Part 11 (2/2)

Jemmy finally spoke up. ”That's a good question, there Zoe. No matter how bad you asked it. My opinion on that would be their souls would remain in the Abysmal after the body dies.”

”But remain as what?” Rhonda asked, looking at Jemmy.

The elderly woman had a very sad look on her face as she slowly shook her head. ”Shadow Folk.”

Apparently--and I don't pretend to understand any of it--from what everyone read out of Maureen's journals--Alice Bonville confided in Maureen about having stolen a box from her old house, believing it contained her grandmother's china--something she hadn't wanted the b.a.s.t.a.r.d to have. The box sat in her bas.e.m.e.nt for several weeks unopened.

But then he arrived one night on her doorstep, demanding the box back. She'd had to call the police to have him bodily removed. She put a restraining order out on him. She'd called Maureen that night and the two of them went through the box.

It wasn't full of grandma's china.

More like a box full of gitchie-goomies from h.e.l.l. Candles, parchment, black ink with a foul smell (Rhonda figured it was blood) as well as the book and a folder full of the papers found in the loft of the restaurant. Maureen described finding jars of things with odd labels and smells, a bag of incense sticks and a manila folder.

The folder was what freaked both of the ladies out--inside of the folder were four glossy pictures of four different people. Maureen recognized two of them--both working at the restaurant. Alice recognized the other two as having worked at the hospital.

Rhonda looked up at Dags who was leaned back on the sofa. I was in my usual perch in the pompasan. My arm and thigh were aching and I really just wanted to curl up and sleep. ”Your name is listed as one of the photos.”

Dags nodded. ”Well, if Bonville is Fafner, then it stands to reason that he probably has pictures of each of the Guardians. Four pictures. It also explains why Maureen took a keen interest in me and what I was doing when I wasn't at the restaurant.”

”You think she knew what all the stuff was for?” Rhonda said.

Mom spoke up. ”No, but I'm sure Alice knew.” She didn't have one of the journals in her lap but instead had the Big Book of Everything. ”The Cruorem are mentioned in this book as being one of the largest and most powerful ceremonial cults in the New World--and it was believed they were responsible for the disappearance of over eight hundred people in that time. They are also a.s.sociated with the appearance of Shadow Folk.”

”You're kidding,” Rhonda ditched the journal, leaving it where she'd been on the floor and moved to mom in her wicker chair. ”I didn't see that in this book.”

”You didn't look under Rumors and Really Scary Tales section.”

Rhonda smirked. ”Yes'm.” She looked down at the book. ”Wow...it says here that the Cruorem were untouchable--especially when it came to the law of the land. Many occult groups--including one of the larger influential Wiccan covens in England--tried to stop them.”

Dags said, ”I take it they failed?”

Rhonda looked at him. ”They vanished.”

I swallowed and eye-balled Dags. And you joined these a.s.sholes? You let them mark you?

He looked at me. ”So like you've never done anything bone-headed in your life?”

Uh. Well. Hrm. I wasn't gonna pursue that one. I know when to pick my battles. Or so I fooled myself into thinking I did. But what I wanted at that moment was to call the hospital and see how Daniel was doing. I'd tried to get mom to do it earlier but she said Cooper had called and said there was no change.

But Daniel was in the same hospital that this wacko practiced in--and what if said wacko figured out who I was? And what if he did some mean ho-jo to my man?

Well--I'd kick his a.s.s that's what.

Zoe...

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I thought I heard my name.

Come here Zoe...

I sat up. There it was again. And I knew on some weird level that it wasn't anyone in here.

”...somewhere in the past fifty years or so the Cruorem lost their power,” Rhonda was saying as she read over mom's shoulder. ”It is believed that within the family line several known believers were born and protested that the family ”business” of cursing and running amok was a bad idea. When Nora Wynne took over as the head of the family she obliterated the group in one night--and over twenty core members vanished. She was deemed a hero by the locals and went on to settle in North Georgia and became an entrepreneur.”

I have the answers...

s.h.i.+t! That was my voice! Sort of--it had a distinct male timbre to it.

”So how does Alice Bonville fare into this? Why do you think she knew about it?” Dags said.

I promise not to bite...

And abruptly I felt a sensual gnawing along my neck. And much to my unhappy thoughts, it made me bothered in all the wrong places.

Mom sighed. ”Because Alice is Nora Wynne's daughter. Alice is the inheritor of the Cruorem.”

Rhonda's jaw dropped. ”So--if Alice is the head of the Cruorem--what the h.e.l.l is Allard doing?”

”My a.s.sumption is that Alice was following in her mom's footsteps--by putting the whole magical thing behind her. And it was her husband that dredged it all up. From the reaction that Maureen talks about,” Mom shook her head. ”I'd say either Alice did know what Allard was up to or she was turning a blind eye, until the reality was right in front of her.”

I looked at the windows. The wind was blowing and I didn't have to be outside to know it was cold out there.

--even though you like it.

That did it. I knew who it was--and I was both terrified as well as a little curious to see for myself. But there was only one other being in the world that had my voice besides me.

”Nona--” Rhonda said. ”This could be bad. Do you think Allard used this door to get rid of Maureen and Alice to get to the grimoire?”

Mom nodded.

”Oh....d.a.m.n. I'm not feeling so good. You think he knows we have that book now?” Dags sat up.

They're all wrong--but I can give you the answers--you want to protect your little cop, don't you?

I moved out of the Botannica. I somehow knew the voice--my voice--was outside. And I also knew I needed my coat. I grabbed it out of the closet in the kitchen and slipped it on.

”Where are you going, Zoe?” my mom called out.

I walked back into the Botannica and pointed outside and mouthed, ”Need air.”

”Need air?” Rhonda frowned at me and I noticed Tim was looking at the windows. ”It's freezing out there.”

I waved at them and stepped outside.

Frigid wind slapped me in the face and I was somewhat happy that I had my hair down--though that was up and whipping about. The front of mom's house is a cla.s.sic porch that wraps around the house, and she'd decorated it like every other southern woman in Georgia would decorate it--she'd put white wicker chairs to the right of the door and a table between the two.

In the shadows outside I could see him, sitting in one of those chairs, rocking slowly back and forth, his long coat splayed over the arm rests.

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