25. P O W E R : Lovers

CHAPTER III

Sunset seemed to come faster than usual for Andrew and Beth, and as it rolled around, they found themselves stepping over the threshold of Rest for the Weary Homeless Shelter yet again. As instructed by Wildlove, they told the fox at the desk they needed a room before awaiting his answer with bated breath.

"Of course," the fox replied with a big smile. "Follow me." He slipped out from behind the desk and walked over to a door labeled "STAFF ONLY". Opening it revealed a dimly-lit staircase leading into what the Disciples could only assume was a hidden floor beneath the main one. "Most everybody's already here, so you guys can head right in," the fox said in a hushed voice.

"Thank you," Andrew responded with a grateful smile.

"No problem. Now hurry—the other patrons aren't supposed to know about this." The fox ushered Andrew and Beth onto the staircase and closed the door behind them—but not before adding, "Have fun!"

Beth shivered as the door closed. "We shouldn't be here," she whispered nervously as she and Andrew walked down the stairs. "Why can't we just let Veronika do her job and take them out?"

"According to Leeson, we're here so we don't 'arouse suspicion'," Andrew replied in a whisper of his own. "But my guess? It's another part of this so-called 'test'."

"This is cruel," Beth hissed, fear making her voice shake. "I thought Saved were supposed to have brotherhood, not torture one another."

Andrew sighed. "Well, in the words of Moll Ferris, 'love is not without its trials'." He and Beth rounded a corner as they reached the bottom of the staircase... and their hearts both dropped when they saw how many people were in the huge underground room.

Upward of one hundred and fifty Havenites from all different species were gathered together, eating and drinking and chatting avidly with each other (among... other things). Along the walls were doors, more than twenty in total, each labeled with four words scrawled in red that made Andrew and Beth's stomachs churn: "LOVE IN THE DARK".

"By the Guiding Light..." Andrew swallowed hard and wiped sweat from his forehead, trying to hide his nausea.

Beth took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to steady herself. "Okay. Okay! We can do this," she said in a none-too-reassuring tone. "It's gonna be fine."

"There they are!"

The Disciples turned as a familiar voice called out to them, surprised to see Mr. "Wildlove" approaching them with a big grin on his face and his arms spread wide. "At last, the final guests have arrived!" he declared, drawing them into an unwanted embrace. "Welcome, my friends. I'm glad you were able to make it!"

"Oh. Uh... so are we," Beth replied with a hesitant smile, pulling away. "We, uh—we were just so... so excited to—to meet with people like us."

"I know, I know," Wildlove said in a sympathetic tone, nodding understandingly. "People like us are few and far between." Then he grinned again, adding, "But tonight, you have no need to fear the discrimination of the intolerant outsiders. Here, you're family." He beckoned to them, walking toward the crowd. "Come! Join the party! I'm due to give a speech in a few minutes, so—"

"A-Actually, we'd rather not," Andrew interrupted with a nervous laugh. "I—we prefer to be—"

"Alone?" Wildlove broke in, turning back around.

Andrew paused. "...No, I meant—"

"I get it. I totally get it," Wildlove went on, walking back over to the Disciples and ignoring Andrew's attempt at an explanation. "You wanna be left alone, that's fine. I've got a vacancy in Room 6."