Dominion: Zoë Martinique Investigation, Book 6 (25 page)

Joe did not look happy. "I realized it
too late. But I didn't know how to get her back out. So then Dags
stepped in, did some light show with his hands, and voila." He held
out his hands. "She's alive. Body's fine, if not a little pale.
Tamera Moultrie is back in the land of the living, with little to
no memory of how she died, or if she was killed, who did it. But
she did have the memory of me and Dags in the morgue. So I took her
out of there so I wouldn't get caught, and Dags ended up in a room
for a few hours."

Daniel moved from behind the chair to
my side. "Joe, are you saying that little guy actually reanimated…a
corpse?"

"I don't know what he did. I just know
that it was a mistake. And it was my fault."

"Why was it a mistake?"

"Because that—" he pointed at Tamera
"—ain't right. She ain't right. And she hasn't been right since
she's been back. She disappeared on me that night, and then a few
months later she shows up on national TV. New hair, new look—I
didn't even recognize her—and she's spouting off about occult
leaders and working for the CCT."

I looked at Tamera. And I had to
admit, there was something way creepy about her. The fact she threw
that knife at Daniel with no hesitation. It was as if she didn't
care. "So…why was she in the basement of that house? Why were those
Powers holding her?"

"I have no idea," Joe said. "I wanted
to ask her that. So I went to her room. Bad mistake." He slumped
forward, his shoulders lowering. "And when I realized she was loco
in the head, I tried to get away from her. Came back in here, and
she followed me, and then you two came in." He pointed at Daniel.
"Sorry about the knife. She'd been waving that thing at me for a
good ten minutes. I'm glad it was you."

I knew he meant that in the best
possible way. So did Daniel. He turned and lifted Tamera into his
arms. "Where is her room? I'll go put her back in her room and
maybe see if they'll restrain her…I mean, since she came at me with
a knife."

"Good idea." Joe gave him her room
number, and we both watched as he carried her out.

When I looked back at Joe, he was
looking at me. "What?"

"You and Daniel okay?"

"Okay? Well, yeah. We're fine. Why
wouldn't we be?"

"Zoë, he left you in the cold.
Alone."

"Inanna already explained that to me.
It's okay. Look, you just worry about you. And, I have some more
news." I sat on the bed beside him and started retelling the
meeting with my dad, as well as the one with the other Revenants.
By the time I finished, we were facing one another on the
bed.

"The Destruction Eidolon is not in my
apartment, so even if they do mess the place up like they did
Nona's, they won't find it. The two the Society had are the Command
and Possession, and those combined would force Dags to do what they
wanted him to do."

"Even past Maureen's
manipulation?"

"I dunno." He rubbed his chin. "And
you've got yours hidden?"

"Mmhm. Same as you. Not in the
apartment."

"Well, we can assume they've already
looked. And I agree with the Revenants—they're going to start
taking people to find them. Their targets will be those of us who
have them. I don't think they'll go after Nona—they already have
the one she owned."

"Well, they must've thought they were
at her place for some reason. I mean, I'm pretty sure Rhonda would
have thought they were there. That's assuming she's working for
them because this Dominion is overshadowing her."

"Zoë…" Joe had that tone. I didn't
like that tone. That tone had always preceded bad news. And I
really didn't want more of it right now. "About the wards at your
mom's house. "

"Yeah? Someone busted them
down."

"Not busted. Remember how I described
them? Someone actually came and removed them. A clean
removal."

I stared at him.

"And the only people who could do that
would be me, your mom, and Rhonda."

"What are you saying? Because I know
Mom didn't lower those wards, and you didn't, so that means…Rhonda
did it. That much I figured out."

"Yeah." He reached out and took my
hands in his. His were warm. And strong. "Zoë, I was there when the
wards were built. The three of us had access, and we made sure that
no Ethereal creature bent on harm could pass through that barrier.
And if one did commit harm, then it would be tossed out. I even
built in a pipeline to the Abysmal just to make their life a little
more interesting." He paused. "In order to be inside that house,
Rhonda couldn't have an Ethereal in her Veil."

I blinked. "She…she went in there to
take the soul cage."

"Right. She did this
after
she started talking
to herself. Which leads me to believe that the Dominion isn't in
her Veil without permission."

I pulled my hands away. "You…you think
she invited him to be there? That… Joe, that means she lowered
those wards over a week ago and she left Mom vulnerable…by her own
volition."

Joe nodded. "Zoë, Rhonda's
not being overshadowed against her will. She's working
with
the Dominion. And
she doesn't care who gets hurt."

Chapter Twenty-Five

Joe checked himself out of the
hospital with advice from the doctor to take it easy and get more
rest. Daniel succeeded in getting Tamera locked down, and Joe came
along and made it official by filing a report and complaint with
the staff that the woman had come at him with a knife. I signed the
complaint as a witness. Daniel didn't—that whole wanted-fugitive
thing.

We took the car Jason
loaned Daniel, a huge black SUV. Yeah, not like
that
was conspicuous. Joe drove,
though, just in case any cameras took pictures of drivers at red
lights. I sat up front with him while Daniel sat in the back. We
decided to retrieve the Eidolons for which we knew their locations,
just in case we needed them if this rogue Dominion came after
us.

Joe started in first. "I'm surprised
you listened to your father."

"He was there in Mom's room," I said
in a small voice as I watched the sights go by. "He looked upset. I
have no idea how long he'd been there. I never…got the impression
he was talking to impress, you know? Before, it was always like he
was showing up for someone. But not this time."

"It's hard to plot evil while you're
at your ex-wife's bedside," Daniel said from the back.

I agreed. "Yeah, which is why I don't
have any trouble believing the Seraphim doesn't have Dags and
Rhonda. Zacharel does. But where?"

"My guess is, in a place so heavily
shielded, we can't find them." Joe said. "Though… when I get a bit
more sleep, I'd be willing to try a little divination."

"You serious?" I looked over at him.
"You think you could find them like that?"

"Why not? It's helped me find a lot of
skels." He turned down Piedmont and then down a side road where
parking was allowed. Atlanta Botanical Gardens were nearby. I'd
never been in there. Maybe when all this was over, I could get Dags
to take me there.

See? Positive thinking. Well, I had to
have that kind of thinking. Otherwise I'd go Wraith and scare
little people up and down the road. Merry fucking
Christmas.

No, wait…

"What's the date?"

"Uh…" Daniel unbuckled after Joe
stopped the SUV. "December twenty-ninth."

Oh, no way. "It's nearly New
Year's?"

"Sorry, Zoë. I'd wanted to show you
New Year's in Montreal."

I unbuckled, too, and noticed Joe's
rather odd look before I reached to open my door. But Daniel was
already out and opening it for me. "Thank you. It's okay, Daniel.
Things happen." He helped me out, and we locked the SUV up and
faced the hill of Piedmont Park. Sunset was five-thirty. It was six
o'clock. There were still walkers in the park, enjoying the clear
night. Even though it was cold as all hell.

I still wore my dad's coat. I didn't
want to take it off. A little because it was a piece of my dad—but
mostly because it was warm.

Joe had changed into the same clothing
he'd had on when he was admitted, so he had his leather peacoat,
plaid shirt, and jeans and boots. Daniel looked nice in his jeans,
sweater, and long coat. He looked so…

I don't know. Urban fantasy
hero-y.

We stood on the side of the road, side
by side. "I can't believe you hid it in Piedmont Park," Joe
said.

"Yeah, well, I figured this was the
last place anyone would look."

He turned and looked down at me. "You
don't think that attack you and TC faced the other night wasn't
them looking for it here?"

I shook my head. "No…I don't think so.
I don't know why they attacked that night. It was a stupid thing to
do. But I wouldn't put it past them to show up again. I think we're
being dumb if we think we're not being followed. Or
watched."

"She's right," Daniel said. "I can't
see them…but we can feel something here. In the park."

"'We' as in Inanna?" Joe
said.

Daniel turned to look at Joe, and
Daniel's eyes went solid black. The First Born echoed in his voice.
"Yes, detective. There is something here."

"Well, I'm pretty sure it's not my
dad," I said.

"No," Inanna/Daniel said. "It has more
of the feel of First Choir."

Now that I knew what that meant, the
statement felt a little odd. "First Choir…" I narrowed my eyes up
at Daniel. His face was just visible in the park lights. "But a
Dominion is Second Choir. You sure you're not getting
Second?"

"I'm positive. The First Choir beings
are much like us. We're mirror images of each other, though they
would never admit to this." He held up a hand and looked around.
"If we're going to find your Eidolon, I suggest we do it now. They
know we are here."

"They?" Joe said as he started down
the hill toward the lake. "Who is 'they'?"

No one spoke until Joe pointed to the
gazebo overlooking the lake. "There you go."

"Yep. But we have to get closer. And I
have to Wraith."

"That's going to draw more unwanted
attention."

"So…I guess you boys will have to
protect me?" I grinned at them as we neared Lake Clara Meer and the
gazebo.

Chapter Twenty-Six

I had the jitters as I walked into the
gazebo knowing there might be something from the First Choir
lurking about. The setting sun cast everything in a yellowish glow.
Clear sky, no snow or rain or sleet in the forecast. Although, as
my mom always said about Georgia, "Don't like the weather? Wait a
minute."

"Inanna." I looked up at Daniel and
saw she was still front and center. The black eyes. The subtle
shift in his features. Something much darker. But among all of the
Revenants I knew, Mephistopheles was still the scariest. "Dad said
the First Choir was made up of the Seraphim, the Thrones, and the
Cherubim."

"Yes."

"Cherubim? You mean little naked
babies?" Joe asked as he shoved his hands into his
pockets.

"Cherubim are definitely not little
naked babies," Inanna/Daniel said. "They are the Seraphim's
guardians. And they're the most powerful of the Ethereal hosts."
She looked down at me. "You're sure you want to retrieve the
Eidolon now? We can wait for a better time."

"No. I want to know it's in my
possession. And once we have it, then Joe can use his divination on
it."

"Why can't he just use it on the one
he possesses?"

Joe spoke up. "Because I've handled
it. Touched it. If I try and use it, there's a large chance it'll
just keep pointing back at me. I need to work off of something that
doesn't have me all over it."

Inanna didn't seem reassured. "I don't
think we should do this right now…. They're too close."

But I didn't want to listen. I wanted
the stone with me.

I forgot to slip off Dad's coat when I
shifted. To my surprise, it shifted along with me, only it seemed
to change the color of my swirls. The mark on my arm had a faint
brownish tint to it, making the image appear bronze. It feel like
it was going to hinder me.

"What's wrong?" Joe asked.

"Ah…nothing. Hey, Joe, when this is
over, we need to go get that stuff that was in your
Veil."

"Huh?"

Oh shit. I realized I hadn't told him.
"You noticed your Veil's gone, right?"

"Yeah. I just assumed all that junk
was back at Nona's house."

I figured now wasn't the best
opportunity to tell him what I'd done with it. I glided out of the
gazebo and out over the lake.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me,"
Joe said from the concrete bridge beside the gazebo. "You hid it
over the water?"