Thad stepped through the gate feeling the slight churning roll of his stomach and found himself among the old stones standing powerful and compelling. He took a few steps away toward Siya. He wasn’t sure she would notice him as her eyes were set to Atticus, so much can change in a year. He could easily see a longing in her eyes so different than the one he left her with before he died. Before time spilled past him. Yet what was time to her? It was a change in her eyes.

He kept moving toward Siya because it seemed that’s where he should be as both of them wait for Veti. Veti told him to go and he had. It wasn’t until he turned to the gate that he felt the roll of his insides change to a tight grip. He left her . She wasn’t the next to step through. His eyes squinted and his hand tightened into a fist by his side. Thad watched the gate.

The new guy came into the circle and he seem easy but then who the hell was he? He didn’t know them. He was the only one who took all of this as some classroom assignment. He was the one who would get a good grade and then just move on, graduate to something else. Go ahead. Thad couldn’t think of anything to say to him but then Thad had never been the type to sit at the front of the class. He would just stay by Siya. 

He would wait for Veti.

The fire spitting chick came through. She was saying something about following someone and Thad had to admit he had no idea of the mission, or the reason for the attack really. Someone took something from someone and the world would end. What the fuck else was new? Things were heavy, eyes were low and sadness dripped from each of these professionals like rain from the water proof slickers. 

But where was Veti?

Thad felt the fear seep into him as he stood beside Siya and watched the gate. He could hear the splash of Max inside letting him feel the cold grip of a different door, the one back to death, the one with a wetness unlike anything he would ever feel here, one that had dim strand of pink hair that didn’t brighten the place at all but sort of added a creepy sick used sticky cotton candy. 

He watched the gate open again and Henry came through standing in a very cold stiff way as if he was frozen but he wasn’t. His face looked like fire and ice, hard and set but hot. Thad shifted finding it hard to stay still with a nervousness that was gathering those dreaed rush waters of fear.

Where was Veti?

Thad had to turn to Siya as his stomach tightened into a knot and worked its way down to his hands. “If she doesn’t come through right now, I am going back to get her.” He didn’t have to say more. He didn’t have to explain. He didn’t need the argument of how he would navigate the gate or to have patience. 

Just as he was about to explode, Veti stepped through. Thad let his fingers uncurl. He saw the death hound and his side kick come through right behind. That didn't feel so good. He didn't want doom door dame beside his love. She should be just guarding that damn gate. Not this one. The other one. Whatever. He took a breath and looked to Siya. He didn’t run to Veti afraid that his fear would make him yell and cry and howl and carry on. Instead he looked to Siya and smiled a sly very Max like grin. “I never doubted.”