Linda Welch - A conspiracy of Demons Read Online Free Page B

another apparently norm al door is actually the Gate. I a m fairly sure the street door o pens only to a select few - i magine what would happen i f Joe off the street found the entrance to another world ? At one time I automatically thought the Gate and Way were barred to me, but they were open if only I had tried to access them. Yep, I am one of the privileged few, though I wish I were not.
    I have been whisked along the Way in Royal’s arms, walked it and ridden along it on a Harley Shovelhead. This time, I tucked my face in Royal’s neck, clung to his shoulders and kept my eyes closed as we moved in a blur.
    Royal slowed to a normal walking pace and a corridor of pale, glowing tiles came into focus . What appeared to be a tiled wall faced us. Royal let me down, put his palms to the wall and pushed it open, and w e stepped through to another plane of existence. Bel-Athaer, home of the Gelpha, Royal’s people, whom I sometimes still called demons.
    I am Gelpha , but I struggle with the fact they are my people. My interaction s with them thus far involved deceit, betrayal and threats to my life.
    We stood with a brown brick wall against our backs. A wide avenue hemmed by brick buildings of various sizes and colors meandered away from us down a hill. The avenue led straight through town until it dwindled to a narrow ribbon in the distance and wound to the foothills of a mountain range .
    I thought I had stepped into an American city the first time I came here, unti l I noticed the vehicles were different in small ways and the people either bustling along or strolling w ere demons. Now, standing here with Royal, I remembered crossing this avenue and taking a bus to the High House as if navigating an alternate sphere did not blow my mind.
    I followed Royal to the sidewalk and stood with him. M y muscles wanted to clench . T he people thought I was a Seer when I last came here . They were deferential . But Royal and I revealed the Seers for the de spicable bastards they truly a re. If these people mistook me for a genuine Seer, how would they react?
    He squeezed my hand. “Do not worry. We will not be here long.”
    I grimaced. “That obvious, huh?”
    “I feel your tension as if it is mine .”
    Traffic roared along both lanes. A man and woman who held the hands of two small children chattered outside a store on our left. A young woman with long opaline hair flowing over her shoulders like a silk stole tapped along the sidewalk toward us on four-inch heels . Her dark-blue and cream s triped jacket and matching mini skirt hugged a figure I envied. She eyed Royal and a sm all smile lifted generous lips as glimmering eyes assessed him. Her gaze swept over me. Her smile did not falter, but pearly l ashes dipped over her eyes before she looked away. She went on by.
    Royal threw up his free hand and a huge, gleaming black sedan with chrome trim edged from the traffic flow and stopped beside us.
    “Come on. This will take us to the next Gate,” he said.
    I threw him a look. “How did you manage this? I know you didn’t make a phone call.”
    He chuckled. “It’s a taxi. I hailed it.”
    Oh.
    He opened the pa ssenger door and stood aside. I crawl ed in and shifted along the seat so he could join me. He pulled the door shut and the car peeled away. I checked my wrist watch: nine minutes .
    I could get used to Gelpha autos with the ir comfortable leather seats, smooth ride and ample room for tall people . The bus I took to the High House amplified every imperfection in the road , but this felt as if the wheels skimmed above the surface.
    A smoked— glass panel separated us from the driver , effectively obscuring him or her. Royal leane d over his knees to speak into a square box fastened to the back of the driver ’s seat. “West Juno .”
    He relaxed back.
    “What was that? An address?”
    He dipped his chin. “We are going to another Gate. With luck, it will take us to Sa n Jose . We will have to hoof it from