The Gates of Paradise Read online

  She’d felt so close to him last night, and now he was as distant as ever. Would it always be like this between them?

  Lawson didn’t seem to catch it, though. “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Do you not see it? She’s acting so weird lately, like she’s jealous…of us. I don’t understand why she’d care. But there must be a reason for it. If I’m wrong about that, I want to know, and I bet Edon does too.”

  Lawson sighed. “Is there somewhere we can sit down?”

  “There’s a bench over there.”

  He sat with his head in his hands for a moment before speaking. “I’d really hoped this wasn’t going to be an issue.”

  So something did happen between them. Bliss inhaled sharply and tried not to let what he was about to tell her hurt so much.

  Lawson shook his head; then in a soft, almost inaudible voice, he confessed.

  “It only happened once, the night before the trials. I was so keyed up, so afraid of what was about to happen. I’d trained for weeks. If I lost, I would die.” He couldn’t look her in the eye. His voice was flat. “She came into my bed, just as I was about to sleep. I didn’t know what was happening until it was too late. She seduced me. She was my brother’s mate. She knew I was scared and she used it against me. Then the next day, I found out why she had done it.

  “I entered the arena. They hadn’t told me who my opponent was, but somehow she knew. It was her. I would have had to kill her to win, to make alpha. It was either her or me.

  “I couldn’t. Not only because of what we’d done the night before, but because of who she was. I loved her too, as a sister. She must have worried that that wouldn’t have stopped me, so that’s why she seduced me, just to make sure I lost. I thought the masters would kill me. I wanted them to, after everything that happened. I couldn’t face Edon. I don’t love Ahri, and I don’t think she loves me. I think she’s just angry and confused. I don’t know. I think she wanted to win. She wanted to be alpha.”

  “That’s terrible,” Bliss said, though she wasn’t sure whether she was referring to what Ahri had done, or Lawson.

  “I figured losing at the trials was my punishment. I meant nothing to her, so I knew she’d never tell Edon, and no one would ever know.”

  “Did you—” Bliss almost couldn’t bring herself to ask. “You didn’t leave her behind on purpose, did you? When you guys escaped from Hell?”

  Lawson looked as if she’d hit him. “You have to know I would never do that. I’d rather have faced Edon than leave her in the underworld by herself. I would never wish that on her. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I thought at first that maybe she believed I had, though, and that I was partly to blame for what happened to her down there. But then I realized that if that were true, she’d have said something. To hurt me, or to hurt Edon.”

  “If she was content to keep it a secret, I don’t understand why she’s acting like this now,” Bliss said.

  Lawson raised an eyebrow at her. “You really don’t?”

  “Why would I?”

  “She’s jealous.”

  “Of what?”

  “Of you. Of you and me, I guess, but probably mostly of you. There’s something special about you, and she knows it. We all do.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Bliss said. “She just saw you with someone else, and now she wants you back. I think maybe she always wanted you and settled for Edon.”

  “Maybe.” Lawson considered the possibility. “But she didn’t get quite this bent out of shape when she found out about me and Tala. She was pissed, but she never seemed jealous. No, it’s you.” Tala had been his mate until she was killed by Romulus, before he and Bliss even met.

  “Well, you need to do something about it. We have to figure out what caused the break in the timeline, and we need everyone to be able to work together.”

  “It will be fine,” Lawson said. “Just let it go.”

  Bliss thought Lawson was such a boy sometimes, hoping that something would go away if he ignored it long enough.

  “Let what go?” Edon said.

  Bliss hadn’t noticed the rest of the pack in front of them. So much for a private conversation. “It’s nothing,” she said.

  “Yeah, forget about it,” Lawson said.

  “Because it meant nothing to you?” Ahramin asked.

  “What are you talking about?” Edon asked. “Ahri, what are you talking about?” But then Bliss saw the look of comprehension cross his face. “No. No, you didn’t. You couldn’t have.”

  He could have been talking to either one of them.

  “Edon, it’s not what you think,” Lawson said.

  “It’s exactly what I think,” Edon said. “It couldn’t be clearer.” He turned to Ahramin. “I love you. Why would you do that to me?”

  “Because I wanted to be alpha. I did what I had to do. We needed a leader. A real leader and not one who rolled over and sat up for the masters. I’m sorry, Edon, but it had to be done.”

  Edon turned away.

  “Edon!” Lawson yelled. “Edon!”

  Edon shifted into a wolf and growled. For a moment it looked as if he would rear up and lunge at Lawson. But he stumbled back against the wall and then stormed away.

  Lawson’s face was full of anguish. “Edon!”

  “Let him go,” Ahramin said. “He’ll come back. He has nowhere else to go.”

  THIRTY-THREE

  Schuyler

  nce upon a time, before Schuyler had discovered she was different, that she was a vampire, that she would have to continue what her mother had started, she had been a regular girl at a competitive and elite private school in Manhattan. And as a student of the Duchesne School, she was expected to attend a prestigious college. Her mother had attended Harvard, and her father Stanford, but Schuyler had been drawn to the smaller schools—the urban schools—the “flowerpot” Ivies—Brown, Columbia, as well as the “brainiac” schools like the University of Chicago.

  In another life, she and Oliver could have been these students, she thought, looking around at the young people. Their only anxieties were over exams and dating.

  Getting to Chicago had been easy enough, but Schuyler had no idea what to do once they arrived. She supposed she could have sent Finn Chase a friend request on Facebook and asked to meet up, but it seemed so awkward. What was she supposed to say? “I’m the long-lost daughter of the father who died when you were a baby and before I was born. Sorry to spring it on you like this. Let’s hang out!”

  “Are we just going to show up on her doorstep?” Oliver asked.

  “I would if I knew where her doorstep was,” Schuyler said. “This place is enormous, though.”

  The campus was spread out over several city blocks, and it seemed impossible that they would be able to find her. “Did you check to see if there was an address on Facebook? Any references to what dorm she lives in?” Oliver asked.

  “I read every post I could find, but there was nothing about where she lived. On campus, that’s all I know. She’s probably careful not to reveal where; too many stalkers these days.”

  “What about finding her after class? What’s she studying?”

  Trust Oliver to always come up with something useful. “She’s an art major,” Schuyler told him. “There was something about how Finn had gotten all of her requirements out of the way and could now spend her time doing what she loved.”

  “That means most of her classes are probably in the same building,” Oliver pointed out. “If we go there, someone might be able to help us find her. We might even run into her, like the crazy stalkers we are.”

  “Such a good idea!” Schuyler checked her phone to see where visual art classes were held. “Looks like most of them are in the Arts Center, on South Greenwood. That’s just a few blocks from here.”

  It didn’t take them long to arrive at the squat, rectangular concrete building. “Not very attractive for a building devoted to art,” Oliver sniffed.

  “It’s what’s insi
de that counts,” Schuyler said.

  They looked at each other, took deep breaths, and entered the building. Schuyler had been hoping there would be some sort of secretary they could ask right away, but the lobby was empty. They must have come during class time.

  “The administrative offices are this way.” Oliver pointed.

  The office was buzzing with activity, in contrast to the lobby. Student interns wandered around the suite, making copies and filing paperwork. The receptionist was filing her very long nails when Schuyler approached the desk. “You’re looking for who? Is she expecting you?”

  “Not exactly,” Schuyler said.

  “And you are…?”

  “Her sister.”

  “Is there some sort of family emergency?”

  Schuyler debated whether to lie, then opted against it. “No, I was just hoping to find her. Is there any chance you could tell me where she is? What classroom she’s in? I’m not looking for her home address or anything like that.” Though I’d take it if you gave it to me, she thought.

  “Can’t do that,” the receptionist said. “FERPA violation.”

  “FERPA?”

  “Privacy. I know your generation doesn’t have much use for it anymore, but it’s still the law.”

  “Well, thank you for your help.” Schuyler couldn’t help but let the sarcasm creep into her voice.

  The woman gave her a look and then returned to filing her nails.

  Schuyler walked out of the office, dejected.

  “What about the glom?” Oliver asked. “Just make her tell you.”

  “I thought about it, but it seemed wrong somehow,” she said. “We’ll figure something out.”

  “Excuse me?” a voice said.

  They turned around to see a petite girl with dark curly hair standing behind them. “Sorry to be nosy, but I couldn’t help overhearing you in there. You’re looking for Finn Chase?”

  “We are,” Schuyler said eagerly.

  “You’re her sister? She’s a pretty good friend of mine, and I don’t remember her having any siblings.”

  “She doesn’t know about me,” Schuyler admitted. “Actually, I only just found out about her.”

  The girl’s dark eyes sparkled. “How exciting and mysterious!” She held out her hand. “I’m Ivy. I totally know her schedule. Can I introduce you guys? Please?”

  Is she kidding? Of course she can! “I’m Schuyler, and this is my friend Oliver. We’d love it if you’d help us out.”

  “Awesome,” Ivy said. “Are you two, like, a thing? Are you a potential brother-in-law or something?”

  Was she asking out of curiosity, or because she thought Oliver was cute? It didn’t matter, Schuyler figured, as long as she’d help them. And if Oliver needed to flirt to get what they needed, then he’d better get cracking.

  “I’m quite single,” he said. “Schuyler’s like a sister to me.”

  Schuyler breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps not quite accurate, but it would do the job.

  “Class is almost over,” Ivy said. “She’s taking a grad class on Kandinsky. Such an overachiever.” She rolled her eyes.

  Well, they had Kandinsky in common, Schuyler thought. Finn’s taste must have been influenced by Decca. And Ben, of course. She remembered that he’d been some sort of artist.

  “We’ll catch her on the way out. Come on.”

  Oliver and Schuyler followed Ivy down a long corridor to a seminar room. Through a window in the door, Schuyler could see a group of students sitting around a table. They were arguing animatedly, and she felt a pang of jealousy at the thought of Finn as a normal college student, passionate about art, oblivious to the fact that the world might be a horrible and dangerous place, where your love could be ripped away from you.

  “Sky? You with us?” Oliver asked.

  “Just watching,” she said.

  The students began packing up their books and heading toward the door. Schuyler jumped back and wondered why she felt as if she needed to hide. Nervous about meeting her sister, she supposed.

  A tall blond girl with her hair in a ponytail, her face framed by a pair of severe black eyeglasses, left the room. Schuyler had expected Finn to look sporty, somehow, from the photos of her on the ski slopes and the tennis courts; and while the girl certainly had an athletic gracefulness about her, she carried herself with a serious mien. Finn Chase, Schuyler realized, was a bit of a nerd. A cool nerd, of course—a hipster with her vintage glasses and the polyester blouse and the bell-bottom jeans—but a nerd nonetheless.

  Ivy stood by the door and grabbed Finn’s arm as soon as she exited the room. “I have the craziest thing to tell you,” she said.

  Finn rolled her eyes. “Crazier than the time you said your calculus tutor was hitting on you, except he just had a spastic eyelid? Crazier than the time you thought we all had bedbugs because you actually had poison oak from rolling around in the bushes with that random freshman? Crazier than—”

  “Okay, I get it, enough already,” Ivy said. “Yes, crazier than all of that. Legit crazy.” She dragged Finn over to where Schuyler and Oliver were waiting. “Finn, meet Schuyler. Schuyler, this is Finn. Also, this is Oliver. And they’re totally not dating.”

  Finn gave Ivy the kind of look Schuyler suspected she’d given her many, many times before, then turned and smiled at Schuyler and Oliver. “Nice to meet you,” she said politely. “What’s this all about?”

  “GUESS!” Ivy was bursting with excitement. She practically bounced up and down, trying to drag out the moment. “You’ll never guess!”

  Enough already, Schuyler thought, ready to interrupt. Finally, Ivy squealed, “She’s your sister!”

  Finn frowned. Uh-oh. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “I don’t have a sister. Or a brother. Or any siblings. Who are you guys, really?”

  “She’s not kidding,” Schuyler said. “I know it sounds crazy, but I actually am your sister. I just found out a few days ago. Ben was my dad too. He was married to my mother but he died before I was born.”

  “You’re kidding,” said Finn, shocked.

  “She isn’t,” Oliver said. “Not even a little bit.”

  “But I thought—and he and my mom never even—are we the same age? I’m so confused.”

  “I think you’re maybe two years older than I am,” Schuyler said. “It’s kind of a long story. If you want to hear it.” She still couldn’t tell. Finn was looking at her with such skepticism, and Schuyler was struck by how much she looked exactly like Decca—wary, guarded, reserved—that she was prepared to be dismissed as an opportunistic crackpot.

  “Um, hello?” Finn asked. “Of course I want to hear it!” She broke out into a broad smile. The one Schuyler recognized from the photographs of her father on the mantel. Ben Chase’s dazzling, generous, light-filled smile. “Come to my dorm and tell me everything!”

  THIRTY-FOUR

  Mimi

  ow it was just a question of which city the Lennox brothers and their new brides had moved to. Mimi didn’t think it would be that difficult to find them: if she’d fallen into a completely improbable romance and run off to Europe, there’s only one place she would go.

  Paris.

  They’d be in hiding, of course, but no one could hide from Mimi for very long. She had better contacts in Paris than in London, even among the Red Bloods, and a married pair of twins couldn’t be completely inconspicuous.

  It only took her a few days to find them. They were living in the 3rd arrondissement, in Le Marais.

  It felt great to be back in Paris—and with a pang, Mimi realized it was a life she and Kingsley had never had the luxury to experience. Come away with me, he had asked her, right before her bonding to Jack. She had said yes—but by then it was too late.

  In Paris she felt like her old self again, checking into the Ritz in her usual suite, sinking into those heavenly sheets and lush pink towels. She’d even found a little time to steal away and do some shopping; there was nothing that made her feel more
confident than a fabulous new outfit from Lanvin, with Louboutins to match. Suitably attired, she went back to business.

  The two couples had managed to find twin apartments as well—they lived side by side in a building that had once been a house, carved into beautiful apartments. And they must have felt safe there, since they’d done nothing supernatural to protect themselves—no spells, no enchantments. Just locks that were easy for someone like Mimi to pick.

  She spent a couple of days quietly following them around, breaking into their apartments when she knew they weren’t home. No sign of Kingsley, but they’d obviously gotten comfortable. The apartments were structurally identical, like Deming and Dehua, but they were furnished completely differently. Deming and Ted’s apartment was decorated in soft pastels, with gauzy curtains and a feeling of openness and warmth. Fitting for the Angel of Mercy, Mimi thought. Sam and Dehua’s apartment was sleek and modern, with furniture made of steel. Indestructible, for the Angel of Immortality.

  Ted and Sam both had their own offices, as well. Ted’s, in keeping with his detective instincts, was covered in maps and corkboards that detailed his investigation of Lucifer’s plan to destroy the gates. Sam’s was filled with the most expensive computer equipment.

  The one thing the apartments shared was that they were both covered in photographs. Pictures of the couples at their bonding, on their honeymoon, wandering around the streets of Paris together. They all seemed so happy.

  And the whole time, Mimi was growing furious.

  Why was this happening to her? Why was she embroiled in this crazy plot to double-cross Lucifer when all she wanted was what she’d been willing to go to Hell for: the chance to be with Kingsley? She’d lost her bondmate and found a way to move on, but she still wasn’t permitted any happiness. The stone around her neck felt heavier and heavier every moment. No matter what she did, the Dark Prince would know.

  She decided to wait in Ted and Deming’s apartment and surprise them when they returned. She’d always gotten along a little better with Ted, and she knew Deming better than Dehua, from the time Deming had helped them catch the hidden Nephilim at Duchesne.