Bone Dry_ A Soul Shamans Novel - Cady Vance Page 0,93

as I dripped on Nathan’s leather, wishing there was something I could do about the gross jeans plastered to my legs. While I put my supplies into my backpack, I told Nathan what I’d found. He started the car, listening, driving aimlessly down the road away from the private care facility.

“What do we do Nathan?” I asked, dropping my head into my hands.

Nathan ran his fingers through his hair, and water droplets sprayed his steering wheel. “I can’t believe it was the Astrology Zone guy all this time.”

“I need his blood. I have to go find him, but there must be some reason he’s done all this. I mean, he practically gave me the information to find him. I don’t get it.”

“Holly, you have his blood. Remember?”

I sucked in a lungful of air. Nathan was right. I did have his blood. He’d given it to me. I’d had it the whole time.

I fought the urge to scream, tears pricking my eyes and blurring my vision. These past twenty-four hours I’d been searching for it, I’d had it in my hands. Instead of using it to save mom, I’d been running around in circles trying to find Anthony Lombardi.

Nathan saw my tears and pulled off the road, car bumping into ruts. My heart thundered like a steam engine in my chest. Nathan cut the engine and took my hands in his. He met my gaze, and his green eyes immediately sent a wave of calm through me.

“You have his blood, right?” He squeezed my hands. “It’s going to be okay.”

I nodded. “Let me check. To make sure.” My hands shook as they dug through my backpack and brought out the pouch Anthony had given me. I slid the zipper open and pulled out the vial. There it was. I smiled through my tears. Less than half of it was left, but it would be enough. All I needed was a drop of his lying blood to get her back.

“I have it,” I whispered to Nathan.

“Good.” He reached across me and opened the glove compartment. After digging around, he pulled out a small pack of tissues and handed them to me.

“Thanks.” I tore open the plastic and rubbed my face dry of tears, my neck dry of rain. There wasn’t much a pack of tissues could do for my soaking t-shirt and soggy sneakers chilling my entire body, but I felt a little refreshed by a dry face.

“Do you think Astrology Zone Guy was lying when he said your mom only had the rest of today left?” Nathan asked, pushing the glove compartment shut with a click.

I thought back to the conversation, to the tone of his voice, to the detached way he’d spoken to me about losing Mom. He’d seemed like he was hiding something when I’d met him at his office but not when I’d called him for help. “No, I think he was serious.”

“Then, let’s get back to your house.” Nathan glanced at the dashboard clock’s glowing green numbers. “It’s only two. We should have enough time for you to get back and cast that spell.”

Nathan brought the truck back to life and pulled into a stream of cars whose slick wheels slurped the wet pavement. His wipers left streaks across the rain-clogged windshield. Streetlamps burned yellow in the darkened world.

“You’re going to get her back, Holly.” Nathan glanced over at me. “She’s going to be okay.”

His words were interrupted by the ringing of my cell phone. I dug it out of my damp pocket and looked at the readout, expecting Laura. I was surprised when I saw a strange number instead.

I flipped open the phone. “Hello?”

“Is this Holly Bennett?” a strange yet familiar male voice asked, but I couldn’t place where I’d heard it.

“Yes…” I said, alert and cautious.

“Well hello, Holly the Meddler.” And instantly, I knew who it was. Red Tee Guy. Unease slithered through me.

“What do you want?” I was glad to hear my voice come out as hard as Superman’s abs.

“You meddled after we asked you not to,” he said. “You remember what we told you would happen, don’t you? Well, it turns out we went by your house to collect you, and your friend was there. What’s her name?”

My face drained of all color, and I gripped the phone so tight I thought it would crack under the pressure. “Leave her alone.”

“Too late,” he said. “But, I’ll tell you what, we’ll let her go if you come visit us nice and easy. Stop whatever