Soul Cage (9 page)

"Jason," Umayma tugged at
his jacket sleeve. "Get Darren out of here now."

"Don't you dare touch
him!" Rhonda yanked her wrist out of Tel's grasp and turned as if
to strike Jason as he slipped past Umayma to get Dags out of the
bed. But another hand grabbed her wrist.

Joe's hand.
"Rhonda—that's
enough
!" His fingers arc'd with a dazzling display of tiny
lightening.

Nona moved out of their
way as Jason lifted Dags to his feet. He appeared dazed and a bit
disoriented, which made sense if he had a high fever. But as he
passed Nona his hand shot out and grabbed at the top of the
paper.

"NO!" Rhonda
screamed.

The paper instantly glowed
bright gold the moment he clasped the top of it. Sparkling dust
flowed up from the edges as a single hand written sentence flashed
in front of her—

It's me,
Maureen.

—
and then vanished. It'd
been meant for her eyes only.

She looked over the page
at Dags as he released the paper. His eyes were dulled and fevered.
Whatever had just happened, he wasn't aware of it.

Was it
really…Maureen?

"What is it? What
happened?" Jason said as he held Dags up, standing between Nona and
Rhonda who was struggling in Joe's hand. "Did the type show up? Can
you read it?"

"No one can read
the
Grimoire
but
me and Dags," Rhonda said in a soft voice.

"Rhonda," Nona said in a
very quiet voice. She was processing a lot of information. Most of
it was jumbled and made no sense. A piece of the
Grimoire
was out of the
book. It was torn. Dags was sick. And Maureen was
somehow…
here
?
"What were you doing to the
Grimoire
that made Dags sick? Why
did you come into the kitchen and accuse Jason of hurting
the
Grimoire
—"
she held out her free hand as if to indicate a pause "—and not
hurting Dags. You're more concerned over the book than
him."

"That is not true. I love
Dags! And I wasn't doing anything. He was fine before Jason took
him off to Little Five Points—like I really believe that's what
they were doing. You all must think I'm a fool or something. You
want to break us apart!"

"No," Nona said. "Why
would we as your friends want to destroy your happiness?" The
double meaning to the question was clear.

Rhonda's eyes filled with
tears. "It's not fair…" she said in a hoarse voice. "The memories
are gone—it was an accident—I told all of you what happened. He had
a chance to go back to her—but he chose me."

"He chose you because he
still had memories of you," Nona said. "And none of Zoë. Or so you
thought. But when he saw Zoë again," she nodded to Dags. "He did
start to remember, didn't he? But he was remembering because of
what you couldn't rewrite." She gently pulled the paper from Dags'
grasp. "Is this you trying to rewrite Dags' thoughts again? Is it
torn because he tried to fight you this time?"

Rhonda's features
hardened. "You think you've got it all figured out, don't
you."

"No. I don't." She looked
up at Jason. "Get him to the infirmary. Tel, you and Umayma go with
him. Joe, we need to have a little talk with Rhonda."

The others filed out of
the room and closed the door.

Joe released her hand and
stood beside Nona. "What's wrong with you?" he asked in a
surprisingly calm voice. "Where's the fun chick I used to
date?"

But Rhonda crossed her
arms over her chest and glared. "When did you get so fucking
powerful? You always had that kind juice in you, Halloran? Face
it—the only reason you dated me was because it was the only way to
get close to Zoë."

"In case you forgot,
sweetheart, Zoë was angry at you. How in the hell do you
rationalize me getting close to Zoë will happen while I'm seeing
her arch enemy?"

Rhonda looked
away.

Nona sighed and lifted the
page up in her right hand where it promptly vanished.

Joe and Rhonda's jaws
dropped. "How…" Joe said.

"How did you learn that
spell?" Rhonda said.

"Disappointed you're not
the only one who knows it? I've been in possession of that spell
longer than you've been alive, Rhonda." Nona lowered her arm and
brushed her hands together. "Now, what were you trying to do when
you made him sick."

"I didn't
make
him
sick."

"Okay, when he
suddenly
became
ill?"

But Rhonda didn't
answer.

Nona sighed. "I don't know
you anymore, Rhonda. And I don't know why. It's my guess you were
checking the
Grimoire
to make sure no one tampered with it—but something happened
which culminated in either you ripping that page out, or that page
flying out on its own. Or," and she tilted her head to her right
shoulder. "Something inside pushed it out."

All three of them were
quiet for a few minutes, until Rhonda finally moved and sat on the
edge of her bed. "It's all falling apart. Even when he can't
remember her, he notices her," she said in a soft voice. "He talks
about her even when he doesn't realize it. What does she like? Is
she really seeing that bad cop? You think she likes old movies? Why
is she always avoiding me?"

"You can't erase every
memory he has of Zoë, Rhonda," Nona said in a kind voice. "You run
the risk of destroying memories of you as well."

Rhonda looked
away.

Nona took in a deep breath
as she turned to the door. Joe followed her. Once there she glanced
back at Rhonda. "Rhonda Orly, as the CEO of the Ishmael Society,
acting chairman and by the blade of Azriel's rage, I do hereby
order you to stay in your rooms for the duration of Dags'
illness."

Rhonda was on her feet.
"No I—"

But Joe held up his hand.
She stopped.

"We don't have time to
debate this, Rhonda. You've repeatedly gotten in other people's way
when they tried to help. And now Manuel and Dags are in need of
attention. Since you insist on preventing anyone from helping Dags
besides yourself—though it is obvious you're not a doctor—I believe
it's best you remain here. I'll have boggarts placed outside the
doors, Rhonda. In case you planned on running or using magic." She
turned to leave.

"Will you tell me how he
is?" Rhonda said.

"Of course," Nona said.
She opened the door and Joe closed it behind them. The door jerked
out of his hands as it sealed. The air around the door shimmied and
a strange looking and smelling vine grew out of the wall and
wrapped itself around the door and frame.

Joe stepped back.
"Whoa…that is nasty."

"It's a standard Boggart.
It wants to hold everything still. So I let it do what it wants. It
will obey us and not her."

Joe reached out and
touched one of the leaves. A bright green glow flashed on the leaf
and traveled the length of the vine and spread out to every other
leaf.

"What did you just do?"
she asked.

"I just gave it a little
energy, that's all. And...sort of put a spell on it so that if she
tries to break out, I'll know?"

She smiled at him and
turned to walk down the hall and he followed.

"Nona…"

"Mmm?"

"Remember that thing you
had over your mantel? The statue?"

She paused at the top of
the stairs leading down to the foyer. "Which one? The
Willendorf
or the Stone
Dragon?"

"The Dragon. Where is
it?"

"I suppose it's still on
my mantel. Why?"

"Eh…mind if I head over to
the house and take a look?"

She patted his hand. "If
you want to duck out for a while, it's okay by me."

"Thanks, oh and Nona…" He
smiled at her. "It's all going to be okay."

Joe saying this pressed a
weight down on her shoulders. He was a good witch, and he had so
much potential. And…he was so optimistic. She didn't have the heart
to tell him what the very near future would bring. Instead she
opened her arms wide and he hugged her. He smelled of musk and
sweat, and all things good. "Believe that for me. Just...keep
believing."

-9-

Halfway down interstate
75, a familiar shape faded into the passenger seat. Joe turned the
volume down on the radio. The sun moved behind a few dark clouds
and the temperature had dropped again since the morning. "What is
it, Phanty."

Azrael sighed. "I really
wish you wouldn't call me that."

"I know."

"Why do you want to find
that stone dragon?"

Joe glanced over at him.
Azrael looked intensely curious. "Let's just say…I have a
hunch."

"How?"

"Why are you grilling
me?"

"Because," and this time
the Phantasm of the Abysmal Plane shifted in the passenger seat of
the pickup. "I don't like it that I didn't know you were that
powerful."

Uh oh. Joe pursed his lips
and looked back at the road. "You were in the kitchen."

"I'm
everywhere."

"Oh don't give me that
bullshit," he frowned. "You were little more than a fading First
Born with an odd addiction to grapes and milk a few months ago. Now
you're the Phantasm. Either way, that doesn't make you
omniscient."

"You like pissing me
off."

"No, I like you people not
just showing up in my truck unannounced. So," he took the exit to
285. "Why are you in here grilling me."

"I told you. I don't like
not knowing things. And I had no idea you were that powerful. I
don't think Nona knew either."

"Well news flash. I'm
not." Joe signaled he was moving in between cars. "And back page
story—I didn't know I could do that till I did it."

Azrael nodded slowly. "I
see…so do you often take our own life into your hands?"

"Every day I'm alive," he
took the exit to 85 South. "Look, if you're just going to sit there
and annoy me—"

"Why do you need the stone
dragon?"

The dream came to mind—the
one he'd had last night. The one he'd had for three nights. And
when Tim said Rhonda had recently been in the shop in Little Five
Points taking things—he didn't believe in coincidences. "I just…I
see things sometimes. I can do a few spells, like Rhonda and Nona.
Simple magic. I used it to help get Dags out of the old
house."

"I remember."

True. Azrael had been
there. "Right. So the bigger stuff is more like… " he sighed. "Well
I know what I want to achieve and I sort of wish for the outcome
and the means to get there just…happens."

Azrael didn't say
anything.

"So when I was in the
kitchen and Rhonda was PMSing—" he shrugged. "I wanted to stop her
before she hurt Nona, or me. So when the answer came to me on what
magic to use to stop her—I remembered a dream I had the other night
of that damned dragon. I remembered the thing from when those two
freaky disembodied spirits kidnapped Nona's soul and put it in the
dragon before they put it in that puppet," he glanced at Azrael.
"You know, before you showed up and took Nona out of
it."

"I'm not going to defend
my previous actions. I had my reasons." He frowned. "And if I
remember correctly—you kissed Zoë at that time."

Joe's expression reflected
his inner turmoil. And a bit of irritation. "What I did or didn't
do with Zoë isn't a part of this—"

"Sorry," the Phantasm
said. "You're right. I'm just…a bit at a loss as to what's going
on. Rhonda's not been herself. Her actions leading up to removing
the
Grimoire's
memories," he leaned back. "Damn it Joe, it just isn't
her."

"I wouldn't say that." Joe
exited off Piedmont and then turned off toward Ansley Mall. "I
dated her, remember. She's been obsessed with Dags since she met
him. But he's always been fascinated with Zoë, and I seriously
didn't think
she'd
ever give him the time of day. I didn't think she'd ever
leave Daniel."

"And if she did, she'd
choose you?"

Joe didn't
answer.

"Halloran—I'm going to
need your help. As well as Nona, my sisters and brothers still
living, and Zoë. We need to bring her and Daniel back from
Canada."

"Not yet. Let's exhaust
everything before we interrupt them, okay?"

"You're quiet an honorable
man, Joseph Halloran."

"Yeah…" he sighed. "A real
fucking saint."

Once they arrived at the
shop in Little Five Points, Joe pulled the truck into the driveway.
The place was locked up. Jemmy only opened it three times a week
and sometimes on weekends with Nathaniel's help. He parked the car
as Azrael vanished. Keys in his pocket, Joe held up his hand as he
opened the ward so he could cross through. He grabbed the mail
piled on the floor just inside the door and stepped in to the
house. It smelled musty and there was a faint hint of incense.
Tossing the stack on one of the tables, he hit the light switch and
moved through the hanging mosaic fringe into the botanica
part.