would’ve expelled me by now.”
Darian considered the words, well aware of the same truth. He should’ve felt something, perhaps gratitude to the man before him, for the Watchers had helped Sofi find him and Bianca heal him. But he felt nothing, not even his brother Damian’s fury at the immortals messing with the mortal world.
“It’s my duty to expel you. As soon as I figure out how, I will,” he said simply.
“Ah, I see. And Others? Will you treat them with the same temporary tolerance?”
“No. Them I don’t like.”
“Good. That will make this a fruitful conversation,” the Watcher said. “I need to know where the Others are and what they’re doing. I believe Damian has a Hunter among his men, but the White God refuses to speak to me anymore.”
“I can find them,” Darian said, watching the Watcher’s reaction closely.
“Others?”
“And Watchers.”
At these words, the Watcher’s smile faded. Its green gaze turned intent, and Darian waited for it to speak again.
“If you really can find Others, you must reveal their locations to me. We will remove them from the planet,” the Watcher said.
“I could,” Darian agreed. “Tell me, Watcher, if I am the Gatekeeper, what gate am I guarding?”
“The one between worlds.”
“Show me.”
“Will you help us rid the earth of the Others?”
“Sure.”
The Watcher held out his hand. Darian took it. They Traveled, and Darian opened his eyes in a place where it was dark and cold.
“There are now two places on earth where we can enter from the immortal world. This is ours. The Others have their own,” the Watcher explained. “Once we are here, we can Travel at will.”
“I take it the portals can never be closed, or you wouldn’t have showed me where it is,” Darian guessed, looking around. His eyes adjusted to the darkness. Opposite the entrance, he saw an area that shimmered darker than the rest of the cave. Snow crunched underfoot as he moved closer to the portal.
“Correct,” the Watcher said. “Before your battle with the Other in Ireland, there was only one gateway open. You failed to close it, and now there are two. We can’t monitor the Others moving in and out of the mortal world. Does that mean anything to you?”
“I have two gateways to guard. I can do it,” Darian said.
“The Grey God cannot guard two gateways. The war will spread.”
“Do not underestimate me, Watcher.”
“Perhaps you need some motivation to do what you should. This can be arranged.”
“Or you could tell me what you really want from me,” Darian said, not liking the words. Watchers had a reputation in the immortal world as being manipulators. They’d left the human world alone until several months ago.
“That's not our way.” The Watcher motioned to the back of the cave. "Gods, Guardians, and Naturals can pass through, too."
“Keep playing your games,” Darian growled. “Soon, I’ll figure out how to do more than track your kind. Maybe then your ways will change.”
The Watcher continued to ignore him. “Have you never wondered what remains, since regaining your mind?”
Darian stared at the portal, memories swirling through him. The only part of his life that had been good lay beyond the gateway in front of him.
No , he told himself. The good part of his life was gone. Only memories remained. He’d been enslaved the day of the Schism, and Damian would never speak of what happened to their home. Was it the way he left it? Were the gardens where he was born and the beach where he played as a child still there? If he walked beneath the apple trees in the orchard, would she be waiting for him with her sweet smile, as she had the day they met? As she had the day she betrayed him?
He couldn’t help fearing everything was as he left it, and the only thing truly broken in either world—was him.
“Maybe someday,” he said, turning his attention to the Watcher. “You say you don’t know where the Others’
Darian considered the words, well aware of the same truth. He should’ve felt something, perhaps gratitude to the man before him, for the Watchers had helped Sofi find him and Bianca heal him. But he felt nothing, not even his brother Damian’s fury at the immortals messing with the mortal world.
“It’s my duty to expel you. As soon as I figure out how, I will,” he said simply.
“Ah, I see. And Others? Will you treat them with the same temporary tolerance?”
“No. Them I don’t like.”
“Good. That will make this a fruitful conversation,” the Watcher said. “I need to know where the Others are and what they’re doing. I believe Damian has a Hunter among his men, but the White God refuses to speak to me anymore.”
“I can find them,” Darian said, watching the Watcher’s reaction closely.
“Others?”
“And Watchers.”
At these words, the Watcher’s smile faded. Its green gaze turned intent, and Darian waited for it to speak again.
“If you really can find Others, you must reveal their locations to me. We will remove them from the planet,” the Watcher said.
“I could,” Darian agreed. “Tell me, Watcher, if I am the Gatekeeper, what gate am I guarding?”
“The one between worlds.”
“Show me.”
“Will you help us rid the earth of the Others?”
“Sure.”
The Watcher held out his hand. Darian took it. They Traveled, and Darian opened his eyes in a place where it was dark and cold.
“There are now two places on earth where we can enter from the immortal world. This is ours. The Others have their own,” the Watcher explained. “Once we are here, we can Travel at will.”
“I take it the portals can never be closed, or you wouldn’t have showed me where it is,” Darian guessed, looking around. His eyes adjusted to the darkness. Opposite the entrance, he saw an area that shimmered darker than the rest of the cave. Snow crunched underfoot as he moved closer to the portal.
“Correct,” the Watcher said. “Before your battle with the Other in Ireland, there was only one gateway open. You failed to close it, and now there are two. We can’t monitor the Others moving in and out of the mortal world. Does that mean anything to you?”
“I have two gateways to guard. I can do it,” Darian said.
“The Grey God cannot guard two gateways. The war will spread.”
“Do not underestimate me, Watcher.”
“Perhaps you need some motivation to do what you should. This can be arranged.”
“Or you could tell me what you really want from me,” Darian said, not liking the words. Watchers had a reputation in the immortal world as being manipulators. They’d left the human world alone until several months ago.
“That's not our way.” The Watcher motioned to the back of the cave. "Gods, Guardians, and Naturals can pass through, too."
“Keep playing your games,” Darian growled. “Soon, I’ll figure out how to do more than track your kind. Maybe then your ways will change.”
The Watcher continued to ignore him. “Have you never wondered what remains, since regaining your mind?”
Darian stared at the portal, memories swirling through him. The only part of his life that had been good lay beyond the gateway in front of him.
No , he told himself. The good part of his life was gone. Only memories remained. He’d been enslaved the day of the Schism, and Damian would never speak of what happened to their home. Was it the way he left it? Were the gardens where he was born and the beach where he played as a child still there? If he walked beneath the apple trees in the orchard, would she be waiting for him with her sweet smile, as she had the day they met? As she had the day she betrayed him?
He couldn’t help fearing everything was as he left it, and the only thing truly broken in either world—was him.
“Maybe someday,” he said, turning his attention to the Watcher. “You say you don’t know where the Others’
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