Walking Shadows (2 page)

"I see you do. That's what our father called The Well of Souls. It's what creation is made from—Abysmal and Ethereal. It's what our father made us from. And, if we bond with a human we mingle our essence with theirs. Mephistopheles says Revenants retain the memories and identities of every host they bond with," he rubbed at his chin. "And if they lose their host and can't re-bond—if another human won't invite them in—then the human soul and the Abysmal Essence become wanderers together because they are still bonded.
 

"Eventually the First Born's essence fades back to what it was and returns to The Well of Souls and the human soul now without a companion or a body becomes a shade. Or a Walking Shadow."
 

I leaned in. "What makes that different than a ghost or a shade?"
 

"Rage. Anger. Loss. Frustration. Lack of faith, or loss of faith. These souls, the humans left behind, become—for lack of a better word—pure evil defined by malicious actions. They get so bad even Shadow People steer clear of them. Their souls twist up like a gnarled tree stump and they delight in causing others terror. Or pain." He snapped his fingers. "Ever watched one of those paranormal shows? The ones with the really evil things in the house?"
 

"A few. Those things creep me out." Yeah. I'm a Wraith. And mean ghosts creep me out. Go figure.
 

"That's about as close as I can come to a concrete example."
 

"So…" I shifted in the papasan and pulled a blanket up over my legs. "Can you somehow—I don't know—put them back into a body?"
 

He gave me a look that said I was crazy. "Luv, physics being what it is, that's just not possible."
 

"Physics?"
 

"Come on Zoë. Basic physics says two objects can't occupy the same space simultaneously. We can't put them into a body that already has a soul if it doesn't want them in there. When First Born and human soul try to move in the nature soul possessing the body kicks them out. That's why a First Born has to be
invited
in. You have to be willing to be bonded. And before you ask, trying it with a dead body doesn't work either. Once a soul leaves a body it begins the unstoppable process of shutting down."
 

I impressed myself. I actually followed what he said. "So you want me to find this thing and stop it?"
 

 
"Yes, and I want you to find Strauss' soul. No one can find it. There isn't a trace of it in the club. Geist checked on the position of the soul—"
 

I held up my hand. "He can do that?"
 

"Well, of course," TC smirked. "Or have you forgotten what he is?"
 

Universal Mind. Holy Ghost.
 

Big Brain.
 

"So…where did it go?"
 

"We assume this creature has it. Usually Dominions judge and sentence the soul. Much like a Reaper. But I think this one kept the soul for itself."
 

"They can do that?"
 

TC pointed at me. "You do it. Or did you forget? But drinking human blood is a new thing for a Dominion. That's usually a craving and need relegated to the Revenant symbiosis. I think you—with your own adherence to souls—might be able to tell me what the hell he is. And possibly save some souls at the same time."
 

I set my now-cold coffee on the hearth of the fireplace. "Exactly how am I supposed to find this thing? It sounds like it came out of nowhere, knew exactly what a Revenant was, and with no resistance from the Revenant or anyone else, drank its blood." I coughed. "Sounds to me like you got Dracula, dude."
 

"What I got is serious shit."
 

"Trouble at the old Abysmal Coral?"
 

"Yes and no. It's a lot like taking office, cleaning out the old, bringing in the new."
 

I folded my arms over my chest. "You seem to be settling in pretty good with this."
 

He looked at me. "Actually I suck at it. All I ever do is settle arguments." He held out his hands. "I need you to do this for me, Luv. Go OOB—" he stopped. "Can't really call it that anymore. You tend to stay in your body nowadays."
 

"I just call it going Wraith." I blinked. "You mean right now?"
 

"Well yeah—Manuel is already there."
 

"Manuel—" I uncrossed my arms. "
My
Manuel?"
 

He wasn't really mine. But ever since my ghastly heartbreak and subsequent almost killing of Rhonda Orly, Manuel had pretty much been as much a constant as Daniel. Manuel was the host Revenant to the First Born, Morgan. He was well mannered, seemed to be appreciative of everything, and was a little hottie. Fucker held one hell of a resemblance to Enrique Iglesias.
 

And though he looked like jailbait—kid had to have been bonded at like seventeen or eighteen—he was much older then me. He'd been born before World War II. And his First Born? We're talk'n
ancient
.
 

Mental Note:
wait…when was the last time I had one of these notes?
 

Sidebar
—I wondered exactly how old Morgan was. I learned that her previous host, Elizabeth, had been Jason's lover, and technically, Morgan and Mephistopheles were brother and sister…
 

Lalalalalala.
 

Either way—Manuel was a cutie, and I thought of his little boyish self as
mine
.
 

"He probably got to the club about a half hour ago. He's supposed to call if he sees anything."
 

"You're using Manuel as
bait
?" I stood up. I was not a happy camper. "You asshole—you can't do that to him! What if that thing grabs him and takes his soul from Morgan?"
 

"That's why you need to get to the club as fast as you can."
 

I did not like the smile he had on his fucking ugly face. The son of a bitch just manipulated me into helping him—didn't even give me the opportunity to say no. He skipped right past the arguing part to "We're all gonna die!"
 

I really hated him sometimes.
 

I did something I hadn't done much since Rhonda's betrayal—I shifted to Wraith. My clothing melted into my skin as it turned the color of ash. The cloth became shadows that cloaked all the right parts in darkness as I felt my wings unfurl. My hair moved around my shoulders, and I looked down to see my taloned feet and clawed hands. Bunnies with attitude.
 

"Magnificent."
 

Yeah…only he would think I looked good like this. I thought I looked like a freak. I almost growled at him. "If anything happens to Manuel—"
 

"It won't. I trust you, Zoë. You'll stop it."
 

"Where am I going?"
 

He smiled. "
The Getaway
."
 

•••

This was a new club as far as I knew. But it'd been a long time since I'd visited Atlanta's nightlife. Last club I'd gone into was Opera and that was for a fight between Lex and Jason. That night hadn't ended well.
 

I couldn't Google the place—TC had to give me directions. It took about twenty minutes for me to find it and walk through the front past a line of Goth-wannabes. I was incorporeal, so I'm sure I gave whomever I passed through the shivers. And, luckily, their thoughts were benign enough that I didn't get any weird—

No. Wait. That one was thinking about bending the bouncer over the bar and getting freaky.
 

Oh…
kay
.
 

Moving right along.
 

It wasn't a crowded bar—not on the inside. Apparently there was a number control for the bouncer outside to make sure the inside capacity didn't scream fire hazard. There didn't seem to be anything too crazy about the decor. Looked like any other basement club I'd been in or seen in a movie. Painted black walls, mist, waist-high bar around the dance floor, and mirror-covered areas that proved to me I wasn't really there.
 

You know, that's kind of weird looking in a mirror and not seeing yourself.
 

The bar was the pride and joy of the place, located in the very back and surrounded by lounge chairs and deep couches. Wouldn't get me on any of that furniture, not without shining one of those CSU lights on it to show bodily fluids.
 

Ew.
 

I spotted Manuel at the bar. He was dressed in a bomber jacket, tight dark jeans (they looked like leather), boots, and a wreath of women. Yeah, he was a cutie. And always noticed. I moved in closer and took up a position near the bar. The bartender was female—which made me feel a little better. First time I'd ever seen Dags was at a bar.
 

Fadó. Buckhead. I'd been following Daniel.
 

So…
 

Get a grip! He doesn't remember you!

What was wrong with me? Did I have one of those curses on my ass? Any guy that starts to like me either gets possessed or has his memories erased.
 

God…I was my own kind of Abysmal Emo.
 

Manuel sensed me because he looked right at me and winked.
 

Nothing so far
, Morgan said inside my head. I really liked her voice. It was kinda like Stevie Nicks. All throaty and sexy.
 

I see Manuel's as popular as ever.
 

Uh huh
. She sounded bored. Poor First Born. To be a woman trapped inside the body of a hot guy.
 

I sort of hung out there for a while, watching as people came and ordered drinks. The bartender was a machine, cranking them out with a smile and a nod. And not one complaint. Me? I'd have mixed the rum with the vodka and been shot.
 

I watched Manuel play. Drink. And dance. Wow…he could dance.
 

This isn't all him. I used to be a pretty good dancer.

I laughed.
You mean with Elizabeth?
 

Of course. You should ask Jason sometime.
 

I would—when I saw him. He hadn't been around much, he and Ghoul, Nick. I wondered what they were up to.
 

Suddenly—it was there. Just…there.
 

A feeling of incredible…pressure.
 

The Abysmal hairs on the back of my neck rose as I levitated a few inches off the floor to look out over the heads of people. It was here. Or something was here.
 

Manuel sensed it too and made his way back to the bar next to me. "You feel that?" he said.
 

Yes I do
, I told him. He'd be able to hear me, just as Morgan could.
You think that's it?
 

"Yeah…" he said as he scanned the crowd.
 

The wave started on the far side of the bar. One by one, dancers stopped dancing. They just…froze. I touched Manuel's shoulder. He saw it too and braced himself as the wave of stillness traveled slowly, but steadily, toward the bar.
 

That feeling of OMG continued as the wave hit those near us. They stopped in whatever it was they were doing, as if someone had freeze-framed a movie. But I could see their faces. Everything was still but their eyes. They were aware. And they were trapped.
 

And then I saw
it
.
 

And I wasn't sure if it was a man or a woman. And I didn't think it mattered.
 

It was beautiful to look at. White hair that seemed to move of its own down to broad shoulders. Its skin was nearly the same color, and it wore a long white coat of some kind. Even the shoes were a shade of white.
 

If I wasn't so freak'n scared, I'd have made a crack about a white chocolate Barbie-Man.
 

Zoë—we can't move.

What? I looked on my left to Manuel. He wasn't moving.
Can Manuel feel it?
 

Yes, and he's panicking. I can't blame him. I literally can't move this body.
 

Shit.
 

But I could move mine. Was it because I was incorporeal?
 

The creature finished weaving through the still bodies and stood directly in front of Manuel. I glanced back at the bartender. She was in mid-shake of a martini.
 

Now that he was closer, I saw that he wore a cassock, just like I'd seen priests wear. Only this one was white. I could see his face now. And I'd say it was a he. But he was a pretty he. Kinda reminded me of Vanilla Ice only with a lot of hair and not a flat-top.

But his eyes…were red not gold. Ruby red.
 

He held out his right hand. "Oh great knower of all truths, I take this sinner into me, I take his evil, I take all of his worldly mistakes so that when he enters the kingdom he will be clean, he will be absolved, and he will be worthy."
 

I frowned. What the fuck was that?
 

Zoë!
Morgan's voice was louder than ever.
Azrael was right—it's a Dominion! You have to stop it!
 

How?
 

I don't know.
 

Oh fucking great. I at least thought YOU had a plan.

It's going to consume Manuel's soul through the blood—consume his sins.

And that's when I heard it. A man's voice calling out. It sounded like a cat at first, and since there are a lot of strays that hang out at Mom's, I didn't really think much about the noise till now. Wondered why a cat was in a nightclub making noise.
 

I narrowed my eyes at this creature and if I stared directly at its chest, I could make out a rainbow of little lights. They twinkled like Christmas lights. Were those little things actual souls?