncle was about to say something back to him when William raised his hand. Apparently, it was all that was needed to shut my uncle up. I needed to remember to try that out some time, though I doubted it would have the same effect on him if I did it.

“Gabriel. Dominic,” greeted William with a curt nod. “I do apologize for the intrusion. Unfortunately, you didn’t leave us with much choice in the matter,” he said as he turned his full attention to me.

My body felt heavy under the weight of his stare.

“It’s nice to see you again, Jemma. I do wish it were under better circumstances.” A sad smile touched the corner of his lips, and despite my instinct to distrust anything associated with The Order, it seemed genuine.

My eyes veered to the other man with the shoulder-length salt-and-pepper hair and the small blue eyes. He looked like the silent-but-deadly type. The type you called when the shit really hit the fan.

William noted where my eyes had gone and quickly made an introduction. “This is Alford Benedict, Sacred Keeper of our Temple. I don’t believe you two have met.”

Alford nodded, but I didn’t bother with any faux niceties. I crossed my arms and was about to ask them what the hell they were doing here when Dominic beat me to the punch.

“Well, now that we’re all acquainted, would you mind telling me what you’re doing in my house?” asked Dominic. His words were polite enough, but his tone was anything but. “Last I remember, we severed all ties.”

“Indeed.” William nodded his agreement. “We mean no disrespect, I assure you. We’ll leave just as soon as we get what we came for.”

“Dare I ask what that might be?”

William’s face had the look of gloom when he answered, “We’ve come to bring Jemma home.”

Dominic threw his head back and laughed, the sound of it hearty and insulting.

“And doesJemmaget a say in this, or did you just decide it for me?” I balked, not believing their audacity.

“You need to be with family right now—with those who can protect you and guide you in—”

“He’s not my family,” I cut in through gritted teeth as I glowered at my uncle. “He’s a liar and a traitor, and as far as I know, you aren’t that much better. So, no. I’m not going anywhere with any one of you.”

I may not have had any concrete proof to back up my claims, but I knew the Order was behind the attack on me in the woods the night of Taylor’s party. The hooded assailant had come from inside the party, and since Revenants had been barred from entering, that only left them on my suspect list.

“Is that all?” I asked, pretty much shooing them away.

“Unfortunately, no.” William’s brows furrowed as he ran his hand down the front of his Cassock, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles. “I trust you’re aware of what has come to pass, are you not?”

From the severity of his tone, I knew he was referring to the unearthing of Lucifer.

“Yes, I’m aware.” I crossed my arms and glared at my uncle again. “You could have stopped this. You could have told me the truth about what I was instead of lying to me about everything. I was a bomb waiting to go off, and you just sent me out to war with blinders on. That’s not whatfamilydoes!” Because the truth was, they didn’t want to warn me or prepare me. They wanted to eradicate me altogether, and that’s the reason why they kept me in the dark from day one.

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