Dogs and Goddesses Read online

  “Oh.” Ray stepped back. “You really know your step temples.”

  “Just this one,” Kammani said. “You must tell Sharrat there is nothing wrong with it.”

  “Well, there is,” Ray said. “That relief was added later.”

  Kammani went very still. “Yes, it was carved into the wall, much later.”

  “No,” Ray said. “That wall was added later. It’s a false wall.”

  “Yes,” Kammani said, measuring her words. “The chamber for the priestesses is behind it.”

  “No,” Ray said stubbornly. “That wall is a new wall covering an old wall.”

  Kammani smiled. “Have you told Sharrat this?”

  “Who?”

  “Shar,” Kammani said, keeping her temper until she knew if she’d have to kill him. “Have you told Shar?”

  “No,” Ray said. “I was going to meet her here today.” He looked around. “She’s not here, right?”

  “Good.” Kammani took a step closer. “So you know Shar well?”

  “Uh.” Ray looked down at her and began to perspire. “Well, we used to, uh…”

  “I see,” Kammani said. “You were lovers.”

  “Well, yeah,” Ray said.

  “Until Sam came,” Kammani said. Ray scowled. “You know Sam?”

  “He is my … ex-husband.”

  Ray made an exasperated sound. “Man, that guy gets in everywhere.”

  Kammani let that one pass and took another step closer to Ray. “He broke my heart.”

  Ray looked down at her, so close, and swallowed. “Bastard.” He frowned. “So he’s no good for Shar.”

  I’m right here, Kammani thought, but she smiled and said, “I will show you the secret room behind the wall and we will talk.” She slipped her hand through his arm and pulled him gently toward the door to her chamber. “I’ve been very lonely without Sam.”

  “Uh…”

  “Have you been lonely without Shar?” she said, looking up at him with all the intent she could put in her eyes.

  “Well, I have my work.…” Ray met her eyes. “Oh. Oh, well, yeah.”

  “We have much to learn from each other, Ray,” Kammani said, guiding him toward her door.

  “Okay,” Ray said. “Say, didn’t I see your picture in the paper?” He snapped his fingers. “You’re that new self-help guru with the cable show. I bet you can teach me a lot.”

  Yes, and while you’re learning it, you’re going to forget about that wall. Kammani looked down at Umma. “Stay.”

  Umma looked back, silent and unflinching.

  Damn dog, Kammani thought, and then sent some extra energy to the rainstorm, seeing it in her mind as it swelled the rivers and lakes.

  Let them vaccinate against that, she thought, and led Ray into her chamber.

  Daisy hurried through the rain, holding her hand over her head, shielding herself as best she could from the downpour. She ducked under the tiny awning in front of Noah’s apartment building, hit Noah’s buzzer, and waited; there was no answer. Crap. She hit the buzzer once more, and was met with silence.

  He wasn’t home. Where the hell was he?

  Off with Kammani, plotting to take over the world, she thought, then sighed. Since her mother’s visit the day before, things hadn’t been right. She’d been distant, he’d been wary, and the sex had been good but tentative, as if all the things she hadn’t been saying had somehow wedged between them.

  She hit the buzzer twice more, but there was still no answer. Oh, come on. I skipped out early on work to deal with this; the least he can do is be here.

  But he wasn’t. She turned around into the rain, running down the empty sidewalk with her head down, hoping to find him waiting for her at the coffeehouse, and she barreled right into someone who caught her before she bounced off his chest and fell to the ground. She looked up and her entire existence lightened at the sight of him.

  Noah.

  “Hey, you,” he said, smiling as the rain pattered down on him, not seeming to care that he was getting soaked. What kind of guy just didn’t care if he got all wet?

  A minion. Minions never care if they get wet.

  Stop that.

  “Hi,” she said, swiping at her face. “I left work early. … I mean, I thought I’d come over and…” A big, fat raindrop hit her in the eye, and she sputtered. “What is up with this rain?”

  “Come on,” he said, taking her arm. “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes.”

  She went two steps with him and the anxiety hit in her gut as she thought, No. Then there was a crack, and the thunder rolled, and she pulled her arm back. He stopped to look at her, his smile fading as the lightning flashed again.

  “Daisy?”

  She raised her eyes to his. This had to stop. She had to come clean, tell him everything, beg his forgiveness for all her suspicions, and get over it. If she didn’t do it now, they didn’t stand a chance, and she wasn’t willing to risk that.

  “I need answers,” she said, then swallowed hard. That wasn’t what she’d meant to say, but as the relief rushed through her, she knew it was what she needed to say.

  Noah took a step closer as the rain started to beat down harder and said, “What?”

  “I need you to tell me what you know!” she shouted over the rain.

  He watched her for a moment; then his smile disappeared. “About what?”

  “About Kammani.” She looked at him, forced herself to say the words. “I need you to tell me.”

  “Tell you what? Daisy…” He shook his head, ran his hand through his wet hair. “Look, come on inside where it’s dry and we can—”

  “Are you working with her? Do you worship her and she needs us and so you’re making me fall in love with you to get me for her?” She sounded crazy, and from the way Noah was looking at her, he’d picked up on it. People rushed into the building past them and the rain started coming down in earnest.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “How long has your family known Kammani was coming? Did Mina bring her back? How? Why did you really teach that class? Did you know about the bees, and the measles? And where were you just now? Were you with her?”

  He stared at her, then shook his head. He pulled a piece of paper out from the inside of his jacket and held it out to her. She took it and glanced at it but couldn’t read the handwriting in the rain. She tucked it in her jacket to keep it out of the rain and looked up at him.

  “What’s this?” she asked.

  “I went to see one of my saner cousins, and she gave me that. I thought it might help you, or whatever.” He shook his head. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I’ll talk to you later.”

  He turned around and headed toward his building. Daisy watched him for a moment, shock and fear running hot and cold through her. How dare he walk away? Wasn’t she important to him at all?

  And the answer she’d been afraid of since that day in the courtyard hit her.

  No.

  She stood in the rain, staring after him, trying to process it all. She’d been right; he’d been lying. He was in league with Kammani. He’d never cared about her. He’d never—

  Before she realized it, she was rushing after him. She caught the door before it closed, and slid into the lobby behind him just as two flashes of lightning cracked hard outside, followed almost instantly by sharp blasts of thunder.

  “Look,” she said, grabbing his arm. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you or whatever, but what did you expect? You lied to me.”

  “When did I … ?” he started, then shook his head. “What, because I didn’t tell you that my family believed a goddess was going to rise? Seriously?”

  “Yes, seriously,” she said. “Noah, you just expect me to accept everything when my whole life is turning upside down and—”

  “I never expected anything. I tried to get you to talk to me, and you said everything was fine, even though it obviously wasn’t, so don’t dump all that on me.”

&nb