a couple of makeshift weapons —
anything they could get their hands on. Jamie had a baseball bat. Scott had found a kitchen knife, which he was holding in front of him, the blade slanting up. Pedro had backed away to the other side of the room. He was standing with his back to a full-length window, his eyes darting left and right, waiting for the first attack.
He wasn't looking behind him.
"Pedro…! Watch out!" Richard shouted in warning.
One of the creatures was looming out of the shadows on the other side of the glass. Pedro spun round just in time to see a dead white face, staring eyes, gray lips, hands stretching toward him. The creature didn't stop. It walked straight through the window, smashing the glass and entering the room with blood streaming down its face. Shards of broken glass were sticking out of its flesh, but it didn't seem to notice. Richard lifted his revolver and shot it twice in the head. It crumpled and fell at Pedro's feet. At the same time, Richard twisted round and fired again. Another of the creatures had reached the open French windows and was about to step inside. It threw up its hands and fell back with a bullet between its eyes.
But there were still many more of them moving slowly across the lawn, unafraid of dying, determined only to reach the house. Perhaps Ramon had been a diversion after all. While he had been talking, the night attackers had completely surrounded the house. Matt heard the sound of wood splintering upstairs and knew that some of them must have climbed up to the balcony and broken in that way. Jamie stepped forward, grabbed the diary, and threw it to Scott in a single movement. Scott caught it without even looking and slipped it into his jacket. Neither of them had spoken, and Matt knew that the two of them must have communicated telepathically. He had seen them do it often enough. Each one of them knew instantly what the other was going to do. They were almost like reflections of each other.
As Richard reloaded, Joanna Chambers fired again. She pulled some more bullets out of her dressing gown pocket, and as she fumbled with the loading mechanism, one of the creatures launched itself at her, grabbing hold of her with one hand, lifting an ancient-looking knife with the other. The blade was black with a broken, serrated edge. It stabbed down.
Matt stopped him.
Six months ago, he wouldn't have been able to do it. But then he had been alone. Now four of the Gatekeepers had come together and Scott, Jamie, and Pedro had added their power to his. All he had to do was think about it and the blade snapped in half. The creature screamed in pain and a wisp of smoke rose from the palm of its hand as the hilt of the knife burned into it. By now, Chambers had loaded her rifle. She fired a single shot at point-blank range, putting the attacker out of its misery.
"We can't control them!" Jamie shouted.
If these creatures had been fully human, he might have been able to make them turn round and leave the house. He and Scott didn't just read minds — they were also able to control them. All their lives, the two brothers had recognized that they were living under a curse. Always, they had to be careful what they said. One unguarded thought, one word spoken in anger, could turn them into murderers. Once, Scott had almost killed a boy at school. And later, when their foster father committed suicide, Scott had known that he was secretly to blame.
But this time it wasn't going to work. Their attackers didn't seem to have minds that could be controlled.
It was as if they had already been programmed to kill with no thoughts of their own. And there were too many of them. Matt glanced into the garden. It was still very dark outside, but he could make out a whole crowd of them, moving relentlessly across the lawn. There were more at the back of the house and yet more of them upstairs.
Matt heard a horrible gargling sound and turned just as a man — or the remains of one — stumbled
anything they could get their hands on. Jamie had a baseball bat. Scott had found a kitchen knife, which he was holding in front of him, the blade slanting up. Pedro had backed away to the other side of the room. He was standing with his back to a full-length window, his eyes darting left and right, waiting for the first attack.
He wasn't looking behind him.
"Pedro…! Watch out!" Richard shouted in warning.
One of the creatures was looming out of the shadows on the other side of the glass. Pedro spun round just in time to see a dead white face, staring eyes, gray lips, hands stretching toward him. The creature didn't stop. It walked straight through the window, smashing the glass and entering the room with blood streaming down its face. Shards of broken glass were sticking out of its flesh, but it didn't seem to notice. Richard lifted his revolver and shot it twice in the head. It crumpled and fell at Pedro's feet. At the same time, Richard twisted round and fired again. Another of the creatures had reached the open French windows and was about to step inside. It threw up its hands and fell back with a bullet between its eyes.
But there were still many more of them moving slowly across the lawn, unafraid of dying, determined only to reach the house. Perhaps Ramon had been a diversion after all. While he had been talking, the night attackers had completely surrounded the house. Matt heard the sound of wood splintering upstairs and knew that some of them must have climbed up to the balcony and broken in that way. Jamie stepped forward, grabbed the diary, and threw it to Scott in a single movement. Scott caught it without even looking and slipped it into his jacket. Neither of them had spoken, and Matt knew that the two of them must have communicated telepathically. He had seen them do it often enough. Each one of them knew instantly what the other was going to do. They were almost like reflections of each other.
As Richard reloaded, Joanna Chambers fired again. She pulled some more bullets out of her dressing gown pocket, and as she fumbled with the loading mechanism, one of the creatures launched itself at her, grabbing hold of her with one hand, lifting an ancient-looking knife with the other. The blade was black with a broken, serrated edge. It stabbed down.
Matt stopped him.
Six months ago, he wouldn't have been able to do it. But then he had been alone. Now four of the Gatekeepers had come together and Scott, Jamie, and Pedro had added their power to his. All he had to do was think about it and the blade snapped in half. The creature screamed in pain and a wisp of smoke rose from the palm of its hand as the hilt of the knife burned into it. By now, Chambers had loaded her rifle. She fired a single shot at point-blank range, putting the attacker out of its misery.
"We can't control them!" Jamie shouted.
If these creatures had been fully human, he might have been able to make them turn round and leave the house. He and Scott didn't just read minds — they were also able to control them. All their lives, the two brothers had recognized that they were living under a curse. Always, they had to be careful what they said. One unguarded thought, one word spoken in anger, could turn them into murderers. Once, Scott had almost killed a boy at school. And later, when their foster father committed suicide, Scott had known that he was secretly to blame.
But this time it wasn't going to work. Their attackers didn't seem to have minds that could be controlled.
It was as if they had already been programmed to kill with no thoughts of their own. And there were too many of them. Matt glanced into the garden. It was still very dark outside, but he could make out a whole crowd of them, moving relentlessly across the lawn. There were more at the back of the house and yet more of them upstairs.
Matt heard a horrible gargling sound and turned just as a man — or the remains of one — stumbled
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