Page 222 of Sweet Dominion

Lei spoke, “How did you get back into the East after you left? The gates are closed.”

“Oh yes. The gates are in fact closed.” Leo bobbed his head. “The problem is. . .my car left. . .but I didn’t.”

Shivering, I made sure to keep the fear out of my voice. “TT, Banks wanted to say goodbye to you before he left. Can you go down there and give him a big hug?”

“Not just yet.” Leo gently placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her there. “We have to show you the map.”

“There’s so much that we learned.” TT touched it, barely able to keep the excitement out of her voice. “You see these things right here?”

TT's little fingers danced over the puzzle, tracing the delicate woodwork as she turned to me with that proud, innocent smile. “See, Moni?"

“Y-yeah.”

“At first when I solved this an hour ago, I was stumped. I thought it was just weird words and numbers at first. But Uncle Leo helped me. He showed me that they were Bible verses.”

My heart clenched as I looked down at faint inscriptions that wound across the wooden pieces.

TT pointed to the center of the puzzle. “This one says John 3:16. That’s in the Bible.”

I glanced at the writing and there it was, etched into the blade. The familiar verse, hidden in plain sight. "Yeah. . .it is.”

I put my view back on Leo and his hand on her shoulder.

Leo smiled, that cold, calculating smile. “And what does John 3:16 say, TT?”

Without hesitation, she recited, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

"Fascinating.” Leo shook his head. “She only heard that verse once. Her ability to recall things with such ease is frightening.”

Song bobbed his head and ate another piece of cobbler.

“This is more than intelligence.” Leo moved his hand and that was when I spotted the tiny blade peeking out from under the hand on TT’s shoulder.

Ooo Goddd. . .why do you have that blade so close to her?

Lei clearly saw it too because he went stiff next to me.

Leo widened that terrifying smile. “She read that verse once and now speaks it with perfect clarity. It is a gift from God. It is good that I got to spend time with her this evening.”

My skin crawled.

TT blinked, her smile faltering slightly as if unsure of how to react to the praise.

Trying to lighten the mood, TT continued, pointing at another part of the puzzle. “The verse is a clue.”

I swallowed. “What sort of clue?”

“The verse could symbolize that finding the treasure requires a form of sacrifice or. . .deep faith.” TT scratched her head. “But. . .I think it’s some sort of sacrifice like. . .you might have to cut yourself and drip blood for something to open or. . .maybe someone has to die.”

A dark chuckle left Leo. “Now that would be interesting indeed. I almost want to stay a little bit longer to help out, but I will have to see how this plays out from heaven.”

Then, he put his view on Lei. “Or hell. . .as my son said.”

And now I understood why that smile had not reached his eyes.

Leo truly hadn’t appreciated what Lei had said on the phone about his mother hating him and Leo dying in hell.

Was his messing up the fun of the cookout his way of revenge?

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