Bewitched (Betwixt & Between #2) - Darynda Jones Page 0,9

bearings and plan my next move. Stalling, I went back to what Nette said earlier. “You said Ruthie locked herself in her room. This is her room.” I gestured toward the massive bedroom we were hanging in.

“Her arts and craft room in the basement. There’s more, but I’ll let her tell you. Or, well, show you.”

Since I wasn’t quite ready for more, I rerouted Nette’s train of thought. “Hey, how did you get all these messages? Exactly whose phone is ringing?”

“Oh, my God. You are not going to believe this.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Ruthie has a landline.”

Huh. I was expecting more. “You realize we all had landlines too, until a few years ago.”

“Yes, but actual people use this one. Not just telemarketers. It gets better reception due to all the paranormal activity pumping through the walls. I gotta warn you, though, I think the phone is older than your grandmother, and it rings loud enough to drown out the screams of your enemies. Should you ever need to make them scream.”

“Good to know.” I glanced down.

One of the messages on the bed had started to glow. Actually, it was the ink that glowed.

I pointed at it. “What is that?”

Annette picked it up. “Oh, this one was so sweet.” She put a hand over her heart. “A little girl lost her dog. She wants you to find him.”

“No.”

“Okaaaay . . . ?”

“No, I mean, that’s not what this is about.” I took it from her. Hot energy burned my fingertips, proving just how much I still did have my powers. I dropped the paper and wiped my hand on my gown like a toddler after eating spaghetti.

Thankfully, Annette was rummaging through some other messages and didn’t notice.

“What else did she say?” I asked.

“She said her mother told her about you. Said if she ever needed help to call you.” She reached over and picked it up again. “She was so worried, she forgot to leave a number. I barely managed to get her name.” She looked over at me, her gaze questioning. “Why?”

“It’s nothing. Just tear it up. Tear them all up.”

She didn’t. She put them back into the pocket folder and wrapped the elastic band around it.

The light from the message seeped out the corners.

“Some of these people are in real crisis. We have a chance to help them.”

“For a small processing fee.”

“Well, there is that. But is a doctor taking advantage of a patient when she sends him a bill?”

Couldn’t argue with that one. “I think your idea is great. I just . . . until I get my powers back, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Of course.” She gathered her things. “I have to get to work.”

“Work?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes. Like I said, I didn’t inherit a bazillion dollars. Some of us have to work for a living.” She started out the door. I almost ran after her, but she turned back to me before I had to lift a foot. “Just so you know, we weren’t the only ones watching over you.”

“Oh?” Each of her revelations were more disturbing than the last. I could only hope my hair had behaved during all of this.

“Ruthie’s coven. They’re all dying for an introduction. They’re so nice, Deph. Meeting you would be like me meeting Buddha. Or Jesus. Or Kurt Cobain.”

Wow. “Okay, well, maybe in a few days.” By then, I’d be outta here. So, so outta here. No way was I sticking around for what was to come. And neither was Nette. Or my dads. They just didn’t know it yet.

“Great, so—I almost forgot!” She put her bag back down and combed through it. “I bought you something.” She brought out a wooden box and ran it over to me.

“Really?”

“Yes. For when we open our business. It’s okay. I can take it back.”

I cradled it to me. “Let me see what it is first.”

She smiled in relief. “Okay.”

I lifted the dark wooden lid. Inside, lay a perfectly shaped crystal ball tucked into a blue satin lining with an iron pedestal. “Oh, my goodness. This is beautiful. I don’t think these really work though.”

“I figured, but it’ll make a great prop. You know, if we start Breadcrumbs, Inc.” She started to leave again, then turned back. “Then again, how do you know it won’t work if you don’t give it a shot?”

“Maybe, you know, if my powers come back.”

She nodded. “I got lots of stuff like that—a bible box, a spinning wheel, some tarot cards. And, according to the