Bone Dry_ A Soul Shamans Novel - Cady Vance Page 0,78

thinking about saying something. “Your mom and me, we decided on something a long time ago. If she…if something ever happens to her, I become your legal guardian.”

I almost choked on the hot chocolate. “If you guys decided that, then why haven’t we come to live with you? She’s been sick for a year.”

“I don’t know.” He stood again to go back to his frantic pacing. “I don’t know why she didn’t tell me something was wrong.”

I took a few more sips of the hot chocolate, watching as Mr. Fisher continued to pace back and forth, like if he walked long enough all our problems would be solved. Once I’d taken the last chocolatey sip, I placed the mug on a coaster on the coffee table and stood. The clock on the mantle said it was six o’clock.

“I have to go,” I said, snapping him out of his reverie.

“You can’t go,” he said. “Not until you promise me you’re going to stay out of this.”

I lifted my chin. “You can’t stop me.”

His face looked pained. “It’s too dangerous. Stay here, get some sleep, and I’ll look in on your mother. We’ll figure out a way to make everything okay.”

“You aren’t going to change my mind.” I moved out of the living room and down the hall toward Laura’s room.

From behind me, Mr. Fisher said, “If you try taking Laura with you, I’ll call the police.”

I paused and turned, shock hitting me like a school bus head-on. He looked sad. And very tired. But I knew he wasn’t bluffing. He’d do what he had to in order to keep his daughter safe. I guess I understood, but that didn’t mean I thought it was fair. I didn’t think I had much time left to save my mom. And I didn’t want to face the shaman on my own.

CHAPTER 26

My truck idled while my fingers hovered over my phone. I had so many questions about, well, everything. All it would take was one call to Anthony Lombardi. His business card was stuffed in the cracks of my dashboard.

I turned my truck off to save gas, flipped open the phone and counted the rings, hoping it wasn’t too early for him to be awake.

“Hello?” His voice sounded musical with that one word.

“Mr. Lombardi? Anthony? This is Holly Bennett.” I stared at Laura’s peaceful, white-picket-fenced yard and wondered for the fifth time if calling Anthony was a terrible idea.

“Holly.” The musical tenor fell away, and I thought I heard sheets rustle in the background. “You sound like you’ve smoked a pack of cigars. Something wrong?”

I bit my lip and closed my eyes, resting my forehead on the steering wheel. “Mom won’t respond anymore. She can’t.”

“Mmm. I see. Did you summon the spirit? Did he show you anything?”

“Yes. The building where it happened.”

“Good.” He sighed. “Now, listen. Be careful if you go to this place, but do it soon.”

“Because she doesn’t have much time left.” The words felt like punches against my ears.

“Listen,” he said, and his tone made me brace myself. “There have been a few other cases of shamans getting stuck in the Borderland, and once they stop responding, they have only a few hours left. Twenty-four at most.”

A snake coiled around my heart and squeezed so tight I doubled over on the wheel. I whispered into the phone, unable to force my voice louder. “Twenty-four hours? This happened last night.”

“Well, then you don’t have much time.” The call clicked off, and I pulled the phone away from my ear to stare at it. He’d just hung up. He’d told me my mom had less than a day to live, and he hung up on me?

I blinked away burning tears and backed out of the drive. My breath shook my whole body. Mom had less than twenty-four hours. It was all I could do to watch the road. I didn’t know how to function like a normal person with that information crowding my mind. I brushed the tears off my cheeks, mentally preparing myself for what I needed to do today. Visit the building the spirit had shown me, where the shaman might be.

At home, Mom was the same, although her breathing seemed a little slower than last night. I pulled the blanket tighter around her before I dialed Nathan’s cell.

He answered after one ring.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “I’ve been crazy worried about you guys. Did you get out? Laura’s dad said he’d take care of it. God, Holly, I’m so sorry