Requiem (13 page)

“
I can help you,” Kim said,
uncharacteristically sympathetic. “I can help you find the book,
Nigh. They’ll tell me. They have to.”

All expression fell from my face. “So you’re
like…you’re like the demon whisperer. My wacky friend Kim. That’s
just great.”

Kim nodded, unaffected by my jab.

“
You never said why you’re
here,” I said.

“
I wanted to check on Ryan.
I also have news.”

News was usually the job of Samuel, and I
wondered why Kim had been sent instead. The more I knew, the less
any of it made sense—which was annoyingly typical.

Claire crossed her legs, settling in her
chair. “Well? Tell us already.”

“
Jared and his covert
operation tipped them off. He’s asked too many questions, and they
know what he's after. The book has been moved six times in as many
days. We’ve got some work to do when we get home.”

Jared glared at Kim, annoyed. “I have to
look it over before we take it back. There are things within those
pages that could help Nina.”

“
That was the deal, wasn’t
it?” Kim replied.

Jared nodded, and then looked to his sister.
“Now that Ryan’s stable, we should head back. Did the Colonel say
how long you’d be here?”

Claire shrugged. “At least until he’s stable
enough to ship state-side, and then we’ll probably be at a VA rehab
until he’s functional. I’ll keep you updated.”

I stared at the small table that had slid
across the floor. Two hundred or so demons had been swirling about,
and they were already onto the next subject. The air had returned
to its normal temperature, but watching an inanimate object glide
across the room left me uneasy—not that I had felt anything close
to composed since Gabe had infiltrated my dream on the plane. Life
was spinning out of control again, but this time there was no
normal life to escape to.

One-third of my anchor to normal was lying
in a hospital bed, and another sitting beside me, talking about
things so opposite of the realm of ordinary, it was difficult to
remember she was part of my other life at all.

Anger consumed me. I felt I'd been lied to.
“What deal are you two talking about?” I asked.

“
Your man is going to help
me return the book to the Sepulchre if I help him get it from
Shax,” Kim said.

“
Were you going to tell me
about any of this?” I said to Jared.

Jared took my hands in his. “We talked about
this.”

“
Yes, that you would omit
things that didn't directly me, but first Ryan, and now Kim? They
were my friends, Jared!”

“
We still are,” Kim
said.

I ignored Kim. “Are you sure I can’t see
Ryan?” I asked Claire. She shook her head with an apologetic
expression. “It was good to see you again,” I said to Claire,
hugging her. “Kim….” I trailed off, unable to find anything nice to
say.

Kim had betrayed me;
sneaking her mystical bullshit in the back door, and sucker
punching me with her possession-crusades-basilica sob story. Now
she was supposed to help us find the book because of her
Oh So Spooky to the Demons
powers. I didn’t care! She was supposed to be my normal, and
she had ripped it right out from under me.

Gabe had wanted us to turn back, and I
couldn’t help but wonder if I wasn’t supposed to know about Kim.
Could Gabe’s appearance be mundane as a paternal need to protect me
again, or was it something different? Maybe Kim wasn’t supposed to
help us? Maybe she was working for the other side.

I had almost reached the
elevator when Jared called my name.
Soon,
his hand was in mine. He stopped mid-step, causing me to jerk
backward.

“
We have to go,” I said,
tugging him down the hall.

Jared stopped me again. “Would you please
tell me what’s going on?”

“
No,” I snapped, smacking
the button to the elevator. “That would require me telling you
the
whole
truth...and that's not really how our relationship
works.”

The door opened, and I pulled Jared inside.
We were alone, and for the first time I felt I could breathe. I
leaned against the wall and sighed. “This isn’t happening.”

“
What isn’t happening?
Nina, talk to me,” Jared said, putting his hands on the wall at
each side of my head.

“
She’s my friend, Jared!
She was on the other side, the side that kept me grounded…sometimes
kept me sane, and now it’s gone! It’s all gone!”

Jared cupped my face. “She’s still your
friend. You’re life at Brown is no different.”

“
It’s not different? It’s
disappeared!”

He frowned. “Let’s think of this as a
positive thing. You have someone to talk to about this, now.
Someone on the other side that understands.”

I crossed my arms. “I needed them,
Jared...so I wouldn’t get lost in all of the heaven/hell
fiasco.”

“
She’s human, Nina. She may
handle it differently, but she knows how you feel. She knows what
it’s like to know things, and be different because of it. Embrace
it.”

“
Embrace it,” I grumbled.
“You don’t understand.”

Jared took my hand and kissed my fingers.
“This is a good thing. With her help, we can find the book.”

“
Great!” I said as the
doors opened to the main floor. “Let’s find the damn thing and get
rid of it! Take it back to the church, I’ll stop having the dreams,
Kim can be Kim again, and I can get my life back!”

Colonel Brand waited next to the car that
would take us to the base. Jared and I remained silent during the
trip, but once the plane took off from the runway, he began
again.

“
Nina, we can’t just take
the book back. We have to read it; find out why Jack stole it from
Kim’s uncle in the first place.”

“
Because Jack was crazy,
that’s why,” I snapped.

Jared sighed with frustration. “They’ve been
telling us why. In your dreams.”

I thought for a moment,
recalling Jack’s words on the roof.
He had
to save her.
I could think of only two
women in the world my father would risk his life for. The
inscription on my ring leading to a deposit box only Jared and I
could access…he had stolen the book to save me.

But from what?

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you insinuating
that I'm keeping something from you? Because that would be
just...totally and completely hypocritical.”

Jared frowned. “No. But we need to find
someone that can interpret what your dreams mean.”

“
Who would know, Jared?
Besides Eli or Samuel. They wouldn’t tell us, anyway, right? Who
would know?”

“
Asking them again wouldn’t
be a good idea. Kim said they’re already onto us. It’s impossible
to keep a secret in that realm. We need a human.”

“
A human isn't going to be
able to make sense of my dreams, Jared, unless it's someone that
already knows. One of Graham’s men, maybe?”

Jared shook his head, deep in thought.
“Claire didn’t leave any of them alive. Anyone that might have
known anything about it is long gone.”

An idea popped into my head, instantly
creating a sinking feeling in my stomach.

“
What is it?” Jared asked,
concerned.

My mind instantly searched for other
options. I was desperate to make the name stuck in my throat a last
resort, but she was our only choice. “My mother,” I whispered.
“Cynthia would know.”

Jared’s brows pulled in for a moment. “Jack
left her in the dark.”

“
You don’t really believe
that, do you?” I asked, incredulous.

He peeked over at me, and then relaxed.
“You’re right. How to get her to tell us anything is the
question.”

“
She’ll tell us,” I said,
determined.

Chapter Seven

The Perfect Storm

“
Isn’t this a surprise,”
Cynthia said, fussing with her hair. “I’m on my way to the Komen
fundraiser, Nina dear. We’ll have lunch tomorrow.”

I side-stepped, guarding the front door.
“This is important.”

Cynthia laughed once, unamused. “Not more
important than breast cancer, I assure you.” When I didn’t move,
she cocked her head. The expression she used for immediate
intimidation lit her face. “You will let me pass this instant,
young lady.”

Instinctively, I obeyed. Seeing that she was
in no mood for antics, I decided to try the blindside approach.

“
Daddy stole a book from
someone a few years ago. Do you remember?”

She blinked a few times, my words clearly
unsettling to her. “Your father was in shipping, Nina. What
interest would he have in a book?”

“
He did it, Mother. I’ve
seen the book myself. Jared’s held it in his hands.”

Cynthia’s cold eyes darted
to Jared, and then narrowed. “I must ask at this point, Jared. Are
you
trying
to get
Nina killed?”

“
No,” Jared said
emphatically, taking a step toward her. “No, that’s why we’re here.
We need to know why Jack took the book. What was inside that he was
hoping to find?”

Cynthia relaxed, lifting her chin. “Nina,
you’ll find that if you ignore things…they tend to go away. Now, I
really must be going….”

Jared’s jaw flitted, and then he took an
obstinate step in front of the door.

“
I’m sorry, Mrs. Grey, but
I can’t allow you to leave until you tell us what you
know.”

Cynthia stood unaffected, as if she could
brush past Jared if she chose, but she was simply too much of a
lady to shove her way through.

“
What makes you think I
know anything?” she asked, a tiny smirk on her face.

I crossed my arms. “Because you know
everything, Mother.”

A small grin of satisfaction crept across
Cynthia’s face. “Your father underestimated that particular talent
of mine for years. It’s nice that someone noticed.”

“
We need your help,
Cynthia,” Jared said. “Why did Jack think Shax’s book could save
Nina?”

“
The truth will only hurt
you, Dear,” Cynthia said. Her words were meant to be empathetic,
but her eyes were devoid of emotion.

I pressed my lips together in hard line,
taking her warning very seriously. Before I could make a decision,
Jared spoke.

“
I'm only going to ask you
one more time, Cynthia. What do you know about Jack's reasons for
taking the book?”

Cynthia chuckled. “Empty threats rarely
compel me to comply.”

Jared leaned against the door. “I have all
night, Cynthia. How important is this fundraiser to you?”

“
Very well, then,” Cynthia
said. She shifted her weight, clearly irritated. “Your father never
wanted children. I wasn’t exactly…maternal…so I never questioned
him. But when you came along, Nina, it changed him. He seemed to
watch you as if he were waiting for something. I asked him, once,
why he stared at you that way. His expression was both disgust and
shame, but he didn't answer. He simply walked away.”

Her words cut so deeply that I felt physical
pain in my chest, as if a thousand needles were boring their way to
the center.

Jared took my hand. “Jack adored Nina. He
died trying to save her life.”

Cynthia laughed without humor. “You
misunderstand. The first time Jack held Nina in his arms, nothing
else mattered. There was nothing more precious in his eyes,” she
paused. “But he was afraid.”

I struggled to swallow the lump that had
developed in my throat. “Of what?”

“
You, I suppose,” Cynthia
shrugged. Her eyes switched to Jared, then, resentful and accusing.
“When your father recognized that you were in love with Nina, he
shared a story with Jack. It was a story within the last passages
of the book you're so desperate to acquire. About a human woman
giving birth to a son of God, and that child would disturb The
Balance.”

My face twisted. “You mean the story of the
virgin Mary and Jesus? What could that possibly have to do with me
and Jared?”

Cynthia sighed. “No, Dear. Sons of God are
angels. Hell believes a human woman will give birth to an angel; a
powerful angel that will threaten their power here.”

Jared frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense.
Why Nina, then? Human women have been giving birth to Half-breeds
for centuries. And even if Nina and I had a child, the baby would
have just a quarter of divine blood in its veins. Nothing for Hell
to be concerned about.”

“
A human woman gave birth
to Jesus Christ, Jared,” Cynthia retorted.

“
He was human,” I
said.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “A mortal man who
performs miracles and rises from the dead? That’s some human...now
if you'll excuse me....”

Jared didn't budge, still unsatisfied. “Gabe
and Jack believed Nina to be the woman in the prophecy, and they
stole the book to try to figure out a way to stop it?”

“
They stole it twice,”
Cynthia corrected. “First, from a family…the Pollocks. They had
spent lifetimes protecting it. Shax and his men alerted the
Pollocks somehow, and your fathers were detected. While they and
the Pollock men were distracted with one another, Shax absconded
with his book. It was several months before Gabe located the book
again and was able to successfully retrieve it. That’s when it all
began.”

“
Mother,” I said,
impatient. “When
what
began?”