Geist (28 page)

"No..." she paused as she pushed a button to bring me to a half sitting position. "Wait...there was a guy like that in here a few weeks ago. Right after you were brought in—but that couldn't have been your boyfriend. He was with some goth chick, and the way they were holding on to each other?" She poured me a cup of water and put it on the table. "Nah...can't be your boyfriend. We thought Mr. Franklin was." 

"Franklin?"

"Yeah, the guy that just left?" 

Franklin. Right. It made sense that Daniel would change his name. He was still a wanted man. 

A guy like that and a goth chick. The only goth chick I knew of was Rhonda. Had she and Dags been in here together? Had she been making the moves on him while I was like this? 

I looked at the flowers. "Who sent the flowers?"

"Most of them are from Mr. Franklin. A few are from your mom, who makes killer brownies by the way. And a few are from other friends." 

"None from Dags McConnell?" 

She looked around at the flowers and pulled up tags to check. She reached in and pulled out a small bear vase with a spray of daisies in it. "This one says from Dags and Rhonda. Did you want it out where you could see it?" 

I shook my head. 

Dags and Rhonda? 

What the hell was going on?

-45-

Heartbreak

I slept through Joe's shift with me and woke the next morning to mom shuffling about the room. She was overly happy I woke up and when I asked her about the news of being CEO she threatened to spank Daniel. 

"He's been just a delight," she said as she helped me tackle a plate of soft scrambled eggs. I wanted bacon and biscuits, but apparently my stomach didn't. "I'm keeping the shop, though. I want to live there. And Jemmy moved back into her house, I hired her to work for the Society as well. The money will keep her paid up on medical bills and her house for the rest of her life and it'll leave a nice nest egg for her grandkids." 

I watched mom talk and I ate, slowly. I was patient and let her ramble until finally I couldn't handle it anymore. "Mom," I interrupted her. "Where's Dags?" 

Her face did the same thing Daniel's did. I waited and she put her hands in her lap. "Dags is still working for the Society. He went right back to work once he found out you were okay, Zoë. He's been traveling. He's out of town at the moment." 

"With Rhonda." 

She paused. "Yes." 

"Mom...what's going on? How come he and Rhonda gave me daisies together? Why hasn't he come to see me?" 

"I just told you he's out of town." 

"Mom, if the roles were reversed I'd have flown back to see him. Where is he?" 

"Alaska."

"You're lying."

"Zoë—" 

"Get out." 

After she left I tried to get out of bed and ended up on my ass on the floor. I hadn't realized I was crying until the nurse came in and hugged me as she wiped my face. They got me back in bed and put me to sleep. 

Another week passed before I could get up out of the bed on my own and walk to the chair. Of course just sitting in the chair was exhausting. Mom didn't come back, but Daniel, Joe, Tel and Jemmy came. I didn't ask about Dags again, and no one volunteered any information. But every time the door opened my heart skipped—and crashed when it wasn't him. 

Daniel was everything anyone could ever ask in a friend, or even a lover. Attentive, kind, and supportive. Even his First Born was kind. 

When I could finally leave the hospital it was Jason and Nick that picked me up. They had a limo waiting outside and Nick was the one that wheeled me out. I'd asked the nurse to remove the tags on the flowers and redistribute them to patients she thought would appreciate them. I took a single red rose—one Daniel had brought me the day before, and kept it with me as I stepped inside the limo. 

Nick wasn't driving this time. It was a Society car and we were heading to the new compound where mom had a rumpus room fixed and ready for my physical therapy. 

I sat facing the two of them, the rose in my hand. Neither of them said a word. 

"Jason—" 

He held up his hand. "Let's wait till you see the new place. I think you'll like it. And then once you're settled, we can talk. All of us." 

I nodded. 

My heart was in my ankles. I thought maybe Dags would come to see me out of the hospital. I assumed he was still out of town. Maybe he'd be at the new place? 

We went through a guard house to a gate and were buzzed in. Pines and oaks lined the winding drive until we came up on a hill. The new place wasn't as ostentatious as the last one. In fact it was rather modest. The driver pulled the car into a half-circle drive and Nick jumped out to help me. 

It was a little cooler here and I noticed the autumn leaves littering the front stoop and asphalt. Jason dismissed the driver and I had my arm in Nick's. The door opened up into a white marbled foyer, complete with a double staircase. The furnishings were modern mixed with old world. 

A huge banner draped over the staircase read:

WELCOME HOME ZOE!

"SURPRISE!" 

I nearly jumped out of my skin as a crowd of people came rushing from either side. My mom led the way and rushed up to me. I was in her arms first, and then passed around from person to person. I recognized all the Revenants, as well as some of the members of the Society I'd met. Jemmy was there and so was Joe. 

Daniel hung back as the people slowly stepped away and I moved into his arms as a safe haven. This was all a bit...much. 

"Honey," mom said as she ushered some of them out of the foyer. "You okay? You look pale." 

"I'm just—" I looked around and felt my eyes burn. "I'm a little overwhelmed." 

"I told your mother this was too much," Jemmy said as she came up to me with a biscuit in a napkin. I took the biscuit and bit into it. It was so buttery good. And there was honey on the outside! 

Daniel led me into a huge living room. It was cozy and warm. A large screen TV showed a football game above a roaring fire. Tel, Nick, Manuel and Zachary sat on the couch, yelling at the screen. 

A buffet of food lined several tables along a back wall beside a baby grand piano. Windows overlooked a small and freshly planted garden. New fruit trees had been planted around a center fountain. White chairs sat in little groups around it and I could see afternoons sitting out there with Dags. 

I wanted to ask where he was. 

If everyone else was here...was it possible he was? 

And Rhonda. 

Umayma appeared and gave me a hug. She was so beautiful. "It is good to see you again, Zoë. We are all here for you. All of us." 

I nodded to her and held onto Daniel and my biscuit. 

Others that missed me in the foyer came up and said the same. I kept nodding and reassuring them I was fine. 

But I wasn't fine. I was frustrated and feeling abandoned. 

Stupid right? I'm in a house full of people—well relatively they were people—who all cared about me. Wanted the best for me. 

And I felt...abandoned. 

Daniel reached down and put a hand to my cheek. "Want to see the rest of it? I can show you your room?" 

"Please," I nodded. I wanted air. 

I'd been cooped up an egg—I needed space! 

I kept hold of him as we left the room and meandered around. I saw the kitchen, another parlor that was really an office with a large desk. Mom's desk. 

There was a full bathroom downstairs with three stalls and two sinks. 

We went upstairs and he pointed to the right as we walked. "This wing is nothing but rooms. You have one here, and your mother. Jemmy has one and there are rooms underground for the Revenants." 

"You have a room here?" 

He nodded. "I moved in. To help. It's easier for me because my face is still on wanted posters all about town. Up here no one really notices me." 

We approached a room with an open door and I looked in—

The far wall revealed a huge sliding glass door with sheer curtains. A man was stepping inside. Shirtless. Dressed in jeans and barefoot. His hair was dark and brushed his shoulders. Wings folded against his back and his face—

"DAGS!" 

I dropped the biscuit, let go of Daniel and ran into the room. 

"Zoë wait—" 

Dags jumped when he heard his name and looked up at me as I tackled him. I wrapped my arms around him as hard as I could. "Oh God I missed you...I missed you so much..." 

"Hey..." he said softly and I felt his arms around me. "Sorry I wasn't at the party—I didn't know it was today. We just got back." 

Everything was all right. 

It was all going to be all right. 

I pulled back from him and wanted to kiss him. 

He moved a step further back and slid his hands down my arms to my hands and held them. "You look good, Zoë. It was touch and go there for a while, but we knew you'd pull through. And I owe you everything—getting the linking page back for me. Rhonda and I are in your debt." 

He was holding me at arm's length. Not forcing it, but...

Something was different. 

"Dags...are you okay?" 

"Oh yeah. Just tired. Oh but I know Alice and Maureen will be happy to see you. They've been talking about you. Especially Alice. She thinks you're the bomb." 

We always recognize attraction. We can sense it. The way someone looks at us. The way they talk, the inflection of their speech. We know the difference between friendship, and love. 

"Zoë..." He leaned in to look at me. "You okay? You're staring at me really funny." He let go of my hands and looked down at himself. "Oh do I need to put a shirt on? I've been on a plane for six hours and just wanted to stretch out a bit. Took a quiet look at the garden." 

"I—" Blood rushed past my ears. My heart thundered inside of my chest against my ribs. I looked in his eyes and saw...

Zoë, please go with Daniel. 

I blinked several times. My eyes burned again. Dags' expression turned from amusement to panic. He looked up and past me. "Daniel—is she okay? Did I do something wrong? Should we call Rhonda? Nona?" 

I felt Daniel's hands on my shoulders. I fell back into his arms, against his chest. 

"It's fine, Dags. She's had an exhausting day. And I think the crowd downstairs took a lot out of her. She needs to eat and rest. It's good to have you back."

Dags grinned. "Yeah, good to be back. Oh, but we got the vase and Rhonda picked up a few other things. She's down in the vault cataloging. Wanna have dinner later?" 

"No," Daniel said. "No. Go downstairs and grab food. There's plenty. Tel's here." 

"Oh he is. Great. I'll be down after a shower." He looked down at me and touched my chin. "I'm glad you're okay Zoë. Can't wait to work with you again." 

If Daniel hadn't of been behind me I would have bolted and run. He had a grip on my shoulders as we walked out of the room. The biscuit was gone. 

He steered me down the other hallway to the end. Daniel opened the door. "This is your room—" 

I ran in and slammed it in his face. 

-46-

Shattered Dreams

Mom was beside me when I woke up. My eyes were swollen from crying and I had a nasty headache. She had water and pills ready. I took them and flopped back on the bed in the room I hadn't even looked at. 

"He was going to ask me to marry him. We talked about it...but he said he wanted to have the
Grimoire
fixed...take a vacation and go down on one knee... " 

I heard mom set the glass on the nightstand. "Most everyone's gone home. It's been a few hours. There's plenty of food. And you have a guest in the den. Will you come out so we can talk?" 

"He loved me."

"Zoë–"

"What the fuck happened?" 

She was quiet. "The den's across the hall, Zoë. We'll wait for you." 

I heard her leave the room. 

I don't know how much time passed before I dragged myself out of bed. I stood there, looking around. The furniture was antique, dark wood. An armoire stood by a large sliding glass door. Sheer curtains separated me from the view. There was an old roll top desk. Several shelves of books. A flat screen television. A dresser. And another door. 

I moved to the door and found a bathroom bigger than my old condo. Shower. Sunken tub. Jacuzzi. Separate toilet room. Bowl sink where the bowl sat on top of the counter. I shuffled to the shower, stepped in, and turned it on. 

Once I was pruned and overheated from the spray—and I'd slipped off my now soaked clothes—I glanced at the girl in the mirror. 

She was still thin. I could see her joints, her ribs and her empty heart. 

Her hair was long and fell in a wet braid down her back. A white streak as thick as her wrist decorated the right temple. 

She was ugly. 

And I hated her. 

I had clothes in the armoire. I pulled on a pair of black sweats and hoodie. Barefoot I left the room and moved across the hall. 

The den was warm and homey. Roaring fire, built-in bookshelves in all the walls, and lots of old, stuffy couches. 

Mom sat on one of the couches with Jason. Nick had a book in his hand by another sliding glass door—but this door was open and let in a cold breeze that countermanded the warmth of the fire. 

Umayma and Daniel sat on another couch as Joe picked out "Chopsticks" on a smaller piano in the far corner. 

Daniel turned as soon as I walked in and came to me. I let him lead me to the couch he shared with Umayma and sat down. A tea service sat on the coffee table, complete with finger sandwiches and little cakes. She poured me some tea and fixed it the way I liked it and set it down in front of me. 

Everyone gathered around. Nick sat on the couch back behind Jason. 

They were all looking at me. 

I tried hard not to cry. 

"Zoë." 

I stood and turned to the open glass door. 

TC stood there. He was dressed in a leather jacket, jeans and boots. He wasn't wearing his shades. His eyes were hazel and he held his arms out . 

I moved around the couches and ran into them. My shoulders shook as I held onto him and he held onto me. He was warm—not like he'd been before. He kissed the top of my head as I wrung all the emotion I could out of myself.