Dark Time (5 page)

"Is it guilt? Do you feel guilty?"

"I want to get rid of this," I'd put my hand to my chest and looked at her. "I don't want a heart, Inanna. It…" the crying started again and I couldn't stop it. "…it just hurts. I love him…" I'd put my hands over my face. "And he thinks I'm a monster."
 

"Then fix the problem."
 

After succumbing to a much needed fit of tears I'd asked her how to fix it.
 

"Use your power, the one in the Creation Eidolon, and make that bastard a new arm."
 

I remembered the feeling of shock and awe. I'd sniffed and wiped my face on my sleeve. "I…I can do that?"
 

"With a physical piece of yourself, you can."
 

I came back to the present and looked at Daniel, where we stood in the little mind theater. "It was her idea, to use the Eidolon, but it was my idea to use my heart. She…she told me it would ease my pain."
 

Geist tilted his head to the side. "Did it?"

"No. I still hurt, but it's from a distance. I feel like I'm constantly running from it, dodging it, hiding, avoiding it, but that pain follows me no matter where I go. Unless I sleep. So…"

Daniel shifted beside me. "So you slept, while she took control."
 

"Yeah. TC woke me up."
 

"He woke you because he was afraid this would happen. He had hoped to tell you about his sister before she gained control."
 

I looked around the dark. "I guess we're too late?"

"Not necessarily. I have found it is quite possible to manipulate and tweak the events of the outside world, from the inside. We just have to find the tools."
 

"Guys," Daniel spoke up. "Can you let me in on a few things? Like…why would Inanna do this? She never tried to take control of me."
 

"She did." Geist turned to face Daniel. "Your
 
heart was already broken when you invited her in. The Horror broke it. And it broke part of your mind. She did not usurp control over you because it was not necessary. You had the same goal." He looked at me. "But you and Inanna are on opposite sides. She knew taking control would be the only way to achieve her goal."
 

I thinned my lips. "I'm assuming this is where we get to the next important part of what you need to tell us?"

"Yes. This is the 'what's going on' part of the questions. To explain everything would take several months, but I can boil it all down to the most eminent or pressing issue."
 

When Geist didn't continue, Daniel and I glanced at each other. Daniel leaned forward. "Yeah?"

Geist looked at him. "Inanna's present goal is to right a wrong, a wrong she believes put the the universe on the wrong track. This wrong began with the new Seraphim and his ousting of the previous."
 

I stared at Geist. Did I know this? "The previous?"
 

"Much like Sophia took over the Throne of the Phantasm from her father, the Seraphim Throne once belonged to another."
 

Daniel asked, "Who?"
 

"Lilith."
 

Lilith. A…woman? "I don't know why I thought you were going to say Mary."
 

"That is one of her names." Geist clasped his hands behind his back and his face—Barry's face—remained passive as always. "Lilith once ruled on the Thorne of the Seraphim, but when Samael was killed, her grief emotionally removed her from her duty." He looked at me. "Her heart was broken."
 

Ah. That power center thing. "So…was she killed so a new Seraphim could take control?"

"No. But she was betrayed by the Choirs, lead by a person who held a convincing argument that Lilith was no longer fit to bring the Choirs of the Ethereal back to their eternal glory."
 

Eh…that sounded like a whole bunch of hokum. "So Inanna blames this new Seraphim for all the bad stuff. So…what does that have to do with hijacking my body?"

That's when I heard voices. They were low at first, but then the darkness lightened and we turned to see a screen appear above us. I knew we were looking outside of this place, through my eyes. Like I said, I'd been here before, and no matter how hard I wanted out, it wasn't happening.
 

"Hey," Manuel's face came into view. "You okay?"

"What…what happened?" That was my voice, but it wasn't my voice. But it was
my
voice. I looked at Geist. "How is she using my voice but hers isn't dueling through? I always thought the voices created that two-tone sound when a First Born spoke?"

"Not always. They all possess the ability to hide themselves. The real test for her is whether or not the Phantasm will know the difference."
 

"Can't you leave here and tell him?" Daniel said.
 

"Yes."
 

I frowned at him. "But you won't."
 

"No."
 

"Why not."
 

The image of Barry smiled at me. "Because I agree with Inanna. The new Seraphim and the betrayers must die."
 

6

"…choking yourself and then you passed out."
 

Manuel was talking. I ignored creepy Geist and watched. Geist had betrayed me in the past, having let Rhonda do what she wanted to do because he agreed with her logic. She convinced him that taking Dags away from me would free me to be what I was destined to be, and so he didn't stop her from rewriting the pages of the
Grimoire
.
 

I wanted his information.
 

But I didn't trust him. Never would again. Was I worried about the Seraphim?
 

Not really. From what I'd seen, he or she was a bastard and tried to kill me once by sending a Cherubim after me.
 

Gabriel.
 

"I think it was Inanna, trying to keep you quiet." TC put a hand on my forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Tired. And my throat hurts." My arm touched his. "I would love a glass of water."
 

The Phantasm smiled and disappeared.
 

And Inanna went right to work. She immediately sat up and turned to Manuel. Manuel looked surprised. "Zoë?"

"We have to find Joe if we're going to convince the Coterie not to come after me and convince them the deal with the Seraphim is not in their best interest. We have to gain their trust."
 

"Yeah we know that. But how do we—"
 

She put my hand on Manuel's. "The only way to find him is to use a Dowsing wand."
 

"A Dowsing wand?" He looked confused and it was a cute look on him. "How do you know about one of those? That's like…one of those old stupid spells from the Malleus Maleficarum."
 

"I got it from Inanna. She knew the spell because she put it in the
Grimoire
. So if we can find rowan wood and the right herbs, which I'm sure we can find downtown, then I think we can fashion one and find Joe….why are you smiling like that?"

It was a mischievous smile. "There's no need to make one of those wands—and if I'm not mistaken you are the one person who shouldn't be operating magic."
 

He was right. I sucked at magic.
 

But Inanna wasn't.
 

"What do you mean there's no need to make one?"
 

"Because Rhonda Orly has one, remember? When that weird cult guy disappeared…oh what was his name…" he snapped his fingers.
 

Rhonda…Orly? Rhonda had one of those wands? I looked at Daniel and he looked as surprised as I felt.
 

"Oh right. His name was Francisco Rodriguez. Worked for the Society…kinda. He kidnapped those kids to experiment on them? Nona told me he used one of those wands to find the ones with magic. So I know that wand works. Nona said Rhonda had it."
 

Yikes! I knew him! In fact, Rodriguez had been fried from the inside out by TC. He exploded in my mom's bedroom. It was really tragically…messy.
 

Rhonda… oh great. Not that I really cared if we saw her again, but if she had something I wanted, there was no way she was going to give it to me, much less hand it over to Inanna parading around in my body.
 

Manuel keyed into this as well. "But you know she's not going to give it to you."
 

"Then we take it." She stood up and the motion from where we were was a bit dizzying. "Do we know where she is? I'm pretty sure the Society kept up with her."
 

"Nona does." Manuel stood and was looking at me kinda funny. "You okay? I mean…you're acting kinda of…"

"Kind of what?"
 

I smirked.
Careful there, you First Born freak. Your voice is gonna bleed through mine. Manuel is a Revenant same as we are.
And he was smart. Damn smart.
 

"Geist," I looked at him. "Can't Revenants sense other Revenants? Won't Manuel or Morgan sense that I'm not in control?"
 

"Revenants sense each other—but there is no way to tell if one or the other in control of the body unless the First Born wishes to be seen. Morgan sensing Inanna's presence is acceptable, since her bonding with you is well known."
 

Dammit.
 

Manuel was talking. "I'm pretty sure her address or her whereabouts are on record at the Society House. I don't have access to them."
 

"Who does?"
 

"Zoë, let's wait till Azrael gets back, okay? He'll know what step to take next."
 

Geist moved suddenly at that time and disappeared. Daniel and I glanced at one another. "I wonder what that was about," Daniel muttered.
 

TC appeared again and faced me—Inanna—and Manuel. "I have to go. Something's happened. Something… " He looked a little panicked.
 

"What is it?" Manuel stepped toward him, but TC backed up.
 

"I…you make sure the Society doesn't find or take Zoë. If what I fear has happened, then we're going to need her, and the Guardian." And just like that, he was gone.
 

Manuel ran his fingers through his hair. "What was that about?" He looked at me and I felt my shoulders rise. "I don't like seeing the Phantasm worried. So, whatever it is, it's probably going to put the brakes on whatever it was he was going to have us do to find Joe."
 

"Manuel please," Inanna reached out to him. "If there's something so wrong it's got the Phantasm preoccupied, then this is the perfect opportunity to find where Rhonda has that wand and find Joe. It means the Society's also going to be preoccupied. So, why not be the ones to present them with Joe when the crisis is over so the Revenants can stand down and not worry about me…or the Guardian?"
 

Oh she was good.
 

Really good.
 

And I wanted to slap the shit out of her.
 

Up until now I'd always considered her my friend, my companion, someone that was going to help me get past Daniel's death and Dags's rejection. But now it was becoming glaringly clear that she wasn't there to help, she was there to manipulate. But… "How is finding Joe going to help Inanna get what she's after?" I didn't realize I'd said it out loud until I heard Inanna answer.
 

The wand is the way to find anything Ethereal. Witches like Joe Halloran, like Rhonda Orly once was, all bear the blood of the God Mother. And when she lived, she bore the bloodline of the Ethereal Choirs. But that, my dear Wraith, is all you need to know.
 

Daniel and I looked around in the dark. "You know TC's going to catch you. Someone's going to notice you're looking at them and not me!"
 

Laugher rang in the dark and every hair on my back stood on end.
By then, Zoë, it will be too late, and the strings of fate will have been plucked.
 

I sort of knew when she wasn't there. There was an emptiness that pervaded the space. We were alone. Isolated.
 

"Zoë…"
 

I reached out for Daniel the same time he reached out for me. "I know Daniel. I don't have a god damn idea what the fuck she's doing…but I sure as shit ain't gonna let her succeed."
 

And that's a fact, Jack.
 

Cause broken hearted or not, the Wraith was back.
 

7

Apparently Manuel still had a bit of clout with the Society House staff. I figured it was because he was a Revenant and no one there wanted to make them mad—especially now that they were assembling their own posse up to catch a Wraith. Best to stay on their good side.
 

Daniel and I waited in my body while Inanna did all those things I'd originally wanted to do. Like…take a shower and fix a sandwich. I was shocked at the amount of food Jason kept stored in the kitchen, given that as a Revenant, he really didn't have to eat. Mephistopheles loved a good meal though, and often quelled his culinary appetite by making a gourmet meal. That was Jason wanting to cook. Mephistopheles would be happy going out for just a good glass of wine.
 

She made a roast chicken sandwich with a lot of mayo. Gross? Mayo was gross. It was this jelly like substance made of eggs.
 

Gross.
 

Bibb lettuce, wheat bread, and tomatoes. I wasn't a big fan of tomatoes. I mean…their texture was just…ew? Now fried green tomatoes were the shiz.
 

Inanna didn't visit us again, and no matter how hard I tried to take control back, or contact Geist, nothing happened. I wasn't sure if Geist was gone because of whatever it was that pulled TC away, but it was big enough that he wasn't answering me or Daniel. And Daniel insisted he'd always come before.