I stole a glance at Jennifer.
She nodded. Her eyes were huge, and my stomach cramped.
This was the being that she hadseen. We needed to get it out of here. What it didn’t know couldn’t hurt it, but what we didn’t know could hurt us tremendously. If I could get it to leave, we could regroup and figure out the next step. The main problem was that this being was a total unknown. The Higher Power, who was now residing in Shitty Ritchie’s stomach, was a known entity. Even though It was heinous, we were familiar with It. This person? Not so much. If Jennifer’s vision was correct, this creature could be worse than the Higher Power.
Fuck.
“You’re going to have to leave,” I said, keeping my voice even and calm. “The replacement for the Higher Power has been found. And you’re not it.”
The eyes of the being narrowed dangerously. “Who is this replacement? I would love to converse. I’m quite sure we’d have so much in common.”
At the same time, I denied knowledge of knowing who the replacement Higher Power was, Shitty Ritchie confirmed that he, Alana Catherine and Jennifer were the new and improved Higher Power.
I wanted to scream.
The being laughed. “Too bad, so sad. I’ve waited too long for this. I am the only Higher Power now.”
As fast as the creature had arrived in the dull rainbow sparkles, it left. But it didn’t leave empty handed. It took Alana Catherine, Jennifer and Shitty Ritchie with it.
I screamed.
Candy Vargo let loose with a string of swear words that would have made Gram freak out. Gideon roared. What was left of the house, cracked and turned to dust.
“What the fuck do we do?” Candy shouted.
“Go after the bastard,” I shouted back.
“But where the hell did it go?” she growled.
That was a question I didn’t have an answer to. But I would find it. I had to.
“We leave immediately,” Gideon ground out. “Candy, Tim, Daisy and me.”
Candy sprinted to the tree line to share the news and retrieve the people Gideon had requested.
“Where are we going?” I asked, trying to hold back my tears.
“To the Higher Power’s plane,” he said flatly. “If that bastard really is the other half of the abomination, that’s where it will go.”
I nodded and swallowed back the primal scream that was marinating in my throat. This wasn’t supposed to happen. When were we going to get even a semblance of a happily ever after?
“Daisy,” Gideon said, staring at me.
“Gideon,” I replied.
He walked over and stood in front of me. “We will find them. I have no intention of losing this fight or our daughter.” More gently, he added, “That goes for Jennifer and Shitty Ritchie, too. I will tear the entire fucking Universe apart if I have to.”
“I’ll be tearing it up by your side,” I promised. “Always.”
I believed him. I had to. We would get them back and they would be whole and fine. It was the only acceptable ending.
Anything was possible. Anything. All I had to do was believe.
I believed.
I believed.
I had to believe.
