“It’s all right,” I heard Donatti say. “He’s still dead.”
“What—”
“Shut up. I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
Despite feeling horrified and washed out at the same time, I almost laughed.
“I am dead.” The semi-transparent Zee looked down and started patting his not-quite-there body, like he was trying to convince himself otherwise. “You all have killed me.”
I couldn’t answer right away, because I was too surprised. He didn’t sound angry at all. His tone was plaintive, and almost … hopeful. He wasn’t even trying to fight me.
“Um. Yes?” I said. “You’re dead.”
“And yet, here I am.” He looked at me, cocked his head. “Because of you. I understand now,” he said. “You are the Priest of the Dead, the Great Shaman. And your song, your unique song … is all songs.”
The words sent chills through me.
“But I can hear your song no longer.” His hairless gold-spotted brow lifted, and he looked slowly at each of us. “Nor yours. Any of you. I cannot even hear the Dehbei.” Somehow, his huge eyes got bigger. “I hear nothing,” he whispered.
This was the strangest conversation I’d ever had with a talking corpse. And I’d had some really strange ones. “That’s probably because you’re dead,” I said slowly. “As a friend of mine told me, one doesn’t usually hear a thing, being dead. And he would know. Because he was dead when he said it.”
“I am actually dead.” He blinked, and a ghostly tear rolled from one eye, then the other. “Why, this is … wonderful.”
“It is certainly wonderful for us,” Taeral said in cold tones. “You nearly killed my Sadie. And my brother.”
“You did kill my partner.” Frost took a half-step toward the apparition. “I think I’m going to shoot you again. I get that you’re dead, but it’ll make me feel better.”
“I am sorry.” For the first time, Zee’s face showed genuine emotion. “The voices … they would not stop. I remember now, in the time long before, when I was called Xipili. I gathered followers. Instructed them to sacrifice me. But I did not die. Over and over they destroyed me, and I was resurrected. They soon came to me not as a leader, but as a god.” His shoulders drooped. “Still the songs came, night and day, ever louder and more discordant. I was consumed with stopping them. And so, I vowed to destroy every voice. It was the only way to silence them, you see. I could not die … so they had to.”
Ian let out a snort of contempt. “If you are seeking sympathy, Naimura, you will find none here.”
“Sympathy? No. This I do not deserve. I have only gratitude, now and forever.” He smiled broadly. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you all.”
I didn’t even have to release his soul. Zee released himself.
I had to bribe him with promises to never go after vicious serial killers who tried to murder people on live television again, but Abe arranged to have my van delivered to Central Park. It arrived just before swarms of NSA agents and assorted law enforcement personnel descended to work the scene.
Abe had assured me that he was more than happy to leave this one to the feds.
With everyone piled safely in the van, away from the controlled chaos outside, I asked them to wait a few minutes before we headed to the Castle. I wanted to talk to Frost. Fortunately, no one had enough energy to protest. I gave Donatti the keys so he could get it running and warm, and then walked toward the fence where Frost was relaying instructions to three or four agents.
She saw me, held a finger up and flicked a brief smile. Once she finished talking, the agents left and she waved me over.
“Hey.” I still wasn’t sure what I was going to say. But after what we’d been through, I didn’t think I could leave without at least saying goodbye. “Uh, good job shooting all those bad guys.”
Of all the things I could’ve said, that was probably the dumbest.
She smiled anyway. “Thanks. You too,” she said. “Except, you know, with magic.”
“Thanks.” I didn’t know what to do with my hands, so I shoved them in my pockets. “About the Milus Dei thing … ”
Anger contorted her features. “I’m not working for those people anymore,” she said. “First thing Monday, I’m requesting a transfer. And if I don’t get it — ”
“Wait. Maybe you shouldn’t do that.”
I couldn’t believe I’d said that out loud. And from her expression, she couldn’t either.
“Let me explain.” I glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention. I had to be crazy for even suggesting this. And honestly, I was hoping she’d flatten the idea with extreme authority. It’d be a huge risk for her, and she didn’t owe me anything.
But I went ahead anyway. “I was thinking, maybe we could work together,” I said. “We have to stop them. You know, the bad guys. Not people like you. And if we had someone on the inside, it might be … ” I broke off with a sigh. “Okay, this is a terrible idea,” I said. “Sounds even worse when I say it out loud. It’s dangerous, and you hardly know me, and can we just pretend I never said anything?”
“No, we can’t.” She broke into a smile. “Because I think it’s a great idea.”
I blinked. “You do?”
“Yes. I got into this line of work to help save people, remember?” There was another brief flash of anger. “And then I find out I’m actually helping kill people. I know, not directly,” she said when I opened my mouth to protest. “But I helped cover it all up. So if I’m getting the chance to blow it back open, and show everyone what these people are really doing, I’m in.”
My own grin felt huge. “You’re sure about that?” I said.
“Absolutely.”
Right then I could’ve kissed her. But I didn’t have to.
Because she was kissing me.
I was too startled to notice at first, so I only got to enjoy it for about two and a half seconds. But it was a fantastic two and a half seconds. “That was for saving my life, and avenging my partner,” she said. “And I’d slap you for killing my sister, but I’m too tired.”
That drew an unexpected laugh from me. “You can slap me next time,” I said. “Um. Assuming there’s going to be a next time.”
“I’ll see you again, Gideon,” she said, and smiled. “Soon.”
“Great. Give me like two days to sleep, though.”
We parted on a brief hand squeeze, and I walked back to the van with a smile that wouldn’t quite leave my lips.
CHAPTER 52
Donatti and Ian came to New York through a mirror, and they planned to leave that way.
I was really going to miss them.
We’d spent an hour or so in the parlor at the Castle, talking about anything except what happened with Zee while they built up enough power for the mirror trick. It was just past noon when Ian announced that they were ready, without taking Donatti’s opinion into consideration.
Apparently, that didn’t bother Donatti. He was used to it.
We gathered around the mirror. Sadie hugged both of them, Donatti and I pulled a back-clapping bro-hug thing, and Ian managed to get over himself long enough to shake my hand. At least he didn’t wipe his palm on his pants when he finished.
Taeral sort of waved. Donatti laughed, and Ian sort of waved back.
Ian cleared his throat. “I do not make speeches,” he said. “However, I will say that it was an honor to fight alongside you all, and I thank you for … everything.”
“Pretty sure that counts as a speech, Ian,” Donatti said. “That was a lot of words for you.”
“Well. Perhaps I have made an exception, just this once.” He smiled. “And I will go first, as I am certain you have far more words than I, which I do not care to hear.”
“Yeah, go on. I’m right behind you.”
He nodded and turned to the mirror. It didn’t take long to cast the spell, and he stepped through without another word.
Donatti sighed. “You’ll have to excuse his ro
yal rudeness,” he said. “When he’s done, he’s really done. Usually he just leaves and expects me to handle the goodbye part. More than two words to anyone is a banner day for him.” He flashed a crooked smile. “I think he’s in love with you guys.”
“I believe I’d have been happier not hearing that,” Taeral said. But there was a teasing edge to his tone.
“As for me, I gotta say. I haven’t had this much fun in years.” Donatti grinned. “We should get together sometime, when we’re not trying to kill a batshit crazy, ten-thousand-year-old jaguar djinn.”
I grinned back. “If this is what you call fun, I’m not sure I want to get together.”
“Not always. There’s other stuff — blowing up snakes, robbing museums, hiding in caves,” he said. “You know. Fun.”
“Yeah, I was thinking more along the lines of something with a lower chance of death.”
He laughed. “I like you, Gideon,” he said. “You know, I’m not the lucky type. At all. But I think I got a little luckier since I met you.” His expression grew serious. “Thanks for helping us save the world. Again.”
“Any time,” I said. And meant it.
“Well, I’d better get going.” The grin was back. “If I’m more than five minutes longer than Ian coming home, Jazz starts organizing a search party. And then kicks my ass when I turn out to be fine.”
He painted the blood symbol and spoke the words. Reflective chromed glass became a cozy-looking carpeted living room. Somewhere in the house, a child laughed, and a mother murmured encouraging words.
“Ah. Home, sweet home.”
Donatti waved, and stepped through the mirror.
I stood there a moment looking at my own reflection. I had a lot in common with Gavyn Donatti. Both of us not human, not Other, but somewhere in between. Both caught by surprise when we found out what we were, but doing everything we could to make the best of it — and to help people along the way. No matter what their species. Our lives were anything but normal on the best days.
Yet there he was, living in a nice house with a loving family, including the extended members. Just like normal people.
It was something I’d never even considered I could have. A lifetime on the road, and then on the run, had me believing that nice things just weren’t in my future. More than that, I didn’t deserve things like family, stability, and love. That was for people, not Others. Somewhere along the way I’d decided that squatting in a busted old building, where the plumbing worked if you were lucky and the pizza guy had to deliver to the bushes, was the best I could do.
But here was proof that even if you weren’t exactly human, you could save the world and still go home for dinner.
“Gideon? I don’t think he’s coming back.”
I shook loose from my thoughts and turned with a smile. Home was still where your people were, and mine were here with me. After everything we’d been through. That was good.
And now I knew it could be even better.
Thanks for reading!
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Learn more about Donatti and Ian in the Gavyn Donatti series (Master of None, Master and Apprentice) by Sonya Bateman, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
More books by Sonya Bateman
The DeathSpeaker Codex series
Available now from Amazon and Kindle Unlimited
WRONG SIDE OF HELL | Book 1
FIELDS OF BLOOD | Book 2
REALM OF MIRRORS | Book 3
RETURN OF THE HUNTERS | Book 4
CITY OF SECRETS | Book 5
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COMING SOON:
PRISON OF HORRORS
The DeathSpeaker Codex, Book 6
MASTER OF NONE | MASTER AND APPRENTICE
The Gavyn Donatti series – Available for Kindle and wherever books are sold
About the Author
Sonya Bateman lives in “scenic” Central New York, with its two glorious seasons: winter and road construction. She is the author of the Gavyn Donatti urban fantasy series (Master of None / Master and Apprentice) from Simon & Schuster. Under the pseudonym S.W. Vaughn, she’s the author of the Skin Deep paranormal M/M erotic romance series (Loose Id) and the House Phoenix thriller series.
You can contact her at [email protected], or like and post to her page on Facebook.
City of Secrets (The DeathSpeaker Codex Book 5) Page 19
