Page 83 of The Gathering
“You got us,” Seer said.
“Always got your six brother,” Bullets threw in.
“Hell yeah,” Bacon agreed eagerly. “You know I got the rice and gravy, baby.”
“Settle down sweet potato,” Traps chuckled.
“We don’t keep anything from each other,” Bishop said, “but we keepeverythinginourcircle unless I say otherwise. Oui?”
A wave ofoui’sfollowed.
“Starting with my wife. Icannotleave these swamps till I lock her shit downtight. She’s more powerful anddangerousthan any of the gifted people here.”
“Bruh,” Hurricane barely murmured at hearing that.
“Plain and terrifyingly simple,” Bishop said, “whatever she wants—becomes. She’s dangerous to herself and others.”
“Can’tyouhelp her?” Seer asked.
Bishop eyed him. “Yes and no. And I haven’t figured out the why of either. I was able to temporarily disrupt a part of her brain that communicates with her emotions which seems directly tied to these power spikes. It put her to sleep. She was able to rest. But once she’s awake, it resets. And it’s not just her, it’s me too. Everything to do with the bite I received.” He looked at Nitro. “It has that will and she needs it like air, and when those two powers join—hers and it—there isnostopping it,” he swore. “Even if I knew how, I would have to find a way towantto.”
“Oh, how I know, Eveque,” he whispered with the same burning torment.
“Wellfuck,” Bullets said. “What you gonna do?”
Bishop glanced down the hall then looked at them. “I think Handy might be able to help. I designed his body, and my architectural DNA, so to speak, is now a part of him. Like offspring but without the typical sperm.”
“Holy hell,” Seer marveled.
“Oui,” Bishop agreed. “I think I could help Beth if I wasn’t so tied into her. I need somebody like me but not me and he’s the closest thing I have.”
“What about the Triplets?” Seer wondered.
“They’re my plan B if I need it.”
“How’s that baby through all this?” Hurricane worried.
“That’s another concern,” Bishop said. “It’s almost like there’s some barrier I can’t get past.”
Seer wondered, “Like with Sinrik?”
He looked at him. “No clue. There’s so much I don’t know and need to know.”
“You’re his Pah-Pah,” Nitro said. “What’s your hunch?”
Bishop considered that, head shaking as he eyed him. “I think he might be more powerful than his mother. And me. I think he may be causing a lot of everything.”
“Holy shit,” Spook said.
“She drank Sinrik’s blood because sheneededto. As soon as she did,” Bishop said, “I got a ping in my core while in that pod. I’m pretty sure it’s what sped up the rebuilding process. This sounds fucking crazy, but I think he may have even helped rebuild me.”
“Brother,” Seer breathed.
Bishop nodded his astonished agreement. “At first I thought it was the baby somehow doing it so I could locate her, but Sinrik’s not immune to Beth’s influence, this I see.” He looked at all of them. “She wassupposedto go to those Velkratos. She was supposed to bring that mountain down. And they weresupposedto come here.”
“I agree,” Seer said. “The drawings confirmed it after Maggie touched all of them.”
“Something bigger is at play here,” he said, looking at Seer. “I know you know this. And somehow, Sinrik and my son hold keys to something.” He passed his gaze over them. “Andsomethingis protecting both of them from prying eyes—including mine and yours,” he said to Seer.
