“Don’t any of you touch her,” I ground out through clenched teeth. “She’s done nothing to hurt you. If you touch her again I’ll. . .”
“Dixie.” Blanche was shaken and her voice was weak. “Stop. They’re not hurting me.”
She began to fade away.
“No, no, no.” I shook my head as tears threatened. “Don’t you dare disappear on me now.”
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “Miss Evelyn is good. Weird, but good.” A small laugh escaped her lips. “We’re not going to end up as baked goods.”
“Blanche.” I pressed her transparent body to my own. All thoughts of anyone else in the room ceased to exist. “You can’t leave me. I need you.”
“Dixie, I’m your fate. I take you where you need to be. Trust me, you’re supposed to be here. You are so much stronger than you think. Believe me.”
“If I’m supposed to be here, you have to stay with me,” I insisted desperately. The tightening in my chest made it hard to breathe.
“I will be back very soon.” Her voice faltered and she shook her head sadly. “These women are important. And guess what?” She grinned. “We were right—they’re not quite mortal.”
“What are they?” I looked up and locked eyes with Miss Evelyn.
“Everything will reveal itself when it’s supposed to. Don’t even say it,” she cut me off before I could explode. “There are too many rules in this damn game.” She giggled faintly as she began to fade away. "Stay true."
She was gone.
I sat motionless on the floor and stared at the spot where Blanche had been, willing her to come back. She knew who or what Miss Evelyn and Rhonda were and she couldn’t tell me. And I’d bet my eternally damned soul these ladies weren’t going to talk.
“I don’t know what Blanche meant,” I said cautiously as I ran my fingers through the glittering silver dust on the floor. “But if she trusts you. . .I will give you the benefit of the doubt.”
I raised my eyes to Miss Evelyn’s and a sense of peace washed through me. Rhonda helped me to my feet.
“Are you okay?” I asked Rhonda, worried that I may have broken some of her bones or cracked her skull. “I thought you guys were, you know. . .killing her.”
Rhonda gave me a big toothy smile. “I’m fine, child. That was one heck of a body slam though,” she grunted and rubbed her neck.
How she wasn’t dead was beyond me, but Blanche said they were not mortal. What in the Hell were they? They were old, so they couldn’t be immortal. Clearly there was another species I didn’t know about. That would explain the language on Miss Evelyn’s bracelet.
“I’m really sorry, Rhonda,” I told her. “I'll try not to throw you across the room anymore,” I added lamely.
She belly laughed. “Aww sweetie, I gotta say I enjoyed it. Not many people can give me a run for my money. It makes me real proud of you.”
“Okay. . .well, thanks.” A compliment was a compliment, no matter how bizarre.
I glanced around Miss Evelyn’s trashed home and winced. I was as bad as my therapy group in their heyday. I wished Stella was here to restore the house. . .wait a minute. I could do it!
“Miss Evelyn, would you like me to clean up the mess I made?” I asked, halfway hoping she’d decline my offer.
“That would be lovely, dear.”
Craptastic. . .Here goes nothing. I took a huge breath and closed my eyes. I’d never done this before, but how hard could it be? For Satan’s sake, I could freeze people, throw Mack trucks around and blow up tables and refrigerators. Certainly I could use a little magic to clean a room.
I began to chant the same one I'd used earlier. I wasn't sure what I was saying but it felt good and right. It was interesting to know that I could create magic without anger. As the chant grew the energy of the room whirled and crackled around me. My hair blew wildly around my head tickling my nose. Steve barked as her wagging tail beat against my leg. An intense excitement coursed through my body and I heard Miss Evelyn and Rhonda giggle with delight. I felt happy and light. Behind my closed lids, fireworks burst in a rainbow of sparkling colors. As my chant continued, I idly wondered what the Hell language I was speaking, but it felt so good I didn’t care.
I was done.
I opened my eyes and gasped in dismay. The glitter was gone and the hole in the wall from Rhonda’s crash was repaired, but all was not well. I had cleaned the room, but I also completely rearranged it. The chairs were on the coffee table, the pillows sat atop the television, the couch cushions were backwards and oh so much more. . .