Bone Dry_ A Soul Shamans Novel - Cady Vance Page 0,71

was what my professional shaman mom had charged to “assess” a home, and I was nowhere close to professional.

As we walked outside, I checked my phone again and saw no new calls from Nathan. I opened it and gave him a ring, feeling a tingle when he answered with a smile in his voice.

“Any movement?” I asked.

“None,” he said. “They’re still inside, and I can see their TV flickering through the blinds.”

“You are one hundred percent sure they’re both inside?” I asked.

All we needed right now was for the shamans to show up unexpectedly, anticipating our move and tricking us into believing they’d been home when they weren’t. I imagined their creepy smiles, their dilated eyes, their knives. My entire body shuddered.

“I saw both of them go inside the house myself.”

“Okay,” I said through clenched teeth. “Jason’s up next. Call me if you see anything.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll let you know,” he said.

The full weight of what he was doing pulled my heart to the ground. Those shamans were dangerous, and he was sitting outside their house by himself. I hoped we hadn’t misread those guys by thinking they’d be more concerned about their runes than a strange car parked on the street.

“Nathan? Please be careful.” I clicked the phone shut and squeezed my eyelids together.

***

Jason eagerly ushered us inside, pulling his sweatshirt tighter around his body. I could tell from his shaky smile he’d been sucked at not that long ago—maybe only ten minutes had passed since he’d been attacked.

“You didn’t stay out of the house like I said.” Laura and I followed him through a wide hallway to the living room, picture frames smashed on the floor and rugs curled up in bunched patterns.

“Got in a fight with my parents about this,” he said. “My brother called and told her I was making them stay outside when they wanted to be on the Playstation, and she got really pissed off.”

Just what we needed. Angry parents.

“Is she going to be mad we’re here?”

“Probably, but they’re both still at the hospital,” he said. “Come on, Holls. The Queen of Weird is needed in the basement.”

We went through the motions of crossing out runes, chasing the spirit and forcing it to do what we said. Get out. It was a lot easier than the first time, just because we kind of knew what we were doing now, but it was still a long process and a huge drain on the small sliver of energy I’d somehow managed to cling onto.

“All done,” I said with a heavy sigh as I threw the last chicken bone in the corner.

“So, about those bones?” He rose from where he’d been watching the protection spell on a bean bag chair.

“Leave them there.” I fell back onto his bed. My eyelids were heavy, my legs stiff, my back sore. Every cell of my body begged for me to close my eyes, rest…dream.

Laura shook me, and I opened my eyes. I hadn’t realized they’d closed. “Hey, sleepyhead. One more house to go, and then you can fall asleep. Remember Mr. Baker?”

“That’s right,” I said, pushing up onto my elbows. “I’m so freaking exhausted.”

Laura reached out a hand. “You can make it.”

My shoulders sagged, but I reached up like I was going to take her hand.

Some crazy force slammed into me, and I fell hard onto the bed. I arched my back, every particle of my body tingling with something…something alive and vibrant and sweet and strong and fierce. I gasped, emotions raging through and around me. My skull pounded—but in a good way. Like a million fingers massaged my scalp. My eyelids lightened. My feet no longer throbbed. My legs and body felt energized, like I could run five miles and not get tired.

Everything buzzed. Everything smelled sweeter. The air felt like soft and gentle kisses on my cheeks. Every sound was amplified in my ears. And as Laura’s breath puffed out, I could almost see the air. The tiny specks that formed the moisture on her forehead.

I blinked.

“I think we need to call 911.” She scrambled up on the bed, jagged hair falling in her eyes. The blond and red mixing together looked like rainbows.

“No, I’m okay.” My voice sounded funny to my ears. Musical.

Why did everything feel so good? So delicious? Like the world was spinning just for me.

And then that wonderful feeling slowed, toppling to a lingering stop. It was still there, but muted. Now it smelled like old pizza, sweat, tennis rackets and dirty socks.