The Gate

Chapter 16

Courtnie stared at the open cell, uncomprehending.  It was open.  Open.  And there was no one in it.  Why was there no one in it?  Where had she gone?

And just like that, after the question barely scraped her mind, Courtnie screamed.  She screamed so loudly that the screams in the prison cells stopped and she was the only one left.  They all stared at her from inside their cages, all secretly loved the emotions coursing through Courtnie’s body.  Courtnie slid to the ground, her eyes wide.  She was gone.  She was gone.

But—how?

“Fortis,” Courtnie whispered.  She didn’t want to believe it, but what other choice did she have?  Could Fortis have let her out?  “Fortis.”

Courtnie drew herself from the ground and glowered at the empty cell.  It mocked her.  Now that she was free there was no saying what she could do. . . .

Ignoring the hateful stares all around her, Courtnie stormed out of the room, her hands curled into fists at her sides.  Infuriation at a level that Courtnie didn’t even think possible swam through her, threatening to drown her.  All she could see was her hands around Fortis’ throat, strangling him until his eyes were cool and lifeless.  And then she’d go after her.  She would find her and kill her like she should have when she first came to the prison wards.

Courtnie made her way through the halls, toward the boy’s sector.  It wasn’t far away from the prison wards, so it didn’t take that long.  “Fortis!” Courtnie screeched as she entered the boy’s sector.  Fortis’s office wasn’t too far away now.  “Fortis I know you’re over here!”

Fortis appeared at the end of the hall, his eyes wide.  Innocence dripped off of him, seeping into the floorboards and falling into the room below.  But Courtnie knew that it was all a trick.  He wasn’t innocent.  No.  He was just as guilty as she was.  “What’s going on?” he demanded.  “You weren’t visiting her again were you?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t want me to would you?” Courtnie seethed, her feet stomping on the floor as she made her way toward her brother.  “You did this, you son of a—”

“Courtnie, stop,” Fortis said softly grabbing ahold of her shoulders.  In her anger Courtnie hadn’t realized how close she’d come to her brother.  She brought her fist up to punch him, but he caught it easily, bringing her hand back down to her side.  “Now, what’s going on?”

“You set her free,” Courtnie hissed, throwing her fist up again.  Fortis caught it again and threw it away from him.  “You let her go, Fortis.”

“Let who go?” Fortis demanded, his eyes wide.

“Oh don’t act like you don’t know,” Courtnie barked, her nails digging into her palm now.  She wanted to hit him so badly, but she knew that Fortis would only block her attack.  “You let her go and now I’m going to kill you.”

“Let who go?” Fortis shouted, his hands flying into the air.  “Courtnie, I have no idea what you’re talking—”

“Terra!” Courtnie screeched, the name like acid on her throat.  She hated saying her name so much—so much.  But there was nothing she could do about it now.  “You let Terra free, you jackass!  And now that’s she’s free she’s going to ruin everything.”

Fortis’s mouth dropped, and for a moment Courtnie thought he was going to faint.  But he didn’t.  Instead he closed his mouth and took a step back from her, his eyes threatening to fall out of their sockets as they bulged.  “She’s—she’s gone?”