Read Online Soul Cage by Phaedra Weldon - Free Book Online

already
filled him in on the morning's events. "If there's something wrong
now with the book—don't you think it's better to talk to us so we
can help? Rather than go all Wicked Witch of the West? Cause right
now, if you do that again, I swear I'll drop a house on
you."
    She stared at him more
with disbelief than anger at first. He watched as her expression
slowly changed. Shifted. And as he watched he thought he
saw…something else. Something very wrong .
    Joe thought she was going
to turn and run. Leave them all alone. Instead she took in a deep
breath and crossed her arms over her chest to match Jason's. "Dags
is sick."
    "Sick?" Nona the mom said
as she pushed everyone out of her way. "Let me see him."
    Rhonda
hesitated.
    Joe pushed at Rhonda. It wasn't a mental
shove as much as an astral poke, to remind her he was there. He'd
done it a few times now and then when they were dating, when she
taught him the differences in the planes. And back then it had all
been in fun.
    But not now.
    No. Boundaries had just
been crossed.
    Rhonda stepped back,
glared at Joe, nodded to Nona, turned and left the
kitchen.
    Nona put a hand on Joe's
arm. "We need to talk," was all she said before she followed
behind.
    Joe braced himself on the
counter next to where he'd set his gun. His knees burst like water
filled balloons and he was pretty sure if the counter hadn't of
been solid—he'd have ended up on the floor.
    "You…you did that?" Jason
said.
    Joe nodded but continued
to look at the blue-marble counter. "Yeah. I did."
    "I didn't know you could
do that."
    "Neither did I. But
sometimes…I can."
    There was a very long
pause, then…
    You realize what you've
done.
    He knew Mephistopheles'
voice, though he'd so rarely heard it inside of his own head.
"Yeah, I do." He sighed and straightened before he looked over at
Jason. The First Born was up front, making Jason's eyes black and
his features hawkish. Joe grabbed his gun and re-sheathed it in his
holster.
    Up until now he'd remained
in the corner. A silent support for anyone who needed it. Yeah he'd
worked side-by-side with Rhonda and the others to rescue Dags.
Twice. But he'd never really exposed himself.
    Till now.
    "I just threw down the
gauntlet."

 
     
    -8-
     
    Nona walked a few steps
behind Rhonda as they made their way out of the kitchen to the
foyer and up the stairs to Rhonda's apartments. As she walked
Umayma appeared to her right, and Tel on her left. They flanked her
for protection. She didn't have to have either of them tell her
this. It was obvious. They didn't trust Rhonda at all.
    At the door Rhonda turned
and seemed to notice the two Revenants for the first time. "They
can't come in."
    "Yes they can, Rhonda.
Umayma is the best doctor we have in the House, and Tel is a good
friend of Dags."
    "No."
    Nona turned and started
back down the hall. Tel and Umayma followed.
    Nona , Frejya, Umayma's First Born, said in her mind. We need to see him.
    But Nona didn't answer.
There was no need.
    "Wait!" Rhonda called out.
"Okay fine."
    Ahh…well
played.
    Nona stopped and pivoted.
She wasn't so far down the hall that she had to shout for Rhonda to
hear her. "I suggest you put that attitude of yours in your Veil,
Miss Orly. The Revenants are a part of this House, and a part of
our Society. Your over protectiveness with Dags is becoming a
detriment, not an asset." She didn't move. Just glared at the dark
haired woman.
    Rhonda's jaw clenched but
she didn't say anything. She just nodded and opened the door to her
apartment. Nona, Umayma and Tel followed behind.
    Nona, Rhonda and Dags had
their own apartments inside the house. Zoë had one too—but after
getting her own apartment near Joe she rarely used the one here.
Everyone decorated differently. Dags hadn't changed his much from
the Ikea he'd littered the place with, all of them pieces from the
apartment he once had over Stella Rosenberg's garage.
    Nona's was made more of
antiques. Things she found in local stores or collected over