“Janet, if you try to leave this room I will freeze you and zap you bald,” I calmly informed her.
She stopped and gave me a guilty smile. “Sorry,” she whispered contritely.
“No prob.”
I closed my eyes and began to chant, but this time it was different. I narrowed all the thoughts in my mind to encompass exactly what I wanted to happen. I let myself completely relax. . .I trusted myself.
I continued to chant and tried something else new. I opened my eyes. Maybe if I watched what I was doing, it might go a little better.
A glittering black mist mixed with lavender and gold engulfed my bed. It smelled of citrus and wind. It tickled and I scrunched my nose to stifle the sneeze that was threatening to escape. Myrtle, Janet and Carl’s eyes were wide with anticipation and a healthy dose of fear. I laughed with delight and reached out to run my hands through the mist. It was warm and silky.
I felt right and strong and joyous. I closed my eyes, raised my arms and stopped chanting. As good as I felt, I hesitated to open my eyes.
“Is it gone?” At the very least, I knew I hadn't blown up the house. I would have heard that.
“Yeth!” Carl shouted, tackling and tickling me.
I opened my eyes and screamed, trying to swat Carl away. Janet ran across the room and started bouncing on my clean hairless bed. It was utter chaos and I loved it.
“I’m so proud of you,” Janet trilled, jumping so high she touched the ceiling with each bounce.
I glanced over at Myrtle. She stood quietly against the wall, arms crossed with a wide, open smile on her pretty face. “You done good, my friend.”
Satisfaction and pride burst through me. I was happier than I’d been since coming to Earth.
"Myrtle, are shifters immortal?"
"Not sure. Why?"
"I was just curious."
“We can teach you many things.” Myrtle approached the jump-fest on my bed. “But the trust part is all you. This may seem small,” she said as she referred to the hairless bedding. “However it’s really quite monumental. You can do what needs to be done as long as you trust yourself and believe.”
The room quieted and my friends curled up with me. A cool calm floated through my mind and for the first time I knew I could do it. Do what? I still had no real clue, but it was coming and I would be waiting. And I would win. Maybe Dad had picked the right Demon. . .
Eventually the Rogue Demons would arrive and wreak havoc. They wanted to kill God and Satan. They were currently in possession of the Sword of Death. That was going to change.
The Balance of Chaos was still a mystery to me. Was it a thing or a person or a state of mind? Maybe killing the Rogue Demons would restore the balance between good and evil. Could it be that simple? Not that killing Rogue Demons would be easy. . .And Cole? He was a sneaky fucker and I was sure he wasn't clean. Elijah? Another problem along with Miss Evelyn and Rhonda. They were part of the puzzle. But first things first.
"I have to go see a girl about a dog," I said as I eased off the bed and headed for the shower.
"Are we supposed to understand that?" Janet asked.
"Nope." I grinned. "It's my turn to be cryptic."
Chapter 29
She was easy to find as she flitted from the English building to the science labs. I wondered where her minions were, but it was far better to catch her alone. She adjusted a huge banner advertising the upcoming dance. "Get your boogie on at the Heaven vs Hell on Earth Dance" was block printed in black and red. I rolled my eyes at the utter unorginality, but what did I expect?
Most of the students had cleared the area and gone to class. Instinctually I scanned the grounds for danger. I was expecting a visit from Elijah soon. There was no way he wasn't going to show himself again. The campus was calm and I quietly approached Lucy from behind.
"Hey Steve," I said. "How you doing?"
Lucy froze.
"I was wondering if you had a moment, Steve."
She turned and grinned. "Took you long enough," she said as she looped her arm through mine and led us away from campus to a clump of trees.
I shook my head and removed her hand. "Were you going to tell me?"
"I was a little afraid because of the turning to dust rumor," she said as she plopped down on the ground at the base of a tree.
"That one's a bitch," I agreed. "Where are the Things?"
"Things?"
"Your fan club."
"Oh my God." She burst out laughing. "You named them the Things?"
"Yes. I did. It was far too complicated to remember their actual names. Where are they?"
"Well," she said, still laughing. "They found some tiny people and went car shopping."
My stomach descended to my toes. I dropped down to the ground next to Lucy and grabbed her by the shoulders. "What did the tiny people look like?" I demanded.