FINAL GATE (#3 GHOST PORTAL series)

FIVE

To Avery's relief, the rest of the ride was in silence. Ada didn't say anything, didn't push anymore. And Faz... well, in terms of sound, it was as if he wasn't there at all, which Avery was thankful for.

He wasn't sure how much time passed as he ruminated in his rage, slightly soothed on the inside by Faz. Ada grunted and groaned as she hovered over the passenger seat, more transparent than usual to avoid detection. But invisible or not, quiet or not, Avery felt her beside him and his insides boiled.

Faz, though silent, was a more comforting presence than he'd anticipated. Something about his energy relaxed Avery, put him more at ease.

After a while, he learned to ignore Ada's shifting about, and concentrated on the road.

Once they rolled into the forest clearance, he parked, exited the vehicle, and stretched. He watched as Ada flurried off, disappearing behind the trees. Without Avery having to ask, Faz slipped out of his bloodstream and appeared in his regular blue form before him, an apologetic look on his youthful face.

"Forgive her," he said softly, head dipping down. "She may not be forthcoming or speak the truth when necessary, but she has her reasons. She's kept this world safe for millennia. Her secrets are sometimes indispensable."

Avery wanted to acknowledge her hard work and perseverance, but he was still too riled up to give her a break. And without Faz's soothing bursts of energy on the inside, he was on the brink of an explosion again.

"I just..." He swept a hand over his forehead, gritting his teeth. "I don't want to hear excuses, from her, or from you, in defense of her. She knows what she did." He let out a heavy breath. "I need to bury Jamie. That's all I want to deal with right now."

As he marched to his trunk to grab a shovel—he always had one on hand, for digging into graves; not something he was proud of—he noticed the house containing the ghost portal had been fully rebuilt. He'd only been gone maybe half a day, but there it was, in all its new, modern splendor. A sleek, gray exterior with a dark charcoal roof, lofty windows with balconies, a large front door painted a whimsical shade of blue. All the windows were boarded up on the inside, of course, and a faint cerulean glow came from the top floor, where he presumed the attic was.

The Guides Headquarters, he was going to call it. The place where they'd lured him and Jamie, told him about the prophecy, changed his life—for the worst—forever.

"Shouldn't you be up there?" Avery jutted his chin towards the house, talking to Faz, who hadn't budged from his side. "I'm sure Ada will join them all soon, and she'll need you to support her in telling the tale of the Nevada portal." He couldn't help the snark in his tone, because he couldn't imagine Ada would give her followers all the details they'd need for a full story.

Faz shrugged. "She'll be awhile, resourcing in the woods. And in any case, she asked me to watch over you, and I assume that extends to now, too." He peered towards the blacked-out attic window. "She can tell them by herself."

"Fine." Avery rolled up his sleeves after removing the shovel from the trunk. "If you're going to stick around, then you'll help me with carrying Jamie's body out of the car? Because," out of reflex, he flexed his arm muscles, "I'm a strong dude, but Jamie is... was... heavy."

Faz nodded, and they got to work—though Faz insisted on doing most of the lifting. Avery opened the door, and Faz used his energy to heft Jamie's covered corpse off the back seat and out into the fresh, forest air.

Avery wasn't sure where to bury him; he glanced about the clearing, noticing nothing that would be of significance to him and Jamie. Nothing but the atmosphere of dread, the reminder of the pain they'd experienced, the loss of everything they held dear.