The bracelet enabled me to read The Beginning of Time. I'd spent a good part of the evening before and the entire afternoon trying to piece together the stories. I no longer thought Eve had sabotaged me. I believed in her own pathetic way she was trying to help. Lucy didn't buy it and had tried for hours to remove the bangle from my arm. The book made me feel itchy and antsy.
"Leave it be, Lucy," Janet said. She ruffled Lucy's hair and looked over my shoulder at the book. "What does it say?"
"Even though I can read it, I can't make sense of all the words," I admitted. "But I'm pretty sure there are more True Immortals than the ones we know about. There's a bizarre passage about a child that will encompass all the Immortal traits."
"Are there more True Immortal traits than the ones we already know?" Myrtle asked.
"What in the Hell are True Immortal traits?" Lucy asked as she eyed my bracelet distrustfully.
"God is Good, Satan is Evil, Dixie's grandpa is Wisdom, Mother Nature is Emotion, Angel of Death is Death, Angel of Light is Life, Eve is Temptation, Astrid is Compassion and Dixie is Balance," Myrtle rattled off the list by rote.
"So there are more?" Janet mused.
"I'm not sure. It doesn't say here, or it's just tied up in the language I don't understand."
"Maybe the other True Immortals running around are spare heirs," Lucy said.
"That's freakin' genius!" Myrtle slapped Lucy on the back and she went flying across the room. "Whoops. Sorry."
"You are one strong little skinny girl," Lucy grumbled as she got up.
"I said sorry." Myrtle grinned and flexed her little arms.
Myrtle was such a little shit. I grinned and rolled my eyes.
"I agree," Lucy said.
"With what?"
"That Myrtle's a shit," she replied.
"I didn't say that out loud," I stammered.
"Yes, you did," Lucy insisted.
"No, she didn't. I would have kicked her Demon princess ass if she did," Myrtle informed us. "But now that the cat is out of the bag, I'll kick your ass after the dance. I'd do it now, but I got a manicure and I don't want to mess it up. Plus she still deserves a beating for sending the baby Demons to spank my bumbum." With that she flipped us off and left the room.
"You really heard me?" I asked Lucy.
"I really did."
Was she like Elijah? Was I yelling in my head? Why didn't anyone else hear me? Damn, I was really going to have to watch my thoughts. . .
"It's five-thirty, you gals need to get a move on," Janet said and handed me my purse.
"I'll see you at eight. I refuse to be around the Things without killing them. For real killing them," Myrtle yelled from down the hall.
"Alrighty then, we'll see you at eight."
***
"I can't wait to see Hayden and you'll meet Stella tonight. Who knows? My dad might even show up. Shit, he'll blow an aneurysm when he sees his red sequined likeness," I babbled to Lucy. "Did you bring a costume? Did you know Myrtle is coming dressed as a bear and. . ." WTF?
We both froze as we entered the gym. We entered cautiously and the heavy door slammed shut behind us. Heaven was still heinous and Hell was still an abomination, but something was wrong—very wrong. The air was thick with malevolent magic and an icy wind whipped through the cavernous room. Shitshitshitshitshit.
"What are the Things’ names?" I asked Lucy frantically.
"Veronica, Velda, Vivian and Varsha."
"Are you fucking serious?"
"They're vultures. What did you expect?"
"Not that," I hissed. "Veronica? Are you guys here?" I called out.
Nothing.
Not good.
No one answered and my body tightened. The need to crawl out of my skin was intense and little sparks lit the tips of my fingers. The spot on my palm that I had sliced with the dagger tingled and burned.
"What's going on?" Lucy whispered.
"I'm not sure, but this isn't your fight. I want you to go." I pushed her toward the door, but she pushed right back.
"Nope. Not going anywhere."
"Lucy, leave," I ground out through clenched teeth.
"Dixie, no," she shot back. Her eyes glowed a brilliant green and a gauzy film of magic like I'd never seen glowed around her.#p#分页标题#e#
"Is Steve the only form you shift to?" I asked as I took in the power of the magic she was throwing off.
"Not even close." She snorted and rolled her neck on her shoulders.
"What else do you shift to?" I demanded. Could she hold her own in whatever clusterfuck was about to happen?
"Do you have nightmares?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Think of the most horrific nightmare you've ever had. I'm ten times worse."
"For real?" My grin split my face and I wanted to hug her and smack her.