Chapter 246: The Knock
"Syd!" Liam's desperate cry spun me around. I raced to him and fell to my knees, one hand pressed to Fergus's chest, just below the wound. Shaylee felt around inside, winced at the taint of dark Sidhe magic. My demon snarled, grasped both of us by the scruffs of our power and used the three of us to latch onto the bullet still buried in the old man's flesh.
It was torture, disgusting, painful and so vile I wanted to pull away, to abandon the attempt, to leave the horrible thing where it was. So much hate and darkness could not exist in one tiny shard of metal, but it did, oh it did, and the cost of removing it was too much.
Until the nasty thing popped free, jerking loose so violently it flew across the room to ping against the stone. I collapsed, panting, my demon howling, Shaylee weeping at the filth staining us from the contact. But it faded, thankfully, washed clean by the slow and steady flow of Galleytrot's magic and the bond between the other two powers inside me.
The black dog's magic poured over the old man, but I could tell he still wasn't responding the way he should. My connection through the earth told me the wound resisted all attempts to heal it.
"The damned Unseelie," Galleytrot growled, a great strain in his voice. "I can keep him stable, but I'm not sure for how long."
Fergus's eyes flickered open, empty of the knowledge we were even there. I could see how far away he was, but when he spoke his voice and message were both loud and clear.
"Heed the Gate." He sounded almost young, rippling with his own power. "You must answer the knock when it comes."
"I thought he had his own protections." We had to do something, but I had no idea what. "He should be okay, shouldn't he?"
"He does," Galleytrot said. "That's why he's still alive at all."
Small comfort there.
Liam meanwhile hovered over Fergus. "How, Daddo? How do I answer it?"
But the old man was gone again, unconscious, and unable to answer. Liam looked up and met my eyes.
"We're so screwed," he said.
As if to reinforce Liam's astute observation, Galleytrot suddenly chuffed and stiffened, head swinging toward the large portal. "Something approaches," he said.
I wanted to believe it was another enemy trying to break into the chamber, but I knew the truth. At least an outside force I could do something about. But the feeling Galleytrot had, the same one I now felt running through me, the growing hum of the Gate brought my dreams back.
I struggled to my feet under the weight of the swelling sound, knew we were right at the cusp, the moment of the knock. I grabbed Liam, spun him around, shoved him forward toward the portal.
"Answer it," I said, my whole body feeling heavy and light all at once as the pitch of the hum increased, rising and falling in cadence like a song. It was almost impossible to remain upright from the weight of the music of the Gate. Even Galleytrot whined and sank lower though the flow of his healing magic never wavered.
Liam tried to back away, shaking his head, eyes sparking with green fire as his fear shone in his face.
"I can't!" He looked at me with pure panic. "I don't know how!"
"Maybe it's instinctual." I was grasping in desperation, even though I knew the likelihood of that was slim to none.
The growing, consuming terror in his face told me I was right.
"The study." I spun toward the room with the books, but Liam caught my arm.
"There's no time," he said.
"We have to do something!" My demon howled her rage right in his face, but he didn't flinch. At least letting her out eased some of the pressure from the sound of the Gate. Just enough so despair won through.
I'd failed after all.
As if to acknowledge my thought, the Gate began to glow, the song growing louder still until I finally shoved Shaylee down as far as I could and smothered her with demon magic to keep us from flying apart. Not that I worried we really would, like in my dream, but I wasn't taking any chances.
The glow grew, the power of the Gate reaching through even my attempts to protect my Sidhe side, enough my heart raced, pulse pounding in fear as the shining magic surrounding and permeating the Gate suddenly flared until it glowed like a small star.
I was expecting a knock, but not the deep and vibrating boom echoing through the three chambers and back again, bouncing from stone walls and making my very bones quake. Liam looked at me, resigned as much as fearful.
No way I was letting this happen. No. Way. The Unseelie would not win. As the knock's echo finally died, a crack appeared in the seal around the Gate. I pulled Shaylee to the fore, linked as strongly as I could with my three magics and grasped for Liam's hand, making him the fourth.
I only had one more breath to wait before the massive Gate groaned and slammed open, the bright light beyond it blinding as the power of the Sidhe shone through.
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